Even 70 mph winds couldn't drive away enthusiastic participants of Niigugim Tanasxaa, Atka's first-ever culture camp. The camp, held to promote the Niigugix way of life, hunkered down for the storm long enough to enjoy a week of balmy summer weather along with traditional foods, sewing techniques, boat building, music, and dancing.
Crystal Dushkin, cultural affairs director for the Atka IRA Council Office, said the goal of the camp was to teach the younger generation of Atkans how the Niigugix traditionally hunted, gathered, and cooked foods; how to build Iqyas, a type of kayak; how to make skin boots; how to weave baskets and mats with traditional grass weaving techniques; and to have them listen the stories and music of Atkan elders.
"It's still a large part of daily life to depend on traditional foods, but the oldest generation primarily does the hunting and preparing," Dushkin said. "We, the younger generation, are not necessarily learning the entire process."
Dushkin said about 40 youth and adults participated in the camp, which was held from Aug. 11 to 17 at Imlam Chuqaa on Korovin Beach. Ten more Atkans who could not attend donated food. Other foods were hunted and fished during the camp. Traditional foods included bread, salmon, halibut, cod, seal, sea lion, reindeer, pogies, ducks, ptarmigan, and puffins. Camp participants also learned how to catch and prepare octopus.
The camp, coordinated and funded through a recently created Culture Affairs Department within the tribe, followed a "holistic" model of learning, Duskin said. Days were unstructured and activities took place as they naturally came up. Days were dedicated to hunting, cooking, and building. In the evenings, the group would sit around the fire engaging in traditional music and dance.
Gennady Yakovlev, a 78-year-old elder from Nikolskoye, Bering Island, traveled to Atka to teach participants how to make Uliigis, the traditional skin boots of the Niigugix people. Nikolskoye is in the Commander Islands of Russia, where many people are descendants of Atkans and Attuans who were transplanted by Russians during the 1800s. Gennady speaks no English, but grew up speaking the Western dialects of Unangam Tunuu. Through this shared language with Niigugis, Yakovlev was able to share his teachings in Atka. Yakovlev is also a musician and an accordion player, and shared music from his home on Bering Island.
Marc Daniels shared how to build and cover an iqya, a traditional kayak. Dushkin said the frame of an iqya had been hanging in the school for nearly 20 years, and Daniels helped camp participants repair and finish the boat. Alice Petrvelli taught people about edible roots, cooking, and storytelling. Gary Ferguson, a naturopathic doctor originally from Sand Point, taught about medicinal plants. Other Atkans aided in instruction about food preparation, weaving, and hunting.
"Each year we will dedicate our camp in memory of an elder of our community," Dushkin said. "This first camp was dedicated to an elder who we lost just this year, but will not be forgotten -- Nick Golodoff."
Golodoff, born in 1935, is the author of the autobiographical book Attu Boy. He lived most of his life in Atka, however, as the title of his book suggests, he was born and raised on Attu Island. The book chronicles his youth in Attu, up to and including the Japanese invasion of the village and subsequent capture of all Attuans as prisoners of war. After the end of World War II, the U.S. government did not allow Attuans to return to their home island, and many were relocated to the village of Atka.
Dushkin said Niigugim Tanasxaa was a satisfying success for a first-year event after only two months of planning. The Culture Affairs Department hadn't been created until June, and Dushkin and others scrambled to make plans and collect supplies for the camp on this remote island in the Aleutian chain. Grant Aviation got on board to supply air transportation from Dutch Harbor. Doanh Tran, an aide to Rep. Bob Herron, also was instrumental in transportation planning.
"We were very fortunate to get the funding we needed," Dushkin said. She said the tribal council plans to make Niigugim Tanasxaa an annual event.
This article originally appeared in the Bristol Bay Times and is republished here with permission.