Book Slam Participants
Allakaket School, Allakaket, Alaska

Teachers
Sarah Bailey: Pre-K/K-2
Mary Sue Linus: Pre-K/Teacher’s Aide
LaToya Greist: Teacher’s Aide
Judith Withers 3-5
Terri Schuetz 6-7
David Fields 8-12
Kelli Biggs: Reading Specialist

Students
K - Blaise E.
1 - Gordon B.
1 - Cullen C.
1 - Conner M.
1 - Lucas M.
1 - Alice S.
1 - Sophie S.
2 - Caleb B.
2 - Desyray C.
2 - Mackenzie R.

3 - Isaiah M.
3 - Hazel S.
4 - Tristan L.
4 - Gabe N.
4 - Collin R.
5 - Nevaeh C.
5 - Shyla N.
5 - Evan S.

Students (continued)
6 - Joy B.
6 - Sidney B.
6 - Terrance S.
7 - Simon N.

8 - Nicole B.
8 - Stuart B.
12 - Rhea L.

Community Member & Elders
Pollock Simon, Grandma Becky Linus, Grandpa Lindburg Bergman, Valerie Bergman, Rolland Linus, Harding Sam

Thanks To
Principal Larry Parker and Superintendent Kerry Boyd for their leadership in making the Allakaket Book Slam possible.

Book Slam Project Management
Steve Nelson, Project Coordinator,
Association of Alaska School Boards
Cheryl Bobo, Site Facilitator

© 2020 Yukon-Koyukuk School District

What is Memorial Potlatch?
A memorial potlatch is a celebration to help move people who have passed from this life to their new life, as well as to allow the family and community to show respect and honor to that person by sharing a last meal with the person who passed. The potlatch lasts three days. Pollock shared, “There are other kinds of potlatches on New Year’s Eve and 4th of July.”

Read by
Rhea

1.

Showing Respect and Honor
People often wear traditional clothing. Men wear a white shirt and a moose skin vest to show respect. Women wear bets'egh hoolaanee. To allow the one who has passed time to rest, things are quieter in the village and homes during the time between the passing and the time of burial. Women do not sew or work on beadwork during this time. Fiddle dance at the end of a potlatch shows respect. 

Read by
Rhea

2.

Long Ago
Grandpa Linburg remembers his first potlatch from1938. He was excited to visit Allakaket. The trip from the fish camp was by boat and took a few days.  

Read by
???

3.

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How They Lay Out the Memorial Potlatch for the Community
Today, a blue tarp is laid in the middle of the room with all the food in various size pots and pans to be distributed to the family and community. Next, according to Grandma Becky, they spread white paper for the children to sit and eat in front of the adults. The parents sit on benches and the Elders sit at tables. 

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Read by
Rhea

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4.

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Fish Tails are Hung
The members of the community would hang a fish tail inside their home, over the door and spread ashes in the doorway. Pollock said, “The devil would not step over the ashes.” Fish bones are put in the children and visitor’s pockets to protect them from the spirits.  

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Read by
Terrance

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5.

So Much Food!
According to Pollock, in the past everyone was speaking the native language. They used to share more traditional foods like caribou, moose, ptarmigan, and porcupine. They served the “large black animal,” but girls were not allowed to eat that meat. If they were lucky enough to get a ‘large black animal” out of its den, the fat meat was prized and shared with the person who provided it first. Today, one might see ham or chicken but still today, it is mostly traditional foods.

Read by
???

6.

Before Potlatch Begins
A small amount of different foods were placed on a plate or napkin with gum and tobacco. Adults would burn this to send their loved one on their way with their first meal in their new life.

Read by
Hazel

7.

Cloth Dance
According to Valerie, there is a traditional Cloth Dance after dinner the first two nights of potlatch. Women would twist cloth squares and tie them together to make a long rope like circle. Men would drape full wolverine and wolf furs over the twisted cloth and lift them up and down as they go around in a circle, dancing. The women can only touch the cloth. The one who has passed may have been lucky and they can pass that luck to the people at the potlatch. 

Read by
Rhea

8.

Gifting
On the third night, after dinner, is the time for gifting. Giving gifts represents the person who passed coming back and giving out the belongings they no longer need. Family members share small gifts with everyone. Gifts are small beaded items, knives, or needed items like flashlights, and dish towels. The family also places some personal items belonging to the person who passed in the middle for others to take. The full wolf and wolverine hides used in the cloth dance are then cut into strips to be given away and used as ruffs on parkas. Women take lighter colors and men take the darker colored fur strips. 

Read by
Rhea

9.

Playing a Game of Pan
When the potlatch is over and the clean up is complete, the adults gather around tables in groups of 9 with 9 decks of cards to play a game that is sort of like today’s Rummy. The air is light and there is laughter again in the community hall.

Read by
Hazel

10.