Bernice W. Norris Alaska photographs collection, circa 1930- circa 1936

Bernice Norris worked as an office secretary for the Neville Book Company in 1927, a stenographer in 1930 and as a secretary and bookkeeper throughout her life. She was a typing student of Dr. August Dvorak, associate professor of education at the University of Washington in 1933. Miss Norris was also an active member in the Seattle Retail Credit Women's breakfast club, a national club for women in the retail credit profession, and became the Seattle club financial secretary in 1939. At some time between 1930-1936 Bernice Norris apparently took a trip with a group to Alaska.

The Eklutna Indian Vocational Industrial School was moved to Eklutna in 1924 from the original location Tyonek on the Cook Inlet by the Bureau of Indian Affairs for Native Children. It was a vocational boarding school for Alaska Natives that strove to introduce an American way of life and required English be spoken as the only language. The school housed over 100 Native Alaskan children from various locations in Alaska, including Wainwright, Juneau and the Aleutian Islands. The school day was split in half with the morning spent studying academic subjects and the afternoon spent doing industrial work including, sewing, ivory carving, metal work, mechanics, carpentry, farming and nursing. The Bureau opened other schools at Katanak and Wrangell as well. After WWII, Eklutna was closed and moved to Seward, Alaska.