John Fredson

Who is John Fredson?

John Fredson, also known as Zhoh Gwatsan, was a tribal leader born near Table Mountain in the Sheenjek River watershed. He is most noted for gaining federal recognition for the Venetie Indian Reserve in 1941, then the largest reservation in Alaska, and containing approximately 1.4 million acres.

As a youth, he had been part of Hudson Stuck's expedition to climb Denali, and served as base camp manager. Afterward he was sponsored for college, attending Sewanee, The University of the South and becoming the first Alaska Native to graduate from college. He worked in a hospital and as a teacher, becoming a leader and activist.