Being only 24 years old, I was not able to witness Charles "Etok" Edwardsen in his prime, but that does not make this time of his any less real for me. I heard a lot of his stories, some from him, some from my Aaka (grandma), some from his biography, and some even from people as far south as Phoenix, where I currently reside. Etok was everywhere; sometimes even his family didn't know where he was or what he was working on. His endless energy brought him from Greenland to Washington, D.C.
The Native American communities, and more pointedly, those of Alaska are very tightknit, and it is not uncommon for people to ask who I was, where I came from, and who I am related to. I'd politely tell them I was born in Barrow, Alaska and that my Aaka was an Edwardsen. More times than I can count I was asked if I knew Etok Edwardsen, and I would reply acknowledging he was my Attata (Great Uncle). On too many occasions they would say, "You should be proud," or, "He is a brilliant man. You come from a smart family," or even ask me, "Have you heard this story about Etok when …" It surprised me that his legacy and impact were known far and wide.
His accomplishments are a laundry list of things, ranging from the 1961 "Duck-In," when Barrow residents protested federal restrictions on subsistence hunting, to being one of the most prominent and influential leaders of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act -- of course, none of these game-changing achievements were enough for him. Etok was never known to rest on his laurels or past adventures. His driving force was the fight for what was right, not only the Inupiat, but for indigenous peoples across the country and around the world.
While I address this to everyone, it is we, as an indigenous people, who cannot let his stories fade into the history books or newspaper articles. Etok never would have wanted that. He did not spend those many sleepless nights in Washington, D.C. to receive recognition or awards. He did not lobby for years to be written about in the newspaper. He did not become an Inupiaq revolutionary to pad his resume -- as if he ever used one. He did all that because he knew he needed to better the lives of others. Etok's expertise happened to stem from the political field and he knew this. Our skills as Alaska Natives may not fall within that same category, but we all have an expertise we can in turn offer to our people. Take his example and run with it, it is what our peoples need.
If he was here today, he and I would ask that this legacy not die with him. It needs to continue to live, grow and prosper. Even though his life has ended, everything he stood for cannot end. We still need to improve the lives of those with less, improving health care, jobs, education, and most importantly creating opportunities wherever they may be needed. We cannot rest on his successes -- we have to create our own. Etok would want to be remembered by developing the lives of our indigenous people. For me that will be here in Phoenix with the creation of an indigenous-based financial literacy program with the various tribes in the Southwest. We all have a duty to each other, as did Etok. Luckily for us, Etok fulfilled his duty to us. Carry on Etok's legacy and never forget him. Take up Etok's mantel and take on making a difference.
Kelsey Campbell Haake was born in Barrow, Alaska. She is Charles Etok Edwardsen's eldest grand niece. She is currently a financial advisor in Phoenix, who volunteers teaching financial literacy classes to Native American youth in the southwestern U.S.