Photographer Katie Orlinsky and I did a big trip in June, visiting Kotzebue and Point Hope, looking at the ways climate change is impacting subsistence foods. Here are some iPhone pictures from Kotzebue, where we were reporting for National Geographic News about the short bearded seal season. We’re working on a project this summer about climate change and subsistence, funded by the Pulitzer Center for Crisis Reporting. Stay tuned for more stories.
Usually this time of year there is ice in Kotzebue Sound, but not this year. It was 60 degrees when I took this photo
Kotzebue
Kotzebue
Caribou and bearded seal are the most important subsistence foods in Kotzebue
Ross Schaeffer, hunter, was gracious enough to let us visit him at his camp
Seal, dried and preserved in oil
Seal I ate at Ross Schaeffer’s camp
Seal meat
Seal oil, a super valuable condiment in this part of the world
Sheefish at Ross Schaeffer’s camp
Ross Schaeffer’s fossils
Robin eggs.
Kotz tour guide John Chase in his VW Bug. (It’s yellow)
You should eat tacos in Kotzebue
Aiya, my captain, and I got soaked by waves looking for stray bearded seal
Karmen Monigold, seal hunter
Karmen’s ugruk (bearded seal) hides
Kotzebue Sound
John and Saima Chase’s chickens
Ocean beneath us as we flew to Pt. Hope.
One thought on “Kotzebue in iPhone snaps”
Julia, your posts are wonderful. Most people down here don’t know Alaska at all, and if they do, it’s because they’ve fished on the Kenai, a teeny part of the state. I look forward to what you write.
Julia, your posts are wonderful. Most people down here don’t know Alaska at all, and if they do, it’s because they’ve fished on the Kenai, a teeny part of the state. I look forward to what you write.