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Slipping through liquid space on the crest of an
imaginary wave, an Alutiiq/Sugpiaq hunter and a harbor
seal meet at the moment of survival. His tools - an
extremely seaworthy skin boat or kayak, warm watertight
clothing, and a harpoon.
The seal, graceful swimmer and deep diver, wears
a thick layer of fat. Its blubber insures both salvation
in chill waters and its lure as the perfect meal.
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Seal
Hunting
Illustration by Steve Herbert |
Masters of fluid motion - waterproof, insulated from the
cold, well equipped - both the hunter in his watercraft
and the seal are expert at surviving in Kachemak Bay.
Seals have been continuously hunted in Kachemak Bay for thousands
of years. Kachemak tradition, Dena'ina, and Alutiiq/Sugpiaq
peoples all pursued this nutrient-rich meal. Small groups
of ancient sea mammal hunters speared, darted, and netted
seals.
The Alutiiq/Sugpiaq region has one of the best-developed
maritime cultures along the southern coast of Alaska. The
villagers of Nanwalek and Port Graham are descendants of
these ancient hunters. They continue the tradition of subsistence
harvesting from the sea and the land. In spite of growing
scarcity, vitamin- and fat-rich harbor seals remain an important
component of their diet.
The seal hunting tradition provides a lesson in stewardship.
For generations, Alutiiq/Sugpiaq hunters harvested seals
without depleting the population. The people were few in
number and their culture dictated taking only what was needed.
External forces now threaten this balance.
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