Family Values At Klutina River Camp
Marlene Macy shows Grant Rebne where to add to the family tree, while Treann Ewan looks on. Photo by Allison Sayer
Allison Sayer - CRR Staff
On July 28 and 29, CRNA hosted Klutina River Camp. The camp was well attended by people from a cross section of area communities and generations.
Adults and older kids worked together to produce huge meals of traditional foods, including moose stew, fry bread, and, of course, salmon. Coffee was constantly brewing in a percolator over the fire. There was singing, dancing and drumming after meals.
Frybread cooking over the fire. Photo by Allison Sayer
Throughout the camp, there were presentations on topics including edible plants, Ahtna language, canning, making jam, and the dangers of vaping, among others. There were opportunities to make beaded crafts. There was also time to sit in lawn chairs around the fire and catch up. Kids played on the beach in the hot weather and teens jumped in the river.
Boys took part in butchering a moose, and girls took part in cutting fish. It is traditional for these roles to be assigned to particular genders.
Treann Ewan, CRNA Youth Outreach Manager, organized the camp. She was happy with the turnout, and that people spent quality time gathering and talking. She noted that many people had not seen each other for a long time. When I asked her about the work that went into it, she said modestly, “I just held space and everyone did everything else.”
Kiera Goodlataw, 15, of Tazlina, and Chevy Rankan, 14, of Talkeetna, kept busy with preparing food on both days. On Thursday afternoon, they were cleaning up after filleting a pile of sockeye salmon, and bagging up the heads for later use in soup.
On cutting fish, Goodlataw said different people have different techniques. She advised trying everyone’s technique when you are learning to find the one that works for you.
She credits her knowledge of traditional skills to her grandpas, including the late Johnny Goodlataw, who built fishwheels throughout the area. Kiera also said she enjoyed making plates and serving elders earlier that day.
Chevy Rankan (L) and Kiera Goodlataw (R) on the Klutina River after cleaning up fish cutting boards. Photo by Allison Sayer
Chevy said she encourages everyone to learn how to prepare and use different parts of fish and other animals. She also said she butchers meat at home, and enjoys trapping and other wilderness activities. She believes in being prepared in other ways, including taking emergency medical courses. Chevy said there’s a great satisfaction in being out in the wilderness and being able to say, “I did that. I made that.”
On Friday afternoon, Grant Rebne, of Cantwell, stretched a printout of a family tree across two picnic tables. The tree ties local families together and goes back several generations. It has taken him years to compile. Elders traced through branches of the tree and wrote in additions and corrections. Young people found themselves, or their parents or grandparents.
Grant also taught a vocabulary lesson on Friday afternoon. He started with animals, using stuffed animals and photos to encourage kids to use the animals’ Ahtna names. Several kids already knew a few animal names, especially deniigi (moose), but everyone learned something new.
In later Ahtna language discussion, the topic of family came up again. A participant asked how to say, “I love you,” and learned how a person would say that to different members of their family.
Coffee and wash water steam over a fire. Photo by Allison Sayer
Grant encouraged participants to practice the names for different family members, and noted someone would not call an older relative by their name, traditionally. Instead, out of respect, they would be called by their family relationship. In a big family with a lot of aunts and uncles it might be hard to distinguish between relatives, but “There’s always a way to do it,” he said, “You just have to understand how.”
I was not present for the entire camp; I’m sure there were many other highlights I missed.
As an outsider, I was struck by hearing and seeing people help and support each other in numerous ways. I also heard Kiera’s smiling words in my head: “We got to serve elders.” Serving elders: Not a chore to grin and bear, but a privilege to be excited about.
CRNA is a Copper River Record Advertiser.
More Ahtna news:
CRNA Sled Building Class Combines Science, Art and Culture
Ahtna Cultural Center Reopens Under New Partnership Between Ahtna and the National Park Service
More from Allison Sayer:
Gulkana Village To Launch Community Gardens
It’s All Downhill From Here: Bluebell Gene Dispersal in a Changing Climate
Powerful Public Testimony at CRNA Climate Change Plan Meeting
