2007 Kiana Culture Camp, K-12

The 2.15 million acre Selawik NWR is situated on the Arctic Circle to the east of Kotzebue Sound. The Selawik and Kobuk River deltas provide invaluable habitat for hundreds of thousands of migratory bird species. A wide variety of wildlife species rest, breed, and feed in the vast wetlands complex. The Selawik Refuge has been hunting and fishing grounds of the Inupiak Eskimo people for thousands of years. Subsistence traditions remain.



Kiana is a a small village located along the Kobuk River , on the northern boundary of the Selawik Refuge. Kiana cultural camp is a 3 week event sponsored by the Kiana Tribal Education Department through a grant. Seven volunteers participated in the camp: Three the first week and two each the last two weeks.

Volunteers were flown to Kotzebue where they were met by staff of Selawik NWR. Three they were housed and fed and given information about the camp and offered supplies to assist with camp projects and activities. Then they were flown to the village of Kiana for an overnight before boating to camp on Monday.

All three weeks were different as more elders participated and more cultural activities were made possible. Students numbered 17-19 each week with some attending all three weeks Monday through Friday. The ages varied from 8-13 with some older teens as “counselors” and helpers.

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This camp was located a few miles from Kiana on the Kobuk River. The students enjoyed swimming, kayaking, fishing, hiking, beading, and shooting as well as activities taught by the volunteers. These included studying animal tracks, testing water quality, learning about weather and photography. Volunteers also helped with cooking, dishwashing, supervision of children and assisting the camp director (21 year old college student) and the elders in their projects and activities.

Friends of Alaska National Wildlife Refuges
2440 E. Tudor Road, PMB 283
Anchorage, AK 99507-1185
akrefugefriends@gmail.com