The language speakers behind KTOO’s Lingít Word of the Week

KTOO’s Lingít Word of the Week series owes a debt of gratitude to X̱ʼunei Lance Twitchell, professor of Alaska Native Languages at the University of Alaska Southeast, and to the elders and language scholars who recorded the words and sentences used.

Here is more information about the people involved:

Keiyishí Bessie Cooley

Keiyishí Bessie Coolie is Kooḵhíttaan and a child of a Yanyeidí man. She’s from Deisleen (Teslin) and grew up spending time in Teslin, and around Teslin lake. She earned a Master’s degree in Indigenous languages and linguistics from Simon Fraser University. She’s currently translating projects for the Children of the Taku Society. 

Kooshdáakʼu Bill Fawcett

Kooshdáakʼu Bill Fawcett was Lukaax̱.ádi and the child of a Southern Tutchone man who passed away before Bill was born. His mother later married Tseexwáa Bill Fawcett, who helped raise Bill. He lived on Áakʼw Ḵwáan Aaní and enjoyed working with advanced language learners, helping them answer difficult questions about the language.

Ḵaakal.áat Florence Marks Sheakley

Ḵaakal.áat Florence Marks Sheakley is Lukaax̱.ádi and the child of a Chookaneidí man. She grew up on Mark’s trail in a family that used Lingít as the primary language and were involved in documenting, teaching and publishing in Lingít. She has taught the language at all levels, and has served as the teacher of teachers in the Juneau area for decades now. 

Kaxwaan Éesh George Davis

Kaxwaan Éesh George Davis was Tʼaḵdeintaan and the child of a Tsaagweidí man. He grew up in Ḵéex̱ʼ (Kake) and learned to speak well because he would always bring traditional foods to the elders there. As someone who fished a lot and spent time on the land, he knew lots of Lingít place names all over the area, and he learned many stories and advanced ways of speaking.

Keihéenák’w John Martin

Keihéenák’w John Martin was T’aḵdeintaan and a child of a Kaagwaantaan man. He is from the Xunaa Ḵaawu, the people of Hoonah, and was a contributing elder and speaker at many language immersion gatherings in Glacier Bay, Yakutat and Juneau. He attended boarding school in Shg̱agwei (Skagway) and attended Gonzaga University.

Sign up for The Signal

Top Alaska stories delivered to your inbox every week

Site notifications
Update notification options
Subscribe to notifications