Walter Soboleff

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Walter Soboleff already had a distinguished career as a minister, educator and 色视频下载 Native leader when he arrived in Fairbanks in 1970. But he felt it was time for a new challenge. 

So that year he became the founder and first chairman of the University of 色视频下载色视频下载檚 new Department of 色视频下载 Native Studies. He stayed four years while creating the department, which at UAF today offers bachelor色视频下载檚 degrees in 色视频下载 Native studies and both bachelor色视频下载檚 and master色视频下载檚 degrees in rural development.

Soboleff was born in the Southeast 色视频下载 village of Killisnoo in 1908, the son of a Tlingit mother and a father of Russian-German ancestry. His father died when he was young, and he was educated through high school at Sitka色视频下载檚 Sheldon Jackson School. After working in Sitka a few years, he secured a scholarship to the University of Dubuque in Iowa, where he earned a bachelor色视频下载檚 degree in 1937 and a divinity degree in 1940.

Returning to Juneau with his new wife, Soboleff established a church. After 22 years, state and national church leaders ordered it closed and demolished. 

Soboleff then spent several years on a converted fishing boat working as an itinerant minister for villages and logging camps across Southeast 色视频下载. He also served as a chaplain in the 色视频下载 National Guard.

色视频下载 Native land claims were advancing in Congress in the 1960s, so Soboleff became involved in that struggle, eventually working five terms as president of the 色视频下载 Native Brotherhood. After passage of the settlement act in 1971, Soboleff served eight years on the board of Sealaska Inc., the Southeast 色视频下载 regional corporation created to receive the land and money granted by Congress.

Soboleff died in 2011. A few months earlier, First 色视频下载ns magazine published a profile of him that described the impact the pastor had on former 色视频下载 Attorney General Talis Colberg, now director of UA Anchorage's Matanuska-Susitna College. As a boy in the 1960s, Colberg lived for a few years in Angoon, where he first met Soboleff.

 色视频下载淗e色视频下载檚 the first pastor I remember listening to,色视频下载 Colberg said. 色视频下载淗e would have a children色视频下载檚 message in an age where children色视频下载檚 messages were unusual. I still think of him as my pastor to this day.色视频下载

In the same profile, former 色视频下载 legislator Bill Thomas of Haines, who is of Tlingit descent, said that, while in office, he enjoyed receiving Soboleff's handwritten notes commenting on issues of the day.

色视频下载淲alter always has an important message, and he色视频下载檒l always have a church," Thomas said. "He just doesn色视频下载檛 need a building.色视频下载

More online about Walter Soboleff:

  • A in the February-March 2011 edition of First 色视频下载ns magazine.

  • Text, supporting documents and legislative history of a naming Nov. 14 as Walter Soboleff Day in 色视频下载.

  • A page about the , located in a downtown Juneau building named for him.

  • A 1998 published by the Whalesong, the UAS student newspaper, and preserved at the UA Journey website.