David Salmon, an Athabascan leader and an ordained Episcopal minister, died last Thursday. He was 95.
Salmon was diagnosed with terminal cancer last week. He died peacefully at his home in Chalkyitsik.
"He was sitting in his favorite chair when he passed," Salmon's granddaughter, Patricia Salmon, told The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.
Salmon was the traditional chief of Athabascans in the Interior region. He was due to address the upcoming Alaska Federation of Natives conference in Fairbanks.
“Education is number one!” Salmon said at a recent Tanana Chiefs Conference gathering. “Today the Indians who don’t use their education are walking the streets; that’s what I don’t like."
Gov. Sarah Palin (R) has ordered state flags to be flown at half-staff today. "Alaska has lost a true treasure,” she said [Statement].
Get the Story:Cancer claims Athabascan leader, 95 (AP 10/13)
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Editorial: The Rev. Salmon: Athabascan traditional chief put his people first in life (The Fairbanks Daily News Miner 10/14) $rl Tanana Chiefs Conference - http://www.tananachiefs.org
