[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 163 (Wednesday, October 16, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Page S5837]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        REMEMBERING HOWARD LUKE

 Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I want to take a few minutes to 
recognize the life of a highly respected Athabascan elder Howard Luke, 
who died September, 21, 2019 in Fairbanks, AK, at age 95.
  With the passing of Native elder Howard Luke, Alaska has lost a 
highly respected Athabascan leader who dedicated his life to empowering 
the Alaska Native community and ensuring that cultural and traditional 
knowledge will be passed down to younger generations.
  Howard Luke was born in 1923 in Nenana, later moving to Fairbanks 
with his mother at age 13. A man with a true gentle spirit, Howard made 
a unique contribution to our State, and he shared his passion of the 
Athabascan language and traditional ways.
  He always stressed the importance of school for young people while 
also learning their traditions. At his mother's side, he learned the 
stories and values and subsistence way of life of his people. He 
sometimes talked about wishing he had received more formal schooling 
and that he felt hindered by stopping school after the fourth grade; 
yet he was constantly pursuing learning. He travelled to New Zealand, 
Australia, Russia, and visited other Tribes throughout the United 
States. In honor of his efforts, the Fairbanks North Star Borough 
School District named an alternative school after him. In 1991, he 
received an honorary high school diploma from that school. Howard later 
received an honorary doctorate from the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
  In discussing his efforts with schools, he said that he wanted 
teachers to help the kids more than anything else. He knew that you 
can't just tell them, ``This is the way to do it,'' and leave them 
alone. You have got to help them. His approach was based on the idea 
that you have got to make the kids proud of themselves for what they 
were able to do.
  Howard made sure to focus on educating young indigenous people, ``the 
grandkids,'' about the rich culture and values that are their 
inheritance.
  Howard dedicated his later life to culture camps and cultural 
education in the schools. He started a camp on the banks of the Chena 
River, the Gaaleeya Spirit Camp, to teach skills to Native youth, such 
as art, language, and how to live off the land.
  He was a common and welcoming elder in Canada and the Chilkoot 
Culture Camp in Haines. He shared traditional practices of hunting, 
teaching deep respect for those resources that are so much a part of 
Alaska Natives lifestyles.
  The knowledge that he had and shared with others is something you 
cannot learn in a university. This knowledge is passed down from elders 
to youth, and he recognized the importance of sustaining places for 
younger generations to learn the ways of their ancestors.
  Howard Luke always said, if you love the kids, they will know that 
they are loved. He also always told the kids to be proud of themselves. 
Howard was loved in return, and Alaskans are immensely proud of all 
that he contributed to the State. My deepest condolences to his 
friends, family, and loved ones during this time as we reflect on the 
life a legendary Alaskan.

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