Coho House Caretaker Chuck Miller Dies at 51

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Created on Thursday, 18 July 2024 15:00

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Luis Charles “Chuck” Miller, Daanax.ils’eik, Geistéen

    Lifelong Sitkan Luis Charles “Chuck” Miller, whose Tlingit names were Daanax.ils’eik and Geistéen of Sitka’s Yéil/L’uknax.ádi, Raven/Coho Clan, has packed up and left us.
    He died July 14, some two days after returning from Seattle, where he’d been receiving cancer treatment. He was 51.
    Cultural services begin at 3 p.m. today at the Sheet’ka Kwaan Naa Kahidi. Memorial services will be 3 p.m. to 8  p.m. Friday at Centennial Hall, and burial will be at noon Saturday at Sitka Memorial Park.
    Chuck was born April 25, 1973, in Sitka. He was given the name Geistéen, from the Yakutat L’uknax.ádi where his clan originates. He was Hít S’aati/caretaker of the Kayaashka Hit/Platform House.
    Chuck’s parents were Shaaxaatk’i/Mary I. Miller and the renowned Haida carver Malcolm James “Jay” Miller. His grandmother was Saankat’aa/Sarah James, his grandfather was Kaanaawu Tlein/John C. Smith of the Kaagwaantaan clan and Peacemaker, and the grandfather who raised him was the renowned Tlingit carver Yaajindul.hein/Edward David James of the Kaagwaantaan clan.
    Chuck was also the great-nephew of L’uknax.ádi clan leader L’eiw Tu Éesh/Herman Davis Sr., who was his mentor, teaching his nephews, Frank Wright Jr., and Chuck the traditional clan ways. Both were being groomed for leadership roles within the clan.
    Daasdiyaa/Ethel Makinen, Naa Tlaa for the L’uknax.ádi, also mentored him in the traditional songs, language, dance and protocol. Chuck stepped into the role of her son with Phil Nielsen’s passing.
    He married Kaaxkwei Elmenda Johnson on Feb. 2, 1995. She was the mother to his 4 children.
    From age 3 to his passing, Chuck tirelessly worked to preserve and promote the Tlingit lifestyle and culture with numerous dance groups, including Gajáa Héen and Noow Tlein; Sitka Native Education Program; Sealaska Heritage Institute; Sitka School District; and Mt. Edgecumbe High School; SEARHC/Bill Brady Healing Center; Sitka Tribe of Alaska; Shee Atiká, Incorporated; University of Alaska; CCTHITA; and many other boards and committees.
    In the first year of the Sitka Native Education Program, Chuck and Dionne Brady-Howard were the group’s three-year-olds – there were no other three-year-olds afterward. This year marks SNEP’s 50th year.
    At age 19 Chuck traveled to Europe with the Sealaska Heritage Foundation’s Tlingit Theater Troupe Naa Kahidi, sharing his culture’s dancing and storytelling. By then he had traveled across Alaska and to Washington, D.C., doing the same. He represented his people many times in countless places throughout his entire life.
    Chuck emceed and participated at Sitka’s Indigenous People’s Day, Elizabeth Peratrovich Day, Native American Heritage  Month, and Sealaska Heritage Institute’s bi-ennial Celebration.
    In the midst of his cancer treatment, he willed himself to attend Celebration 2024, and he stressed the importance of getting screened for cancer.
    Harvesting and providing for others was extremely important, so he shared deer meat, herring eggs, salmon, crab, seaweed. His favorite was sockeye.
    Sports were central to Chuck’s life as well as his family’s. He and his mom created Team E.L.I. men’s and co-ed softball team to honor his late brother, Eli Biggs. He was past president of the Sitka Softball League. Softball is a huge part of the Miller family, and his mother was often seen in the benches cheering on her son and his teams.
    He was an avid fan of the Miami Dolphins NFL football team, and an even bigger fan of his favorite MLB baseball team, the Atlanta Braves. He was very excited planning his August trip to Atlanta with his family. He was the unofficial sponsor of Pepsi and Coke, as he was adamant in his final hours that he enjoyed both.
    Chuck was many things to different people. The summary of his life will be ongoing and long-lasting. There will never be enough words to express his important life.
    Chuck was preceded in death by his parents, Shaaxaatk’i/Mary I. Miller and Malcolm James “Jay” Miller; his former wife Kaaxkwei/Elmenda “Manda” Johnson; and brothers Aankadaxtseen/Eli James Phillip Biggs, and Elvin Eli Hess, who died in infancy.
    Survivors are his sister, Shaakaatk’i/Faleene Worrell (Bert) of Longview, Texas; his children, Kaagwaantaan Xaak du kaa Eesh/Jay Miller (Amber Glen) and son Taakw Seiw Keen/Emerson, of Juneau, Yaandu.ein/Michael Miller of Michigan, Keich.Eesh/Edward Miller (Carmen) and children Alonzo, Piper and Matthew, of Juneau, and Yan Shaaw Ti’/Naomi Miller of Sitka; and grandchildren Emerson Miller, Alina Miller, Mary Miller and Spencer Miller, his niece Shtux’ Tlaa/Sharla Hayes (Richard) of Juneau, and their children Saankat’aa /Kyra, Richard IV, Reilly, Rory, Kaaksateen/Lily, Aankadaxtseen/Eli, and Shaakaatk’i/Aspen Kasper, nephew K’ineixh Éesh/Eric Sele (Lolita) of Juneau, and their children Kasen and Lucas.
    He also is survived by his uncle and L’uknax.a’adi clan leader Herman Davis Sr., his adopted brother Shon Schaffran who carries his late brother Eli’s Tlingit name, and the entire L’uknax.a’di clan.
    Pallbearers are Paul Marks II, Mike Miller, John Howard, Jay Miller, Edward Miller, Alex Johnson, Elijah Marks, Donny Peratrovich, Darrel Austin, Dan Littlefield and Dale Lindstrom.
    Honorary pallbearers are Jim Button, Ron James, Clint Watanabe, Don Armstrong, Sam Martin, Allen Button, Robert ‘‘Bert’’ Worrell, Roby Littlefield, Henry Johnson Sr., Ed Young, Kyle Young, Sanae Schaffran, Uriah Schaffran, Heather Mills, Harvey Kitka, Sheridan Bacon, Richard Hayes, RJ Didrickson, and all current and former E.L.I. softball team members.
    Eagle Clan members serving on night watch are Paula Lindstrom, Frankie Bacon, Laura Castillo, Sheridan Bacon, Heather Mills, Ava Didrickson, Sophie Didrickson, Julie Fitzsimmons, Angie Ketah, Josephine Johnson, Alfreda Lang, Michael Miller, Naomi Miller, Edward Miller, Jay Miller, Julene Whitson, Amee Howard, Margaret Haube, Carol Haube, Melanie Barker, Florence Johnson, Cindy Ricaporte, Ricardo Worl and Alex Johnson.
    ‘‘Please forgive us if we unintentionally excluded any persons, clans, or organizations who also dearly loved Chuck and gave support to our family during this time of loss,’’ the family said.

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