Kids from across the Aleutian chain come to the beaches of Humpy Cove every summer for Camp Qungaayux̂, a culture camp focused on Unangax̂ teachings and values. It’s organized by the Qawalangin Tribe of Unalaska, with support from local and governmental groups.
This year was the 27th anniversary of Camp Q, where kids learn about archaeology, fishing, weaving, dancing, hunting, hat and drum making, and the Unangax̂ language, Unangam Tunuu. This year, they learned about traditional knots and environmental science, too.
Another special addition to this year’s events happened out on the water: launching a niĝilax̂, a handcrafted, open skin boat.
Unalaskans gathered on the beach by the dozens, jostling for a better view of the boat and the opportunity to help bring it to the water.
Vince Tutiakoff Sr. is Unalaska’s mayor and a longtime mentor at Camp Q. He blessed the boat, offering a prayer and thanks to the community.
This was the first time a niĝilax̂ touched Unalaska’s waters since the 1800s. The name of the boat, Tukum Itaangii, honors Chief Alexei Yachmenoff, a key figure in Unangax̂ history.
Anfesia Tutiakoff is the tribe’s culture director and the current coordinator for Camp Q. She’s also Vince’s daughter. She said she felt overwhelmed and immensely thankful for the opportunity to launch the boat.
“I can’t thank our builders enough, all our mentors, our elders, all of our Unangax̂ people here today, and everybody who is here today,” she said.
The frame of the niĝilax̂ was constructed earlier this year, but it wasn’t skinned until camp.
Around 20 people piled into the niĝilax̂ and took it for a paddle in Unalaska Bay. When they finished, community members gathered around to bring the boat back onto the sand.
Hat making mentor Patty Lekanoff-Gregory has been a part of Camp Q since it started in the 90s. She learned her craft from Andrew Gronholdt, an Unangax̂ woodworker credited with reviving the art of bentwood hat-making. He died in 1998.
Lekanoff-Gregory gave some of Gronholdt’s teachings to the next generation during camp.
“For me, to pass on the art that I was passed on — passing the torch, basically — I feel that my duty is almost done,” Lekanoff-Gregory said.
Lydia Vincler is from Akutan and teaches drum-making. She also passed her skills forward this year.
“I love doing this kind of work and teaching,” Vincler said. “My ideal thing is when I teach in a town, to have somebody left behind to do the teaching after.”
There’s a real sense of camaraderie at Camp Q, partly from the care the mentors put into their lessons. But there’s a familial closeness attached to culture camp that, it turns out, isn’t just a feeling. Vincler said attendees often find relatives they didn't even know they had.
“I found cousins in just about every camp I went to,” she said. “When you find out you’re related, the kids get so excited, like, ‘Oh, you’re my family, you know?’”
One of the last things campers saw before heading to the closing potluck was the Unangax̂ dance group performing on the beach. They sang in Unangam Tunuu and wore traditional regalia. A few dancers were preparing to leave the island for college or a new place to live, which is why the group wanted to perform together again.
Seven-year-old camper Emerson Schliebe described camp as “a long journey” where participants learn a lot. He said, “So you want to come up here? Just do it. It’s fun.”
KUCB’s Theo Greenly contributed reporting to this story.
