Professor Kaplan’s Advanced Literature and Humanities class spent a week in Tatitlek last month. Over the course of their trip, they rode a ferry from Whittier to Valdez to Tatitlek (a nine hour journey in total), went hiking, kayaking and paddle boarding, discussed how classic literature applied to their personal journeys, and watched villagers harvest a seal for their subsistence diet.
Photos and captions by student Nicole Zegiestowski
Views from the ferry
Professor Kaplan and students make plans for the week
The shore where the class camped
On the second day, a handful of students hiked down the shoreline
Kayaking in front of Copper Mountain
Teaching the Eskimo American Warrior how to paddle board
“Catch of the day” village style. Never thought I would experience seeing dinner getting dragged from the ocean like this. Alaska Natives hunt for subsistence – the cost of living here is 12% higher than the national average. Tatitlek doesn’t get many sea lions through their waters, but when they see one they take advantage.
Views from one of the tents
Kayaking in low tide
Sunset on the final day
