Iñupiat leader and whaling captain Oliver Leavitt dies at 79

Whaling captain and Iñupiat chief Oliver Aveogan Leavitt has died at 79. He’s remembered by his pals and fellow Alaska Native leaders as a giver, a cultural chief and a uniting power.

After scuffling with well being points for a number of years, Leavitt died in his hometown of Utqiagvik surrounded by his household, his longtime buddy Willie Iggiagruk Hensley stated. Leavitt was often called not solely a distinguished political and company chief, however as a revered whaler and pores and skin boat builder.

“He was additionally a cultural chief,” stated Hensley, one other Alaska Native chief and one of many founders of the Alaska Federation of Natives. “Individuals like him are very uncommon as a result of he was firmly rooted within the language and the tradition of the Iñupiaq individuals however he additionally turned efficient as a enterprise individual, as a political individual.”

All through his life, Leavitt served in lots of management positions throughout the state and was a key participant within the negotiation of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. He was treasurer of the Arctic Slope Native Affiliation for twenty-four years, a board member of the Alaska Federation of Natives for 28 years and the primary president of the North Slope Borough Meeting. He was additionally a member of the U.S. Arctic Analysis Fee and a founding director of the First Alaskans Institute, from which he obtained particular recognition for his service in October 2022.

“Oliver was a giver,” stated former ASRC govt vp of Exterior Affairs Richard Glenn. “He labored for his communities.”

Rising up in Utqiagvik for many of his childhood, Leavitt used to assist his household by operating their canine staff to scout the shoreline for wooden to burn, Hensley stated. He knew what it takes to outlive within the Arctic, and later in life, he was pushed to make the lifetime of the Iñupiaq individuals simpler, Hensley stated.

“He comes from that world, and he knew how laborious it was, and he wished to make life higher,” Hensley stated, “for his personal individuals to have a better life.”

After serving within the Military in the course of the Vietnam Battle and touring to show throughout the nation, Leavitt got here again to Utqiagvik and began by working with youth. Then his profession in municipal authorities started.

From coastal dredging to runway initiatives, constructing new faculties and creating alternatives for North Slope residents, Leavitt’s fingerprints are on a mess of initiatives, in addition to provisions of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act and Alaska Nationwide Curiosity Lands Conservation Act amendments.

“The expansion of the communities, the increase of infrastructure, the recognizing of improvement and subsistence, the necessity for each,” Glenn stated, “he is aware of all of that.”

To assist North Slope residents have an accessible heating and energy supply, Leavitt was one of many architects of the Switch Act of 1986, which helped the North Slope Borough safe a pure fuel subject, Barrow Gasoline Fields, from the U.S. Navy, Hensley stated.

Now “they’ve pure fuel to warmth their properties,” Hensley stated. “There’s no willows up there, and so, within the outdated days, discovering driftwood for the borough was actually a chore, and Oliver knew that.”

Again within the ‘70s, Leavitt was elected as the primary president of the North Slope Borough Meeting, and along with different Meeting members, “they actually remodeled the villages of the North Slope, modernized them and offered housing and electrification, faculties,” Hensley stated.

After Leavitt’s dying, Alaska’s congressional delegation, Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan and Rep. Mary Peltola, mourned his passing and spoke about his legacy in statements on social media.

Outdoors of municipal authorities life, Leavitt was married to Annie Hopson Leavitt, and collectively they’d three kids, one daughter-in-law, seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Leavitt “had actually, actually deep connections with individuals and locations,” which he shared with youth in his group, Glenn stated.

Rising up searching, Leavitt would generally push via shallow water alongside the shoreline, which allowed him to be taught the terrain. He would go that data to different hunters he traveled with, like Glenn.

“He discovered and taught me principally the geography of the Arctic coast,” Glenn stated.

He additionally taught younger individuals to construct pores and skin boats — a ability he discovered from his father, who was a carpenter Glenn stated.

“He might construct a ship from scratch, you realize, and not using a piece of paper in entrance of him to indicate him how,” Glenn stated. “And he took many duties in life just like constructing a ship, you realize: If you wish to do one thing, do it proper. Do it totally. Make it not simply work, however seem good too.”

Leavitt’s first cousin Billy Adams stated he used to go searching and whaling with Leavitt.

“I watched him harpooning a whale one time once I was just a little boy — he obtained the whale with one shot and impressed me to turn out to be a harpooner,” he stated. “I discovered quite a bit from Oliver about life itself — easy methods to deal with animals and easy methods to talk with individuals.”

Leavitt was gifted at connecting to and influencing individuals youthful and older than him, Glenn stated.

“He had a knack of reaching throughout the generations and befriending older individuals and youthful individuals,” Glenn stated. “It stored us all linked.”

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