Ellen Savage

Ellen Hunter Savage was born in September of 1919 at 7-mile above Shageluk, Alaska when her mother was berry picking. She and her sister Violet were raised in Shageluk along the Innoko River by their parents, Jane and Nikolai Hunter, who lived a traditional subsistence lifestyle.  They always spoke the Deg Xinag language of the Athabascan people, although Ellen did go to school and learned English because her mother said she would need to know it.

When Ellen was 16 she married Pius Savage and moved to his home village of Holy Cross located in Interior Alaska on the west bank of Ghost Creek Slough off the Yukon River. They had 15 children and raised them there and at fish camp in the summers. In 1970 the family moved to Anchorage.

As a young girl, Ellen learned the patience and skill of traditional Athabascan doll making from her elders. Over the years, Ellen developed her own unique style. Each of Ellen’s dolls is made with great detail and special characteristics that depict life in the far north.

Ellen continued to use her own language after moving to the city.  She told stories, taught traditional songs and created new ones. She also worked with several language programs to help preserve her Native language which was an important part of her culture and very precious to her.  In addition to working on the Deg Xinag Learner’s Dictionary she recorded many hours of stories, both traditional and personal for the Anvik Historical Society.

Ellen was also known for her love of playing Bingo! Ellen passed away in Anchorage, AK, on October 11, 2004.