AUGUST 30, 2011

AHTNA MILDRED “MILLIE” GOODLATAW BUCK DIED–LINGUISTIC PIONEER

Raised near Chitina, Alaska, Millie attended Chitina BIA School to the 8th grade before transferring to the Eklutna BIA boarding school. Buck was a 4-H Club Leader and a dental assistant. A well-known pioneer in the bilingual & multi-cultural areas of education, she assisted Dr. James Kari of University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) with the “Ahtna Noun Dictionary.” Millie was a Johnson O’Malley Program Director for Copper River Native Association, active board member for Chitina Native Council and Chitina Corporation, and board member of Ahtna Incorporated. Buck was also named Alaska Federation of Natives “Elder of the Year” and, in 1977, “Native Woman of the Year.” Her work in preserving the Ahtna language was accomplished in connection with the Alaska Native Language Center, UAF. Millie died in Anchorage.

Sources:
  “Millie Buck—Chitina,” Project Jukebox, UAF.  Retrieved 2/28/2022, Millie Buck (uaf.edu)
“Mildred Buck,” Anchorage Daily News.  Retrieved 2/28/2022, Mildred Buck Obituary (2011) - Chitina, AK - Anchorage Daily News (legacy.com)
Photo:  Denali National Park and Reserve, 6/29/2010. Public Domain.