Persistent Perserverence

Spring 2025, FORUM Magazine

EVERY TRADITION, VALUE, AND PIECE OF THE FAMILY LINEAGE rested on the shoulders of Donna Galbreath, the only daughter of Molly. It is no small burden to carry the weight of a family’s history, practices, and legacy. The Athna culture follows a matrilineal system of descent, and as such, Donna was entrusted with the responsibility of preserving our clan's continuity. Before Alaska became the 49th state, Don and Molly had two of their three children: Larry, the oldest son, and Donna, the middle child. When Donna was sixteen, her younger brother, Michael, was born. While Larry was deployed in Vietnam, Donna took her baby brother with her wherever she went. My mom shared, “Whatever I was doing, I wanted to teach him about life.” As the only daughter, Donna felt the pressure to uphold our clan’s future. Determined to meet the expectations placed upon her, she strove to perform as well academically as her older brother, who was known for his excellent grades. Donna attended high school in the 1970s, a time of significant social change in the United States. Schools were desegregating, and more children were attending public schools rather than the boarding schools that her mother, Molly, had briefly attended.

My grandma Molly went to boarding school for a brief time, she received about the equivalent of a third grade education. She learned to read, write, and do arithmetic. However she was also taught to be ashamed of our Ahtna language and told not to speak it. When Molly became a mom she did the best she could to raise her children during a time in which outsiders were unabashedly assimilating Alaska Native people. As a mother myself, I want to protect my children from harm and see them grow up to be successful.¹ My grandma protected her children by not speaking to them in our traditional language. My mom and her brothers grew up speaking English and only gleaming a few words in our Mentasta dialect of the Ahtna language. Despite grandma Molly’s efforts to protect her children, she couldn’t fight for them in every situation.

In school, Donna experienced quite a bit of racism for being an Alaska Native person. People would make fun of her for being a “Salmon Cruncher” and called her the N word, and excluded her from activities. These taunts and stereotypes were not just from other students but also sneers and unfair treatment came from teachers. “It always seemed like teachers wanted to catch me doing something bad. The expectations of Alaska Native students was that you sat in the back of the classroom or skipped.”² When her senior year came around she had decided attending high school was unbearable, and so she dropped out. Thankfully the vice principal encouraged her to get her General Educational Development (GED).

After obtaining her GED and working a few jobs she joined many other folks at the time who worked on building the Trans Alaska Pipeline System. It’s fun imagining my 5ft 2 and a ½ inch mom climbing up into the giant trucks to work just like the rest of ‘em. She shares stories about her time in Livengood, 5 Mile camp, and Fairbanks. While she worked at the 5 Mile camp bears would sometimes come around. One bear nicknamed “Brownie” often came around when Donna worked in the warehouse. “Somehow the bear became my friend. Once I was standing at the counter doing paperwork and ignoring the Brownie, and she stood up beside me and put her front paws on the counter and leaned over to see what I was doing. Another time I was sorting parts on a pallet on the floor and she came around. I ignored her and she reached over and put her mouth on my arm very gently. I stopped what I was doing and said ‘ok, I will pet you’.”³ I haven’t heard of many folks sharing stories about being friends with bears, but leave it to my mom and she will make the best of it.

When my mom was able to work in Fairbanks on the pipeline her dog Rory was with her, everyone loved Rory. As my mom walked by Rory, she would do a big cheesy grin. After repeatedly doing this day in and day out, her dog gave her the same toothy smile back. The joy that came from her dog helped her get through the challenges of working.

In addition to the stresses of working away from family and friends in Livengood and the 5 Mile Camp, Donna also experienced sexism and unfair treatment. When she was at 5 Mile Camp many men wanted her to do sexual favors for them. She didn’t want to even go to the mess hall because of the disgusting treatment she experienced. There was a man from Canada who assured her that he was not going to come on to her or hurt her and would escort her to the mess hall if she wanted. She became friends with him and he upheld his word. The other men left her alone after that.⁴ I am grateful to know that someone had the integrity to step up and protect my mom. There are far too many instances in women’s lives where no one is there to protect us. I asked her how she always has this calmness about her. She indicated that she knows that she has food, a home, and family and everything else isn’t what’s important.⁵ When I was a teenager I wrote a poem about the different personalities in my family and I distinctly remember her description as one of quiet resolve. There is a point in which my mom has enough though, and that’s when she changes her circumstances.

The circumstances working up on the pipeline included working for supervisors who Donna knew she could exceed expectations. After conversations with friends she decided to pursue a college degree. While my mom went to college she realized that she wanted to pursue her passion in Biology and helping others by becoming a medical doctor. A particular professor of hers told her that she wouldn’t even pass his class, let alone be a doctor. Like many obstacles placed in the way, you find a way through it. Donna passed the class with a B and went on to attend the University of Washington’s medical school.

I remember her being extremely busy while she went to medical school. My mom was either in school or studying for it. She shared a particular memory of hers when we went to a potluck. My little 4 year old hand held hers in mine and introduced her to all the people at the dinner. My dad and I spent evenings together with friends and taking care of household responsibilities like grocery shopping. Being that my dad is quite gregarious, he’s always meeting new people and making new friends. My dad Jeff Mann was the only white man at Mt. Edgecumbe high school as an exchange student from Massachusetts. His love for Alaska was fueled through his experiences in Sitka and going to a small village near Bethel with his roommate during long breaks. Jeff’s longing to be in the Arctic led him to attend the University of Alaska where he met my mom. It is amazing to have them as parents. They are both passionate about living healthy, pursuing their dreams, and modeling great relationship skills. Growing up, they never raised their voices at each other, they would always talk over situations as they came up. Together they moved our family which had grown to include my brother Tikaan Galbreath and sister, Kate Lillie, to the midwest. In the small town of Marquette, MI my mom went to a Family practice residency school. True to my father’s nature, he pursued one of his greatest dreams, to create community through dog mushing. He and an amazing group of visionaries started the Upper Peninsula 200, more affectionately known as the U.P. 200.⁶

Our time in Marquette fills the memories of us all. Lifelong friends were made, dog mushing was brought back to the Upper Peninsula after 100 years of absence, and my mom passed the residency program. My mom’s dream was to move back to Alaska after becoming a physician. So we packed up and drove back home the summer of 1991.

When we moved back to Fairbanks my mom started working at Chief Andrew Isaac Health Center and was recognized as the first Athabascan doctor in Alaska. Native people from all over Alaska were so thankful for my mom being a doctor. After she started practicing medicine Alaska Native people began to feel more comfortable receiving medical care. My mom understands Alaska Native culture and was able to meet the needs of people because she took time to listen and didn’t judge people. One of our respected Elders in Fairbanks shared with me their gratitude for my mom seeing him for who he is. At the time he was drinking a lot and staying under a bridge. When she saw him at the clinic, she encouraged him to stop drinking and be the leader he was meant to be. He shared how thankful he is to have her help him realize what he needed to do. Over the years many people have shared stories with me about how much my mom helped them and cares for them. 

It is amazing to think that out of all the people in the world, it is my mom that is the first Athabascan doctor, (perhaps first Alaska Native medical doctor), and first Indigenous doctor working at Chief Andrew Isaac Health Center for all of Tanana Chiefs Conference, and in all of Alaska! My mom, Donna, has carried forth an incredible legacy for our Tsisyu clan. She overcame incredible odds that were stacked against her, racism, poverty, historical trauma, and so much more.

As my mom practiced medicine she was a part of the American Indian Association of Physicians (AIAP), and later became president of the organization. Through this affiliation she has inspired countless Indigenous youth to get involved with medicine, to go after their dreams. After working at Chief Andrew Health Center for thirteen years, Donna remarried and moved to Anchorage and began practicing at Southcentral Foundation. After a few years, she became one of the medical directors there. She is a recipient of the 2018 Alaska Federation of Natives President’s Award in Health.⁷ In 2022 she was recognized for her 30 years of health care and awarded the Dr. Anne P. Lanier Meritorious Health Service Award.⁸

My mom is an incredible example for all people. Her determination, commitment, perseverance, kindness, and love are inspirations for my siblings and I. ■

¹ Success can be defined in a variety of ways and doesn’t have to fit into one culture’s perspective.

² Donna Galbreath March 28, 2025

³ Donna Galbreath March 28, 2025

⁴ Donna Galbreath March 28, 2025

⁵ Donna Galbreath March 1, 2025

⁶https://thenorthwindonline.com...

⁷https://www.ahtna.com/kanas/af...

⁸https://www.southcentralfounda...

Yatibaey Evans is Ahtna, Athabascan from Mentasta, Alaska and is the proud mother of four incredible boys. Yatibaey is the Creative Producer for the Emmy Award winning PBS series, MOLLY OF DENALI. She is also an adjunct professor for the College of Indigenous Studies at UAF. Previously, she held the position of Alaska Native Education Director for the Fairbanks school district and was awarded Champion for Kids in 2021, by the Alaska's Children's Trust, A Friend of Education from Fairbanks Education Association, and Alaska's Top 40 Under 40 in 2017. Yatibaey is a 2025 FORUM Writing Fellow.