A boatload of Selawik children arrive at the Elders' Camp, August 2008. Photo by Susan Georgette.

Selawik girls practice cutting fish with the guidance of experienced women, August 2008. Photo by Lee Anne Ayres.

Wielding traditional Eskimo knives called ulus, youngsters crowded around a small outdoor table to practice their fish-cutting skills under the watchful eye of their Iñupiaq elders.  Other girls and boys dotted the tundra, bent over to pick the tasty and abundant blueberries.  Small children toddled after their older brothers and sisters, while adults cooked lunch on a camp stove in a large wall tent.  All this activity took place recently at an Elders’ Camp held by the Iñupiaq village of Selawik and sponsored in part by the Selawik National Wildlife Refuge. 

Both the village of Selawik and Refuge staff recognize that young people in the community need more opportunities to spend time outdoors participating in traditional subsistence activities and enjoying the natural setting.  For this reason, the Elders’ Camp has been an annual endeavor in Selawik for the past several years.  This year the camp was held for three days in late summer instead of during the school year. More than 30 youngsters participated in the camp each day, along with more than a dozen community members, elders, and Refuge staff.  For some of the youngsters, this was their only opportunity to take a boat ride in their river delta home and get more acquainted with their natural environment.  The camp was considered a great success by all involved, and everyone is now looking forward to winter visits to the camp!