Dig Afognak

The Mrs. had another tough weekend working.... well if you call boating over to Afognak Island (a 40 minute boat ride from Kodiak) and spending 3 days with the Native Elders and a group of kids that were REALLY interested in what they were being taught for a program called Dig Afognak. Comments by the Mrs.....








There are a couple of hammocks like this at camp... made of driftwood and old fishing net, they were a nice place to relax.







There are many bears on Afognak, and there were a few that were close to camp. Therefore, we had armed escorts wherever we went with the kids. There was one sighting when we were headed to the beach. We got the kids together... it was raining sideways, just a miserable day. A few of the kids were afraid, and Susie Malutin, a skin sewer and keeper of the Alutiiq language, led the children in an Alutiiq language rendition of "You Are My Sunshine" until we got the go ahead to keep going down the beach. That is one of those memories that will be forever crystallized in my mind...








Arctic Tern eggs that Herman Sqaurtsoff of Ouzinkie brought to camp. I tried one (hard boiled)... it was a bit fishy, but DELICIOUS!














We went with the kids to clean up some of the old digs near camp... this was the lodgings for the manager of a Russian camp that was in place for the sea otter trade.









Here I am, teaching the kids something exciting about plants. They were VERY into it. On the right is Patrick Saltonstall, curator of the Alutiiq Museum (and who helped start Dig Afognak 14 years ago). A very interesting fellow, who won me over by (a) teaching me the right spruce sap to get to make chewing gum, and (b) showing me where there were sundews (carnivorous plants) growing near camp!











I can't remember what I am talking about here, but I must have been really excited about it.

















This is me with Paul Kahutak, one of the Elders of the village of Old Harbor. He is a very sweet man, with lots of wonderful stories. He was born on Woody Island, which is the tribal council that I work for.










The weekend was amazing- what I love about living here and doing what I do is that I have so many awe-inspiring, life-changing experiences. Where else in the world could I learn from the wise Native Elders, sit in on Alutiiq language lessons, eat wild eggs, see carnivorous plants, always be on the lookout for bears, teach about my passion, and be around a bunch of cool kids as well? What a wild couple of days... and I get to go back!