These scenes of St. Stephen's Church, and of Bishop Rowe and confirmation class, were filmed by Dr. Grafton Burke during his time in Fort Yukon, Alaska. Grafton and Clara Burke, an Episcopal missionary couple, oversaw St. Stephen's Mission and hospital (later named Hudson Stuck Memorial Hospital) at Fort Yukon for three decades until Dr. Burke died in 1938 (B&W/Silent/16mm film).
The recently published book "Hospital and Haven: The Life and Work of Grafton and Clara Burke in Northern Alaska" by Mary F. Ehrlander and Hild M. Peters tells the story of the Burkes and their lives among the Gwich’in peoples of northern Alaska. Ehrlander and Peters are both affiliated with the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF). Ehrlander is professor emeritus of History and Arctic and Northern Studies at UAF, and Peters holds an MA in Arctic and Northern Studies from UAF.
This film clip is from AAF-23404 of the Grafton Burke Collection held by the Alaska Film Archives, a unit of the Alaska and Polar Regions Collections & Archives Department in the Elmer E. Rasmuson Library, University of Alaska Fairbanks. For more information please contact the Alaska Film Archives.
The Alaska Film Archives appreciates your support. Your donation in any amount will help us continue important preservation work. Please visit the “About” section of our KZfaq channel to learn how you can help today. Thank you! For more information please contact the Alaska Film Archives.