Alaskans mourn the loss of a North Slope leader. He grew up leading sled dog teams along the Arctic coast to collect firewood. He was born in the age of snowmachines and Native corporations.
Oliver Aveogan Leavitt, 79, died Sunday.
Oliver Leavitt, a whaling captain, was a cultural beacon for his people. He was fluent in Inupiaq, and is well-known for making skin whaling boats (or umiaks) without any blueprints.
Richard Glenn, executive vice president of the Arctic Slope Regional Corp. called Leavitt his mentor. Both men served on the board together and held management positions.
He said, “Without a piece paper in your hands, to go from dimensions woods to hard woods to end up with whaling boats is a skill.”
Glenn stated that Leavitt was a hero for his ability fight for his region and his ability to easily move from the boardroom to the whaling camp as well as the halls of Washington D.C.
He was an expert at it. He made it effortless,” Glenn said. He has diplomat skills, but he also has hard-won, hands-on education.
Leavitt applied that education to make ASRC Alaska’s largest private enterprise.
Willie Hensley was a former Democratic state senator and was a leader in Alaska Natives land claims fight. He met Leavitt after he left the Army.
Hensley stated, “I’ve known him since 50 years.”
Hensley stated that Leavitt served in the military, and that he then dedicated himself to public service. He worked to create a new borough and teamed up with other leaders to make ASRC a company earning billions of dollars every year.
Hensley stated, “He was persistent.” Hensley said that he worked hard to accomplish the tasks he needed. He even camped out in Washington, D.C.
Hensley stated that Leavitt’s greatest achievement was helping the North Slope Borough access a U.S. Navy-controlled gas field. This access allowed the borough to supply heat and electricity to the residents of the region.
Hensley, though he was originally from Kotzebue on Alaska’s northwest coast, said that the two men were bonded by their childhood — growing up in an era without modern amenities and lots of hard work.
Hensley stated, “The reason that we are good friends is because I understand exactly what his words were saying.”
Hensley stated that Leavitt was passionately interested in improving the Arctic’s life. Even though they disagreed on how to achieve this, their friendship was strong. Hensley, surrounded with loved ones, was there to comfort Leavitt when he died in Utqiagvik.
