Tanacross elder Laura Sanford passed away June 8, following a stroke a few days earlier. Born in Mansfield, or Dihthaad, Ms. Sanford was raised steeped in the traditions of the Mansfield-Ketchumstuck bands. Her knowledge of the old ways reflects a childhood spent on the land. She was a gifted story-teller, both in her Native Athabaskan language and in English, a language she claimed to have learned as a teenager by reading Time Magazine. Her stories of growing up with brother Andrew Isaac and sister Isabel provided a glimpse into a past now remembered by few.
Laura was also a long-time supporter of Tanacross language work. She was a major contributor to documentation, including publications such as the Tanacross Learners' Dictionary and the Tanacross Phrase and Conversation Lessons, and an as-yet unpublished collection of stories. She participated in numerous language workshops and classes at the University of Alaska Fairbanks and the Yukon Native Language Centre. She never missed an opportunity to share her Native language with others.
Ms. Sanford's passing is a major loss to the community, and to the Tanacross language in particular. I personally am forever indebted to her for all that she has taught me, and for the many mornings we have shared coffee and words together at her kitchen table. The fires that have threatened Mansfield will prevent (for now) her interment there, but funeral ceremonies will be held at Tok school on June 12.