Kotzebue Communities of Memory recordings now available

May 24, 2018

The University of Alaska Fairbanks Rasmuson Library recently published a new segment in the oral history project Communities of Memory.

The Kotzebue Communities of Memory recordings are available online via the library's Project Jukebox at www.jukebox.uaf.edu/comkotzebue. They feature highlights of a gathering that took place at the NANA Museum in Kotzebue from Feb. 29 to March 2, 1996. Speakers talk about their experiences with war, whether it was World War II, the Korean War or the Vietnam War. They describe what it was like being in the military and then returning home, and what it was like at home in Kotzebue during these wars. Their stories range from emotional to humorous and show the effects of war experiences to those who served in the field and to those left at home.

The Alaska Communities of Memory Project was a statewide effort from 1994 to 1996 funded by the Alaska Humanities Forum to provide an opportunity for people in communities around Alaska to share memories of their community and to reflect on what made their community special. These gatherings were held in Bethel, Fairbanks, Homer, Juneau, Kenai-Soldotna, Kotzebue, Nome, Unalaska and Wasilla. Many of the recordings can also be found on www.jukebox.uaf.edu, thanks to continued funding from the Alaska Humanities Forum.

ADDITIONAL CONTACT: Leslie McCartney, curator of oral history, lmccartney@alaska.edu, 907-474-7737