Imagine growing up in the Alaskan wilderness as a member of the Tlingit tribe. Today on WTMJ Conversations, Dr. Paul Trebian, President & CEO of the International Institute of Wisconsin talks with WTMJ’s Libby Collins about experiences that shaped the person he is today. Hear Paul talk about his experience running into a bear in the wild, a fishing story he’ll never forget, the best advice his grandma gave him, and so much more. It’s all ahead on this edition of WTMJ Conversations!
A partial transcript is provided below, courtesy of eCourt Reporters.
LIBBY COLLINS: Hunting in Alaska is a little different than even here in the Northwoods.
DR. PAUL TREBIAN: Oh, right, yeah. When I was young, I disobeyed my uncle and went out into the woods by myself, that was not a good thing to do. And I was hiking, and saw this beautiful stream of salmon, and I was like, wow, this is really cool. And then I heard a little snap, and I looked up and there was this big brown bear just out of reach.
LIBBY COLLINS: A grizzly.
DR. PAUL TREBIAN: Yeah, I just surprised it. So, it looked at me, I looked at it, and I just didn’t show any fear and just stood there and looked at it, made a big noise, clapped my hands. And we respected each other, stood there for about five minutes or so, and then we went our ways.
LIBBY COLLINS: When Grandma says something, you listen. What do you mean by that?
DR. PAUL TREBIAN: That’s actually a value of listening, respect, knowing where decisions are made, too. Even if you come from a culture that’s paternalistic, you still have that balance. And I think that’s what native Alaskans are all about. A lot of it had to do with the natural physical abilities of humans. You know, there’s a difference between male/female for when it comes to strength and being able to pull the nets and a lot of stuff. So, the men would go out on the ocean and risk their lives to gather food and go hunting, and risk their lives to get food there. And I’m talking ancient stuff. And they would come back and then the natural lineal lines, the mothers, aunties, and grandmothers would be there preserving the culture and teaching. They would all work together so, it’s called balance.
