Nonprofit provides place for hunting

While it doesn't solve the whole problem, one woman in the Northwest Arctic came up with an idea that is helping her region. Ilinniagvik Attautchikun, which means "learning together," is a nonprofit based in Kiana that runs Camp Qalhaq, where volunteers can hunt and harvest animals in return for donating a large part of their food to village elders.

The camp is set on 80 acres of land 12 miles outside of Kotzebue. It has tents, a large fish rack, cold storage, a cabin for winter fishing, and outhouses.

Margaret Schaeffer is president of Ilinniagvik Attautchikun. The land the camp sits on belonged to her mother, but she donated it "because the need is quite huge in the region," Schaeffer said.

Schaeffer said that she had the idea for the camp when she noticed that many people's ancestral hunting grounds had become closed off, absorbed into the Park Service, borough, cities, private property and Native lands claims.

"Through the region, people are voicing that they don't have anywhere to hunt like they did before. They want to strengthen their culture and hunt their food more than they used to," said Schaeffer. She noticed more people expressing an interest in hunting as the cost of groceries rose -- even a loaf of plain bread costs $5.05 at the village store now, she said.

The nonprofit donates the fuel for hunters, who volunteer their time and equipment, and land and facilities for harvesters. So far, camp volunteers have harvested trout, seal and berries. Next year they will start harvesting sheefish and caribou as well.

The camp is helping to sustain cultural traditions, because people teach each other the skills they need for harvesting. Sometimes they go to elders in the villages to ask how it's done.

So far the camp has been going well for the 2009 seal harvest, Camp Qalhaq saw 36 people from Selawik, Anchorage, Kotzebue, Kivalina, Kobuk and Kiana volunteer their skills and time.

That's why when Schaeffer came across an article about tough economic times in southwest Alaska, she thought that area might benefit from having something like Camp Qalhaq too.

"Bethel is having the same problems we're having. This is one thing they could do -- start a public charity," said Schaeffer. "Because they have areas where they can set up fish camps where students can learn from adults and families and provide for themselves."

Since starting her organization as a 501(c)3, Schaeffer said Ilinniagvik Attautchikun received a lot of support, including grants from the Alaska Community Foundation, RuralCap and SEVA.

That, along with the efforts of volunteers, has sustained the program.

Bert Greist of Selawik has volunteered as a planner for Ilinniagvik Attautchikun for the past four months.

"People receiving the food at a time of their need really understand the value of sharing, so they do it to others next. That's good to see. It bonds families and relatives back to each other every time. As for the hunters, dressers, butchers and volunteers, it's been a labor of love. They all know the value of what they are doing," Greist said.