AChatWithDorothy
courtney.macarthur
INTERVIEW WITH AN ALASKAN ELDER
All pictures courtesy of F. Garland Swain family cruise to Alaska, Alaska State Library Historical Collection.
INTRODUCTION:
My name is Dorothy. Dorothy Viola Tsonis. T S O N I S. In the Russian church they call me Matushka. It means Little Mother. Because my husband is Batushka. That's their title in Russian. It means Father or a Little Father. Batushka and Matushka. So I'm their little mother, which is sweet, it's really sweet.
My husband was the priest here and the bishop was a pastor. He traveled all over Alaska. We have about 94 parishes here.
ON POPULATION:
I came here in '67 and when we came here the town had a population of about 3,000 people. Now it's almost 9,000.
ON ALASKA DAY:
When we arrived it was Alaska Day in 1967, on October 18. So it was the hundredth anniversary. The centennial of Alaska Day. And they had a parade they had a ball like they do for every Alaska Day but this was special. It was the hundredth anniversary of the transfer to America.
ON EMPLOYMENT:
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