Oldest known living Haida member dies at 102

CRAIG, Alaska (KTUU) – A man with cultural ties to a community that revered him for his decades-long knowledge and willingness to lend a hand for anyone died Monday at the age of 102.

Fred Hamilton Sr. was the oldest known living Haida member, according to the Central Council of Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska. The council wrote in a heartfelt social media post that the resident of Craig belonged to the Gaw k’iiwii — or “Those born at Masset Inlet” — people of the Raven clan. His family crests were Owl, Brown Bear, and Flicker.

Ralph Mackie, a longtime friend of the Hamilton family, described a man who contributed a big amount to a small community.

“I’d say that Fred’s value grew through the years, but he inherited a lot of local endearment, I think, because his father before him also lived to be 100 — George Hamilton Sr.,” Mackie said. “And the Hamilton family was a large and prominent and wonderful community members, here in Craig … as Fred Sr. grew older, he just became more precious to everyone.”

Known also by his Haida name of Skwa’al, Hamilton Sr. was born in Craig in February 1921, before the town was even incorporated.

Skwa’al is the name given to chiefs, Mackie said, and means “big abalone shell,” referring to the large mollusks that inhabit the waters of Southeast Alaska. Mackie said the shells are used in traditional Haida art.

Mackie said Hamilton attended Sheldon Jackson School in Sitka as a kid, then enlisted in the U.S. Navy in his years as a young man. He also met his wife, Beverly Jean Bailey, when he was stationed in Seattle. Hamilton was also stationed at Dutch Harbor and Kodiak during World War II, according to Sealaska.

After his time in the Navy, Hamilton got to work providing many services for his people, according to Mackie, including as an agent for now-defunct Ellis Airlines.

“Fred was the agent he would meet you at the float when — on the plane float, you know, pulled off and he’d take the mail up to the Post Office, and he was the first guy anybody saw when it came to Craig, if they flew in. You could get here by boat, but that was it.”

Mackie said Hamilton also played the role of weatherman for Craig, wiring in weather reports from the National Weather Service to residents. Hamilton also worked to connect ferries between Craig and Klawock on Prince of Wales Island, and also helped open up the island to outside communities.

Mackie said the Hamilton name in Craig — starting with Fred’s father George Hamilton Sr. — holds a “huge legacy” for those in the Tlingit and Haida communities.

“The Hamilton name is on one of the major streets in town and old Papa George is remembered by a lot of us who are still alive,” Mackie said. “Being able to call on him, when something significant comes up, we’ll notice the hole.”

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