RVN - Alaskan Spirit | Issue 8 | Digital Edition

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Welcome to RavnAir Group Welcome aboard! Whether [OPZ PZ `V\Y Ä YZ[ [YPW ^P[O \Z or you are a frequent guest VU V\Y Å PNO[Z ^L ^HU[ `V\ to know we appreciate your business, and want to make `V\Y Å PNO[ HUK [PTL ^P[O \Z enjoyable, comfortable and safe. Whether you are a lifelong Alaskan, a transplant to the Last Frontier, or a visitor, the Alaskan Spirit THNHaPUL is how we express our enthusiasm about this great state, its people, its culture and the many things that inspire us all about Alaska. In these pages, we celebrate our people who live, work and play here—who

contribute to the rich fabric of Alaska through their THU` [HSLU[Z ;OL Ă„ ZOLYTLU and builders, hunters and artists, the educators and Olympic athletes who all are part of what makes Alaska KPɈ LYLU[ HUK \UPX\L This is about our communities—from the larger cities to the villages of the Arctic Slope and the Aleutian Chain. These are places that we love and bring to life in the pages of this THNHaPUL And what would a visual look at Alaska be without adventures? Whether you’re a resident of urban or rural (SHZRH `V\ JHU HS^H`Z Ă„ UK

new adventures close to home. From hiking in the Chugach National Forest to camping in the Brooks Range, there is no shortage of wild places and open spaces to visit and enjoy. At RavnAir Group, we enjoy (SHZRH HUK HSS P[ OHZ [V VɈ LY We enjoy the people—our friends and neighbors—who call this place home. And we want you to enjoy Alaska and its people as well. Within these pages, we will continue to introduce you to new sites, adventures, attractions, people, experiences and destinations. Thank you for joining us today at RavnAir Group.

There’s Always Hope Writer PM Fadden introduces us to Hope, the historic former gold mining village that might be the most laid-back community on the Peninsula and well worth a day or week to visit.

6 Around RavnAir Country

10 The Pilots’ Pilots The chief pilots of RavnAir Group lead our experienced team of pilots ^OV Å ` [OYV\NOV\[ (SHZRH MYVT 5VTL to Dutch Harbor. And as seasoned Alaskan women pilots, Crystal Branchaud and Sarah Fraher provide unique skills and perspective on WPSV[PUN TVYL [OHU Å PNO[Z H KH` safely and on time. Hear their view from the front seat.

12 Capturing the Wild Things Ever wonder how wildlife photograWOLYZ JHW[\YL [OVZL HTHaPUN PTHNLZ of Alaska wildlife? Extreme adventure

Meet Claire and Emma Laukitis, the Salmon Sisters, who have built on a lifetime of commercial Ă„ ZOPUN HUK SV]L VM (SHZRH salmon to create an interna[PVUHS IYHUK VM JSV[OPUN Ă… H]VYLK with a commitment to ocean stewardship and responsible Z\Z[HPUHISL Ă„ ZOLYPLZ (UK [OL` remain just two sisters from /VTLY ^OV SV]L [V Ă„ ZO 9LHK their story on page 16.

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Contents It’s the best days of Summer in Alaska! Where do you want to go and what do you want to do this summer? Here are some great things to do and places to visit in the more than 115 (SHZRH JVTT\UP[PLZ `V\ JHU Å ` [V with RavnAir Alaska, RavnAir Connect and PenAir. Come do summer with us!

On The Cover

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photographer Jill Brown gives us some insight from her life behind the camera in wild places, as well as simple tips that will help anyone improve their wildlife photography.

22 Things We Love About the Kenai Peninsula More than 80 percent of Alaskans ZWLUK ZVTL WHY[ VM Z\TTLY Ă„ ZOPUN exploring and playing on the Kenai Peninsula. Whether kayaking with [OL ^OHSLZ Ă„ SSPUN [OL MYLLaLY ^P[O Kenai salmon or hiking among the glaciers and mountain sheep, the Peninsula has it all. Here is a look at things that both visitors and residents love about the Peninsula, from Hope to Homer.

Meet Ninilchik One of the earliest Russian settlements VU [OL 7LUPUZ\SH [OPZ X\HPU[ SP[[SL Ă„ ZOPUN village is a lot more than just a stop on the way to the end of the road. McKibben Jacinsky introduces us to the community with the million-dollar view.

42 Exploring Seward’s Caines Head ;OPZ TVU[O V\Y VɈ [OL YVHK L_WSVYLY Clark Fair takes us to one of the most accessible, yet wildest destinations on the Peninsula, Caines Head near Seward. Site of historic WWII defensive positions, it provides a wealth of pleasures for the senses as well as peace for the soul.

46 Returning History Clark Fair takes us on a journey that started with a deer hunting trip to Kodiak in the ‘60s and ended with his return of an ancient Native oil lamp to its rightful place in history.

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Alaskan Spirit is published by Fireweed Strategies LLC. Publisher and Advertising: Lee Leschper Fireweed Strategies LLC 4849 Potter Crest Circle Anchorage, AK 99516 Lee.Leschper@FireweedStrategies.com 907-957-6025 Editorial: Will Leschper Design and Production: Southfork Graphic Services Contributors: Shehla Anjum Paula Bradison Jillian A. Brown Susie Jenkins-Brito Lori Evans PM Fadden Clark Fair Heidi Hansen Erin Kirkland McKibben Jackinsky Carol Richards Laine Welch RavnAir Group Corporate Headquarters: RavnAir Alaska 4700 Old International Airport Road Anchorage, AK 99502 Phone: 907-248-4422 Fax: 907-266-8391 Statewide Reservations: Hours: Daily 7:00am to 7:00pm Phone: 1-800-866-8394 907-266-8394 (in state) Fax: 907-266-8391

RavnAir Group

Our RavnAir vision Connecting our passengers with friends, MHTPS` HUK HSS [OH[ (SHZRH OHZ [V VɈ LY RavnAir Group is the state’s largest YLNPVUHS HPYSPUL ^P[O TVYL [OHU Ă… PNO[Z a day serving 115 cities and villages across the 49th state. RavnAir is Alaska’s homegrown airline providing safe, reliable and friendly service delivered by our Alaskan employees—all 900 of us. We travel to the farthest reaches of the largest state in the union—from Kodiak to Kaktovik, and St. Mary’s to Savoonga— transporting more than 800,000 passengers annually. Committed to exceptional service, we are also dedicated to supporting the communities we serve. Part of RavnAir’s corporate focus is to give back through the sponsorship of hundreds of local JOHYP[PLZ HUK UVUWYVĂ„ [ VYNHUPaH[PVUZ

supporting groups that contribute to the betterment and advancement of Alaska’s people and communities. >L YLJVNUPaL [OH[ P[ PZ HU OVUVY [V connect people, cultures, vital cargo and even the daily mail as we strive to bring the very best in essential services to and from our state’s major hubs, while providing connectivity to the most remote locations. As you travel throughout this great state, RavnAir pledges to deliver the same warmth and comfort in the air that you’ll Ä UK MYVT (SHZRHUZ ^OLYL]LY `V\ SHUK Whether we’re transporting a group of climbers to Denali, a family back to their village, or a sports team to their next big game, we are here to provide a safe and friendly experience during your travels. We appreciate your patronage.

Group Travel Desk Flyravn.com/group-travel Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Phone: 907-266-8470 Fax: 907-245-5745 ,THPS! NYV\W [YH]LS'Ă… `YH]U JVT FlyAway Rewards Program Flyravn.com/rewards Phone: 1-800-866-8394 907-266-8394 (in Anchorage) *VUZ\TLY (Ɉ HPYZ! Flyravn.com/askravn ,THPS! JVUZ\TLY'Ă… `YH]U JVT RavnAir Alaska Air Cargo 4750 Old International Airport Road Anchorage For more online at FlyRavn.com/cargo Phone: 907-243-2761 (UJOVYHNL *LU[YHS 6ɉ JL Corporate Sales Phone: 907-865-8599 Fax: 907-266-8391 ,THPS! JVYWVYH[L ZHSLZ'Ă… `YH]U JVT

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From the CEO

Our unique teamwork with UAA gets students into aviation sooner RavnAir Group has embarked on many new and innovative ventures that help strengthen and support Alaska’s aviation industry. +H]PK 7Å PLNLY

The most recent PZ [OL Ä YZ[ WYVNYHT PU [OL UH[PVU [OH[ provides a pathway for college students at the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) Aviation Technology Program to simultaneously complete their aviation degree and work as a regional airline pilot. Partnering with the leaders at UAA, 9H]U(PY PZ VɈ LYPUN Z[\KLU[Z PU [OL university’s Aviation Degree & Airline Pilot Employment program an opportunity to start working and earning a salary, while Ä UPZOPUN [OLPY LK\JH[PVU As Alaska’s largest regional carrier, we are thrilled to work with the University of Alaska to provide a new pathway that can accelerate careers in Alaska commercial aviation. A program like this will not only contribute to great, local jobs for Alaskans, it will

provide eligible students with an expedited career path into the rewarding and exciting airline industry. Given the current nationwide and worldwide pilot shortage, it’s a win-win for aspiring commercial pilots and our aviation industry here in Alaska. UAA’s aviation maintenance, piloting and HPY [YHɉ J JVU[YVS WYVNYHTZ OH]L ILLU PU place for more than three decades and have supplied the aviation workforce in Alaska. With a nationwide shortage of pilots, the new program with RavnAir will help Z[\KLU[Z LHYU HKKP[PVUHS Å PNO[ OV\YZ and already have them in the cockpit of a small commercial plane by the time graduation rolls around.

which makes their continuation of college even more critical. 9H]U(PY ^PSS WYV]PKL Å L_PISL ^VYR ZJOLK ules to allow students to continue their education while working. The program is also designed to help Alaskans start working faster and stay in the state. Getting more Alaskans to come work for our company and stay in Alaska with their friends and loved ones is exactly what we want. We want more people here, we want to create more jobs in Alaska and WHY[ULYPUN ^P[O <(( Ä UKPUN TLU HUK women interested in aviation is awesome. Students must enroll at UAA and then be accepted to the RavnAir pilot training pathway program by calling RavnAir and

The stipulation to the program is that the students must stay in college and graduate. The students cannot discontinue their education once they get a job with RavnAir.

going through the interview process.

Part of the beauty of the program is that the students who are interviewed, accepted and hired by RavnAir, receive internship credits toward graduation,

retention bonuses for a total of $51,000.

Once they complete the program, they will be added to the RavnAir pilot seniority list where they will be eligible for starting salaries of $36,000 with $15,000 annual Students will also earn reimbursement for [OL (PY ;YHUZWVY[ 7PSV[ HUK *LY[PÄ JH[PVU Training program.

Photo courtesy of University of Alaska Anchorage by Phil Hall

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9H]U(PY (SHZRH HUK [OL <UP]LYZP[` VM (SHZRH»Z Ä YZ[ PU (TLYPJH WYVNYHT PZ SL[[PUN <(( Z[\KLU[Z ILNPU ^VYRPUN MVY 9H]U(PY ^OPSL Z[PSS PU ZJOVVS HUK NL[[PUN VU [OL Ä YZ[ [YHJR VM H JHYLLY PU H]PH[PVU /LYL Z[\KLU[ :VWOPL 4HYPL )VNNHZJO ^P[O VUL VM [OL <(( HPYJYHM[ 9PNO[ HIV]L H Z[\KLU[ HUK PUZ[Y\J[VY PU VUL VM [OL <(( Å PNO[ ZPT\SH[VYZ 9PNO[ ILSV^ H JSHZZ VM <(( Z[\KLU[Z NL[ OHUKZ VU SLHYUPUN THPU[LUHUJL VU H 7PWLY *OLYVRLL

Photo courtesy of University of Alaska Anchorage by James Evans

Photo courtesy of University of Alaska Anchorage by Phil Hall

Photo courtesy of University of Alaska Anchorage by James Evans

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July through September

Nicholas Jacobs - FCVB

What’s Happening in RavnAir Country

Forest Fair Fourth of July Celebration

Girdwood July 5-7

Anchorage July 4

Since 1975, Forest Fair has been at the center of good times in Girdwood. The community parade kicks off the weekend and all are welcome to join the cast. The parade leads fairgoers from the Alyeska day lodge to the celebration’s main venue, Forest Fair Park, just off the Alyeska Highway on Egloff Drive between Glacier and California creeks. With handmade crafts, local music on three separate stages and one of the friendliest beer gardens in Alaska, this annual gathering is tucked into the Chugach, yet has something for everyone. There is no admission fee, only good times.

Anchorage’s Delaney Park Strip is host to the annual celebration. Rise and shine and hit the pancake breakfast at 8 a.m. The parade begins at 11 a.m. with a festival following. The event is open from noon to 6 p.m. and includes music, games, vendors and food. The Harvard Club reads the Declaration of Independence at 1 p.m. and there will be an Alaska Baseball League doubleheader beginning at 7 p.m. with a fireworks show. www.anchorage.net/events

Mount Marathon Seward July 4

Acclaimed the toughest 5K on earth, the annual Mountain Marathon draws thousands of runners and even more spectators to Seward each July 4. The run is 3,022 feet straight up and down the rocky, vertical mountain above Seward and Resurrection Bay. This July 4 marks the 92nd running of this iconic race. www.mmr.seward.com

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www.anchorage.net/events

Fairbanks July 13-21

Since 1952 Fairbanks has celebrated its founding with a series of activities around the third weekend in July known as Golden Days. Golden Days boasts exciting events for all ages, including the biggest parade in Alaska, a street fair, and a rubber duckie race along the Chena river among many other fun activities. The Golden Spike Ceremony will recreate the July 17, 1905, event that marked the completion of the Tanana Valley Railroad, complete with speeches, live steam operations, train rides, a golden spike ceremony, recreation of historic photos, and cake. www.fairbankschamber.org/ golden-days

Summer Art Festival

Chugiak-Eagle River July 10-14

Fairbanks July 14-28

www.bearpawfestival.com

www.fsaf.org

Golden Days

Bear Paw Festival

The whole town turns out for a weekend filled with fun for all ages. Sometimes unexpected but always a good time, events run the gamut. The Slippery Salmon Olympics are perhaps the best-known event. Teams of two race against the clock and each other with a real salmon as the critical item to take along while tackling all the obstacles.

personal growth and arts appreciation in a variety of genres including music, dance, visual arts, healing arts, culinary arts, creative writing and theatre.

The Festival’s mission is to awaken everyone’s inner artist, connecting world-class professionals to aspiring artists, and giving people who are enthusiastic about the fine arts an outlet to pursue their passions. Nearly 10,000 people come together at the Festival to study, perform and engage their spirit. Offering 200 workshops and over 100 events every season, the multidisciplinary, study-performance Festival offers opportunities for

World Eskimo-Indian Olympic Games Fairbanks July 17-20

The energy-filled games of the far north are simply amazing. Endurance, agility and a bit of magic are all in the mix when viewing the sporting events and the athletes going for the gold. The Alaskan high kick, knuckle hop and the four-man carry are just three of the many athletic events that boggle the mind. Imagine hopping on bare knuckles across an unforgiving floor or flying 8 feet into the air to kick a sealskin ball. In addition to the extraordinary games at the Carlson Center are the pageant events where beautiful gifted Native women vie for a crown of walrus ivory and whale baleen. www.explorefairbanks.com/ events

Gold Rush Days Valdez July 31-August 4

The annual festival celebrates the community's gold rush history and heritage with a variety of events. The festivities include an open-air

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market, live music, triathlon, parade and community barbecue. Proceeds are donated to a variety of local charities and organizations, especially to those focused on the future of the community. www.valdezgoldrushdays.org

Salmonfest Ninilchik August 2-4

Every year more than 8,000 people turn the Kenai Peninsula village of Ninilchik into a small city as families and friends fill the region with fish, love and music. The three-day weekend includes over 60 bands performing across four stages, Alaska’s top food, art and brews, as well as a science symposium, and daily children’s program. Salmonfest distributes proceeds each year in an effort to keep conservation work going.

Kenai Peninsula Fair

RunFest

Ninilchik August 16-18

Anchorage August 17-18

For more than 60 years, Ninilchik has played host to the annual Fair. Every year people from across the peninsula, ranging in ages from 2 to 90, enter over 800 exhibits to compete for blue ribbons and bragging rights for the coming year. The Fair continues to be one of the biggest celebrations on the Kenai Peninsula. It is an important festival that drives healthy tourism, provides for commerce development, builds community ties and supports youth and nonprofit organizations from the Kenai Peninsula.

Anchorage RunFest attracts runners from all over the United States and across the globe. The number of participants continues to grow as individual runners and groups both large and small travel to Anchorage to run the fast and flat Anchorage Mile, and the scenic 5K, 13.1-mile, 26.2-mile, and 49K courses. Money raised supports the Anchorage Running Club's mission to promote healthy lifestyles through exercise and running in the community. Proceeds are used to fund scholarships for Anchorage high school senior runners.

Fish Derbies Valdez Through September 1

The main draw is the halibut derby, featuring a $10,000 cash grand prize for the largest fish, $3,000 cash for second and $1,500 for third. Derby tickets per species cost $10/daily or $50/season and there are events just for women and just for kids. In addition to weekly prizes, all anglers who purchase a derby ticket have a chance to win $5,000 cash in a drawing at the end of the season. www.valdezfishderbies.com

www.anchoragerunfest.org

www.kenaipeninsulafair.com

Angie Cerny

www.salmonfestalaska.org

Jackpot Halibut Derby

Tanana Valley State Fair

Alyeska Resort Blueberry Festival

Fairbanks August 2-11

Girdwood August 17-18

The Fair, going strong for nine decades, attracts an average of 75,000 visitors, gathers hundreds of vendors, produces multiple music acts and features a full rodeo. It’s great fun for people of all ages from all over the Fairbanks area. The Fair showcases the Interior’s best, from the educational, agricultural, culinary, and arts and crafts industries. Daily themes include Mining Day, Family Day, Alaska Heritage Day, Military Appreciation Day and more.

This family oriented outdoors event features free live music, berry picking, local arts and crafts booths, tasty blueberry treats, beer and wine garden, hiking and biking, pie eating contest and blueberry creations contest. Enjoy free chair lift rides up the hill to find the best berry stashes. If you’re in the mood for a run after eating all those tasty goodies, there is a 1K and 5K race.

www.tananavalleyfair.org

www.alyeskaresort.com/calendarevents/blueberry-festival

Homer Through September 15

Alaska State Fair Palmer August 22-September 2

The Alaska State Fair is a gathering place for all Alaskans, and a “last hurrah” before summer gives way to the long Alaska winter. Attendees will again be able to take part in carnival rides and games, hundreds of food and vendor booths featuring uniquely Alaskan items and thousands of exhibits in multiple categories. The concert lineup is again robust, featuring notable acts including Shinedown, Dustin Lynch, Dropkick Murphys, Kansas and Elle King.

The longest-running halibut derby in the state of Alaska returns, with almost $100,000 in cash prizes up for grabs There are multiple categories, including major tagged fish prizes, monthly big fish winners, released fish prizes and kids prizes, including all children under 12 entered automatically entered in the end-of-season drawing at the Jackpot Halibut Derby Gala. www.homeralaska.org LIKE WHAT YOU SEE HERE? We want to include your events! Email complete information and images to HKTPU'ÄYL^LLKZ[YH[LNPLZ JVT

www.alaskastatefair.org

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July 2019

Editor's Picks It’s probably impossible to settle on the three best ways to spend the best days of summer in Alaska. But here are a few ways we’ll be spending ours. Fill the Freezer. July and August are the WLHR VM V\Y ÄZOPUN ZLHZVU HUK [PTL [V stock up on salmon, halibut and other species for the winter ahead. Hunting season also begins with caribou and Dall sheep August 10, and moose soon to follow September 1. Here we don’t just live to hunt—we hunt to live and remain connected body and soul with the wild creatures that challenge, inspire and feed us. Explore New Destinations. Like 80 percent of Alaskans, we’ll spend a good bit of this Z\TTLY VU [OL 2LUHP 7LUPUZ\SH ÄZOPUN [OL Kenai and Prince William Sound for salmon, OHSPI\[ HUK YVJRÄZO @V\»SS YLHK TVYL HIV\[ those options in this issue of Alaskan Spirit. But we’re visiting new favorite places this summer, making the most of RavnAir’s more than 115 destinations to see. This PUJS\KLZ =HSKLa HUK +PSSPUNOHT JLY[HPUS` MVY ÄZOPUN HZ ^LSS HZ [V THRL [OL TVZ[ VM L]LY` moment and minute of sunlight, and make another year of Alaskan Spirit memories. Celebrate Freedom. From St. Paul to Fairbanks, Alaskans celebrate July and American Independence Day like nowhere LSZL >OL[OLY P[»Z ÄYL^VYRZ HM[LY [OL 4H`VY»Z Cup baseball game between the Pilots and the Bucs, or the annual Mountain Marathon in Seward, we let Freedom Ring. Wherever [OL -V\Y[O ÄUKZ `V\ THRL [OL TVZ[ VM P[ Speaking of celebrations, this is also Fair season, from the Alaska State Fair in Palmer, to Salmon Fest and the Peninsula State Fair in Ninilchik. It’s our annual time to gather, SH\NO LH[ ZOHYL HUK WSH` PU [OL ÄUHS KH`Z of summer. See Around RavnAir Country on page 6 for ideas. We’ve got a few more weeks of unlimited sunlight…make the most of it!

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The Pilot’s Pilot

Chief pilots lead RavnAir, PenAir teams 6U O\UKYLKZ VM Å PNO[Z L]LY` KH` 9H]U(PY .YV\W WPSV[Z KLSP]LY travelers safely to destinations throughout Alaska. And the chief pilots leading those pilots are two women with decades of L_WLYPLUJL Å `PUN HSTVZ[ L]LY` JYHM[ [V L]LY` WHY[ VM (SHZRH Sarah Fraher of RavnAir Alaska and Crystal Branchaud of PenAir lead, direct and advocate for almost 100 pilots. “I see myself as the representative of the pilots to the management and management to the pilots. My job is to be fair, honest and most importantly listen,” Sarah Fraher said. )V[O :HYHO HUK *Y`Z[HS OH]L ILLU Å `PUN (SHZRH MVY KLJHKLZ ¸0 Z[HY[LK Å `PUN PU [OL YPNO[ ZLH[ VM [OL *HYH]HU PU )HYYV^ ¹ Sarah said.” After 8 months I reached 1000 hours and I was promoted to Captain of the 207 in Bethel. After two winters in [OL 0 ^HZ WYVTV[LK [V *HW[HPU VM [OL PU 2V[aLI\L ( year later I was promoted to Captain of the Navajo and Lead

*Y`Z[HS )YHUJOH\K PZ *OPLM 7PSV[ MVY 7LU(PY HUK OHZ Å V^U L]LY`[OPUN MYVT Å VH[ WSHULZ [V Z PU (SHZRH MVY TVYL [OHU `LHYZ

WPSV[ VM 2V[aLI\L (M[LY ZP_ `LHYZ VU [OL ZPKL 0 KLJPKLK 0 ^HZ ready to give the 121 side a go. ¸0 SV]LK L]LY` TPU\[L VM Å `PUN PU ^LZ[LYU (SHZRH “I transferred to the right seat of the Dash 8 in Anchorage where 0 X\PJRS` SLHYULK [OLYL ^HZ H IPN KPɈ LYLUJL IL[^LLU HUK 135. It felt great to be challenged with new procedures, policy and people. After eight months I was promoted to Captain of the B-1900. After several years in the aircraft I was promoted to Dash Captain then Dash Check Airmen. After two years of being a Check Airmen I was promoted to Chief Pilot. “I originally wanted to be a park ranger or work for Fish and Game, and I heard having your pilots license would help. But af[LY T` Ä YZ[ SLZZVU 0 MLSS PU SV]L HUK KLJPKLK [OPZ PZ ^OH[ 0 ^HU[LK [V KV MVY H JHYLLY 0 NV[ T` Ä YZ[ QVI Å `PUN ^P[O /HNLSHUK H]PH[PVU PU 0 ^VYRLK PU [OL Vɉ JL [OL Ä YZ[ `LHY \U[PS 0 JVTWSL[LK T` commercial and started with 250 hours in the right seat of a caravan in Barrow. *Y`Z[HS )YHUJOH\K OHZ ILLU Å `PUN PU (SHZRH MVY [^V KLJHKLZ PU HPYJYHM[ MYVT Å VH[ WSHULZ \W [V QL[Z :OL YLJLU[S` ILJHTL Chief Pilot for PenAir as part of PenAir’s merger with RavnAir Group. “I see my role as a liaison between the pilot group and management. I’m here to make sure management policies are implemented fairly and to communicate those policies to the pilots in a clear manner. I also communicate pilots’ concerns to management and try to resolve things, so operations continue in a safe manner. Safety is our number one concern and it’s PTWVY[HU[ [V JVTT\UPJH[L HUK YLZVS]L HU` WYVISLTZ PKLU[PÄ LK between management and pilots.” ¸0 HS^H`Z ^HU[LK [V SLHYU [V Å ` I\[ UV VUL PU T` MHTPS` Å L^ airplanes so I wasn’t exactly encouraged to try. After I saved enough money, I decided to give it a go. I loved it even more then I thought I would and since I had visited Alaska and loved being there, I decided to combine the two. I was lucky enough [OH[ T` Ä YZ[ Å `PUN QVI ^HZ Å `PUN Å VH[ WSHULZ V\[ VM 3HRL /VVK for Ketchum Air Service in 1996. ¸0 Å L^ [OLYL MVY MV\Y `LHYZ HUK SV]LK L]LY` TPU\[L VM P[ 0[ ^HZ VUS` ZLHZVUHS Å `PUN HUK 0 ^HU[LK [V Å ` `LHY YV\UK ZV 0 ^LU[ [V

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Northern Air Cargo in 1999. I started as a Flight Engineer on the +* ;OH[ ^HZ [OL OHYKLZ[ Ă… `PUN QVI 0Âť]L L]LY OHK -\LSPUN H DC-6 in the winter in Deadhorse is not for the faint of heart. “I moved up to the B-727 and when NAC retired the 727, I TV]LK [V [OL ) ;OL ) ^HZ SPRL Ă… `PUN H ZWVY[ JHY 0 YLHSS` LUQV`LK [OH[ HPYWSHUL (M[LY 5(* 0 Ă… L^ [OL MVY [OL VPS companies for seven years. ¸0 JHTL [V 9H]U(PY PU HUK SLHYULK [V Ă… ` [\YIVWYVWZ ;OH[ was a big transition for me, but I enjoyed learning a new plane and new procedures. I took the job of Chief Pilot for PenAir in February and I was type rated on the Saab in April. The Saab has been a great airplane and I really like being back in an EFIS Ă… PNO[ KLJR š )V[O :HYHO HUK *Y`Z[HS JVU[PU\L [V Ă… ` LHJO TVU[O I\[ TVZ[ of their time is focused on the challenges and complexities of Z[Hɉ UN Ă… PNO[Z L]LY` KH` “Staying on schedule (is my biggest challenge),â€? Sarah said. ¸4` KH`Z HYL Ă„ SSLK ^P[O TLL[PUNZ PU[LY]PL^Z ZWLJPHS WYVQLJ[Z and admin. Making sure I make all appointments on time and being prepared for each one can be challenging. My favorite WHY[ VM [OL KH` PZ ILPUN HISL [V NL[ WYVQLJ[Z KVUL PU T` Vɉ JL while a steady stream of pilots come in to tell me about what’s going on the line or in their life. My goal every day is making Z\YL HU`IVK` ^OV JVTLZ PU T` Vɉ JL VY JHSSZ TL OHZ percent of my attention.â€? Crystal adds that building the two groups of pilots into one team is a daily challenge. “I’m working with Sarah on combining the two pilot groups and trying to treat all pilots equally. That is a complex task. I’m lucky that management at RavnAir has been extremely supportive and helpful.â€? In many ways, they describe their role much like a coach for any other team. ¸;LHT^VYR PZ ,=,9@;/05. š :HYHO ZHPK ¸,]LY` KH` WPSV[Z HYL communicating with multiple departments. In the Chief Pilots Vɉ JL 0 ^VYR ^P[O HSTVZ[ L]LY` KLWHY[TLU[ [OLYL PZ :PUJL Crystal has come on board, I feel our team has never been stronger. She and I are constantly discussing what needs to be done, what has been done, what’s fair, what’s wrong and what pilots need. It’s been a huge honor to work beside her.â€? Clearly, they enjoy working together. “Without teamwork, nothing would get done,â€? Crystal said. ¸7PSV[Z ^VYR JSVZLS` ^P[O KPZWH[JOLYZ SVHKLYZ Ă… PNO[ H[[LUKHU[Z and rampers. If just one of those links in the chain falter, our job ILJVTLZ T\JO TVYL KPɉ J\S[ PM UV[ PTWVZZPISL (KKP[PVUHSS` HZ JOPLM WPSV[ 0 YLS` VU ZV THU` WLVWSL PU [OL Vɉ JL -YVT +H^U PU

:HYHO -HUJOLY PZ *OPLM 7PSV[ MVY 9H]U(PY (SHZRH HUK V]LYZLLZ 9H]U(PY WPSV[Z Z[H[L^PKL Ă… `PUN TVYL [OHU Ă… PNO[Z H KH`

pilot records to Jerrilyn in HR, I couldn’t get much done in the Vɉ JL ^P[OV\[ HSS [OL OLSW HUK HK]PJL 0 NL[ )\[ [OL` HS^H`Z YL[\YU [V [OL SV]L VM Ă… `PUN PU Y\YHS (SHZRH “Flying the 207 in St. Mary’s (is my fondest memory),â€? Sarah ZHPK ¸0 SV]LK ILPUN [OL ZJOVVS I\Z MVY HSS [OL RPKZ VU [OL @\RVU ;OL`ÂťYL ZV L_JP[LK [V Ă… ` HUK P[ HS^H`Z YLTPUKLK TL OV^ S\JR` 0 HT [V Ă… ` HSS [OLZL ILH\[PM\S WLVWSL V]LY [OPZ ILH\[PM\S SHUK ¸ “It’s the view out the front window,â€? Crystal said. “I’ve seen ZVTL HTHaPUN Z\UZL[Z HUK Z\UYPZLZ Ă… `PUN V]LY +LUHSP ;OL ILH\[` VM Ă… `PUN PU 7YPUJL >PSSPHT :V\UK PZ \UWHYHSSLSLK 0 UL]LY get tired of looking out the window.â€? They both want their passengers to know the commitment every pilot feels. “Safety is our number one priority,â€? Sarah said. “Our company is growing, and bringing safe, reliable, top notch service to Alaska communities is our goal!â€? ¸0Âť]L ILLU Ă… `PUN PU [OPZ :[H[L MVY V]LY `LHYZ HUK [OL WLVWSL 0 ^VYR ^P[O OLYL HYL ZVTL VM [OL Ă„ ULZ[ WLVWSL 0Âť]L L]LY RUV^U š Crystal added. “Safety is the number one concern both for our passengers and each other. “Our company is growing, and everyone here is working together to make this the best and safest regional airline—not only in Alaska—but anywhere.â€?

July July // August August 2019

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Wildlife photography: Capturing moments in time

Connect to capture best images Story & photos by Jillian A. Brown I was just 15 years old when I clambered my way out to the edge of those crumISPUN JSPɈ Z Spotting the mountain goats far below at the water’s edge, I now perched myself there, camera in hand and waited. An hour went by as the mountain goats slowly made their way up the eroding IS\Ɉ Z ;OL JSPɈ Z ^LYL UV[ Q\Z[ [OLPY OVTL but their food source, and they licked the salt and minerals that seeped from the earth as they worked their way to me.

0[ ^HZ [^V OV\YZ ILMVYL [OL Ä YZ[ NVH[ crested the ridge and was now face to face with me. Paying no mind, he walked down and around me, then the next, then a young one that stared me down curiously, then followed the others. As the gorgeous creatures carried on down the valley, I got up and headed back to my parents.

I had been learning and training for that moment, growing up in the vast wilds, immersing myself each day in the woods and the marshes that surrounded me.

“Did you see!? They walked right up to me!”

My family would wander trails from the small forest behind our city home, to the

Know your subject Researching the animals is key to ultimate success with your wildlife photography.

most remote areas we could access.

;^V .YPaaS` ILHY `LHYSPUNZ [V\ZSL HIV\[ PU [OL ZOHSSV^ YP]LY ^H[LYZ PU 3HRL *SHYRL

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I began to read and watch documentaries on the areas I was exploring. From the deer that were a common sight, to the elusive creatures like the clever martin, that I had no concept shared space. To photograph them, you must know them. What they feed on, where they live. For example, moose are usually found near marsh and lakes, however in central Canada moose can be found in the dry, open prairies. Researching the creatures you may encounter can also keep you safe. While photographing the furry and friendly creatures, remember they can also be a food source for the bigger predators.

( `V\UN )HSK ,HNSL ULHY /VTLY (SHZRH SL[Z V\[ H ZOYPSS JY` HZ HUV[OLY LHNSL ZVYYV^Z V]LY H MYLZO TLHS

continued on next page

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Wildlife photography continued from page 13

Find an active area This can be a time-consuming process. If you are in a new area, talk to the local community. Info centers and park rangers are amoung our best resources and a great place to start. They can help point you in a good direction. Plan to go on foot. Wear appropriate footwear, and clothing for the season and locations. Watch for animal trails. The ground will be padded down, branches snapped, and often small tunnels the general height of the creature creating them. Raccoon trails often look like dark tunnels, through an impenetrable web of thorns and brambles. Watch for a sustainable food source for the animals. This also needs to be part of the research portion of your photography. >PSKSPML KLWLUK VU KPɈ LYLU[ MVVK ZV\YJLZ H[ KPɈ LYLU[ [PTLZ VM [OL `LHY ,HYS` PU [OL [OH^ NYPaaS` ILHYZ JHU IL ZWV[[LK OPNO H[VW TV\U[HPUZ PU ZJYLL Ä LSKZ Å PWWPUN

rocks to feed upon the moths that have freshly hatched. Later they will move down to eat vegetation such as skunk cabbage, then berries, then the spawning salmon to bulk up for the winter slumber. Visit an area several times to see if it is a regularly frequented stop or if the creatures were just passing through.

¸7YHPYPL +VN¹ 5VH[HR 5H[PVUHS 7YLZLY]L

Learn to track Tracking is a skill that can take years to perfect, but minutes to learn. The ZPaL [OL ZOHWLZ [OL NHP[ IL[^LLU LHJO step, all tell a story of the animal that passed through. But it’s not just those tracks, it’s what is around them. The scat that can often be found nearby, can be the biggest clue of what creatures are present. In terrain too hard to hold a track, this can be your best clue. If you JHU Ä UK [OLPY ZJH[ [OL ZOHWL JVSVY HUK contents can tell you what’s present. From the segmented cougar scat with rounded ends, to the wolf that has one end pointed and often has vegetation within it. The hooved animals of the woods have similar droppings, but [OL ZPaL JHU PTTLKPH[LS` [LSS `V\ ^OH[ passed through.

Look to the trees and brush around. Bent and broken branches can tell you how recently a creature has passed through. Grass lying in one direction can point you the direction they traveled. Many animals from bear to moose to WVYJ\WPUL TH` Y\I VɈ [OL IHYR VM [YLLZ to mark their territory. The height of these rubbings and the scraps left can indicate which animal created them and how recently.

*VUULJ[ [V `V\Y Ä ]L ZLUZLZ As a child I would head out into the woods each day and it seemed I always returned with a story of a wildlife encounter, and yet when others would then join to try to see what I had, nothing. Opening your ears, eyes, sense of touch, and even your smell seems like a silly statement. But it isn’t until you really JVUULJ[ [OH[ `V\ [Y\S` YLHSPaL OV^ SP[[SL we take advantage of these incredible gifts of ours. Start with one sense as you wander the woods. Animals often emit an odor that you can learn goes along with certain ZWLJPLZ >L [VV NP]L VɈ H ZTLSS :[H` downwind of your subject so they don’t smell you before you see them. Watch for visual signs, such as blocks of color or shadow. Do not be afraid to stop and take your time. As you learn to view the earth, change your focus to the sky.

¸)\SS 4VVZL¹ +LUHSP 5H[PVUHS 7HYR

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Seeing birds circling can indicate a kill where predators may be. Birds suddenly

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[HRPUN VɈ PZ H IPN PUKPJH[PVU VM HU HUPTHS coming into an area. Connect to every sound around you. Listen to your footsteps. Are you snapping branches as you ^HSR VY Ä UKPUN [OL ZVM[ KPY[ ^OPJO ^PSS absorb the noise and keep you hidden? Begin to feel what is around you. This is important for your other senses. Dry areas will be nosier than damp places. If you are hot and sweaty, animals will be too and will seek the same things we do, water, shade and like us will burn their energy more and often conserve by napping at those times. Does each step you take, sink you deeper and deeper into the snow of winter? So too will many other animals and they will head for easy trail. Connecting to yourself and the feelings of comfort in the wilds is by far the most important thing you can learn. The emotions and energy you exude can completely shape each experience and encounter. Fear and excitement have similar reactions in nature. Our movements become faster, our hearts race and our present consciousness is shaded by the increase of endorphins. The more you connect to nature the more you will feel as one. Each time you go out

you will enjoy the same, you will be calm, and you will remain present within each moment.

Patience! Nature was and is one of the few places I found I could slow myself comfortably and allow patience to be a serene place. I have spent years in places and never saw many of its inhabitants, until one walk in the most random of places showed me the most beautiful of creatures. Allowing yourself to not get frustrated each time you don’t see the animal you want can fuel your patience.

Keep Equipment Simple 0 ^HZ H [LLUHNLY ^OLU 0 Ä YZ[ YLJLP]LK H WYVWLY aVVT SLUZ [OL *HUVU 0: 400mm that now allowed me to capture portraits of wildlife. As my equipment improved, I truly found not much changed in my photography. We all daydream of having the fanciest of things, but this is not necessary to capture what you love. My cameras are old, crusted with dirt and worn from use. They are not what has created the images I share, they merely capture those moments. It is the time, the practice, the person who makes all that is an image. Use what equipment you know and shoot all you can. The more comfortable

you are within your surroundings, with whatever gear you have, the more beautiful your images will become and the prouder you will be of each image. I still shoot with those same lenses and still practice all those same skills. What has changed is my knowledge and my now deeper connection with the wilds I call home. Jillian A. Brown is a Canadian-born adventure photographer. Diagnosed with PTSD a few short years ago, she has used this to fuel her drive to connecting others to nature, adventure and themselves. She is particularly known for taking cameras to the extremes of paddling and remote expeditions accompanied by stories of her personal journeys along the way. Last summer she paddled a kayak more than 4,000 miles across the United MYVT [OL 7HJPÄ J KV^U [OL *VSVYHKV 9P]LY through the Grand Canyon to the Gulf Coast. Pushing herself both physically and mentally, she knows no boundaries with her goal to connect others to the natural world, to living a life of passion and ZOV^JHZPUN KLLW HUK PUÅ \LU[PHS story telling within her photography and writing. Learn more at www.jillianabrownphotography.com.

¸>HSRPUN 4V[OLY .YPaaS`¹ 3HRL *SHYR 5H[PVUHS 7HYR HUK 7YLZLY]L

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Salmon Sisters reflect on fishing life Story by Lori Evans It’s summer in Alaska, and sisters Claire Laukitis Neaton and Emma Teal Laukitis are doing what they’ve done for as long as they can remember: ;OL`»YL Ä ZOPUN The siblings could well be poster children for the adage: “Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life.”

For the sisters, commercial Ä ZOPUN PZ HZ T\JO H ^H` VM life as it is a job. It is who they are. It is what they do. It is the catalyst behind Salmon Sisters, their Homer-based gear, seafood and clothing brand known for topping Xtratuf boots with distinctive sea-inspired designs by Emma Teal. The sisters started the business in 2012.

“Everything in our life, our

primarily exists to heighten

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awareness of coastal heritage,

revolves around our life as

including ocean stewardship,

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responsibly managed

Everything revolves around

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salmon. If we’re not catching

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it, we’re eating it, we’re

seafood to market.

thinking about it,” Claire said.

Salmon Sisters wants to

Salmon Sisters retail items are

remind people of shared

popular across Alaska and

purpose. “We have a lot

beyond. But Salmon Sisters

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:PZ[LYZ ,TTH ;LHS 3H\RP[PZ HUK *SHPYL 3H\RP[PZ 5LH[VU JV MV\UKLYZ VM [OL :HSTVU :PZ[LYZ KPZWSH` H MYLZO JH[JO VM ZHSTVU PU *VYKV]H (SHZRH Photos by Camrin Dengel

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Alaska,” Emma Teal said. “The only way we will have salmon and all these other resources from the ocean is if we all take care of them together.”

;OL JVSVYM\S 6J[VW\Z KLZPNU ^HZ [OL :HSTVU :PZ[LYZ» ÄYZ[ ZLH PUZWPYLK HY[ VU ?[YH;\M IVV[Z 0[ YLTHPUZ H MHU MH]VYP[L

Although only in their twenties (Claire is 29; Emma Teal is 28), they have an impressive record of almost 40-plus years VM ÄZOPUN L_WLYPLUJL IL[^LLU them. That’s because they’ve ILLU ÄZOPUN MVY HZ SVUN HZ [OL` can remember, thanks to their JVTTLYJPHS ÄZOPUN WHYLU[Z Shelly and Buck Laukitis. “On the boat or running our business, we’re always working but it’s so meaningful to us,” Emma Teal said. “That’s how we spend time with our family, how we spend time outside. It’s how we catch food we love to eat.” The sisters grew up on a remote homestead near False Pass or Isanotski Strait, which separates the Alaska Peninsula from the Aleutian Islands. Fishing as a family and daily chores on the homestead shaped the girls’ early years.

Eggs needed to be collected. Slugs needed to be defeated. Meals needed to be cooked. +\YPUN ÄZOPUN ZLHZVU everyone had a job on the boat. Still, there was plenty of time to play.

blowing over chicken houses, rolling four-wheelers into the bay and keeping the family JVUÄULK ;OL OVTLZ[LHK OHK its own Pelton wheel-driven hydroelectric system, which depended on there being enough water in the creeks, so daily rounds were made to view the water level and determine the family’s electric budget for the day. Brown bears were always a threat. Weather could delay plans. Even the 20-minute boat ride to the village of False Pass was never a given.

In a screen-addicted world, homestead life without TV, Internet or cellphones may sound tranquil. But weather and the environment imposed their own rules. Winds were ÄLYJL HUK PUJVUZPZ[LU[

The homestead, stark in some seasons, exploded each summer into a fantasy world VM ^PSKÅV^LYZ [OH[ M\LSLK [OL sisters’ imaginations. And YH[OLY [OHU ILPUN [YH\TH[PaLK by what some may see as

“They didn’t know what bored was,” Shelly recalled.

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hardships, the sisters developed resiliency, self-reliance, resourcefulness and a special bond. “The success that we have ZLLU¯ PZ KLÄUP[LS` K\L 100 percent to us having each other,” Emma Teal said.

Their strengths and skills complement each other. Claire is the business force and Emma Teal, the creative energy. Plus, those years on the homestead where they were each other’s playmates honed their communication skills.

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¸9H]U(PY (SHZRH OHZ taken us all over the state—from our Ä ZOPUN NYV\UKZ [V meetings with our team in Anchorage to volunteering as ski coaches in the interior. We’re grateful [OH[ 9H]U(PY SL[Z \Z experience Alaska’s amazing landscape and connects us to our community around the state.”

Salmon Sisters continued from page 17 The family lived at the homestead year-round for 10 years, moving to Homer for the winters in 2000 so they could JVU[PU\L [V Ä ZO HUK LUQV` [OL advantage of schools and outlets for friends, art, music and outdoor activities. The family sold the homestead three years ago. While the homestead will always be a “soft spot,” the family has transported “everything that was wonderful about that place” onto bigger boats and a growing family, *SHPYL ZHPK ;OL Ä ZOPUN I\ZP ness now includes Claire’s husband, Peter Neaton, and ,TTH ;LHS»Z Ä HUJL 1HJVI Privat. They will marry in September.

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Business is good and the sisters’ lives are full. They UV^ OH]L H Z[HɈ VM ZP_ ^OV run Salmon Sisters’ seasonal stores in Homer, Seward and Juneau, as well as the online store.

As of March, that totaled more than 100,000 cans of salmon. Today, they donate 1 percent of all Salmon Sisters revenue to buy canned salmon for the Food Bank. Another is a cookbook based

That gives Claire and Emma Teal more time to focus on [OLPY WYPVYP[`! Ä ZOPUN ^OPJO they say, is when their best business ideas happen.

on favorite recipes from their False Pass childhood, which is scheduled to be released next year. “Salmon Sisters will never

One of those ideas is their “Give Fish” program. The sisters understand ways that the ocean has provided for them, and so they give back. Past LɈ VY[Z OH]L PUJS\KLK KVUH[PUN one can of salmon for every Salmon Sisters product sold to the Food Bank of Alaska.

disappear. It will just transform PU[V H YLÅ LJ[PVU VM V\Y SP]LZ HZ we grow older,” Claire said. In the meantime, it’s summer in Alaska, and the sisters are doing what they’ve done for as long as they can remember: ;OL`»YL Ä ZOPUN

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Homer is in the Business of Boats! Homer is the #1 Alaskan port for all your boating needs. Located on Kachemak Bay near the mouth of Cook Inlet, Homer offers a protected harbor with easy access to Cook Inlet and the Gulf of Alaska. • Mild climate with little rain or wind provides many good work days for boat projects. • Two marine grids at the harbor to get work below the waterline done. • Numerous daily flights provide excellent scheduled passenger and freight service. • Regularly scheduled freight delivery.

• Modern fish dock with 8 public access cranes for the best fish prices. • Full-service community (hotels, stores, doctors, hospital and more) open year-round. • Ice-free, protected harbor. • Over 100 marine trades and service providers at your service.

• Fish buyers and processors at the harbor. • Easy access to many of the state’s premier commercial and sportfishing grounds. • Superior haul-out and storage options. • Transient boat parking. • Two fuel docks in the harbor.

More than just a boat yard: 2-75 T Travelifts, 1-70 T Travelift, 15 T crane, forklifts, water trucks, pressure washers. Work and repair shops, office space, storage. On site services: welding, fiber glassing, welding supplies, net work, propeller sales and repairs.

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Marine Hydraulics and Steering - Installation & Service Machine Shop - Hydraulic Cylinder Repair & Custom Build Industrial Hardware & Supply

907-226-3003 WILL SHIP ANYWHERE

2490 Kachemak Drive | Homer, Alaska 99603

www.HomerMarineTrades.com July / August 2019

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Commercial Fishing

A season of challenges, uncertainty salmon, Evridge said, Alaska’s contribution is closer to 15 percent of the global salmon supply.

Salmon abundance in the 5VY[O 7HJPÄJ OHZ KLJSPULK slightly over the past decade, but salmon catches remain near all-time highs.

The Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game is predicting a total catch of 213.2 million salmon this year, more than 80 percent higher than in 2018.

;OL 5VY[O 7HJPÄJ Anadromous Fish Commission (NPAFC) tracks all salmon species caught in [OL 5VY[O 7HJPÄJ )LYPUN :LH and the Sea of Okhotsk, and also provides the venue for coordinating research and enforcement activities.

The harvest breakdown this year is pegged at about 42 million sockeye salmon; 138 million pinks, 4.6 million Coho and 29 million chums.

For 2018, the total salmon catch topped one million metric tons, or more than 651 TPSSPVU ÄZO [OL OPNOLZ[ JH[JO ever for an even-numbered year. That’s nearly 200 million more salmon than were caught in 2017. Russia led all other nations for salmon catches in 2018, taking 63 percent (676,200mt). The U.S. ranked second for salmon catches at 27 percent at nearly 287,000mt, with Alaska taking all but 8,700mt of the total U.S. catch. Pink salmon made up 55 WLYJLU[ VM [OL 5VY[O 7HJPÄJ catches by weight, followed by chums at 26 percent and sockeyes at 16 percent. Cohoes comprised just two percent of the total salmon catch, and Chinook was less than one percent. Season of uncertainty Fisheries are always fraught with uncertainties, but there is an added element this

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Bering Sea crabbers saw upticks in crab recruits K\YPUN H NVVK ÄZOLY` MVY [OL 2018/2019 season, along with strong prices.

buyer purchasing 54 percent of Alaska seafood exports in 2017 valued at $1.3 billion.

Crabbers said they saw strong showings of younger crab poised to enter the three ÄZOLYPLZ ;OL WYPJL HSZV ^HZ good. The red king crab fetched $10.33 per pound, up from $9.20 last season, for a catch of 4.3 million pounds. Competing imports from Russia are up substantially.

In terms of Alaska salmon, the new taxes could hit buyers of pinks and chums especially hard. Managers expect huge runs of both this summer and much of the pack will be processed into various products in China and then returned to the U.S.

Snow crab is a bright spot MVY [OL )LYPUN :LH ÅLL[ ( catch of 27.5 million pounds this season was a 47 percent increase after the 2018 summer survey showed a 60 WLYJLU[ IVVZ[ PU THYRL[ ZPaLK males and nearly the same for females.

For salmon, in a typical year Alaska contributes 30-50 percent of the world’s wild-caught harvest. But when you include farmed

Wanted: Young Fishermen The call is out for young (SHZRH ÄZOLYTLU ^OV ^HU[ training in career opportunities PU ÄZOLY` THUHNLTLU[

Photo Courtesy of Alaska Seafood

`LHY! [YHKL [HYPɈZ VU (SHZRH»Z largest export: seafood. “The industry is accustomed to dealing with uncertainty about harvest levels, prices and currency rates. The trade disputes just add another layer to that,” said Garrett Evridge, an economist with the McDowell Group. ;HYPɈZ VM \W [V WLYJLU[ on U.S. seafood products going to China went into LɈLJ[ SHZ[ 1\S` HUK TVYL HYL being threatened now by the Trump administration. China is Alaska’s biggest seafood

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advocacy, research, marketing, conservation, business and much more. ;OL @V\UN -PZOPUN -LSSV^Z Program, now in its third year, is an initiative of the Alaska Marine Conservation Council. The program this year will PUJS\KL Ä]L TLU[VY NYV\WZ across the state. Past Fellows have gone to work as legislative aides in Washington, DC HUK HZ WHY[ VM [OL 5VY[O 7HJPÄJ Fishery Management Council advisory panel. Learn more at ^^^ HR`V\UNÄZOLYTLU VYN ;OL @V\UN -PZOPUN -LSSV^Z Program is funded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the Edgerton Foundation.

:HSTVU Z[HY[Z ÄZOPUN \Wdates - Alaska’s 2019 salmon ZLHZVU VɉJPHSS` VWLULK VU May 16 with a 12-hour opener for sockeyes and king salmon at Copper River. Salmon openers in other Alaska regions will quickly follow. Trollers in Southeast began targeting spring king salmon starting May 1. Some Southeast areas opened to beam trawlers for side stripe and pink shrimp on May 1 HUK H WV[ ZOYPTW ÄZOLY` opens on May 15 with a catch of 39,500 pounds. Two areas remain open to golden king crab, and Panhandle divers continue going down for geoduck clams.

(2 ÄZO RLLWZ :LH[[SL HÅVH[ If not for Alaska’s ÄZOLYPLZ [OL 7VY[ VM :LH[[SL would be a shadow of what it is today. An economic report released this month reveals that Seattle is home port to about 300 ÄZOPUN ]LZZLSZ HUK HSS I\[ make their living in Alaska. The Seattle-based boats harvest Alaska pollock, Bering :LH JYHI ÅV\UKLYZ ZHSTVU and many other high value ZWLJPLZ HUK [OL` ]HY` PU ZPaL from huge catcher-processors with 150 crew to small seiners and trawlers. In 2017, vessels that moored at one of Seattle’s three terminals and operated in the Alaska

ÄZOLYPLZ NLULYH[LK NYVZZ earnings of more than $455 million, nearly half of the total NYVZZ LHYUPUNZ MYVT [OVZL ÄZOLYPLZ )VH[Z ÄZOPUN PU 7\NL[ Sound and other Washington areas earned $26.6 million at the Seattle docks. An estimated 7,200 jobs were directly associated with comTLYJPHS ÄZOPUN H[ [OL 7VY[ VM Seattle in 2017. Of those jobs, ^LYL VU ÄZOPUN ]LZZLSZ and all but 200 operated in (SHZRH ÄZOLYPLZ )L[^LLU 2011 and 2017, Port of Seattle customers harvested between 800,000 and 1.3 million metric tons of seafood from the 5VY[O 7HJPÄJ ÄZOLYPLZ —Laine Welch

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Alaska’s playground

Trout and Dollies

(S[OV\NO ^L HSS HIV\[ ÄSSPUN [OL MYLLaL ^P[O YLK ZPS]LY and king salmon, the beautiful rainbow trout and Dolly Varden have special place in our hearts. While most South Central Alaska streams and lakes hold populations of both, it’s the Kenai River where they grow to epic proportions and are readily accessible. They are challenging to catch, acrobatic and are always a welcome bonus.

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Beer and Breweries

Beer is the fastest-growing agriculture industry in Alaska and the Peninsula is home to excellent brewers. Here’s

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Cooper Landing

For at least 6,000 years, anglers have come to the Upper Kenai and Russian River to catch salmon and trout. This little mountain comT\UP[` ULHY [OL JVUĂ…\LUJL VɈLYZ Q\Z[ LUV\NO SVKNPUN campgrounds, shops and eats for visiting anglers, without losing its small Alaska charm. Expect company from both V[OLY Ă„ZOLYTLU HUK ILHYZ VU the river.

Lee Leschper

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Art and Galleries

The beauty that surrounds us draws artists to document, capture and celebrate in many media. And there are hundreds of galleries and art shops from Kenai to Seldovia where you can browse, shop and take home Alaska originals. In particular, look for original Native art (demand the Made In Alaska brand).

Lee Leschper

Homer’s unique 5-mile peninsula of land splitting Kachemak )H` VɈLYZ KLNYLLZ VM spectacular glacier views and activity. The Nick Dudiak Fishing 3HNVVU VɈLYZ ZVTL[PTLZ ZWLJ[HJ\SHY Ă„ZOPUN MVY YL[\YUPUN king and silver salmon, and pollock and even halibut can be caught from the end of the rocky landmass. The boardwalk VɈLYZ KVaLUZ VM ZOVWZ HUK restaurants as well as lodging with a view at Lands End.

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Aubrey Behrends

The Spit

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Wildlife Viewing

Our majestic Alaska wildlife are everywhere on the Peninsula. Most are most active early and late but can appear anywhere. For the sure thing, the drive through Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center near Portage will get

Robbi Mixon

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are favorites: Homer Brewing and Birch Ridge Brewery (Homer); Kassik’s (Nikiski); Girdwood Brewing Company (Girdwood); Seward Brewing Company (Seward); St. Elias Brewing (Soldotna) and Kenai )YL^PUN 2LUHP :VTL VɈLY complete food menus, while others have tasting rooms for beer only. Do yourself a favor HUK [Y` H Ă…PNO[ VM KPɈLYLU[ beers at each. The creativity of our local brewers is evident in every sip.

Lee Leschper

MiMi Paris

Favorite things we love about the Kenai Peninsula

you up close to most of our iconic species—brown and black bears, moose, caribou, wolves, wood bison, lynx, black tail deer and musk ox. Bear viewing tours out of /VTLY JHU Å` `V\ [V YLTV[L rivers where the bears feed on salmon—up close and personal! For whales, seals, sea lions and otters, plus a vast array of birds, a glacier tour by boat from Seward, Homer or Whittier is hard to beat.

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Farmers Markets

Summer is the season of harvest and almost every community has weekly marRL[Z ^P[O MHYTLYZ Ă„ZOLYTLU

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Harbors

Lee Leschper

;OL THYPUL Ä ZOPUN HUK tourism industries all center around the harbors in communities like Homer, Seward and Whittier. They are a whirlwind of activity 24 hours a day. Homer has the largest number of expert services and companies to keep your boat in top shape. www.HomerMarineTrades. com

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Justin Lovejoy

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Great Eats

Here are some of our personal favorites: The Cookery PU :L^HYK VɈ LYZ \UPX\L preparations of fresh seafood drawn from chef Kevin Lane’s vast repertoire. Homer is blessed with a host of great restaurants but Fat Olive’s Italian and The Mermaid

Salmon

;OLZL HYL [OL Ä ZO HUNSLYZ worldwide dream about—and we have them right in our backyard! It starts with king salmon on the Kenai and 2HZPSVM PU 4H` HUK Ä UPZOLZ with silvers from Labor Day \U[PS ZUV^ Å PLZ 0U IL[^LLU the long and beautiful days of July combine with the peak of the red salmon run that can bring millions of the OHYK Ä NO[PUN HUK [HZ[` ZHSTVU into the Kenai and Kasilof, and into the reach of every angler. Summer sockeye might be [OL TVZ[ \UP]LYZHS Ä ZO PU (SHZRH Ä SSPUN [OL HPY ^P[O acrobatic jumps and the grill with perhaps the best-eating salmon of all. Check the Alaska Department of Fish & Game website for current runs of each species on each river.

Hiking

The Kenai Peninsula has thousands of miles of hiking trails. They vary from mild and leisurely, to rugged and challenging. All are beautiful HUK HSS Z[HY[ Q\Z[ H Z[LW VɈ [OL Seward and Sterling, and all are free. Do remember your in wild country and carry both good all-weather clothing, survival gear and a means of calling for help—don’t count on your cell phone since signals are inconsistent. And be respectful of wildlife, with both bears and protective cow moose always a consideration, so making noise to avoid surprises and carrying bear spray is mandatory. One good resource for planning your hikes is: www.alaska.org/ destination/kenai-peninsula/ trails

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Alaska Sealife Center

The Alaska Sealife Center is the only facility in Alaska that combines a public aquarium with marine research, education, and wildlife response. While primarily

dedicated to marine research and education, the Center is also the only permanent marine mammal rescue and rehabilitation facility in the state. Visitors can get up close [V L]LY`[OPUN MYVT W\ɉ UZ harbor seals and sea lions, to salmon and octopuses, while learning about the work YLZLHYJOLYZ KV PU [OL Ä LSK HUK in our laboratories to protect Alaska’s marine life. Open daily. www.alaskasealife.org

Danielle Watson

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Lisa Linegar

Asian seafood on the Spit HYL Ä YZ[ YH[L ;OL :HS[Y` PU Halibut Cove requires a boat ride across Kachemak Bay via The Danny J and the food and unique venue are worth every minute. While Girdwood is on the way to the Peninsula, its Double Musky is worth a side trip and the Musky’s Cajun Alaskan menu is superb.

HUK HY[PZ[Z VɈ LYPUN MYLZO HUK unique delectables. Veggies and seafood take center stage I\[ L_WLJ[ [V Ä UK L]LY`[OPUN MYVT Å V^LYZ HUK WSHU[Z [V HY[ and salmon burgers. Among the favorites are weekly in Homer, Soldotna and Seward.

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Alaska is something special from the water. And all you need is a kayak, a few hours and a sense of adventure. From Whittier to Homer, there are unlimited beaches and bays to explore. No need to own or bring a kayak—there are rentals for a few dollars an hour as well as quite economical guided kayak tours throughout the Peninsula. 4HU` V\[Ä [[LYZ VɈ LY ZO\[[SL service, carrying you and your kayak to remote paddling spots. Expect to meet otters, seals, even whales, plus endless sea creatures in the shallows, tidal pools and hidden spots you never see from shore.

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Kayaking

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A hideaway home amid Alaska’s wild

It’s easy finding peace in Hope Story & photos by P.M. Fadden It’s not yet mid-morning and already a OPNO IYLLaL PZ JSLHYPUN [OL JSV\K JLPSPUN above Chugach National Forest. Directly ahead a dead end road snakes beside Turnagain Arm’s southerly shore. The map states I’m driving to Hope, Alaska but I’m really headed to a state of mind. Naught but a few hundred souls call Hope their perennial home. Given to still winters and unassuming ambiance, the charming Kenai hamlet awaits the long SPNO[ VM Z\TTLY [V ISVZZVT VɈ LYPUN to visitors the full gambit of recreation or relaxation, and at an all too easily forgotten pace; the sedate. Growing contentedly at mile seventeen of its namesake highway, Hope’s historical root was mining at Resurrection Creek. Boasting unique views among welcome solitude, the encampments eventually coalesced and, in 1896, the settlement known today was established. A post Vɉ JL ^HZ LYLJ[LK ^P[OPU [OL `LHY HUK [OL subsequent three decades would see not only Hope’s appearance among the U.S. Census but also the creation of its school. Today, the seasonally popular hideaway is a seaside must-visit known for camping, Ä ZOPUN [YLRRPUN HUK YL]LSY`

The community’s inherent, yet unobtrusive feel of deceleration is evident even before having reached “town.” Unsealed entrances to properties otherwise concealed by unbroken foliage mark the beginning of this community’s ribbon-slender development. Then the Ä YZ[ ZPNU VM O\THU VJJ\WHUJ` ZRH[LZ PU[V view; Palmer Ski Team is using the road for its Nordic training grounds. Red-faced teens, forming a procession that seems to be praying unanimously for a downhill slope, push toward and past the vehicle as the sleepy center of Hope’s business district cruises into view. Little more than a loose mesh of gravel lanes, modern Hope is testament to a post-earthquake population which staunchly re-raised its tiny colony along the shore. Homes are of wood slat construction with colorful gardens growing to profusion. A log cabin-esque library, housing early editions of classic works, fronts a soft, green playground amidst a neighborhood boasting art galleries, eateries and Hope’s heritage museum. The vehicle rolls past these and more as one site in particular is sought from the among the community’s wealth of historic

markers; Hirshey Cabin. It’s a mainstay of the community and my lucky lodging for this journey. Delving for gold and perhaps quiet living, Family Hirshey raised its cabin-plus-barn homestead in 1905. Six decades hence, the long-storied Good Friday Earthquake would see the cabin itself relocated and ultimately updated to carry on its accommodating tradition, but under a new moniker. ;OH[ [OL OPZ[VYPJ WYVWLY[` ZOV\SK Ä UK H new evolutionary stride is part and parcel to the growth of Hope. The property’s V^ULYZ Ä YZ[ SVVRLK W\YJOHZL VU ¸[OL quiet side” of Turnagain Arm in the hopes of raising its children amidst pure, rural Alaska. What they found was a community, in the form of a homely gem, hidden within Great Land wilds. That sentiment seems to be shared among most, if not all, Hope families. Each works hard to nurture growth of the whole and, by continued development of the local businesses, create opportunity for others to make a livelihood in the town. Outdoor recreation, eco-tourism and historical intrigue beckon thousands annually

“I’m driving to Hope. But really I’m headed to a state of mind.”

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to this unsuspecting road’s end. And those draws could translate to sustenance for generations of area residents.

sake group Hope Social Club. The menu spans classic pub fare and quick bites, but shines when it comes to fresh catch.

For Hope, a town seemingly at peace with free pace and expression, that variation aims to support a winning whole.

The outdoor, in particular, has my immediate attention. So, having located the cabin, I dive straight into Hope wilderness.

Indeed any social stop at a Hope eatery is more than capable of rendering the customer lubricated and footloose; a state which unfurls Hope’s dirt roads as inviting strolls. The surrounding homes are preserved to period. Friendly locals rest on lawn chairs beside the road, particularly Hope’s mining museum. The arm-chair stories told there prove as engaging as the artifacts—and educational for they point my way to town’s many emerging small businesses.

And “whole” describes my state after a stay at Hope. Its rejuvenation is owed, in equal parts, to community, adventure and classic Alaska wilds.

The region hosts a variety of trails—both marked and not—so word of mouth steers me to the nearby splendor of Twin Lakes. The whole of Hope is forested mountain, but moving deeper amongst the peaks via unsealed Palmer Creek Road still elicits a thrill. It’s a climbing, 8-mile switchback so approach begins, typically, by car. Blinks through tree line reveal panoramic vistas of Turnagain Arm before the road wraps the shoulder of a rock ridge to reveal a long spanning valley. The track narrows, inviting a literal and TL[HWOVYPJHS MLLSPUN VM Z[LWWPUN VɈ [OL map. Wildlife to the tune of moose, bear, fox and more make these lands their home, so caution and safe practice are required. But man’s presence is far from unknown, and each species seems to content to keep to its own. Clearings for camping or parking appear sporadically, and I leave the vehicle behind. The track parallels water running from snow-clad summits. Its way is rocky, but traveled easily to wiggle through bushy country made bright by emerging ^PSKÅV^LYZ 3VVRPUN IHJR 0 UV[PJL [OH[ the path has picked a course through ancient mine tailings. The loamy mounds seem proof that Hope’s history has shaped even this raw land. Most of the area’s activities, which include kayaking, mining, rafting, four-wheeling HUK TVYL TLHU H M\SS KH`»Z LɈVY[ ZV returning to the refuge of Hirshey Cabin, and Hope proper, refreshes as well as entertains. First stop on most itineraries is iconic Seaview Café where panoramas are stunning, campervans abundant, and beer is served by the jar. It’s a pulsing site, made especially so by the town’s name-

The area’s young entrepreneurs represent a new residential segment, bringing new energy while sharing the traditional goal: make Hope a place to thrive. Visitorship ÄN\YLZ MH]VY [OH[ ^PZO :\TTLY IVVRPUNZ are not only increasing but spreading beyond high season. As a corollary, accommodation style is HSZV L]VS]PUN ;OL [V^U»Z ]PZP[VYZ ÄUK either time-honored wilderness lodging or a modern hospitality experience. The blend, according to business owners, VɈLYZ ]PZP[VYZ KP]LYZP[` MYVT [OL ZHTL historic core.

If you go… Where: South shore of Cook Inlet’s Turnagain Arm, at the termination of Hope Highway on the Kenai Peninsula’s north portion. How: Ride share or private transport. Hyper-local shuttle service, Northern Exposure Shuttle (anchorage.net/listings) is bookable out of Girdwood but costly. When: Summer months win the main of attention at Hope. May 1\UL ZWLJPÄJHSS` HYL JVTMVY[able temps-wise while enjoying reduced precipitation days. Big Dates: Annual Wagon Run and Independence Day Celebrations make July lively. What: Kayaking, trekking, YHM[PUN [YHPS YPKPUN ÄZOPUN SP]L music, camping, crafts, galleries, relaxation, and snowsport. Hope has all but everything any visitor might desire. Who: Chamber of Commerce page, hopealaska.us and state site, Alaska.org provides additional listings and/or contact points.

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World Eskimo-Indian Olympics return with flair for dramatic Fairbanks’ golden heart beats a little faster when the World Eskimo-Indian Olympics comes to town. The energy ÄSSLK NHTLZ VM [OL MHY UVY[O HYL ZPTWS` HTHaPUN ,UK\YHUJL HNPSP[` HUK H IP[ VM magic are all in the mix when viewing the sporting events and the athletes going for the gold.

medals. This July, Fairbanks will once again host WEIO, drawing Native athletes and dancers from around the state, the United States and Canada, as well as visitors, fans and media from around the globe. The 59th WEIO Games take place July 17-20 at the Carlson Center in Fairbanks.

The Alaskan high kick, knuckle hop and four-man carry are just three of the many athletic events that boggle the mind. Imagine hopping on bare knuckles across HU \UMVYNP]PUN ÅVVY¯ VY Å`PUN MLL[ PU[V the air to kick a seal skin ball!

Although the events themselves developed over many years, WEIO was created in 1961 in response to the rapidly spreading impact of western culture into rural areas. Two bush pilots, the late A.E. “Bud” Hagberg and Frank Whaley, witnessed the Native games and dances in their village travels. They grew concerned that the traditional events would be lost as western ways seeped into the villages, unless steps were taken to WYLZLY]L [OLT ;OL` OLSWLK VYNHUPaL [OL ÄYZ[ 6S`TWPJZ ^OPJO PUJS\KLK H ISHURL[

Alaska’s Olympic history reaches back several thousand years. Traditional Alaska Native athletic competitions were a means of testing strength, discipline and endurance long before Tommy Moe or Kikkan Randall won their Olympic gold

toss, a seal-skinning contest and a Miss Eskimo-Olympics Queen contest. The competitions at the Olympics not only provide entertainment but give men and women the chance to demonstrate their skills that are needed to survive in a harsh and often unforgiving climate. For PUZ[HUJL MHZ[ `L[ JHYLM\S ÄZO J\[[LYZ ^LYL sometimes needed to process a plentiful ÄZO Y\U ILMVYL ZWVPSHNL JV\SK VJJ\Y ( walk on a birch pole slathered with bear grease was good practice for walking in precarious situations such as checking H ÄZO ^OLLS VU [OL YP]LY (SS [OL >,06 L]LU[Z PUJS\KPUN [OL ÄZO J\[[PUN JVTWLtition and the greased-pole walk, leave no part of the body untested. Besides being a test of strength and endurance, WEIO is also a time to celebrate Native culture. Parkas, moose

Photos by Sherman Hogue / Explore Fairbanks

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hide dresses and vests, mukluks and moccasins are worn in competitive parka and dress contests. It is also a time to dance and tell stories through songs and motion. Traditional dancers perform throughout the four-day Olympics. The event has since grown to more than 20 contests, with an ever-increasing number of athletes. For the competitors, WEIO is a chance to meet old friends and distant relatives, to entertain and be entertained, to challenge one another, and to engage in friendly competition. For some competitors, it is the only tie to their heritage and a means of ensuring their culture is celebrated.

sewed, wove or beaded the items. >,06 HɈVYKZ ]PZP[VYZ [OL YHYL JOHUJL to experience a culture alongside those who live within it. Every year WEIO coincides with Golden Days, Fairbanks’ annual summer celebration of its Gold Rush heritage, providing locals and visitors an opportunity to participate in an impressive variety of activities. Daytime events are free to the public and more information including the full schedule is available at www.weio.org.

For visitors, it’s a chance to see unparalleled feats of endurance and agility. It is also a chance to browse through booths of authentic Alaska Native crafts, and meet the people who carved,

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24 HOUR DISPATCH: (888)-997-3822 Anchorage / Fairbanks / Deadhorse / Kotzebue / Juneau / Sitka / Ketchikan July / August 2019

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Fresh as the Day You Caught it D`m` tjpŧgg Ɗi_ \ c`gkapg ^c`^fgdno amjh N\qi=dm =g\nf\ oj h\f` npm` tjpm =g\nf\ n`\ajj_ ^\o^c b`on cjh` \n am`nc \n oc` _\t tjp ^\pbco do* www.FlyRavn.com

PACKAGING YOUR ALASKA SEAFOOD General Tips:

Do Not Use:

5 Check with your connecting carriers for their minimum transfer times.

; Duct tape.

5 Have containers packaged and sealed before you get to the airport. TSA will inspect your containers in Anchorage.

; Wet ice is not allowed.

5 Seal the boxes tight.

; Styrofoam boxes.

Weight:

5 +\L [V OPNO ]VS\TL K\YPUN [OL ÄZOPUN ZLHZVU ^L LUJV\YHNL `V\ [V IYPUN PU `V\Y WHJRHNLK ÄZO H[ SLHZ[ OV\YZ ILMVYL `V\Y ÅPNO[ 9H]U(PY (SHZRH OHZ JVSK storage in Anchorage to hold onto your boxes until you arrive.

5 Avoid additional baggage charges by keeping each container under 50 pounds.

What To Use:

Labeling:

5 Strapping or plastic tape (a minimum of two bands around entire package).

5 Label each container with your name, phone number and the contents.

5 7SHZ[PJ JVVSLYZ VY ÄZO IV_LZ SPULK ^P[O H WVS`L[O`SLUL bag.

5 Mark each container with shipping instructions—Keep MYVaLU" 2LLW JVVS" 7LYPZOHISL" ;OPZ ZPKL \W

5 Dry Ice:

; Each container weighing more than 100 pounds must be shipped via air cargo. If this method is chosen, your JVU[HPULY ^PSS UV[ HYYP]L ^P[O `V\Y ÅPNO[

࠮ <W [V Ä]L WV\UKZ JHU IL \ZLK

5 Make certain your labels will stay on the containers during [OL [YPW :VTL Z[PJRLYZ ^PSS ZSPKL VɈ JVVS VY ^L[ WHJRHNLZ

࠮ 7HJRHNL 4<:; IL THYRLK ¸+Y` 0JL¹ HSVUN with weight of each dry ice packet.

5 Remove previous bag tags so that your luggage is not re-routed.

-PUK V\[ TVYL H[ ^^^ Å`YH]U JVT Å`PUN ^P[O YH]U IHNNHNL PUMVYTH[PVU WHJRHNPUN `V\Y HSHZRH ZLHMVVK

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Kasey Loomis spends her summers as a Kenai 9P]LY Ä ZOPUN N\PKL )\[ P[ ^HZ [OPZ THNPJHS PTHNL VM Z\TTLY PU (SHZRH [OH[ ZOL ZOHYLK ^P[O \Z /LYL»Z OLY Z[VY`! ¸:V 0 ^HZ SVVRPUN MVY ILHYZ VU :RPSHR 3HRL HUK ^L OHK Q\Z[ NV[ IHJR [V [OL SV^LY IVH[ YHTW (UK ^L ZH^ H MYPLUK VM V\YZ OHK H JHTWÄ YL YPNO[ I` [OL SHRL >L Z[VWWLK [V ZH` OP MVY H IP[ ¸/L ZHPK [OLYL ^HZ H ISHJR ILHY [OH[ OHK ^HSRLK [OYV\NO Q\Z[ H ML^ TPU\[LZ ILMVYL (UK Z\YL LUV\NO OLYL OL JHTL HNHPU ^HSRPUN [OL ZOVYLSPUL ¸;OLYL Q\Z[ OHWWLULK [V IL Z[VYT JSV\KZ HJYVZZ [OL SHRL HUK H KV\ISL YHPUIV^ HUK OL Q\Z[ ^HSRLK [OL ZOVYLSPUL \U[PS OL JHTL [V [OH[ VWLUPUN /H]L H NYLH[ WOV[VNYHWO VM `V\Y (SHZRH& >L»K SV]L [V ZOHYL ^P[O V\Y YLHKLYZ PU H M\[\YL PZZ\L ,THPS `V\YZ [V HKTPU' -PYL^LLK:[YH[LNPLZ JVT HUK PUJS\KL PUMVYTH[PVU VU ^OH[»Z WPJ[\YLK HUK ^OLYL

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Ninilchik

Tiny village with a big welcome By McKibben Jackinsky A tiny thumbprint on Cook Inlet’s eastern shore, Ninilchik—with its Native and Russian roots, strong ties to its surroundings, and events attracting crowds from far away—invites visitors to KPZJV]LY Ă„ YZ[OHUK ^OH[ THRLZ [OPZ 2LUHP Peninsula community special. ¸;OLZL ]LY` [YLHZ\YLZ KLĂ„ UL ^OV ^L are and make it obvious to the casual visitor why we choose to live here,â€? said 4PRL *OPO\S` MVYTLY Ă„ YL JOPLM SVUN [PTL JOHY[LY Ă„ ZOPUN JHW[HPU Ă„ ZO IPVSVNPZ[ H]PK outdoorsman and author of Alaska Fish and Fire. When Russian-American Company employees brought to Alaska refused to return to their homeland after reaching pensioner age, their employer developed pensioner settlements. That led to the HYYP]HS VM 5PUPSJOPRÂťZ Ă„ YZ[ ZL[[SLYZ PU ! .YPNVYPP 2]HZUPRVɈ HUK 0HRV] 2UHNPU along with their Alaska-born wives, Mavra and Elena, and children. The village’s name hints at the early residents’ heritage, Ninilchik being a Russian derivation of the Dena’ina word Niqnalchint. The meaning: place where a lodge is built. Lasting historical ties are evident in the ;YHUZĂ„ N\YH[PVU 6M 6\Y 3VYK 9\ZZPHU Orthodox Church, perched on the hill overlooking the village. Parishioners’ names, as well as those on headstones in the cemetery, bear testimony to the unbroken link between past and present. ( ^LSS \ZLK YV\[L MVY MVV[ [YHɉ J ILMVYL construction of the Sterling Highway, the

beach beckons photographers and rock hounds. Views of volcanoes outlining Cook Inlet’s west shore — Augustine, Iliamna, Redoubt and Spur — dominate [OL OVYPaVU 6JJHZPVUHSS` Z[LHT JHU IL seen rising from one of the peaks and most residents can recall spectacular eruptions in recent years. “For me, Ninilchik is this: watching the sun set right on the tip of Mt. Redoubt while picking agates on Deep Creek beach with the eagles soaring all around you and that sweet smell of the salt while the waves hit the beach. This is bliss,â€? said Katie Baker, owner of Reel Salty Charters and captain of Ms. Reel :HS[` H MVV[ HS\TPU\T Ă„ ZOPUN ]LZZLS THKL PU /VTLY ZWLJPĂ„ JHSS` MVY *VVR 0USL[ waters. “There is something special about sharing this beauty with visitors from wherever they travel.â€? Baker’s words mirror Ninilchik’s bond to both location and natural resources. *VTTLYJPHS Ă„ ZOPUN ZL[ UL[ ZP[LZ KV[ [OL beach. The harbor, accessible only at SV^ [PKL Ă„ SSZ ^P[O KYPM[ NPSSUL[ IVH[Z K\YPUN the summer. Recreational and charter Ă„ ZOLYTLU [YHJ[VY SH\UJO [OLPY IVH[Z ULHY Deep Creek in search of Cook Inlet’s ZHSTVU HUK OHSPI\[ 9P]LY Ă„ ZOLYTLU JHZ[ for salmon, Dolly Varden and steelhead. 9HaVY JSHTZ K\N VU 5PUPSJOPR ILHJOLZ during Cook Inlet’s spectacular low tides have been served on many Alaska tables. After clam populations sharply declined in 2014, the Alaska Department of Fish and

.HTL JSVZLK HYLH ILHJOLZ [V [OH[ Ă„ ZOLY` until the numbers rebound. The annual Clam Scramble, co-sponsored by Ninilchik Chamber of Commerce and Ninilchik Emergency Services, highlights Ninilchik’s picture-perfect setting and clam connection. The near-solstice, low-tide, 5K fun run for all ages begins on the south side of Deep Creek, continues north across Ninilchik River, winds through the village and ends at Ninilchik View State Recreation Area. If two river crossings and a gravel and sand course aren’t “funâ€? enough, there are additional VIZ[HJSLZ HKKLK I` VYNHUPaLYZ HUK [OL Z[HPYZ SLHKPUN [V [OL Ă„ UPZO SPUL “Our main objective is to get people outdoors to enjoy the beautiful weather and be with family,â€? said Debbie Cary, event coordinator and owner of Inlet View Bar & Restaurant. “Runners come from all over the peninsula and as far away as France. They have a blast.â€? Once known as “the biggest little fair in Alaska,â€? Ninilchik’s Kenai Peninsula Fair in August has grown to include everything a fair should be: produce, crafts, farm animals, rides and a bounty of fair food. It also is home to the Kenai Peninsula Racing Pigs, a team of squealing little critters whose popularity has earned them invitations to other fairs in the state. Every summer Ninilchik Rodeo Days causes the fairgrounds’ arena to rumble with pounding hooves, cowboys’ whoops and hollers and enthusiastic applause.

(JYVZZ *VVR 0USL[ MYVT 5PUPSJOPR H NVSKLU Z\UZL[ ZPSOV\L[[LZ H X\PL[ 4[ 9LKV\I[ Photo by McKibben Jackinsky

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In August, Salmonfest transforms the grounds into a three-day celebration of Alaskans’ dependence on salmon, complete with music performed on four stages, science symposiums, events for kids, art, food and brew. During winter, Ninilchik’s backcountry opens its door to skiing and dogsledding, as well as snowmobiling thanks to trailwork by members of Caribou Hills Cabin Hoppers. =PZP[VYZ JHU Ä UK NPM[Z MVY [OL MVSRZ H[ OVTL at shops like The Peddler, which spotlights local artists, crafters and writers; enjoy a cup of Ninilchik-brewed espresso; dine at Ninilchik eateries; and unwind

while sipping an evening beverage. State and private campgrounds, area lodges, YLU[HS JHIPUZ HUK ) )Z VɈ LY JVTMVY[HISL overnight accommodations. “Get away from tourism. Get away from the neon lights,” beckoned Mike Schuster, owner of Meander In B&B. From the deck, Schuster’s guests can NHaL H[ 4[ 9LKV\I[ MYHTLK I` [OL Ninilchik River valley, watch mother bears teach their cubs to feed on river salmon, or—if they’re really lucky—enjoy a dinner of Schuster’s halibut tacos.

to crowd-drawing events, from past to present. “Come to relax and unwind, enjoy the WLHJLM\S [YHUX\PSP[` HUK SL[ [OL IVUH Ä KL Alaskans of Ninilchik show you the secrets of this special place we call home,” she said. “Come join us and create your own piece of history.” McKibben Jackinsky is an author and freelance writer who lives in Ninilchik and Homer. She is the great-great-greatgranddaughter of Grigorii and Mavra 2]HZUPRVɈ

Echoing Schuster’s invitation, Cary Z\TTLK \W ^OH[ 5PUPSJOPR VɈ LYZ visitors, from small town atmosphere

For more information, visit: ࠮ *HYPIV\ /PSSZ *HIPU /VWWLYZ akchch.org ࠮ 2LUHP 7LUPUZ\SH -HPY peninsulafair.com )\JRPUN IYVUJVZ IHYYLS YHJPUN HUK YVWPUN L]LU[Z KYH^ SHYNL JYV^KZ K\YPUN 5PUPSJOPR 9VKLV +H`Z OLSK H[ [OL MHPYNYV\UKZ» HYLUH Photo by Sabrina Ferguson

0[»Z HSS HIV\[ (SHZRHUZ» SV]L VM ZHSTVU K\YPUN [OL [OYLL KH` :HSTVUMLZ[ OLSK H[ [OL 5PUPSJOPR -HPYNYV\UKZ PU LHYS` (\N\Z[ Photo by McKibben Jackinsky

࠮ 5PUPSJOPR *OHTILY VM *VTTLYJL ninilchikchamberofcommerce.com ࠮ :HSTVUMLZ[ salmonfest.org

9\UULYZ LUJV\U[LY [OL Ä YZ[ JOHSSLUNL PU 5PUPSJOPR»Z *SHT :JYHTISL UH]PNH[PUN V]LY HUK HYV\UK KYPM[^VVK VU [OL 2 M\U Y\U JV\YZL Photo by Sabrina Ferguson

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Nelson captures sounds of Alaska Many artists write about Alaska, or photograph Alaska, or paint Alaska. Very few let us LISTEN to Alaska. One who’s brought Alaska alive in sound for the rest of us has been honored for a lifetime of work. Richard Nelson—“Nels” to his friends—is H ^YP[LY UHYYH[VY YHKPV WYVK\JLY Ä STTHR er and soundscape artist.

Nelson, of Sitka, has been honored by Rasmuson Foundation as its 2019 +PZ[PUN\PZOLK (Y[PZ[ ;OL H^HYK YLJVNUPaLZ one Alaska artist annually for a lifetime of creative excellence and outstanding contribution to the state’s arts and culture. The honor is accompanied by a $40,000 award. He was born in 1941 in Wisconsin and received a doctorate in cultural anthro-

9PJOHYK 5LSZVU OHZ KL]V[LK OPZ SPML [V L_WSVYPUN HUK KVJ\TLU[PUN [OL ZV\UKZ VM [OL ^PSK WSHJLZ HUK ^PSKSPML VM (SHZRH

pology from the University of California, Santa Barbara. He came to Alaska in 1964 on a grant from the U.S. Air Force to learn Iñupiaq survival strategies practiced in the Arctic. He spent years living with and apprenticing himself to Iñupiaq, Gwich’in and Koyukon Athabascan people, and published a series of ethnographic works about these communities. 4HRL 7YH`LYZ [V [OL 9H]LU, his book about Koyukon lifeways, was adapted for H Ä ]L WHY[ [LSL]PZPVU ZLYPLZ /PZ ILZ[ known work, The Island Within, won the John Burroughs Medal for outstanding writing about natural history. More recently, Nelson wrote and narrated Encounters: Experiences in the North, a radio program recorded in the wild. Thousands of Alaskans came to know him and the remote places he traveled to and recorded in for that Alaska Public Radio program. For some of Alaska’s national parks, he creates soundscapes. He currently JVSSHIVYH[LZ VU ZOVY[ Ä STZ HIV\[ (SHZRH and the natural world.

“A varied thrush calls somewhere in the thicket, singing for the stillness, singing for the invisible moon, singing for the cloak of darkness, singing for the night questions that await us all.”

“Richard is a brilliant storyteller who has devoted his life to sharing the wild places of Alaska and the lifeways of indigenous people who have always called this home,” said Diane Kaplan, Rasmuson Foundation president and CEO. “He’s a scholar, poetic writer and mentor to many. Richard is fearless and adventuresome, as his radio listeners know well. We see Alaska more vividly because of him.” Nelson’s friend and fellow Sitka author John Straley describes Nelson’s work as “well-crafted love letters” to Alaska.

—FROM THE ISLAND WITHIN

“In all of his writing, the images he creates are lit from within by the most genuine passion and respect for the wild. Nels Photo courtesy Rasmuson Foundation by Joseph Pontecorvo

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Photo courtesy Rasmuson Foundation by Steven Kozlowski

.L[[PUN ^P[OPU OLHYPUN KPZ[HUJL VM (SHZRHU ^PSKSPML KVLZ OH]L P[Z JOHSSLUNLZ·HZ 9PJOHYK 5LSZVU SLHYULK ^P[O [OPZ J\YPV\Z WVSHY ILHY

YLÅ LJ[LK VU OPZ ^VYR

expresses himself through boundless enthusiasm, through his work in writings,

/L LTWOHZPaLZ [OH[ [OLZL NPM[Z JVTL ^P[O an obligation to preserve them.

recordings, and his joyful personality,” Straley wrote about his friend.

“This is essential to the motivation behind my work.” He keeps his focus on what is “fundamental to Alaska—its cultural traditions and its extraordinary environment.”

Nelson credits his Alaska Native teachers for the knowledge contained within his work. “I’ve been privileged to listen to Native elders who understand Alaska in a way no one else does,” he says. In the preface to 4HRL 7YH`LYZ [V [OL 9H]LU, he wrote that its most important purpose was to serve the Koyukon people by educating others about the substance and value of their lifeways and by giving them a new means of conveying knowledge to their children. Nelson lived with his principal Koyukon

Photo courtesy Rasmuson Foundation by Liz McKenzie

5LSZVU \ZPUN H ZWLJPHS TPJYVWOVUL [V YLJVYK [OPZ IPYK»Z ]VPJL

teachers, Catherine and Steven Attla, in the village of Huslia in the 1970s. Their daughter, Justine Attla, explains that some people in the community hesitated to trust outsiders, but Nelson impressed them with his respect for their way of life and his ability to get along with almost everyone. “He didn’t just write any old way,” she said. “He wanted to make sure he got our stories right.”

(UNLSH .VUaHSLa H\[OVY VM [OL Athabascan Woman blog, is the granddaughter of Lydia and Edwin Simon, who were also among Nelson’s teachers. “Up and down the river, Make Prayers [V [OL 9H]LU is like the Bible now,” says .VUaHSLa ¸0[»Z V\Y WH[O [V [OL WHZ[ ¹ “Alaska gives you these gifts of knowledge, experience and beauty,” Nelson

Nelson served as Alaska’s Writer Laureate from 1999 to 2002. He’s also been honored with the Lannan Literary (^HYK MVY *YLH[P]L 5VUÄ J[PVU [OL :PN\YK Olson Nature Writing Award for Heart and Blood: Living with Deer in America, and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Alaska Conservation Foundation. “There may be nothing more powerful, nothing more inexorable, nothing more vitally important than art,” Nelson said on May 17 at the Foundation’s Individual Artist Award celebration. 9HZT\ZVU -V\UKH[PVU ^HZ JYLH[LK PU 4H` I` 1LUU` 9HZT\ZVU [V OVUVY OLY SH[L O\ZIHUK , ( 9HZT\ZVU Through grantmaking and initiatives, the -V\UKH[PVU HPTZ [V WYVTV[L H IL[[LY SPML for all Alaskans.

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Spruce Tip Shortbread Tart

Recipe makes one 10-12 inch tart

Recipe & photos by Susie Jenkins-Brito

Spruce tips are harvested as new growth from the end of spruce bows with light brown papery coverings garnishing the tips. They are bright green and soft in texture, unlike the fully mature ends that harden and become pokey. They can be picked throughout June and sometimes into early July depending on climate and sun exposure.

You’ll need: ࠮ J\W ÄULS` JOVWWLK ZWY\JL [PWZ (clean of any papery covering; chopping is easily done in a food processor) ࠮ J\W Z\NHY ࠮ [HISLZWVVUZ I\[[LY ZVM[LULK ࠮ [LHZWVVUZ ]HUPSSH L_[YHJ[ ࠮ SHYNL LNN

Everyone loves the crumbly, buttery texture of a good shortbread, and with [OL IYPNO[ MYLZO ÅH]VY VM ZWY\JL [PWZ `V\ have a palette of possibilities. For a show stopping dessert, top this shortbread with a fresh compote of seasonal favorites such as a rhubarb or strawberry. Making a compote is as easy as cooking down the fruit over medium heat, stirring often, with sugar to taste, until it thickens. Pictured is one of fresh rhubarb and raspberries from last summer’s harvest. In addition to this shortbread, spruce tips make a light vitamin C rich tea if brewed, they can also be pickled, made into pesto or even sautéed and tossed in salads or served atop pastas.

࠮ J\W HSS W\YWVZL ÅV\Y ࠮ [LHZWVVU IHRPUN WV^KLY ࠮ [LHZWVVU ZHS[ To make: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. 0U [OL IV^S VM H Z[HUK TP_LY Ä[[LK ^P[O H paddle attachment, on medium speed, cream together butter, sugar, and spruce [PWZ \U[PS SPNO[ HUK Å\Ɉ` ;OPZ ^PSS [HRL approximately 2-3 minutes. Add in vanilla and mix until just blended. Crack in the egg and beat an additional 2 minutes.

Meanwhile mix together the dry ingreKPLU[Z VM ÅV\Y IHRPUN WV^KLY HUK ZHS[ Reduce speed to low and carefully add in [OL ÅV\Y TP_[\YL TP_ VUS` \U[PS HSS [YHJLZ VM ÅV\Y HYL NVUL ;\YU V\[ [OL KV\NO VU[V the prepared baking sheet; the dough will be quite sticky. Using a rubber spatula VY KHTW ÄUNLYZ ZWYLHK [OL KV\NO PU[V H 10-12 inch round or 10×8 inch rectangle or even thickness. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and for at least refrigerate 2 hours and up to 24. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350F. Remove plastic wrap and bake in the middle rack position of the oven 30-40 minutes turning pan once halfway through baking. Allow to cool on a wire rack completely before topping with jam or compote. This Spruce Tip Shortbread can be prepared several hours prior to serving; once cooled keep covered with a light towel and top just before eating to avoid a soggy texture.

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Land Acknowledgement tells the story Connecting to the past brings greater understanding for the future By Heidi Hansen, Director, Land and Natural Resources, CIRI My name is Heidi Hansen and I was born and raised in Juneau, Alaska. Despite the fact that I have not lived in Juneau since I was 12 years old—having since lived in Anchorage, Australia, rural Pennsylvania, France, Seattle, Boston, Iraq and Washington, D.C.—I will always be a Juneau girl. Juneau’s beauty, spirit, quirky personality, mystical fog, unrivaled natural environments and the importance it holds in my family’s story collectively maintain a very special place in my heart. I recently joined the Alaska Native corporation, Cook Inlet Region, Inc. (CIRI). My job at CIRI is Director of Land and Natural Resources, a job colloquially known as “landman.” As a result, my cultural un-

derstanding of Alaska Native values and traditions continues to evolve. Recently, I learned about Land Acknowledgement at a presentation given by an Ahtna Athabascan woman developing an exhibit on the topic at the Anchorage Museum. I was particularly struck by this idea because of my deep love and appreciation for my own hometown. Land Acknowledgment is the protocol \ZLK ^OLU WYLZLU[PUN [V V[OLYZ VM Ä YZ[ ZOHYPUN ^OLYL `V\ JVTL MYVT YLÅ LJ[PUN on the cultural and historical stewardship of lands upon which one stands, and acknowledging the people whose stories and cultures are inextricably connected to that land.

Land Acknowledgement is thanking indigenous people for their care of the land and for sharing the land and its inimitable value. And to me, Land Acknowledgement is also an implicit commitment to similarly be a good steward of the land going forward. As a practical matter, the practice of Land Acknowledgement has gained much traction in Canada and New Zealand, and there is a growing awareness of the practice in the United States. Conferences and trade shows often begin with a Land Acknowledgement. Meetings, sporting events and parties in one’s own home can all be opened with a Land Acknowledgement. One need not

Did you know? CIRI has 624,113 acres of land in Alaska, which equates to a parcel of land that is 31 miles by 31 miles. The subsurface estate owned by CIRI is 1,632,652 acres. This is HIV\[ [OL ZPaL VM Delaware.

Photo courtesy CIRI

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be of indigenous descent to lead a Land Acknowledgement. One must simply be knowledgeable of and acknowledge the people who came before you and be inclusive and earnestly grateful to all those who called that land home.

[OL LHY[O ILULH[O \Z VYPNPUH[LZ ^P[O HUK JVU[PU\LZ [V IL RLW[ I` [OLT :V 0 ^V\SK SPRL [V ILNPU I` [OHURPUN [OL ;VUN]H WLVWSL HUK I` HJRUV^SLKNPUN [OH[ [OL` HYL [OL YPNO[M\S RLLWLYZ VM [OL SHUK [OPZ Z[HY PZ VU ¹

One example of a recent Land Acknowledgement came from actress Anne Hathaway at the unveiling of her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Hathaway’s Land Acknowledgement was quoted by the Daily Mail publication:

The Tongva are the ancestral people of the Los Angeles basin, Hollywood.

¸0 Z[HY[LK [V [OPUR HIV\[ [OL SHUK [OH[ NVLZ \UKLYULH[O [OL Z[HY [OH[ SHUK [OH[ NVLZ ILULH[O HSS VM [OLZL Z[HYZ HUK OV^ P[ ^HZ JHYLK HUK RLW[ MVY TPSSLUUPH TVYL [OHU TPSSLUUPH I` [OL ;VUN]H WLVWSL 0 [OPUR P[»Z PTWVY[HU[ [V TLU[PVU [OH[ [OL` Z[PSS SP]L OLYL [VKH` :V [OL ZV\S HUK [OL ZWPYP[ [OH[ Y\UZ [OYV\NO

Here in Alaska, on the Kenai for example, one may need to acknowledge the

Kahtnuht’ana Dena’ina and their forefathers and foremothers. The Kahtnuht’ana Dena’ina are an Athabascan tribe of Alaska Native people who are the historical stewards of the Kenai lands. Land Acknowledgement is not rote. It is not a box to check. It is a gesture of respect, that shows we remember and honor the land and its historical caretakers, such as the ancient Kahtnuht’ana Dena’ina whom live among us today and will so in the future. Land Acknowledgment demonstrates a continuing responsibility and expression of appreciation for the land, her people and her vast resources.

Photo courtesy CIRI

7YVNYHTZ SPRL [OPZ VUL PU[YVK\JPUN JOPSKYLU [V [YHKP[PVUHS ÄZOPUN TL[OVKZ VU [OL 2LUHP OLSW [OLT SLHYU SHUK HJRUV^SLKNLTLU[

Land Acknowledgement is spiritual, it connects us as people and connects us to a land that we ask to sustain us all.

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Honoring legacy of Dena’ina and salmon By Shehla Anjum On a cloudy day in November 2018, more than half a century after her death, Olga 5PRVSHP ,aP H +LUH»PUH LSKLY RUV^U HZ “Grandma Olga” or “Cheda,” returned to a familiar place—the mouth of Ship Creek in Anchorage. It was where she HUK V[OLY +LUH»PUH WLVWSL OHK Ä ZOLK MVY hundreds of years. Grandma Olga, who died in the mid-20th century, is the focal point of a new sculptural installation at Anchorage’s small boat harbor that honors the respected Dena’ina matriarch from Tyone Lake and Eklutna. Dena’ina artist Joel Isaak of Soldotna, a distant relative of Olga, designed and built the PUZ[HSSH[PVU ^OPJO PUJS\KLZ H Ä ZO [YHW HUK H Ä ZO YHJR O\UN ^P[O ZHSTVU :OHKV^Z VM Ä ZO Z^PTTPUN through a creek engraved into the JVUJYL[L [V^HYK [OL Ä ZO [YHW draw attention to the PTWVY[HUJL VM Ä ZO MVY [OL Dena’ina. The revered matriarch now permanently faces north, ignoring the looming city behind her, grown larger since her time. Her stance is proud and resolute. She OVSKZ H Ä SSL[LK ZHSTVU in each hand, with more drying on the rack behind her. In Isaak’s meticulous portrayal Grandma Olga wears a traditional Dena’ina JHYPIV\ ZRPU KYLZZ Ä ZO ZRPU boots and a scarf. The dress is shown adorned with porcupine quill embroidery above the fringes at the hem and yoke.

.YHUKTH 6SNH»Z Z[H[\L PZ [OL Ä YZ[ PU (UJOVYHNL that honors the Dena’ina people, the original inhabitants of the area. A statue of Captain James Cook, who sailed up Cook Inlet and took possession of the area for the British crown without setting foot on the ground, has long stood in downtown Anchorage. However, there was nothing to honor or acknowledge the people who called the area home for centuries and who still live here. According to Isaak, the village of Eklutna wanted a statue of this revered Elder to represent all those who had used the site. “During the growth of the port of Anchorage (Y[PZ[ 1VLS 0ZHHR infrastructure was placed VU [VW VM [OL [YHKP[PVUHS Ä ZOPUN ZP[L ^OPJO ^HZ H J\S[\YHSS` ZPNUPÄ JHU[ HYLH MVY +LUH»PUH WLVWSL ¹ Isaak said. The project was funded by the Denali Commission. Eklutna received the funding, issued a call for proposals and facilitated the project. To create the face, Isaak used photos of Grandma Olga and her relatives to form a composite face with which her descendants can identify. Grandmother Olga’s descendants and others in Eklutna have welcomed her return to Ship Creek. The installation also reminds other viewers that Dena’ina people are still around. It PZ H ILÄ [[PUN [YPI\[L [V H WLVWSL HUK P[ YLJSHPTZ a part of their history, long subverted by those who came much later. “People from Eklutna tell me they are moved by the statue. Her descendants are happy to see their Cheda (grandmother) back at the site and they tell her, ‘Welcome home, Cheda,’” Isaak said. Shehla Anjum is a writer living in Anchorage.

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Caines Head State Recreation Area

A unique adventure in Seward’s backyard Story & photos by Clark Fair As soon as my son Kelty and I made it back to Derby Cove, I knew we were in trouble. The tide had rolled in while we were exploring the remains of the World War II fortress on Caines Head, just south VM :L^HYK HUK UV^ NYL` JSPɈZ HUK [OL JVSK ZLH ISVJRLK V\Y YL[\YU [V [OL JVa` public-use cabin just three-quarters of a mile away. We saved time by scrambling over wave-slickened shale and making risky leaps from rocky perches in our attempt to thwart time and tide, but we still arrived at the cabin more than two hours late. Back at the cabin we had left my daughter Olivia, who had not been feeling well that morning and had decided to sleep. I had been hoping to beat the tide. I didn’t want Olivia to worry. I wanted nature to work at my convenience. But nature wasn’t doing my bidding.

)LZPKLZ T` KH\NO[LY ^HZ Z[PSS ZUVVaPUN when we arrived. She hadn’t worried. She hadn’t even missed us. Kelty and I ^V\SK OH]L ILLU IL[[LY VɈ ^HP[PUN V\[ the tide in Derby Cove. Kelty might have skipped hundreds of perfect stones while I napped on a bed of shale. If the Caines Head State Recreation Area teaches us anything, it is patience. The tide is low when it is low. The beaches are open when they are open. All the human frustration in the world makes no KPɈLYLUJL In fact, one cannot safely hike at all to Fort McGilvray, the area’s crown jewel, if the tides are not at ebb. The forested portion of the trail, which begins at Lowell Point, just past Seward along the western shore of Resurrection Bay, takes hikers across both forks of Tonsina Creek and as far south as the campsites, outhouse

:VTL VM [OL LHZPLZ[ ILHJO ^HSRPUN VJJ\YZ ^OLU OPRLYZ ÄYZ[ [\YU ZV\[O MYVT ;VUZPUH 7VPU[

and picnic shelter on Tonsina Point. After that, it’s all a matter of timing. When we had arrived at the point earlier in the day, the tide was just turning from its low of -0.7 feet—most guidebooks recommend hiking the beach at a low tide no higher than +3.0—and far out on the ZHUK` ÅH[Z ^L ZWPLK H WHPY VM RH`HRLYZ standing alongside their long yellow craft and watching a large group of barking sea lions thrashing and playing in the surf. We turned south. It was about a mile and a half to our cabin in Callisto Canyon. Beach walking distances can be deceptive. A short saunter can feel like a forced march, especially when one is accompanied by a surging tide and two anxious teenagers. And on this particular occasion, I couldn’t answer each incessant “Are we almost there?” ;OPZ ^HZ T` ÄYZ[ [YPW [V *HPULZ /LHK HUK I was unsure around which bend we were NVPUN [V ÄUK [OL JHIPU ^L OHK YLU[LK MVY the evening. 0 THPUS` VɈLYLK KPZ[YHJ[PVUZ·¸/L` JOLJR out those mountains!” “Did you see [OH[ LHNSL&¹·HZ [OL HSKLY JV]LYLK JSPɈZ towered above our heads and the beach terrain shifted from smooth crushed ZOHSL [V RLSW JV]LYLK IV\SKLY ÄLSKZ MYVT splays of stone like shattered tile to broad arcs of wave-washed rock. >OLU ^L ÄUHSS` HYYP]LK H[ [OL JHIPU ^L ^LYL UV[ KPZHWWVPU[LK 0[ ^HZ [OL ÄYZ[ public-use cabin I’d ever seen decorated with artwork—a carved wooden eagle, ^P[O H ZTHSS ÄZO PU P[Z [HSVUZ O\UN beneath the front gable. Inside, a shelf was supported by varnished pieces of continued on page 44

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>OLU [OL [PKL PZ UV[ SV^ LUV\NO [V WYV]PKL Ã…H[ ^HSRPUN [V 5VY[O )LHJO P[ JHU IL ULJLZZHY` [V ZJYHTISL V]LY ZSPJR ZOHYW HUK \UL]LU YVJRZ

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Caines Head continued from previous page driftwood, while a larger piece of wood, dotted with rocks and shells, formed a back-wall showpiece. Four beds in two parallel bunks provided ample sleeping space, and a picnic-style table allowed us to spread out our food and gear. A large front window revealed the bay and the distant eastern shore through sheltering spruce trees. No wonder these cabins are reserved so early. Online in late April, I had had only two dates to choose from in all of June and July. On the upside, excellent tent-camping sites are available in Derby Cove and are abundant farther south at North Beach. 5VY[O )LHJO HUK :V\[O )LHJO Ă… HUR [OL THZZP]L JSPɈ Z VM *HPULZ /LHK HUK HU overland trail between them provides the only access to Fort McGilvray, which sits mostly underground in a tangle of trees 650 feet above the ocean. In the 1940s, the fort was part of the Seward Harbor Defense plan, designed to prevent 1HWHULZL MVYJLZ MYVT PUĂ„ S[YH[PUN H RL` American supply line fed by the Alaska Railroad.

Atop the craggy beachhead, troops carved out enough rock to build a series of concrete passageways and bunkers, ^OPJO ^LYL [OLU JHTV\Å HNLK ^P[O KPY[ and trees and grass. On each seaside JVYULY VM [OL MVY[ Å HURPUN [OL IH[[LY` command station and overlooking the bay, stood a six-inch M1 heavy artillery gun capable of striking a target more than 10 miles away. The most prominent military landmark at South Beach, accessible by an ancillary trail on the beachhead, is a series of collapsing buildings that once housed the soldiers who worked and trained at Fort McGilvray. At North Beach, the most obvious feature is a deteriorating wooden pier jutting several hundred feet out from the shore. The military installation was short-lived. In March 1944, just as the complex was nearing completion, the fort was abruptly dismantled and abandoned— then largely forgotten. Everything associated with the fort fell into decay. The Caines Head SRA was formed in 1971, and in 1984 the state assigned

a park ranger to the area and began building public-access trails. Kelty and I had weaved our way up the gravelly trail to the top of the beachhead, then wandered with headlamps through some of the fort’s damp, unlighted passageways. We peered through the command station windows, and walked around the empty gunnery stations with their circles of huge bolts. Back down [OL [YHPS HJJVTWHUPLK IYPLÅ ` I` H WHPY VM Steller’s jays, we peeked into two abandoned ammunition bunkers, and whistled and shouted to enjoy the tremendous echoes issuing forth. The Lowell-Point-to-Fort-McGilvray round-trip is about 13.5 miles—about OHSM VM ^OPJO PZ MHPYS` Å H[ ^HSRPUN ;OL rest involves plenty of ups and downs as [OL [YHPS UH]PNH[LZ ZVTL KPɉ J\S[ [LYYHPU But the most important thing for hikers to remember is the tides. The good news is that, if one is patient, the rewards are great. And timing is everything.

;OL .VVK -YPKH` ,HY[OX\HRL VM JH\ZLK T\JO VM [OL SHUK PU 9LZ\YYLJ[PVU )H` [V ZPUR ;OPZ VSK ^VVKLU KVJR I\PS[ I` [OL < : (YT` K\YPUN >VYSK >HY 00 ILJHTL VUL VM [OL JHZ\HS[PLZ HUK PZ UV^ \UZHML

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Caines Head Fact Sheet 1. Fort McGilvray was named for Lt. John McGilvray, who commanded American forces at Fort Kenay (in Kenai) in 1869, two years after the U.S. purchase of Alaska. 2. The fort was 90 percent complete and South Beach was housing about 2,000 soldiers in February 1944. On March 29, a new command shut down the whole complex. The entire installation was quickly dismantled and abandoned. The forest grew over the concrete. The Good Friday Earthquake of 1964 sank the ground and ruined the wooden dock at North Beach. 3. An 1,800-acre Caines Head State Recreation Area was created in 1971. It was expanded to nearly 6,000 acres in 1974. A decade later, a park ranger was assigned to North Beach, and work began on public-use trails from Tonsina Point to North Beach. The old military roads to the fort and South Beach were converted into trails. 4. Recently, a third public-use cabin was added to Caines Head SRA. They are: Tonsina Cabin, just south of the Tonsina Creek delta; Callisto Cabin, about 1.5 miles south of Tonsina Point; Derby Cove Cabin, in the natural cove just north of North Beach. Each cabin must be reserved online through the Alaska State Parks website, starting Jan. 1 of each year. Prime dates are reserved quickly. 5. Fresh water is not always easy to come by. Callisto Cabin’s freshwater source can be reached only when the tide is low enough. All water should be boiled or otherwise treated.

6. Tent camping is available in Derby Cove and at North Beach. ( Z[HɈ LK YHUNLY Z[H[PVU PZ HSZV SVJH[LK H[ 5VY[O )LHJO 7. Although most people hike into Caines Head SRA, it can be reached from Seward via kayaks (which can be rented in town) or via charter boat or water taxi. 8. Respect the tides when choosing hiking times or camping ZP[LZ 4HU` I\ZPULZZLZ VɈ LY MYLL [PKL IVVRZ [V [OLPY J\Z[VTLYZ 9. Rain is common in Resurrection Bay. Dress accordingly. 10. Numerous trails and trail branches provide access to various parts of Caines Head SRA. Some key hiking distances: ࠮ 3V^LSS 7VPU[ [V ;VUZPUH 7VPU[ ¶ TPSLZ ࠮ ;VUZPUH 7VPU[ [V 5VY[O )LHJO ¶ HIV\[ TPSLZ ࠮ 5VY[O )LHJO [V -VY[ 4J.PS]YH` ¶ HIV\[ TPSLZ ࠮ 5VY[O )LHJO [V :V\[O )LHJO ¶ TPSLZ ࠮ -VY[ 4J.PS]YH` [V :V\[O )LHJO ¶ TPSLZ ࠮ ;V (SWPUL ;YHPS [YHPSOLHK MYVT Q\UJ[PVU ^P[O 9HPUMVYLZ[ ;YHPS ¶ TPSLZ Maps and descriptions of these trails and trail segments are available on the state website. 11. Access Caines Head information online at http://dnr.alaska. gov/parks/units/caineshd.htm. Control of the SRA is main[HPULK I` [OL 2LUHP (YLH 6ɉ JL \UKLY Z\WLYPU[LUKLU[ 1HJR Blackwell. The phone number is (907) 262-5581. The email is dnr.pkskenai@alaska.gov.

;OPZ MVYTLY TPSP[HY` YVHK PZ UV^ ZOHKV^LK I` H JHUVW` VM HSKLYZ HUK HJ[Z HZ H [YHPS MYVT 5VY[O )LHJO [V -VY[ 4J.PS]YH` 2H`HRLYZ JHU YLHJO *HPULZ /LHK I` ^H[LY HUK NL[ IYLH[O[HRPUN ]PL^Z VM [OL ZOVYLSPUL HZ ^LSS HZ HSS [OL THYPUL ^PSKSPML [OLYL Kayak photos by Derek Shanks

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Shining a light on the past

Kodiak artifact has quite a tale to tell Story & photos by Clark Fair Hugging the cheap plastic storage tote to my chest, I squatted in my mother’s JYH^SZWHJL HUK ZO\Ɋ LK [V^HYK [OL opening, wondering why this container felt so heavy and unbalanced. I had not examined the contents of the tote since my siblings and I had helped Mom empty our father’s upstairs den after he died. Inside the tote, beneath a jumble of mementoes, lay a large object wrapped in old newspaper. Peeling back the newsprint like the layers of an onion, was a 10-pound chunk of basalt that centuries ago had been hand-ground into a seal-oil-burning stone lamp. Its concavity was oval, its rim ridged, not Å H[ HUK ZTVV[O SPRL V[OLY SHTWZ 0 OHK seen in museums. It also lacked balance and was tapered somewhat at one end. A divot—most likely broken—marked the lamp’s low end, and shallow notches appeared to have been excised in the rock on each side of the oval. On the base my father had attached a piece of masking tape, on which he had written his name (Calvin) and “Stone

*HS]PU -HPY Z[HUKZ OPNO VU )\JR 4V\U[HPU UVY[O VM [OLPY O\U[PUN JHTW PU H W\ISPJ \ZL JHIPU PU *OPLM *V]L ^OPJO JHU IL ZLLU ILOPUK -HPY PU [OPZ 6J[VILY PTHNL

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lamp—from Chief Cove area, Kodiak, AK. 1987.” Even as I rewrapped the lamp, redeposited it in the tote, and heaved the whole container into an upstairs closet at my own house in Homer, I was determined to learn more about this lamp and how my father came to possess it. I knew I could not allow the lamp 6]LYOLHK ]PL^ VM [OL HUJPLU[ (S\[PPX Z[VUL SHTW MV\UK VU 2VKPHR 0ZSHUK PU to languish in a box or simply collect dust on a shelf. This artifact did not belong to me Governed by the Alutiiq Heritage Foundation, and I hoped to send the lamp back home. the museum represents eight Kodiak Alutiiq I photographed and measured the stone lamp, then emailed copies of the photos to a local historian who had once been the curator of collections at the Pratt Museum in Homer. We dismissed the idea of placing the lamp in a Kenai Peninsula museum collection. True repatriation of the artifact meant looking to Kodiak. I contacted Patrick Saltonstall, the curator of archaeology at Kodiak’s Alutiiq Museum.

VYNHUPaH[PVUZ 0M [OL SHTW [Y\S` JHTL MYVT Chief Cove, it was likely an Alutiiq tool. I sent Saltonstall the photos I had taken, plus what little I knew about the lamp. For at least two decades, my father, a longtime Peninsula dentist, traveled almost annually to Kodiak to hunt Sitka blacktailed deer with his friend and hunting partner Will Troyer. I pored over the pages of Dad’s scrapbooks until I found hunting images from 1987. His notes indicated that the 1987 hunt had occurred in November in a place called Zachar Bay. There was also a mention of Kodiak dentist Knox Christie. Zachar Bay is roughly 10 air miles east-southeast of Chief Cove, which lies near Shelikof Strait, on the open end of Uyak Bay. Could they, I wondered, have traveled to Chief Cove during this trip? A response from Saltonstall arrived about that time: “That is clearly an Alutiiq lamp, HUK ZPUJL P[ KVLZ UV[ OH]L H Å H[ YPT P[ PZ probably older than 1,000 years.” Since Chief Cove had once been home to a ZPaHISL (S\[PPX ]PSSHNL OL ZHPK [OL HY[PMHJ[ ^V\SK KLÄ UP[LS` Ä [ PU ^P[O [OL T\ZL\T»Z collection.

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He attached “Deed of Giftâ€? and “Donor 8\LZ[PVUUHPYLš MVYTZ MVY TL [V Ă„ SS V\[ if I decided to pursue a donation. In the meantime, he suggested, I should attempt to learn as much as possible about how my father acquired the lamp—the better the detail, the better the provenance. I began pawing through Dad’s leather-bound journals. I turned to November in the 1987 book and began to read. Dad and >PSS OHK Ă… V^U [V 2VKPHR VU /HSSV^LLU then home on Nov. 11. Lots of deer, plenty of rain, but no trip to Chief Cove and no mention of a stone lamp. It occurred to me that the date on the bottom of the lamp might be incorrect. The answer lay in his 1986 journal, the 6J[ LU[Y`! ¸9LHKPLK Z\WWSPLZ Ă… L^ with Uyak Air and pilot Dean Andrews to Chief Cove cabin (FWS) on Uyak Bay‌. Knox [Christie] would arrive [by his own Ă… VH[WSHULD ZL]LYHS OV\YZ SH[LY HM[LY WPJR ing up his supplies on Afognak Island.â€? Eagerly I read every entry concerning the trip: Again, plenty of deer, plenty of rain, but no stone lamp. Dad’s narrative did, however, describe where he hunted, providing clues to his travels while in Chief Cove. A reexamination of Dad’s scrapbooks provided me with a 1986 photo of him standing high on Buck Mountain, according to his note on the back. “Buck Mountainâ€? was a moniker created by Knox Christie for the nearest peak north of camp. In the photo, the water and shoreline of Chief Cove stood out clearly in the distant background below Dad. On Google Earth, I rotated the satellite image and adjusted the angle to exactly match Dad’s photo. The pieces of the W\aaSL ^LYL MHSSPUN PU[V WSHJL Still, one piece was missing: How had Dad acquired the lamp? Dad had died in 2007. Will Troyer had died in 2014. I had no idea whether

;OL 6J[VILY LU[Y` VM *HS]PU -HPYË•Z O\U[PUN QV\YUHS PUKPJH[LK [OH[ OL HUK OPZ O\U[PUN WHY[ULYZ ^LYL OLHKLK MVY *OPLM *V]L [OLU WHY[ VM [OL 2VKPHR 5H[PVUHS >PSKSPML 9LM\NL

Knox Christie was still alive, although in WOV[VNYHWOZ OL HWWLHYLK ZPNUPĂ„ JHU[S` younger than the other two men.

ZJPLU[PĂ„ J W\YWVZLZ -VY [OL Z[VUL SHTW P[Z TVZ[ ZJPLU[PĂ„ J HUK LK\JH[PVUHS ]HS\L lay not with me.

An internet search turned up an email address for a 72-year-old Dr. Knox Christie practicing dentistry in Port Townsend, Washington. I sent him a brief message, detailing my identity and my quest.

I wrote up a small narrative of what I knew and emailed it, along with the photo of Dad on Buck Mountain, to Saltonstall. He JVTWSL[LK [OL W\aaSL MVY TL ^P[O TVYL information and another photograph. The image, taken in April 2008, showed an unnamed U.S. Fish & Wildlife employee standing in a large depression in the ground. Over her right shoulder lay a small portion of Chief Cove, while over her left shoulder stood Buck Mountain with a receding fringe of snow at its top.

The next morning, Knox Christie replied: “There are several old village middens ULHY [OL ZOVYL PU [OH[ HYLH @V\ JHU Ă„ UK them by noticing a lot of clam shells coming out of the eroded banks from the beach at low tide. There are often broken spear points and arrow heads, broken arrow shafts and spear shafts there as well. I believe Cal found that lamp within a few hundred yards of the Fish and Wildlife cabin they were staying in.â€? 0 YLĂ… LJ[LK VU [OL T`YPHK HY[PMHJ[Z MV\UK on public lands that are lost illegally to personal collections. Many of these items are added to boxes of arrowheads or line shelves with other artifacts. Often they go unlabeled, and, lacking provenance, lose context and their true value. The Alutiiq Museum, on the other hand, with its strong ties to the Alutiiq people, could perhaps rectify at least this one case. Museums use artifacts to create a fuller picture of a culture as a whole. Artifacts can also serve educational and

In the three decades since my dad hunted in Chief Cove, Saltonstall wrote, the land in the cove became a private Native allotment and was withdrawn from the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge. “The main archaeological site is on this allotment,� he said, “and it is very close to the cabin where your dad stayed. That is the most likely location for the lamp. It is a HUGE and well known village. It was one of the largest villages in all of Uyak Bay. The house pits are enormous.� The depression in the photo, he added, was an immense house pit near the shoreline and “the likely place where the lamp was found.�

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·· JUST FOR KIDS ··

Facts for Kids

How well do you know the Trans-Alaska Pipeline system? By Erin Kirkland, Just For Kids editor

Stretching 800 miles between Prudhoe Bay on (SHZRH»Z 5VY[O :SVWL HUK =HSKLa [OL ;YHUZ Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS) is one of the world’s largest pipeline systems. Built in the 1970s, the pipeline snakes its way across fragile tundra and over rugged mountains before terTPUH[PUN PU [OL JP[` VM =HSKLa [OL UVY[OLYUTVZ[ ice-free port in North America. @V\ TH` OH]L ZLLU ¸;OL 7PWLSPUL ¹ HZ THU` Alaskans call it, along the Richardson Highway IL[^LLU -HPYIHURZ HUK =HSKLa ZVTL[PTLZ HIV]L ground, sometimes below, but always working to shuttle oil from wells to holding tanks at the =HSKLa 4HYPUL ;LYTPUHS /LYL HYL ZVTL JVVS facts you may not know about the Trans Alaska Pipeline, and if you think these are interesting, check out the Alyeska Pipeline Service Company’s fact book, found on their website, ^^^ HS`LZRH WPWL JVT ;(7: 7PWLSPUL-HJ[Z.

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Pipeline Fast Facts à ® (IV\[ TPSLZ VM [OL TPSL SVUN WPWLSPUL PZ LSL]H[LK VU 78,000 vertical support pilings because of permafrost à ® TPSLZ VM [OL WPWLSPUL HYL I\YPLK à ® ;OL WPWLSPUL JYVZZLZ V]LY [OL )YVVRZ (SHZRH HUK *O\NHJO TV\U tain ranges à ® 0[ [VVR [OYLL `LHYZ HUK [^V TVU[OZ [V I\PSK [OL ;YHUZ (SHZRH 7PWL SPUL MYVT Z[HY[ [V Ä UPZO à ® ;OL Ä YZ[ VPS TV]LK [OYV\NO [OL WPWLSPUL VU 1\UL à ® ;OL WPWLZ [OLTZLS]LZ HYL PUJOLZ MLL[ PU KPHTL[LY ( ZTHSS child could stand up inside with room to spare à ® (PY [LTWLYH[\YL HSVUN [OL YV\[L VM [OL WPWLSPUL YHUNLZ MYVT [V 95 degrees Fahrenheit

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·· JUST FOR KIDS ··

Chugach National Forest welcomes kids by Erin Kirkland, Just For Kids editor

=HSKLa PZ OVTL [V [OL *YVVRLK *YLLR Information Center, managed by the U.S. Forest Service. Between May and September, the center is open for ]PZP[VYZ HUK YLZPKLU[Z VM =HSKLa [V SLHYU more about this part of the Chugach National Forest, and kids are especially welcome. Pick up a Junior Ranger booklet at the information center and catch up on the wildlife, birds, and WSHU[Z ULHY =HSKLa “The Junior Ranger program helps engage youth and their families so they can explore the Chugach National Forest and enjoy all the wonderful wildness of the forest,” ZHPK (SPJH 2PUN 7\ISPJ (Ɉ HPYZ 6ɉ JLY MVY [OL HNLUJ` Learn more at: www.fs.usda.gov/detail/chugach/ about-forest/?cid=fseprd564151

Good Reads, with support from University of Alaska Press

Little Whale - A Story of the Last Tlingit War Canoe >YP[[LU I` 9V` 7LYH[YV]PJO 1Y Meet Keet, a young Tlingit Indian boy who stows away on his father’s canoe and gets caught in the middle of a storm. This early-reader chapter story carries Keet far from his home village, and when he reaches land, he winds up right in the middle of a dangerous dispute IL[^LLU [^V 0UKPHU JSHUZ >YP[[LU I` 9V` 7LYH[YV]PJO YLÅ LJ[PUN [OL MHTPS` SLNHJ` VM OPZ grandfather Andrew Wanamaker, Little Whale is built upon oral tradition and cultural values. It’s a beautifully-illustrated story, both in words and pictures, and kids wanting to know more about Alaska Native history will enjoy this suspenseful book.

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The Kenai

River of memories and first fish By Lee Leschper The excitement in the boat was almost as thick as the heavy August mist. The gray morning blurred the line between emerald NYLLU ^H[LY HUK Å H[ ZR` 0U V[OLY ^VYKZ the perfect weather for catching silver salmon on the Kenai River. We were anchored among a line of boats up and down the river, each waiting and hoping for a giant silver salmon to win the annual Kenai Classic. Our guide Kasey Loomis had us stationed in a prime spot on the river and we were watching rods baited with plugs and salmon eggs, waiting for the next strike. We’d already caught a couple of nice ZPS]LYZ WS\Z [VV THU` Å H[ IYV^U WPUR salmon. It was a happy boat. But Melissa )V\KV\_ ^HZ Z[PSS ^HP[PUN MVY ¸OLY¹ Ä ZO Melissa is Manager of Communications HUK +LHSLY ,K\JH[PVU MVY @HTHOH 4HYPUL Engine Systems, a sponsor of the Kenai *SHZZPJ :OL OHZ Ä ZOLK HSS V]LY [OL JV\U[Y` but had never caught an Alaskan salmon. We were on a mission to change that. Then somebody noticed the line of Melissa’s rod was not still downstream with the current, but moving fast upstream, against the current. “Fish on!”

She snatched up the rod and set the hook into a silver salmon that, to put it TPSKS` ^LU[ U\[Z ;OL Ä ZO Z\YNLK \UKLY the boat, leaped high into the air on the opposite side, circled trying to tangle every other line. The rest of us fell all over ourselves getting in lines in while Melissa ZVTLOV^ RLW[ [OL Ä ZO OVVRLK And a few minutes later she led it into Kasey’s net, to a chorus of whoops and OPNO Ä ]LZ /LY NYPU OVSKPUN [OH[ JOYVTL salmon was big enough and bright enough to light up the sky. ¸;OH[ Ä ZO ^HZ TLHU[ [V IL JH\NO[ ¹ ^L laughed at our antics—and another memorable morning on the Kenai as made. -VY JV\U[SLZZ UL^ ]PZP[VYZ HUK UL^ Ä ZO ermen each year, the Kenai provides just that sort of memory, and the beginning VM HUV[OLY SV]L HɈ HPY ^P[O V\Y Z[H[L V\Y sport and our river. The Kenai is the most WVW\SHY TVZ[ Ä ZOLK ^H[LY IVK` PU (SHZRH For thousands of families it’s also a key WHY[ VM HUK WSHJL MVY Ä SSPUN [OL MYLLaLY ^P[O quality food for another winter. That food security, enshrined now in Alaska’s JVUZ[P[\[PVU PZ ^O` Ä ZOLYTLU OH]L been coming to the Kenai for at least 6,000 years.

)\[ P[»Z UV[ Q\Z[ HIV\[ JH[JOPUN H Ä ZO HZ 4LSPZZH YLÅ LJ[LK SH[LY ¸0 ^HZ S\JR` LUV\NO [V OH]L T` Ä YZ[ catch, a silver salmon, at the 2018 Kenai Classic,” she said. “It was exhilarating [V MLLS [OL Ä NO[ ^OPSL YLLSPUN P[ PU HUK exciting to share it for dinner with my two children back in Atlanta. “That experience truly ignited my love for Ä ZOPUN HUK ILPUN VU [OL ^H[LY HUK T` two children now love it as well. I encourage everyone to get outdoors and enjoy Ä ZOPUN ZV [OL` JHU I\PSK TLTVYPLZ ^P[O family and friends” Like many older anglers, I’ve never lost [OL SV]L VM [OH[ UL_[ Ä ZO )\[ T` MH]VYP[L memories now are of introducing others [V Ä ZOPUN PU (SHZRH·HUK P[ TH[[LYZ UV[ whether they are experienced anglers or `V\UNZ[LYZ VU [OLPY Ä YZ[ [YPW (UK WLYOHWZ UV^OLYL PU (SHZRH HYL TVYL ¸Ä YZ[ Ä ZO¹ stories written than on the Kenai. The Kenai River Sportsman’s Association has been advocating to protect the Kenai HUK P[Z ^VYSK JSHZZ Ä ZOPUN MVY ZL]LYHS decades. And much of the debate about the river and its salmon is focused on issues like allocation and user groups and the relative value of subsistence ]LYZ\Z JVTTLYJPHS ]LYZ\Z ZWVY[ Ä ZOPUN But what’s seldom mentioned is the memory value—the indisputable and SPML JOHUNPUN PTWHJ[ VM HSS [OVZL Ä YZ[ Ä ZO JH\NO[ VU [OL 2LUHP -PYZ[ Ä ZO JYLH[L UV[ just memories but a connection with a river and place that can never fade. Here’s to another summer of First Fish Memories on the Kenai! Lee Leschper is publisher of Alaskan Spirit 4HNHaPUL HUK H SPMLSVUN Ä ZOLYTHU ^OV spends every free minute on the Kenai.

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Are we loving our rivers to death? Ask any old timer in Alaska about the Ä YZ[ Ä ZO [OL` JH\NO[ HUK `V\»SS HSTVZ[ certainly become audience to an epic tale about the time they stood knee-deep in the river with a rod and reel in hand Ä NO[PUN HU L_OH\Z[PUN IH[[SL (SHZRH»Z SLNLUKHY` Ä ZOPUN OHZ PUZWPYLK [OV\ZHUKZ [V Ã… VJR [V P[Z YP]LYIHURZ LHJO Z\TTLY [V test their luck. This summer, the Kenai River alone will see more than 275,000 attempts to land salmon by anglers from across the world. ;OH[ PZ H SV[ VM O\THU [YHɉ J VU YP]LYIHURZ often with unintended, negative impacts VU Ä ZO OHIP[H[ Z\JO HZ ^OLU HUNSLYZ HJ JLZZ [OLPY MH]VYP[L Ä ZOPUN ZWV[ I` ^HSRPUN along riverbanks rather than in riverbeds or on specially designed board walks. The path created by those millions of footsteps on rivers’ edges each year can

kill the native grasses that hold riverbanks together. The routes carved out by people walking often become the next cut line where stream banks will fall into the river and be washed downstream to the ocean. ,YVKPUN YP]LYIHURZ PUÅ \LUJLK I` OLH]` MVV[ [YHɉ J JHU HSZV ^PKLU HUK ZOHSSV^ rivers and increase their temperatures to levels that are not ideal for salmon fry (young salmon). Additionally, salmon fry have been found burrowed into the riverbank and, as the riverbank erodes, so does their food source and protection. There are several factors beyond our JVU[YVS [OH[ ULNH[P]LS` HɈ LJ[ Ä ZO WVW\SH tions. But there are actions we can take to reduce human impact. An increase in mindfulness of the river’s fragile ecosystem and simple changes in behavior, like not walking on riverbanks, are ways

anglers can do their part to help promote OLHS[O` Ä ZO YL[\YUZ So how can you access the river without walking on the riverbank? Use a boat, walk through the water or use designated board walks and access points. On the Kenai and Russian Rivers, you can walk along very convenient light-penetrating IVHYK^HSRZ [OH[ UVUWYVÄ [ 2LUHP 9P]LY :WVY[Ä ZOPUN (ZZVJPH[PVU 29:( ^VYRLK with government agencies to install. @V\ JHU JOLJR V\[ 29:(»Z UL^ ]PKLV series, sponsored in part by BP Alaska, at krsa.com/videos to hear from professional Ä ZOPUN N\PKLZ HIV\[ [OL ULLK [V WYV[LJ[ our rivers and how these boardwalks are helping the Kenai and Russian rivers survive the many thousands of anglers they welcome every summer.

3PNO[ WLUL[YH[PUN IVHYK^HSRZ Z[HPYZ MLUJPUN HUK WH[O^H`Z SPRL H[ [OL 9\ZZPHU 9P]LY MLYY` JYVZZPUN HUK 2LUHP 9P]LY LUJV\YHNL HUNSLYZ [V IL TPUKM\S VM OHIP[H[ HUK HSSV^ YP]LYIHUR Z[YLUN[OLUPUN ]LNL[H[PVU [V NYV^ ;OPZ HWWYVHJO OHZ WYV]LU Z\JJLZZM\S [OYV\NOV\[ (SHZRH I\[ [OLYL PZ H ULLK MVY TVYL LK\JH[PVU HUK H^HYLULZZ HTVUN HUNSLYZ

Photo courtesy KRSA

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Alaskan Spirit Magazine Telling the stories of rural Alaska and the communities we serve.

THE MAG

AZI NE

OF RAV

N AIR GRO

UP AND

RUR AL

ALASKA

MARCH

2019

SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER · Alaska Federation of Natives 2019 · Anchorage · Season of Harvest

MA-I ’S CA es HEL BET gh the Ag nce Throu Da

DELTA YUKONthe Yup’ik Land of

S MADNES MARCH ketball fever Alaska

bas

THE MAGA

ZINE OF RAVN

AIR GROU

P AND RURA

L ALASKA

JANUARY

2019

There’s no place like

NOME WINTER IS RACE SEA SON

Iditarod Iron Dog Yukon Que st

GOT ICE?

Valdez Ice

Fest

NOVEMBER / DECEMBER · Celebrating Fairbanks · Winter under Northern Lights · Holidays in Alaska COMING IN 2020 · Celebrating Rural Alaska · Our Heritage · Art and Culture · Nome to Dutch Harbor Look for our magazine on your next RavnAir Alaska or PenAir flight, in airports throughout Alaska and online at FlyRavn.com. Advertise to our statewide audience of readers and buyers. Call or email Lee Leschper | 907-957-6025 Lee.Leschper@FireweedStrategies.com H IS TO R Y • A D V E N T U R E • C U LT U R E • PE O PL E

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• ART • FOOD

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Flying with RavnAir

Passenger Guide 54 Travel in Rural Alaska 55 Customer Service 56 FlyAway Rewards / Ravn Rush / Group Travel 57 Route Map 58 Our Fleet

www.FlyRavn.com

March / April 2019

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RavnAir Alaska Tips

Travel in Rural Alaska RavnAir is proud to serve more than 115 communities statewide. Our mainline service gets you to and from our 14 cities including our RavnAir Connect hub cities: Anchorage, Aniak, Bethel, -HPYIHURZ .HSLUH 2V[aLI\L 5VTL :[ 4HY`»Z <UHSHRSLL[ Utqiagvik, and beyond. From those hub terminals, we provide passenger services through RavnAir Connect to rural Alaska communities. )LSV^ `V\»SS Ä UK ZVTL \ZLM\S [YH]LS [PWZ ^L OVWL ^PSS LUZ\YL H smooth trip in rural Alaska.

When departing from a regional hub ࠮ Check-in one hour prior to scheduled departure. Once you are checked-in, stay in the terminal and listen to all anUV\UJLTLU[Z HZ Å PNO[Z TH` SLH]L LHYS` ࠮ )L Z\YL [V KYLZZ HWWYVWYPH[LS` MVY ^LH[OLY JVUKP[PVUZ HZ ]PS lage destinations do not have facilities to shelter passengers or their belongings.

࠮ 0U TVZ[ JHZLZ JHYY` VU IHNNHNL PZ UV[ HSSV^LK )L WYLWHYLK to consolidate your belongings if necessary. ࠮ <WVU HYYP]HS IL Z\YL [V PKLU[PM` [OL ]PSSHNL HNLU[ :PTWS` HZR your pilot or a local resident. This is very important as the village agent will be checking you in and providing updates VU [OL Z[H[\Z VM `V\Y YL[\YU Å PNO[ ࠮ (SS IHNNHNL PZ Z\IQLJ[ [V SVHK YLZ[YPJ[PVUZ )HNNHNL [OH[ JHUUV[ IL HJJVTTVKH[LK VU `V\Y Å PNO[ ^PSS IL [YHUZWVY[LK VU [OL UL_[ H]HPSHISL Å PNO[ ࠮ *LSS\SHY WOVUL ZLY]PJL PZ =,9@ SPTP[LK PU Y\YHS HYLHZ

When departing from a village ࠮ *OLJR PU ^P[O [OL =PSSHNL (NLU[ H[ SLHZ[ [^V OV\YZ WYPVY [V `V\Y ZJOLK\SLK Å PNO[ [PTL (S[OV\NO ^L Z[YP]L [V THPU[HPU VWLYH[PVUZ HZ [OL` HYL ZJOLK\SLK THU` MHJ[VYZ JHU HɈ LJ[ HJ[\HS Å PNO[ [PTLZ )L Z\YL [V Z[H` PU [V\JO ^P[O [OL =PSSHNL Agent for the most up-to-date information.

࠮ 4HU` ]PSSHNLZ KV UV[ WLYTP[ HSJVOVS 7SLHZL JHSS HOLHK [V the regional hub to inquire about local rules and restrictions regarding alcohol transport and consumption.

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We’re here to help

Customer Service The lowest fare

Special needs passengers

We will disclose on our website, at the ticket counter, or when a J\Z[VTLY JHSSZ V\Y YLZLY]H[PVU JLU[LY PM [OL SV^LZ[ MHYL VɈ LYLK by the carrier may be available elsewhere.

RavnAir wants your trip to be enjoyable. We commit to accommodating passengers with disabilities in accordance with 14 C.F.R. part 382. We will also accommodate other special needs passengers as set forth in our policies and procedures,

Fares guaranteed for 24 hours

including during lengthy tarmac delays. If you have any special

RavnAir requires that all reservations be purchased at time of booking. If within 24 hours of purchase you decide that you ^PSS UV SVUNLY ULLK `V\Y [PJRL[ ^L VɈ LY M\SS YLM\UKZ MVY HU` ticket purchased directly through RavnAir within 24 hours of purchase without any penalties, provided that the reservation PZ THKL VUL ^LLR VY TVYL WYPVY [V [OL ZJOLK\SLK Å PNO[ KLWHY ture. If you need to make changes to your ticket, as long as the new itinerary meets advance purchase requirements and the class of service purchased is available, we will change your ticket at no cost to you. The change must be requested within 24 hours of purchase and one week or more prior to [OL ZJOLK\SLK Å PNO[ KLWHY[\YL

requirements, let us know by calling 800-866-8394.

Ticket refunds and receipts

to overnight in one of the communities we serve, we will assist

RavnAir sells refundable and non-refundable tickets. Where ticket refunds are due under RavnAir’s conditions of carriage, RavnAir will provide prompt refunds as required by 14 C.F.R. § 374.3 and 12 C.F.R. part 226 for credit card purchases and within 20 days after receiving a complete refund request for cash and check purchases, including refunding fees charged to a passenger for optional services that the passenger was unable to use due to an V]LYZHSL ZP[\H[PVU VY Å PNO[ JHUJLSSH[PVU ;PJRL[ YLM\UK HWWSPJH[PVUZ HYL H]HPSHISL H[ HSS 9H]U(PY [PJRL[ Vɉ JLZ VY ZLUK HSS IVVRPUN KL[HPSZ VM [OL [PJRL[ [V YLM\UKZ'Å `YH]U JVT RavnAir Group Refund Department 4700 Old International Airport Road Anchorage, Alaska 99502 Telephone number: 907-266-8394 or 800-866-8394 ,THPS HKKYLZZ! YLM\UKZ'Å `YH]U JVT MVY V\Y VUSPUL MVYT

Flight delays and cancellations We will notify our passengers of known delays, cancellations, and diversions as well as changes in their travel itineraries in a timely matter. To learn of services to mitigate passenger incon]LUPLUJL YLZ\S[PUN MYVT Å PNO[ KLSH`Z HUK JHUJLSSH[PVUZ JHSS HUK ZWLHR ^P[O H TLTILY VM 9H]U(PY»Z YLZLY]H[PVUZ Z[HɈ

Weather delay policy >OLU `V\Y Å PNO[ KLSH` VY JHUJLSSH[PVU PU]VS]LZ ^LH[OLY ^L ^PSS KV HSS WVZZPISL [V YLYV\[L `V\ 0M H Å PNO[ JHUJLSSH[PVU TLHUZ `V\ OH]L you to the extent possible. RavnAir is not liable for expenses incurred such as meals, hotels and local transpor- tation. If your [PJRL[ PZ UVU YLM\UKHISL ^L HYL OHWW` [V VɈ LY H M\SS YLM\UK ^P[O V\[ WLUHS[PLZ PM ^L HYL UV[ HISL [V NL[ `V\ [V `V\Y Ä UHS KLZ[PUH[PVU

Tell us how we’re doing 6U L]LY` Å PNO[ HUK H[ V\Y [PJRL[ JV\U[LYZ J\Z[VTLY JVTTLU[ cards are available to communicate your complaints or compliments. We are committed to providing timely responses to customer written complaints. Contact us at: RavnAir Group Attn: Customer Service 4700 Old International Airport Road Anchorage, AK 99502 6Y LTHPS *VUZ\TLY (Ɉ HPYZ H[ JVUZ\TLY'Å `YH]U JVT

July / August 2019

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Earn award travel faster

FlyAway Rewards FlyAway Rewards is the easiest and fastest way to earn award [YH]LS PU (SHZRH 0[»Z LHZ` HUK MYLL [V QVPU @V\»SS LHYU -S`(^H` 9L^HYKZ WVPU[Z MVY L]LY` 9H]U(PY (SHZRH Å PNO[ ZLNTLU[ Å V^U With award travel starting at just 50 points*, FlyAway Rewards is the most generous airline program in the State!

Cargo Ravn Rush With next available Å PNO[ ZOPWTLU[Z VM \W [V SIZ 9H]U 9<:/ VɈ LYZ H MHZ[ HUK JVU]LUPLU[ way to ship time sensitive packages to any of our mainline locations.

Fly 5, Earn 1 @V\»SS LHYU WVPU[Z MVY L]LY` Å PNO[ ZLNTLU[ HUK H^HYK [YH]LS starts from 50 points* for a one-way trip.

Group Travel

Elite Privileges 9LHJO LSP[L Z[H[\Z ^OLU `V\ Å ` ZLNTLU[Z ^P[O 9H]U(PY (SHZRH Elite members earn points faster, enjoy priority boarding, complimentary premium beverages, and more.

Group fares and allotments are available for ten (10) VY TVYL WHZZLUNLYZ VU ZLSLJ[ Å PNO[Z [OYV\NOV\[ Alaska on aircraft such as our Dash-8 or Beechcraft 1900.

* Plus taxes and fees from $5.60 each way. Award availability and pricing may vary.

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RavnAir Group

Route Map

Alaska is a big place. RavnAir Group serves more than 115 communities statewide. We operate KPYLJ[ Ã… PNO[Z IL[^LLU (UJOVYHNL HUK JP[PLZ SPRL -HPYIHURZ /VTLY HUK )L[OLS I\[ TVZ[ VM our destinations are smaller villages that rely on RavnAir for essential deliveries and medical services, as well as routine travel and commuting.

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Our Fleet

The number of passengers may vary based on length of flight, amount of luggage, and flight operations. Aircraft specifications listed are actual. Maximum payloads and size of shipment may be reduced due to weather, distance, size, and weight of the shipment.

DeHavilland DHC-8-100 Max passengers: 29 - 37 Max payload: 8,100 pounds Max cargo length: 11 feet

Max cargo width: 80 inches Max cargo height: 76 inches

Saab 2000 Max passengers: 45 Max payload: 12,120 pounds Max cargo length: 11 feet

Max cargo width: 67 inches Max cargo height: 69 inches

Beechcraft B1900C Max passengers: 19 Max payload: 4,500 pounds Max cargo length: 14 feet

Max cargo width: 54 inches Max cargo height: 57 inches

B1900 Cargo Max passengers: N/A Max payload: 5,000 pounds Max cargo length: 25 feet

Max cargo width: 54 inches Max cargo height: 57 inches

Piper PA31 Chieftain Max passengers: 9 Max payload: 1,800 pounds Max cargo length: 8.5 feet

Max cargo width: 40.5 inches Max cargo height: 41.5 inches

Cessna C207 Skywagon Max passengers: 7 Max payload: 1,200 pounds Max cargo length: 8 feet

Max cargo width: 39 inches Max cargo height: 39 inches

Cessna C208 Caravan Max passengers: 9 Max payload: 3,200 pounds Max cargo length: 14 feet

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Max cargo width: 60 inches Max cargo height: 54 inches

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Note: dimensions are interior

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RavnAir Alaska

Puzzle page (Answers on page 63)

Across 1 Pistols 5 Police heavy brigade 9 Unexpected turn of events 14 Long song for one in an opera 15 Cairo/Pittsburgh river 16 Totaled 17 Of the present month (Abbr.) 18 Traditional knowledge 19 Cosmetics mogul Elizabeth --20 Monk’s title 21 Job-discrimination watchdog (Abbr.) 22 Plumping 23 Moonshine maker 25 Liable 27 Journey’s end forecast 28 Swedish aircraft maker 30 Astonish 32 Take for granted

© 2016 Crosswordsite.com Ltd.

34 Hearth 38 Radiation absorber 39 “I shall not find myself so --- die” (Antony, in “Julius Caesar”)

Down 1 Short attacks

33 Moderately dry

41 One up on a deuce

2 Ripley’s slogan finishers

35 Unorthodox

42 Catholic

3 Firing

36 Angular meas.

44 Accuse

4 Posed

46 Wide river mouth

37 Peeper

5 Only 6 Cry of exultation

40 British Prime Minister when the Constitution was signed

7 Battle group main feature

43 Food grasses

47 Flying toy 48 Batter essential 51 Fashion reminiscent of the past 53 “What happens in --- stays in ---” 56 Short stops 58 Decree

8 The very end of a golf club

45 Honey factory

9 Swing in a circus

48 Sagas

10 Skin blemish

60 Web site ID

11 Self-published author

61 The first Mrs. Trump

12 Surgically implanted tube

62 Singer --- Simone

13 A k a the Friendly Islands

63 Split

21 Gunslinger actor Jack ---

64 Well mannered

22 Duck ---, medieval child’s game

65 International trade org.

24 Exalted

66 Stripe

26 Leave out

67 Breaks

29 Fab Four

68 Raised

31 Personal assets

69 E.g. Levin, Gershwin and others

32 Top-fermented beer

49 Singer-songwriter --- DeGraw 50 Yellow tropical fruit with pink pulp 52 Token amount 54 Center of an amphitheater 55 Snow vehicles 57 Saucy girl 59 “Shane” star Alan --62 Toff 63 G-men

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Putting your best foot forward By Paula Bradison In the United States we have a surge of individuals entering the workforce with education and little experience, or experience and little education. Business leaders and hiring managers OH]L UV[LK [OPZ HUK [OL (TLYPJHU :[Hɉ UN Association has coined the term a “Skills .HW ¹ ;OPZ OLH]PS` LɈ LJ[Z [OL QVI ZLLRLYZ as there are 44 percent less job openings for the skills they hold, 34 percent of workers do not hold the skills required for a job, and the other 25 percent lack the training that is required to keep or get a job (ASAA 2017).

So how can you as a job seeker put your best foot forward? What is it that these hiring managers are looking for amid such changes in the workforce? In a 2019 Gallup study, managers said they are looking for individuals who have developed soft skills, have the experience necessary to do the job, are seeking purpose and meaning in their work, and Ä UHSS` JHU ^VYR HZ H [LHT TLTILY Here are a few steps you can take to put your best foot forward in your job hunt. 1. Soft Skills & Work Experience Our current education system excels in teaching technical and highly academic material yet fails to prepare us for the soft skills necessary in the workforce. Sometimes we forget that we are doing business with people, and we must have the people skills necessary to be productive and respected. In Alaska in particular, we are a small community of people and businesses that rely on one another to succeed. The soft skills of communication, respectful time THUHNLTLU[ [OL HY[ VM OH]PUN KPɉ J\S[ and authentic conversations are key to your search. To learn soft skills, consider temporary or contract working opportunities where you can see how multiple businesses operate. Consider this a test hunt, gain an understanding of the market and of the big players as well as the work you enjoy doing. The best way to learn is by doing. Be adventurous in your job search, learn from the businesses around you, and seek these mentoring relationships as opportunities now and in the future.

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mitted to the work they are doing. It is no surprise that when you align your mission HUK W\YWVZL ^P[O [OH[ VM `V\Y VYNHUPaH[PVU you feel motivated and aren’t hunting a paycheck but hunting a purpose. Finding purpose in your work has a true return of investment for you as an employee and for the employer’s bottom line. Gallup says increased engagement can increase WYVK\J[P]P[` I` WLYJLU[ WYVÄ [HIPSP[` by 21 percent and reduce turnover by 24 percent. Managers are looking for individuals who are passionate and committed to the mission of the company. As a job seeker, Ä UK ^H`Z [V PKLU[PM` ^OH[ M\LSZ `V\ ^OH[ comes naturally to you and align this with the job you’re hunting. 3. Be a team member )\[ Ä YZ[ RUV^ `V\Y YVSL Know where you thrive and where you naturally excel. We all execute responsibilities, THPU[HPU YLSH[PVUZOPWZ PUÅ \LUJL V[OLYZ HUK Z[YH[LNPJHSS` [OPUR KPɈ LYLU[S` :V Ä UK ^H`Z to identify how you work naturally. Research suggests that those working in their strengths rather than weaknesses are three times more likely to report having an “excellent” quality of life and are six times more likely to be engaged in their job. So, stay in your lane and work in your strengths.

2. Seek Purpose

Approaching a job in your strengths allows you to be a better teammate. When you are aware of your strengths, you are inherently aware of your weaknesses, which helps you partner with those around you. When you partner, you share information, you share knowledge and you share ideas, which improves your value to your team.

Individuals who seek purpose typically Ä UK [OL` HYL TVYL LUNHNLK HUK JVT

Paula Bradison is an Alaska entrepreneur and owner of Alaska Executive Search.

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Alaska Native youth share their culture through dance and stories Being paid to jig is a pretty good gig for 15 Alaska Native youth hired by Tanana Chiefs Conference to perform traditional dances for summer visitors. Eighteen `LHY VSK 4HJ2LUaPL 5VSSULY ZHPK ZOL didn’t know any of the dances before she was hired to perform in the Cultural Connections show. Now in her fourth year, she teaches the newest performers. “When I started, I learned all the dances VU [OL Ä YZ[ KH` HUK ^HZ WLYMVYTPUN [OLT on stage by day two,” said Nollner. The Cultural Connections show is the brainchild of cultural program director Dixie Alexander. She saw it as a way to share stories, music and dances of Alaska’s original inhabitants with visitors, and just as importantly to preserve the

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traditional dances by teaching them to a new generation. 0U [OPZ SP]L WLYMVYTHUJL VɈ LYLK [OYLL times a day Monday through Friday, the youth sing and dance traditional .^PJO»PU 2V`\RVU @\W»PR HUK 0U\WPH[ songs. They talk about blending the ways of their ancestors with the conveniences of modern living. They tell stories about how their grandparents were sent away to boarding schools and forbidden to speak their language or dance their traditional dances, and the generational trauma that resulted. And they talk about resilience as they proudly reclaim traditions that were once forbidden.

TVVZL (UK PM `V\ NV `V\ Q\Z[ TPNO[ Ä UK yourself on stage dancing with a broom!

If you go: What: Cultural Connections Show, a live stage performance by Alaska Native youth When: June, July, August 2019 Monday-Friday 11:30am, 1:30pm, 3:30pm Where: Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center

They also inject a little humor. No, they KV UV[ SP]L PU PNSVVZ @LZ `V\ JHU JHSS H

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Teamwork at the top of the world “We’re a tight knit group and it’s really cool working with these people. We don’t have to talk much—we have a good feeling about what everybody is do. When things come up, we’re really good at adapting and it plays out really well.” Agent Brandy Goracke grew up in Soldotna and has worked throughout (SHZRH HZ ^LSS HZ JVTTLYJPHS ÄZOPUN PU Maine. He’s been with RavnAir Alaska since 2012. When not working in Deadhorse, he travels to other RavnAir Group stations to help their teams. “I give them advice, show them what I do, and they turn it into their own perspective. I’ve been all over—Barrow, Unakleet, Nome, St. Paul—I just got back from Cold Bay and Sand Point.

continued from page 64

Shawn had worked for the Alaska Marine Highway system on ferries in Whittier, where isolation was good preparation to the North Slope.

“It’s about the friendships,” Kelly laughed.

“It’s a mental game here. There’s physical too, but mentally you have to be able to handle two weeks 24/7 with the same people, especially in the winter when you’re inside one building.

6U [OL [^V ^LLRZ VɈ ^L HSS [Y` [V [YH]LS

“There’s always somebody around to talk to. We like to get together, have dinner, catch up with old friends and coworkers. a little bit. This job provides an awesome opportunity to do that. Right now, we’re trying to just enjoy summer!” Kelly is emphatic about her team’s priority.

“In the summer we try to get out, drive KV^U [OL /H\S 9VHK NV ÄZOPUN 0U [OL winter that’s not an option. It’s mostly about getting out. I like to run and read, especially in the winter.

“Our passengers need to know that they are our priority. We are here because of THEM. We want to make sure they have a great experience.”

Puzzle Page Solution (to puzzle on page 59)

“Our group has been working so long [VNL[OLY [OH[ [OPUNZ Q\Z[ ÅV^ [VNL[OLY ¹ Brandy agreed. “We all know what makes us comfortable HUK THRLZ ÅPNO[Z Y\U MHZ[ ¹ The job has provided a wealth of memories throughout Alaska, Kelly said. “I’ve gotten to see all of Alaska from top to bottom. Up here the wildlife is one of my favorite things…the caribou the run through town, the muskox, all the birds. A little arctic fox used to live near my house and there are always red foxes. “All my family is still in Southeast, and I try to go as much as possible. There it’s like working here, very close-knit, very comfortable together.” Like many RavnAir Group employees, it was a friend and RavnAir Group pilot who introduced Shawn to the company. “My buddy who I grew up skateboarding with ended up being a pilot for RavnAir Alaska, who told me to come up and try.”

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Deadhorse Center Team

Teamwork at the top of the world Great teams are built in challenging places. Nowhere is that demonstrated better than RavnAir Alaska’s team in Deadhorse, supporting the vast Prudhoe Bay oil and gas industry on Alaska’s North Slope. “It’s a very unique place to live,” Station manager Kelly Kadake said. “It’s actually really gorgeous. It might seem vast and all tundra but it’s really very pretty. In the summer months, if we get summer, there’s sun all day and night, and hopefully blue skies and wind to help keep the mosquitos away!’ Deadhorse and Prudhoe are the heart of the North Slope, and home to the SHYNLZ[ VPS Ä LSK PU 5VY[O (TLYPJH VU [OL coast of the Beaufort Sea and 250 miles north of the Arctic Circle. There’s a very small permanent population but several thousand workers who cycle in and out on regular shifts. Travelers are mostly oil workers, but RavnAir Alaska passengers also include residents from Deadhorse, Kaktovik and Nuiqsit. Kelly has been the Deadhorse station manager since 2010. She had worked for several of the companies that are now part of the RavnAir Group family. She grew up in the small village of Kake in :V\[OLHZ[ (SHZRH ^OPJO PZ ]HZ[S` KPɈ LYLU[ and very much like Deadhorse, she said. “Working for RavnAir Alaska has always been a fun challenge,” Kelly said. “Ever since I started, it seems I’ve been moving from one next big project to another. Constant change is part of what I really like about my job—always working toward a bigger goal. I love constantly readjusting

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and seeing how to make it work better for our passengers.”

Time management is critical for the success of her team, Kelly said.

“I have a small crew in Deadhorse, myself and two station agents. Just the three of us run the whole operation.”

“We have to balance our schedule with doing everything properly. Because of our schedule all our aircraft can arrive at once, so there’s lots of prep work we do to make sure when they are on the ground, we can turn them as fast as possible.”

There are two Deadhorse teams, each ^VYRPUN [^V ^LLRZ VU HUK [^V ^LLRZ VɈ “For that two weeks, the work is everything from turning aircraft to cleaning the station to freight operations to dispatch and passenger reservations, and everything in between that involves the station,” she said. “I like that because it is doing everything, not just sitting in an Vɉ JL VY KVPUN WHWLY^VYR ¹ That schedule is something they love. “One of best perks being able to have [OVZL [^V ^LLRZ VɈ [V W\YZ\L V[OLY opportunities or travel or do other things for our company,” Kelly said. “We depend on Fairbanks and Barrow for our aircraft, so there’s a lot of negotiating and communication between us and them to make our operation run smoothly.”

¸>L \Z\HSS` KV IL[^LLU [OYLL HUK Ä ]L Å PNO[Z KHPS` ¹ The teamwork that is a foundation [OYV\NOV\[ 9H]U(PY (SHZRH PZ L_LTWSPÄ LK in Deadhorse. “We been working together for a long time,” Kelly said. “We’re just a really good crew. It doesn’t take much for us to get into the groove together. And they’re such strong workers—I’m really lucky.” Station Agent Shawn March has worked in Deadhorse seven years. He grew up in Northern California but loves the independence and teamwork in Deadhorse. continued on page 63

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Almost anywhere you fly with RavnAir, Subway® is there!

Ravn Alaska and RavnAir Alaska ©2019 RavnAir Group. All rights reserved. Sandwiches prepared in front of you. Subway To Go!™ Meals require minimum order of 8. All chips-related trademarks are owned by Frito Lay North America, Inc. ©2019. Subway® is a Registered Trademark of Subway IP LLC. ©2019 Subway IP LLC.

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