Visions of fishing

beach4

My mother and I have noticed that time seems to be whizzing by particularly fast this year.  We are already into May.  Mom informed us she is not fishing this summer.  That is a daunting statement coming from her, as she had taught all of us that salmon is one of the most important components of our lives.  Her reason?  No time.  She is in the final preparations for a show at the Anchorage Museum.  When she announced that she would not be fishing, we were all a little stunned.  Not that she actually “fishes” anymore, but she is still the catalyst that drives the process.  She is an unrelenting stickler for perfection in her subsistence practices.  From catch to filleted and prepped for final process is typically never more than 15 minutes or so, depending on the number of fish hitting the net.  Usually we must twist her arm to let us do the filleting.  She just loves the whole process.  So, we shall all step up to the plate this year to see if we have learned well and have what it takes.  I have the faith.  It is unfortunate that one of the best fish cutters will be self-exiled for an intense language immersion opportunity this summer.  This is an opportunity that couldn’t be passed up.  Our language, Unangam Tunuu, has only fluent speakers who are over the age of 70.  So, while we all have our own visions this spring and summer, we know in our heart of hearts that we will fill our freezers, our drying and smoking houses, and our salt buckets to the best of our abilities.  Having had the best teacher in life, we will be successful.

Chngatux^ – Sea Otter

3 ottersThe sea otter is a creature of daily habits that consist of napping and foraging.  It forages and eats in the morning, usually taking it’s first meal in the predawn hour before sunrise.  The otter naps during mid-day and hunts and forages until sunset.  Many rest again and then forage for a third time around midnight.  It is known to voraciously clean out beach foods in an area, then move on down the coast to new areas.  It is said that the otter came to being when a brother and sister of Unangan decent threw themselves from a cliff and became otters.

Sea otters are one of the smallest sea mammals, but one of the largest members of the weasel family.  Our otters, E.I. kenyoni, inhabit waters from the Eastern Aleutians to the Oregon Coast.  Unlike most marine mammals who have dense blubber for cold protection, the sea otter’s primary form of insulation is an exceptionally thick coat of fur.

The presence of the otter in the ecosystem is more important than you might think.  Otters keep the population of sea floor herbivores from over population.  Especially sea urchins which graze on the lower stems of kelp often causing the death of kelp forests.  Kelp forests, although very irritating to fishermen and their boat engines, are one of the most important parts of our ecosystem.  Kelp forests absorb and capture CO2 from the air through photosynthesis, hence making the otter one of the creatures that can help impact the detrimental effects of climate change.

The otters pictured above have wrapped themselves in kelp after their afternoon foraging.  Kelp helps keep the otters in place when they are resting or sleeping.

The Emergence.

AngelicaIn other parts of the U.S. and the world, emerging plants might be tulips or daffodils.  It might be a favorite local wildflower.  Whichever flower or shrub it might be, it is a announcement that spring has arrived.  In the Aleutians, we expect spring near the end of May or even in the first weeks of June.  I look for the emergence of medicinal plants that have become virtually nonexistent in my pharmacy.  It seems that my favorite time of year has arrived a bit early.  Well, except for fishing season, and berry picking season.  There is hiking and camping, but there is nothing quite like the emergence season when everything is fresh and new.  And loved.