Daily Sitka Sentinel

Daasdiyáa Ethel E. Makinen Dies at Age 90

Daasdiyáa Ethel Elizabeth Makinen

Daasdiyáa Ethel Elizabeth Makinen joined our Lord and Ancestors on February 19, 2022, at the age of 90 surrounded by her family and many loved ones at the home of her daughter Lillian.

She was Naa Tláa (Clan Mother) of the Lʼuknax̱.ádi (Raven-Coho clan) and was from L’ook Hít (the middle Coho House) of Sheetkʼá Ḵwáan (Sitka). Ethel also carried the Lingít name Yakdu Gáas’.  Her contributions to the revitalization of the Lingít language and sustaining of Lingít culture through song and ceremony are beyond measure, and at the time of her death she was one of fewer than 20 master-level speakers of Lingít remaining. As she would often say, “ Haa jíyis wuduliyéx̱, Haa Yoo X̱ʼatángi. A tóot kei x̱at uwawát,” which translates to “Our Language was made for us. I grew up in it.” 

Ethel was born September 20, 1931, in Sitka, the fifth child of Charlie Kaal.átk’ & Annie Aanyaanáx Tláa Joseph. She lived here all of her life. She attended school at the Sitka Indian village school through 7th grade and attended Wrangell Institute for 8th and 9th grades. The majority of her life education came through years of in-depth learning and training from her parents, Charlie and Annie Joseph, regarding their family history, Lingít culture, language, oratory, songs, dance, and history. She gained vast knowledge and wisdom over a life among great leaders and culture-bearers, and everything that she gained in life she sought to share with others through teaching and guidance. 

Ethel’s family said she will be dearly missed not only by her family but also by many others such as her SNEP students, teachers, co-workers, friends and colleagues, whom she held closely in her heart.

Ethel married Albert Carl Gunaxtáan Nielsen Sr. in 1948. He died of cancer in 1967 at the age of 42. She also married Jack Makinen, who died in a tugboat accident in 1976. She was a single parent of six children, and was preceded in death by siblings Lillian Kaax’axooskáa Morrison, Annie Yeideikín McGraw, Charlie Kaanaxtí Joseph Jr., Jacob Shduwóos’ Joseph, William  Ták’aa Joseph and Esther Daas.oox James; sons Thomas Shtuwáa Nielsen, Phillip Yeet’aaw.aat  Nielsen, Albert Géeyk’i Nielsen Jr.; and grandson William Goox’ Shéesh Éesh Nielsen.

Ethel is survived by her siblings Loretta Ganóotl’i Ness and Wilma Jeit Gé Bacon, children Lillian J. Kaax’axooskáa Young (Kyle Young and grandchildren Kyla Yeideikín and Joshua Shduwóos’ Young), Jeff Nielsen and Kenneth Nielsen (grandson, K.L. Gunaxtáan Nielsen and four great-grandchildren) and her eldest son Albert’s 4 grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren, and many nieces, nephews, and adopted children and grandchildren.

Daasdiyáa taught and raised many people in Sitka and throughout Lingít Aaní. They fondly remember her sense of humor and unending kindness. She guided her students through deeply embedded concepts of respect and love, taking care to create spaces of growth and celebration. Her life was an example of how to carry on the ways of life handed to Lingít people of today by our recent ancestors and in turn every generation before them. Indeed, the current generation of new learners and teachers exist in part because of the tireless efforts of Ms. Makinen.

She also spent countless hours with her late father, Charlie Joseph Sr., recording and transcribing the many songs that are used to this day in the SNEP songbook. These songs are used by permission of the different clans for the program. 

Daasdiyáa and Vida Kawduk’eit Tláa Davis, Anne Góoch Tláa Johnson, Isabella Yeidíkook’aa Brady, and sisters Alice Kus.een Williams,  Nellie Daasdiyáa Lord, along with the knowledge and work her father, Kaal.átk’ worked together for many years to develop Sitka Native Education Program and many years of continued Traditional and Cultural Teaching, a legacy for all of our future generations. 

The program would not have any use of these songs otherwise. These songs were first used by the G̱ájaa Héen Dancers and then the Noow Tlein Dancers. By permission, these songs are also used by two other dance groups in Sitka. These groups are the Sheet’ká Ḵwáan Dancers and the Kaagwaantaan Dancers. She was also the instructor each year for the Gájaa Héen Dancers which ranged from 30 to 41 students. When she worked with the Sitka Native Education Program, she consulted with many elders who are no longer here, and she felt fortunate to have had the opportunity of working with and learning from them.

“Really, we have heard Daasdiyáa say many groups started throughout Southeast Alaska, throughout Alaska and even outside of Alaska based on the beginnings of the teachings from Sheet’ká.” the family said.  “Protocol, respect, learning, teaching, love, family and our traditional ways of being were important to Daasdiyáa.  She never wanted to be stingy with her Lingit knowledge and wanted everyone to learn and carry on our Lingit culture as handed down to her.  You could hear it in a video that was taken on her 89th ‘drive-by’ birthday where former students, family and friends stopped in front of Lil’s house to wish her a happy birthday where she said to everyone ‘Gunalcheesh ldakát yeewháan . I know a lot of you from the time you were a little now you have little ones.  I hope you don’t lose your language.  Even if you have to say one Tlingit word a day, do it, don’t forget our Lingit language.’”

Everything in Ethel’s life came natural as she grew up learning from her mother, such as helping with camp work, getting ready for drying fish, putting up food for winter use, and working on the skins her mother would use to make moccasins and other souvenirs to sell to tourists each summer. 

She felt she was just one of her siblings who helped in all the work that went into keeping a large family fed for the winter. She often reflected on the early stages of her life, and remembered it fondly and as a time of family closeness and fun rather than work. 

She worked for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, now SEARHC Mt. Edgecumbe Hospital, in the laundry department for years. Ethel dedicated most of her professional life to the Sitka Native Education Program (SNEP) and Gájaa Héen Dancers for decades. She retired a few times from the SNEP Program, but continued to work as a Cultural Bearer through SNEP and Sitka Tribe of Alaska, where she completed 3 years as a “Haa Shuka” 3-year Lingit language learning programs with students such as Jamie Yakdushí Bradley, Duane Yaawk’ Lindoff, Lakrisha Chookán Brady Johnson, Kassandra  Laak du.oo Eubank Littlefield. Daasdiyáa mentored many people throughout the years to help strengthen her language and culture for future generations, including Roby Koolyeik Littlefield. 

Daasdiyáa was awarded the Charlie Joseph Sr. Award in 2011, a “Living Treasures” award recognized nationally in Portland, Oregon, in 1998 for contributions of her knowledge of the Tlingit culture; and the Sitka Tribe of Alaska recognized Ethel as their Citizen of the Year award in 1998. She attended and made presentations at numerous workshops and conferences, some of which include the Bilingual MultiCultural Conference, 1989-94; the Alaska Federation of Natives; the Heritage Workshop in Ketchikan, Alaska; the Clan Conferences held in different towns throughout Southeast Alaska; and made contributions to many Lingít language immersion gatherings and classes. Ethel was the youngest woman to be named lifetime member of the American Legion Auxiliary, Post #13 and became President at 38.  Ethel was a lifetime member of the Alaska Native Sisterhood Camp #4. Daasdiyáa and her father Kaal.átk’ left developed the Lingít place names used and currently file/display at the Sitka Tribe of Alaska.

Ethel was a consultant for years for the Kayaani (Traditional Plants) Commission with STA; and served for years on the STA Cultural Resources Committee as a consultant.  Daasdiyáa provided Lingít names to many places, buildings, and locations in Sitka over the years.  Even if her submissions weren’t chosen she would keep suggesting place names whenever it was asked.  She felt that was her calling as a L’uknax.ádi Naa Tláa.  Her daughter recalls times her mother would correct things that weren’t being done or said correctly feeling like she/we were overstepping our place.  Daasdiyáa said “That is my job, to teach, to correct, to say when things are not right as taught to me by my father, Kaal.átk.” 

Ethel’s hobbies included crocheting, knitting beautiful afghans for her family, baby blankets for her grandchildren, great-grandchildren and even her SNEP students/children when they had children. She and her sister, Esther James, made countless afghans for Ḵoo.éexʼ ceremonies (potlatches). She did intricate beadwork for Native regalia (vests, dance robes, dance shirts, octopus bags for Lillian and Kyla’s graduation in 2015) for children, grandchildren and friends, and loved to prepare and preserve Native food. She was an avid reader of many books. She shared a love of books with her granddaughter Kyla where they both read and shared books.  Kyla was reading “Harry Potter” to her grandma when she was in her last days.  She loved spoiling her grandchildren, and of course her all-time favorite for years was playing bingo. She especially loved going to bingo with her niece, Berta David, who helped her to bingo as well as going to bingo with her best friend, Valerie Svendsen.  She was very fond of her many bingo friends over the years and at Christmas would make goody bags for several of them.  She told her children and grandchildren that it had been like the companion she lost so many years ago.

Her impact will be felt in classrooms, dance groups, cultural ceremonies, and bingo halls for generations to come. The impacts of her work and teachings are monumental, and while her loss is devastating for family members, her students and friends, they commit to following in her footsteps of incredible tireless dedication towards the life and health of language and culture.

Ethel was baptized in St. Michael’s Russian Orthodox Cathedral and her church name was Aninia which is also the name of her granddaughter Kyla Elizabeth. Services will be as follows: her Alaska Native Sisterhood Memorial and Cultural service will be at the Sheetkʼá Ḵwáan Naa Kahídi 6 p.m. Thursday, March 3. After completion of services, Ethel will be moved to lie in state at Kayaashka Hit overnight. She will be moved to St. Michael’s Russian Orthodox Cathedral 11 a.m. Friday, March 4, for a church service followed by burial at Sitka National Cemetery. A reception will follow at the ANB Founders Hall. Attendees are welcome to take a salad or dessert to share.

Daasdiyáa’s pallbearers will be her son-in-law Kyle Young, grandson Kenneth Lee (K.L.) Nielsen, Leonty Williams, RJ Ness, Clint Watanabe, Henry Johnson Sr. and RJ Didrickson.

Honorary pallbearers will be Laura Taas.oo Castillo, Ed Mercer Sr., Harvey Kitka, Willis Osbakken, Sam Martin, Alfreda Lang, Ed Young, Roby Littlefield, John Young III, Dori Biggs and Tammy Young.

Ethel Makinen’s daughter, Lillian J. Young may be reached at 503 Degroff Street Sitka, AK 99835.