AMHF honors visionary trio of mining pioneers
John Qipqina Schaeffer Jr. John Qipqina Schaeffer Jr. was born in 1939 to a large family that lived a very traditional subsistence lifestyle in Northwest Alaska. Whether it was being the first In - upiaq two-star general and Adjutant General of the Alaska National Guard, the first President of NANA Region - al Corporation, the first mayor of the Northwest Arctic Borough, or Presi - dent of the Alaska Federation of Na - tives, John was a visionary, compas- sionate, and effective leader. His main mining credentials stem from him leading NANA into the suc- cessful negotiation of the complex agreement with then Cominco Lim- ited (Cominco), which led to the de - velopment of Red Dog mine, today one of the world’s largest producers of mined zinc — a critical mineral. The agreement NANA signed with Cominco provided for extensive pro- tection of subsistence, including the right to shut down the operations if it negatively impacted subsistence resources. Alaska is a much better place for John being able to navigate success- fully in two different cultural worlds.
Charles G. (Riz) Bigelow Charles G. (Riz) Bigelow is widely recognized as one of the most suc- cessful mineral exploration geologists in Alaskan history. His success stems from his ability to organize and lead many excellent economic geologists into making significant mineral dis - coveries across the 49th State. Riz began his Alaska career in 1952 working as a young deckhand aboard USSR&M gold dredges near Fairbanks. After obtaining a BS Degree in Geolo - gy from Washington State University, Riz joined Bear Creek Mining Com - pany/Kennecott in 1959 as a junior geologist at the Bornite project in the western Brooks Range. Later, explo - ration projects he designed resulted in the discovery of the world class Arctic copper-polymetallic deposit, as well as other similar mineral deposits in the Ambler Mineral belt. After leaving Kennecott in 1972, he formed Anchorage-based WGM Inc., which went on to help make discov- eries at Greens Creek, Pogo, and many other Alaskan properties, some of which are now operating mines. Riz was a romanticist, scientist, adven- turist, explorer, and a man highly re- spected by his peers.
Charles Caldwell Hawley Charles Caldwell Hawley died of complications due to Parkinson’s Disease on January 14th, 2016, in An- chorage, Alaska. Born in Evansville, Illinois in 1929, he was one of most respected and beloved individuals among Alaska’s mining fraternity. He first came to Alaska in 1967 to work as a USGS geologist in Glacier Bay National Monument. In 1972, Chuck Hawley left the USGS and moved his family to Anchorage, Alaska and start- ed a consulting business, C.C. Hawley and Associates — the same year Riz Bigelow established WGM Inc. Their paths would cross many times over the years. Hawley led the fight to keep highly mineralized lands from being incorporated into national conserva- tion units during the contentious d-2 debates of the 1970s. He organized the first Alaska Min - ers Association annual convention in 1976; he was AMA Executive Director in 1978-79. Chuck became involved in a number of small-to-mid-sized gold mine projects throughout Alaska. Chuck wrote two authoritative books on mining history and won the 2015 Alaska Historian of the Year Award shortly before his passing.
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The Alaska Miner
Winter 2023
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