George Yaska

George Yaska is married to Diana, Nee Semaken of Kaltag, and they live in Fairbanks. He grew up in Huslia, a predominantly Tleeyegge Hutaan village along the Koyukuk River and he later spent summers along the Yukon River with his uncle and family. He has since lived and worked with tribes on both the Yukon and Kuskokwim Rivers. The promotion of their traditional ecological knowledge has been a primary component of his advocacy for tribes with Alaska’s local fish and game advisory committee system. The words in a speech given by the late Elder Edwin Simon during a potlatch are frequently recalled when George speaks with fish and game boards, ‘You young people need to learn about these regulations for Alaska. We don’t know what they mean but they rule our lives now. Get out and speak up for us.’