Overview
The Alaska Youth Stewards (AYS) is a summer work program run by the Hoonah Indian Association that provides youth with paid, hands-on experience in natural resource management, scientific data collection, community service, and cultural stewardship. It’s been running in Hoonah since 2018 (formerly known as TRAYLS) and we’re very proud of our 2024 crew’s work!
This year’s crew consisted of Hayden Daniels, Susan Bradford, Leah Moss, Will Dalton, Cayenne Boe and Michael Michaud. It was led by HIA’s Environmental Education Coordinator, Julian Narvaez, and Environmental Education Specialist, Thomas Mills. Projects for the 9-week season (running from June 10th to August 9th) were developed alongside HIA, IGAP, the Hoonah Native Forest Partnership, the Forest Service, Huna Heritage Foundation, the National Park Service, Oregon State University, Tlingit and Haida (CCTHITA), and Yakutat Tlingit Tribe. Thanks to all our partners!
Pre-season Training:
The 2024 AYS Crew commenced the season with a significant training event on Prince of Wales Island involving all AYS crews and leaders from Hoonah, Kake, Angoon, and PoW. The primary focus of this trip was Wilderness First Aid certification, providing crew members with essential life-saving skills. Additionally, the crew gained valuable experience in teamwork, taking initiative, and the use of basic instruments for forestry surveys.
Collaboration with the U.S. Forest Service
- During the 2024 season, the Hoonah AYS crew engaged in several collaborations with the U.S. Forest Service across the Hoonah, Juneau, and Ketchikan Ranger Districts. Thank you to Forest Service Staff Marlene Duvalle, Neal Schoenfelder, Geno Cisneros, Sarah Schwan, Alexandria Contreras, Braxton Booze, Lydia Mills, Abigail Lund, Jacqueline Foss, and Amanda Cochran!
A large part of the summer is funded by Forest Service-related grants, and we appreciate the collaboration.
- Fish Ladder Maintenance:
Our first collaboration involved maintaining the Suntaheen Fish Ladder. The AYS crew worked alongside Neal Schoenfelder, Fisheries Biologist from the Hoonah Ranger District, to remove debris that could obstruct the passage of fish upstream. Similar maintenance efforts were carried out at the Pavlov River Fish Ladder.
- Vegetation Mapping Project:
Throughout the season, the AYS crew participated in a Vegetation Mapping Project introduced by members of the Ketchikan Ranger District. The objective was to create a comprehensive “census” of the trees and vegetation on Northern Chichagof Island. This involved comparing satellite, aerial, and LiDAR imagery with on-the-ground surveys. The crew successfully mapped nearly a dozen sites, documenting tree cover, species, landscape features, and associated vegetation.
- Trail Maintenance and Recreation Site Cleanup:
The AYS crew was also involved in trail maintenance and U.S. Forest Service recreation site clean-up at locations such as Whitestone Harbor and Freshwater Bay. For trail maintenance, the crew cleared intrusive branches and other vegetation encroaching on the trails. Recreation site clean-up included cleaning fire pits, picking up trash, removing small alders growing near cabins, and thoroughly cleaning the cabins, both inside and out.
- Invasive Species Removal:
At the end of the season, the AYS crew participated in the annual invasive daisy removal at Freshwater Bay. Over two days, the crew meticulously removed daisies by hand, taking care not to spread seeds. Thanks to the efforts of previous AYS crews, this year’s work focused primarily on the road entering Freshwater Bay, with very few daisies found in the bay itself.
- Archaeological Collaboration:
The 2024 AYS crew had the privilege of spending a day with U.S. Forest Service Archaeologist Lydia Mills. The crew learned the importance of accuracy in scientific measurements, and careful observation. Lydia also gave a talk on the significance of archaeology, anthropology, and the shared history that each crew member has with Hoonah, emphasizing the importance of preserving this heritage.
Collaboration with the U.S. Park Service
In late July, the AYS crew had the opportunity to collaborate with the U.S. Park Service on a significant project in Dundas Bay. Thank you to Julie Jackson, Darlene See, and Hadyn Pollard at HIA as well as Wes Bacon-Schulte, Stephanie Sterling, Mary Beth Moss, Melissa Senac, Don Starbard, and everyone else working at Glacier Bay National Park!
- Dundas Bay Cemetery Site:
The primary objective was to locate and catalog cemetery sites at Dundas Bay, an important task as it involved bringing some crew members back to their ancestral territory. A secondary objective was to assist U.S. Park Service archaeologists in their work, providing the AYS crew with valuable learning opportunities.
- Bartlett Cove Activities:
While in Bartlett Cove, the AYS crew attended cultural programs at Huna Shuká Hít and became a part of the sessions themselves, contributing songs and dance to the sessions. Additionally, the crew assisted in preserving a historic and culturally significant canoe shed and learned about vessel tracking systems in the park.
Harvesting Activities
The 2024 AYS crew participated in several rewarding harvesting activities throughout the summer.
- Harvesting for the Community:
Since the youth crew’s inception, HIA and Huna Heritage Foundation have been partnering to harvest and process traditional food for Hoonah’s annual Food Fair. This year, the crew helped harvest and process 96 pints of beach asparagus, 146 snack bags of Hudson Bay tea, and 62 half-pints of spruce tip jelly/syrup. The beach asparagus and Hudson Bay tea were harvested alongside community members, and all the food was distributed at the Food Fair. The AYS crew always embrace the opportunity to give back to the community through food and are grateful for the partnership with Amelia Wilson, Rebekah Sawers Contreras, and Jeff Skaflestad at HHF! Thank you also to Christina Smith and Mary Peterson for teaching the crew how to process spruce tips and beach asparagus (respectively).
In addition to these efforts, the crew helped maintain our community potato garden throughout the summer, as well as separate garden beds full of carrots, kale, and other greens. The potatoes were harvested in September with community members and all elementary school classes. The carrots and greens were given away at the Food Fair.
- Octopus:
In early July, while conducting a marine debris cleanup on Front Street Beach, the crew discovered an octopus. After securing the octopus, Owen James taught the crew how to cook, clean, and smoke it. This was a memorable experience for many crew members, as it was their first time participating in such an activity.
- Deer & Halibut Processing:
Shortly after, the crew was able to process a deer, which had been struck by a car and was donated by the State Troopers. Members of the HIA Environmental team volunteered their time to instruct the crew in skinning and butchering the deer.
HIA’s Subsistence Fisheries Biologist, Jackson Combs, also provided 30lbs of halibut for the crew to process. Both the deer and halibut were donated to the senior center. These educational experiences were highly valued by the crew.
- Sockeye Salmon Project:
In mid-July, the crew traveled to Excursion Inlet with the intention of harvesting and processing sockeye salmon. Unfortunately, heavy rains flooded the rivers, preventing the sockeye from ascending the streams. The crew was still able to carry out some light maintenance work on the fish counting weir at Neva Lake.
This project was a collaborative effort involving the HIA Environmental Department and the Hoonah and Juneau Ranger Districts of the U.S. Forest Service. We’re grateful for the hospitality shown by the caretakers out at the Excursion Inlet cannery, and to Thomas Mills Sr.
Collaboration within HIA
- Fish Surveys:
The crew assisted the Hoonah Native Forest Partnership (HNFP) with minnow surveys, where traps were placed to survey for fish and measure characteristics of the stream. If more than two coho were found, the stream could be added to the “Anadromous Waters Catalog” for protection. The AYS crew participated in one of these surveys, gaining a deeper understanding of salmon habitat, of vital importance to the community. This experience also highlighted potential career opportunities beyond the AYS program, as three HNFP team members were AYS program graduates.
- Tree Plotting:
The crew also collaborated with HNFP on a tree plotting project, similar to the vegetation mapping project. However, the HNFP project focused more on trees and their health, providing additional insights and learning opportunities for the crew.
- Water + Shellfish Sampling/Monitoring
IGAP is funded by the EPA and monitors environmental factors that impact community health, such as the presence of phytoplankton containing paralytic shellfish toxins. The AYS crew enjoyed assisting Jeromy Grant with the collection of stream monitoring equipment, of water samples to look for phytoplankton, and of shellfish to assess population health.
- Marine Debris Clean up:
In coordination with the Seacoast Indigenous Guardians Network, Ocean Conservancy, and Hoonah’s local Guardian, Jeromy Grant, the AYS crew carried out three days of marine debris cleanups at Whitestone Harbor, Wukuklook beach, and by the Hoonah City dock. Countless pounds of debris were removed, and the crew will be back to get more next year!
Weather Chimes Deployment
In coordination with students from Oregon State University, and members of the Sitka Science Center, the crew assisted with the deployment of several environmental sensors affectionately named “Weather Chimes.” These sensors are equipped with a range of instruments that measure and catalog such things as: rainfall, air humidity, water pressure, dissolved oxygen, and soil moisture. The crew assisted in successfully deploying five of these “weather chimes” in Hoonah, and the surrounding watershed. The data from these chimes will be used to help Hoonah monitor variables linked to climate change and may lead to better-informed climate strategies for Hoonah.
Youth Camps
The AYS crew had the honor of participating in the Molly of Denali Kids camp, put on by HHF and GBH (from PBS). The camp focused on the salmon life cycle and AYS crew members assisted with educational activities and interactive games designed to engage the children in learning about this critical aspect of Alaskan ecology. Importantly, the crew helped supervise the children during a field trip to Spasski River, providing support and guidance throughout the excursion.
The AYS crew also helped with the annual Hoonah Culture Camp. The camp took place over a day at Huna Shuká Hít in Bartlett cove. An array of educational activities were offered, including traditional dancing, listening to elders share their knowledge, and participating in workshops focused on indigenous practices. These workshops included learning about formline art design, knot tying, and weaving, all of which fostered a deeper understanding of traditional ways of knowing. The camp was a meaningful experience for all involved. Thank you to Heather Powell Mills and the Haa Tóo Yéi Yatee team for putting on such an important event every year.
Visit from Yakutat
The Yakutat Tlingit Tribe launched a pilot youth crew season and came down to Hoonah for a week to shadow our crew. They participated in our shellfish biomass survey, tree plotting, kennel creek cabin cleanup, and the Molly of Denali kids camp put on by HHF. They were a boon to our projects, and it was an amazing opportunity for the Hoonah crew to model what a successful season could look like for Yakutat. We were very proud of how the Hoonah youth crew exemplified responsibility and hard-working attitudes.
Postseason Opportunities:
For AYS crew members that go to school in Hoonah, dual-enrollment college courses were offered. Courses offered for the 2024-2024 school year were FT274: Fish Biology (through the UAS Fisheries Tech Department), and BIOL101: Introduction to Biological Research Techniques (through RASOR).
BIOL194: Policy & Procedure Practicum will be offered in the spring to high schoolers. It will involve a trip to Anchorage for the Federal Subsistence Board Meetings.
Opportunities were given for two crew members to attend the national AISES conference. Help with resumes was provided by Gabe Sjoberg.
Crew members also attended Whalefest through the RASOR program, and chaperoned by Julian Narvaez and Darcy Higgins.
Conclusion:
The 2024 AYS season will be remembered as one of growth, adventure, and achievement. The crew proved themselves capable of rising to every challenge. The valuable lessons learned, particularly in weather preparedness and crew management, will serve to strengthen the program in the years to come. As we look to 2025, we do so with confidence and vigor, knowing the AYS program will continue to thrive, enriching the lives of all who pass through it, and cementing the legacy of perseverance, courage, and unrelenting ambition.
Gunal’cheech for this great and informative report, always exciting to read! HIA IGAP operates at maximum, and I love to know about it. RE marine technology, Hoonah’s tribal past and present seine boat captains hold a wealth of info. As a deckhand last century, i participated in crab fishing in uncharted waters within GBNP:Dundas Bay, Muir Inlet in E GB, and all inlets and waters of W GB. Hoonah’s highliner captains will be more than happy to share experiences.