Cape Alitak, a small piece of land off the far western end of Kodiak Island, Alaska, is a place unlike any other I’ve experienced. It’s four planes and a boat ride away. If the weather is favorable, it takes a day of travel to reach. If not, it can take a week. It’s the ancestral homelands of the Sugpiaq people, and it’s where Akhiok Kids Camp takes place each summer.

Beginning in 2021, I’ve had the honor to attend Kids Camp to photograph, film, and produce maps for a film playing on public broadcasting across the country and is streamable (free!) on PBS: “And Knowledge to Keep Us.” Synopsis: Every year Sugpiat kids gather for Akhiok Kids Camp to connect with and celebrate knowledge their Ancestors grew for over 7500 years. But a barrier lies between the kids and their Ancestors: 200 years of colonial suppression that reduced their words to whispers. The Camp is part of the race against time to repatriate and reawaken Sugpiaq knowledge and culture.

The film centers on the kids, Elders, and the lessons found at Camp. It demonstrates the resiliency and ingenuity of people renewing their traditions and knowledge. When the film starts, an Elder asks a question I think is important now more than ever: “When you’re away from home, do you feel like you’re missing something?”

Home isn’t a house, town, or country. Home is where you feel a sense of belonging and purpose. For me, it’s the people. I believe this film is a testament that inside us we are curious and kind and adaptable. Culture is vital to our identities as individuals and communities. When we know ourselves as a community, we can thrive.

I am very grateful for the opportunity to be part of this project. To Torsten Kjellstrand and Mark Blaine for trusting me to work on the film and to the camp and community for welcoming me and teaching me so much more than I could ever have anticipated, from hunting and fishing to wood carving and language learning. This project instilled the importance of recognizing that storytelling isn’t about recording; it’s about connecting. It’s about knowing when to put the camera down and participate.