‘Sitka’ Pronunciation
Dear Editor: Hello Sitka, my name is Rick Shabo, a 1966 Sitka High graduate. I spent my youth in Sitka before I was invited into the Navy SeaBees. I am a third-generation Sitkan. My aunt and cousin still live in Sitka so I still have fond ties to home.
My concern is the lack of elocution that I have been hearing for some time. Sitka has become popular on the National Weather Channel Coast Guard Alaska (Sitka). I dearly love watching this, seeing places I used to canoe and boat and hike with the Bagley boys. BUT like fingernails on a chalkboard – the name of my hometown is being slurred. Sitka is pronounced with a T, not Sika.
The Coast Guard does a great job in Sitka and vicinity and they are very community-minded, but for some reason every episode they can not pronounce Sitka correctly. Recently an H-60 pilot was being interviewed on KCAW radio and my ears hurt with the mispronunciation of my hometown. Some may say this is an insignificant miscarriage of elocution, but I believe Sitka should be pronounced properly to represent itself in the great Alaska culture we are so proud of.
I did a Facebook poll on this subject on the “You know you’re from Sitka if” and got 35 comments supporting this subject. As a major media outlet for the community, just hearing Sitka pronounced correctly would be extremely effective.
My name is Rick Shabo and I look forward to seeing Sitka portrayed on national television in the future.
Rick Shabo
