Jonathon Solomon

"I was making this speech at that Opera House, in front of thousands of people. While I was talking, I looked up and all of a sudden I saw nothing but my elders smiling down at me. That's when I knew I became an elder, because I felt nothing but love. I have no anger in me."

Jonathon Solomon delivers a speech in Anchorage. Jonathon Solomon of Fort Yukon was named "Citizen of the Year" by the Alaska Federation of Natives during the convention of October, 2002. In giving his acceptance speech, this is what Solomon had to say:

My Gwich'in name is Al'Tii; it was given to me by my grandmother, and it was my grandfather's name.I stand here today as a humble man. I have spoken for the Native people since I was sixteen years old. At that time they were preparing to build the Rampart Dam; that was a project that was going to drown all of us in the Yukon Flats.

I was really proud to be an Alaska Native yesterday, when five young people spoke to you about what they think, and about what they feel you should do for them – especially one girl from my area. She talked about the subsistence issue. She's a Koyukon Indian, but she spoke my language at the end; she spoke Gwich'in.

I could make a lot of case about some of the speeches we've heard this morning – about things like tribal government. But I don't want to do that, because I'm just happy right now. I've been to every AFN convention since I became a Native leader. We don't see eye to eye all the time; that's not to say I don't support AFN -- we are the indigenous people of this country.

You may have noticed that this year I'm not wearing my Indian stuff. I'm not wearing it because this is an election year; so my clothes are full of campaign stuff. I'm not wearing my Indian things because this is an election year.

We respect and we have hope for our future generations. I became an elder a few years back and on Monday I was at the Elders' conference. And while I was there, we were asked to answer a question, "How does it feel to be an elder?" And I thought about that. When I became 65, I went to my uncle and I asked him that same question, "How do you feel?" And he told me, "You will know when you get the direction."

This March I got sick at the [Tanana Chiefs Conference] convention. I woke up at the Native hospital here in Anchorage, with people surrounding my bed. And when I woke up and saw them, I felt nothing but love for my people.

Then this summer I went to San Francisco to accept the Goldman Award, and they asked me to make a speech. And I was making this speech at that Opera House, in front of thousands of people. While I was talking, I looked up and all of a sudden I saw nothing but my elders smiling down at me. That's when I knew I became an elder, because I felt nothing but love. I have no anger in me.

For years now, I've been involved in fighting against the oil companies. This year, I realized we are all Alaska Natives. We are all Alaska Natives. I have the right to fight against any oil company that I want to; but you also got the right to disagree with me. [Speaks briefly in Gwich'in.]

I would like to introduce my wife, Hannah; we've been married 46 years. When I got married, my father told me we would have ten children; and we have fulfilled that promise.