Marie Smith Jones | |
|---|---|
| Udach' Kuqax*a'a'ch | |
| Eyak Nation leader | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 14, 1918 Cordova, Territory of Alaska |
| Died | January 21, 2008 (aged 89) Anchorage, Alaska |
| Resting place | Angelus Memorial Park Anchorage, Alaska |
| Spouse | William F. Smith |
| Children | Nine children |
| Known for | Last surviving speaker of the Eyak language; honorary chief of the Eyak Nation, and the last remaining full-blooded Eyak. |
Marie Smith Jones (May 14, 1918 – January 21, 2008) was an American national who was the last surviving speaker of the Eyak language of Southcentral Alaska.[1] She was born in Cordova, Alaska, was an honorary chief of the Eyak Nation and the last remaining full-blooded Eyak.[2] In a 2005 interview, Smith Jones explained that her name in Eyak is 'udAch' k'uqAXA'a'ch' (/ʔutət͡ʃ’ k’uqəχəʔaˀt͡ʃ’/)which, she said, translates as "a sound that calls people from afar".[3]
Marie Smith, the last speaker of the Eyak language, died on January 21st, aged 89