Seldovia, Port Graham, and Kodiak

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Published Date

November 9, 2011

Last week, I was lucky enough to travel to Seldovia and Port Graham, Alaska to gather stories in those communities.  I had many interesting conversations with Elders, young people, parents and teachers.  Thank you to all the friendly people who shared their stories, invited me into their homes, and shared their snacks with me.  This project is taking me to so many places in Alaska that I haven't had the privilege of visiting before.  Seldovia and Port Graham are just a short flight away (or boat ride, when the seas aren't too choppy), but this project gave me a reason to visit these beautiful communities and a chance to meet some really interesting people.

 

Taking off from Seldovia (left), headed to the Traditional Native Village of Port Graham (below).  Both communities     are located a few miles across Kachemak Bay from my home, but I had never been to either before.

After returning home from Port Graham via Homer Air, I had a couple days to recover before getting on the trusty (or rusty?) Tusty for the ferry to Kodiak.  Although I had been to Kodiak before, it was only ever for high school volleyball.  It turns out Kodiak is a whole different place when you aren’t traveling with spandex and 30 other girls in tow.  I am ever-more amazed by the generosity of people as this project progresses.  Families have opened their homes and allowed me to stay in their guest rooms, which has helped me tremendously in my effort to stay within budget and also made my travels much more enjoyable. 

Almost everyone I talk to is eager help with the project and to make me feel at home.  My schedule is a web of coffee dates, dinners-interviews, and trips to local museums where a large number of current employees seem to have been kids at the time of the oil spill.  Dinner-interviews?  Yes, I have been invited by busy young parents to come to their homes when they are most "free" -- dinner time!  A few times now, I have conducted interviews over home-cooked dinners, which have proven every time to be deliciously nourishing and a fun, warm experience.  I am amazed by the lengths that people go to share their story -- a mother bounces a baby on her knee, a father serves his daughter  rice, a young woman mends nets, a skipper refuels his boat, an employee at the museum greets people -- all while recollecting their memories of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill for the project.  I am so grateful that people have allowed me to enter their lives and feel so privileged to be receiving the gift of these stories.  No matter how difficult the stories they tell, people here always seem to end with a smile or a laugh or a few words of encouragement -- or an offer of dessert!

How lucky I am!