By ARIADNE WILL
Sentinel Staff Writer
Growing up in Sitka, Chuck Miller never saw himself as a radio host.
But now Miller, whose Tlingit name is Daaxh.ils’eikh, is the host of the Tlingit storytelling show Our Grandparents’ Teachings.
The show airs the first Tuesday of every month on KCAW-FM, and features a different theme each time.
“I didn’t expect to do (the show),” Miller told the Sentinel, “but I think it’s an honor to share this traditional knowledge with everyone in our community and communities.”
Chuck Miller (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)
Miller is the cultural and community liaison at Sitka Tribe of Alaska. He puts the show together with STA coworker Stephanie Hawney, who works as the healing to wellness coordinator for STA’s tribal court.
Miller says he and Hawney have the next few shows planned out, and the planning so far has followed the traditional harvest schedule.
“Deer was the big subject for this upcoming episode since it’s hunting season,” Miller said of the upcoming Sept. 7 installment.
Deer – or guwakaan – is also the word for a peacemaker in Tlingit.
“We’re talking a lot about peacemaking,” Miller said. “Our people had what we call peacemakers – guwakaan. They were utilizing the ways of peacemaking, were given official names, and were responsible for keeping peace between clans.”
Miller says the show hasn’t just been a way to educate and share Tlingit culture and language with the public: he himself is still learning.
“I’ve been learning stuff left and right,” he said in an interview. “To be able to be like, ‘this is a story about my great-great ancestor who married the groundhog woman’ – I’d never heard it!”
And listening to the language gives Miller a good feeling.
“Just hearing these old recordings brings back good memories for me growing up in this community,” he said. “Even though I don’t understand everything that they’re saying, it just warms my heart.”
He added that the show is especially important for Tlingit elders.
“It brings good feelings when people hear these songs,” Miller said. “The elders, when they hear them, they smile.”
And Our Grandparents’ Teachings isn’t the only Indigenous radio show airing on KCAW. Fred Olsen – a member of the Sitka Tribe of Alaska tribal council – has a radio show titled “Gunalchéesh,” Tlingit for “thank you.”
The show, which Olsen has been doing since 2019, airs every Wednesday, and features languages including Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian.
“The United Nations had declared (2019) the year of Indigenous languages,” Olsen told the Sentinel.
He said the stars aligned when he attended a KCAW board meeting, where members were talking about having more Indigenous languages on the air.
“It became one of those things where I was like, ‘I’m going to do (that),’” Olsen said.
Olsen now has more than 100 episodes under his belt, and makes Gunalchéesh available as a podcast on online platforms such as Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
He says regular listeners will recognize some recurring elements to his shows, and that’s intentional.
“People who listen to the show every week would realize that there are five (or so) songs I use a lot,” he said. “I could play new songs every week, but that’s not the point. No one listened to Mozart once and said, ‘Oh, make a new one.’”
Olsen’s reason for replaying certain songs goes beyond just enjoying a song, though.
“You want the audience to become familiar with some of the songs,” he said. “This show isn’t a learning (show). That’s not the point. But you do learn by listening. You get more comfortable.”
Like Miller, Olsen doesn’t catch everything that’s said in recordings he plays. Still, he says, listeners can follow along in a different way.
“It’s funny – when you listen to the show, when they laugh, you feel maybe you’re going to laugh,” he said. “You find yourself getting caught up in the conversation.”
Olsen also doesn’t translate the languages he plays in his segments.
“No one translates Fresh Air or the news,” he said. “It’s nice to have a little guidance, but it’s about listening to the language.”
Miller agrees: “I think it’s important that people hear the language, even if they don’t know what they’re listening to. Not too many people hear the language anymore.”
Our Grandparents’ Teachings is produced with help from Artchange and Raven Radio, and made possible in part by funding from the Rasmuson Foundation, administered by the Alaska State Council on the Arts, and the Sitka, Alaska Permanent Charitable Trust.
Those interested in telling a story of their own on Our Grandparents’ Teachings can email storytelling@kcaw.org. Those who would like to send resources or suggestions for Gunalchéesh can email gunalcheeshradio@gmail.com, or visit facebook.com/gunalcheesh.
Previous episodes of Our Grandparents’ Teachings and Gunalchéesh can be found at kcaw.org. Gunalchéesh is also available on a number of streaming platforms, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
