George Obert Jr.

George Obert

George Walter Obert Jr., Tlingit name Daa Kee Nuk/Geen Se Teaa, clan Kaagwaantaan, Kóok Hít (Box House) was born on October 28, 1937 in Hoonah. His Tlingit name was Dei Ki Nauk, and a second name was Gin sa teeyi. He was tribal leader of Kook Hit of the Kaagwaantaan Clan. He was very active in his culture and was both a member of the Huna Heritage Steering Committee and the Elders Committee. He was an elder advisor for the Hoonah Indian Association, and a lifetime member of Hoonah ANB Camp 12. George was a graduate of Mount Edgecumbe High School. He served in the Marine Corps for five years. He worked various jobs such as a fisherman, welder, and cook on a state ferry. He was also a carver, and cultural teacher.

Regarding the logging around Hoonah, he was quoted saying (http://archive.hokulea.com/alaskahoonah.html) “the native residents generally oppose the logging around their town because it destroys the habitat of deer, one of their traditional foods. Native hunters now have to travel farther to find deer. However, the board of directors of Huna Totem sold the timber in order to maximize profits for all its shareholders, the majority of whom no longer live in Hoonah.”

He died on December 11, 2002.  His funeral was held at 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14, at the Salvation Army Church in Juneau.  

Much of the above information was taken from Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian genealogy of Canada and Alaska, https://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=klea&id=I22754)