K`aiiroondak – Behind the Willows

This is a collection of remembrances of things past as seen through the eyes of Richard Martin, one person who remembered the Porcupine River and its stories.

K'aiiroondak in the Gwich'in language means something behind the willows. In the north country willows often grow in areas that were once cleared for settlement. When viewed from the river, willows screen any sign of human inhabitation. Yet, these places were home to many and still live in the memory of a few.

Trade and life prospered along the Porcupine River until after World War II. But by early 1950s, the settlements of the Porcupine were deserted or inhabited only seasonally. Richard Martin's stories bring back this busy time in Alaska history.