Sept. 23, 2021

Episode 51 - The Spirit Houses in St. Nicholas Cemetery in Eklutna, Alaska

Episode 51 - The Spirit Houses in St. Nicholas Cemetery in Eklutna, Alaska

In this episode of the Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery Jennie and Dianne share news of a 140-year-old cemetery that was lost but has been found again in North Dakota and they learn the history of the spirit houses  that cover the burials of more than 100 graves of native Dena’ina Athabascans in a cemetery in Alaska. Join us as we once again journey through these Ordinary Extraordinary Cemeteries!

Resources used to research this episode include:

Sisk, Amy R.. "Group Looking to Preserve 140-Year-Old Cemetery Near Mandan ."  https://www.usnews.com/ . 18 Sep. 2021, www.usnews.com/news/best-states/north-dakota/articles/2021-09-18/group-looking-to-preserve-140-year-old-cemetery-near-mandan. Accessed 20 Sep. 2021.

"Greenwood: A Cemetery Forgotten But Not Lost." https://www.midwesternscout.com/. Edited by Dustin White. 16 Nov. 2016, www.midwesternscout.com/greenwood-cemetery/. Accessed 19 Sep. 2021.

Obscura, Atlas. "Tiny Wooden Homes House the Dead at this Alaskan Cemetery." http://www.slate.com/. 30 Oct. 2013, www.slate.com/blogs/atlas_obscura/2013/10/30/tiny_wooden_homes_house_the_dead_at_this_alaskan_cemetery.html. Accessed 19 Sep. 2021.

Kyle. "15 ALASKA NAMES YOU'RE PROBABLY MISPRONOUNCING! ." https://www.thealaskalife.com/. 9 Sep. 2018, www.thealaskalife.com/blogs/news/15-alaska-names-youre-probably-mispronouncing. Accessed 19 Sep. 2021.

Of Medicine, Stanford School. "Athabascan ." https://geriatrics.stanford.edu/. geriatrics.stanford.edu/ethnomed/alaskan/introduction/native_cultures/athabascan.html. Accessed 19 Sep. 2021.

"ALEUT CULTURE ." https://www.eatribes.org/. www.eatribes.org/culture/aleut-culture/. Accessed 19 Sep. 2021.

Fortuine, MD, MPH , Robert. "Old Age, Dying, and Death." Shamans and Seal Oil: Health and Healing in Traditional Alaska Native Societies, 1986, p. 34, arctichealth.org/media/pubs/288373/Shamans%20and%20Seal%20Oil.pdf. Accessed 19 Sep. 2021.

Veltre, Dr. Douglas. "Unangax̂: Coastal People of Far Southwestern Alaska,." https://www.apiai.org/. 1 Jan. 2010, www.apiai.org/departments/cultural-heritage-department/culture-history/history/. Accessed 19 Sep. 2021.

"EKLUTNA HISTORICAL PARK." https://www.eklutnahistoricalpark.org/. www.eklutnahistoricalpark.org/. Accessed 19 Sep. 2021.

If you are interested in helping to restore Greenwood Cemetery visit the Mortin County website at the following link: https://www.mortonnd.org/

Special thanks to Craig Cook @my_cemetery_gates for the use of his photos