July, 2001: Enroute to Batzulnetas to cover historic meeting between Katie John and Governor Tony Knowles; In a couple of hours I will go to Katie John's Anchorage memorial

I took this photo of my airplane, The Running Dog, in July of 2001, at Eureka, enroute to Katie John's fish camp at Batzulnetas to cover what would prove to be a very historic meeting between her and Governor Tony Knowles. Years before, Katie John had won a US Supreme Court decision upholding her right to fish at the same fish camp she had fished with her father as a child. However, the law had allowed a new set of appeals to be filed by her opponents the State of Alaska, and the case had worked its way back towards the Supreme Court. 

There was one appeal left that could be filed against Katie's victory - by Governor Tony Knowles. He was under immense pressure to appeal. Earlier, there had been indications he would likely appeal, but he had heard loudly and forcefully from the Alaska Native community that he must not appeal.

If he did not appeal, the State would cede its claimed right and the federal government would have jurisdiction over fishing in navigable waters designated as federal waters. If he did appeal and the State won, then the State would have jurisdiction. The federal goverment was required by law to give a preference to Native subsistence fishing over all other uses in times of shortage. By its own constitution, the State could not honor any aboriginal rights or rural preference to fish and game.

Time and time again, the State had acted in ways harmful to Native subsistence fishing and hunting.

Before he made so momentous a decision, Governor Knowles decided he must visit Katie and see first hand what kind of life she lived out there and why she fought so hard for it. 

He arranged to meet with her at her camp. The meeting would be private, closed to the press in general, but both parties would invite one one photographer or videographer to document it. In what I condisder to be one of the greatest honors and privileges of my life, Katie John invited me.

In half-an-hour, I will drive into Anchorage to attend the memorial service to be held there this afternoon for Katie, who died Friday at the age of 97. It's kind of odd, but right now I don't even feel like taking pictures there. I feel like I just want to go, sit, listen, and quietly pay my respect.

But taking pictures is what I do, so I am sure I will. Come Saturday, I will attend her funeral in Mentasta.

I have rounded up a couple of hundred pictures I took during the events that led to the historic meeting. Tonight, I will make some kind of post, perhaps very brief, from the memorial this afternoon. Then I will edit and organize the photos into three or four separate posts to tell the story as I witnessed it. I will try to get all those posts up or scheduled in the queue before I leave for Katie's funeral.

What I did not know when I took this picture was that my 15 glorious years of flying this little airplane about Alaska were nearing their end. I would crash it, practically in Katie's back yard, in just over two months.

Index to full series. * Designates the main, story-telling, posts:

Dr. Katie John, Ahtna Athabascan champion of Native rights before the Supreme Court of the United States: October 15, 1915 - May 31, 2013

July, 2001: Enroute to Batzulnetas to cover historic meeting between Katie John and Governor Tony Knowles; In a couple of hours I will go to Katie John's Anchorage memorial

Katie John's Anchorage visitation: the void, the continuation 

*In 1999, Katie John gathered a host of young people together, most of them descendants, and took them camping at Batzulnetas

I pause this series until after the funeral, but here is Katie John with Governor Tony Knowles and the fish that made the difference

This morning at 4:00 AM - leaving Mentasta after Katie John's funeral and potlatch

*Katie John's funeral and potlatch: on the night before burial, dance wiped away the tears

*Katie John finished well - her descendants mourn, celebrate her life, bury her, eat, dance give gifts and prepare to carry on

One image from Katie John's victory celebration - the story of how she won her victory will soon follow

*Katie John and Tony Knowles at Batzulnetas: a fish escaped, the ice cream was hard and a Governor listened

*When Katie John became Dr. Katie John - closing post