Excerpted From Alaska Department of Fish and Game Technical Paper No.116, March 1985
SUBSISTENCE SECTOR OF THE LOCAL ECONOMY Spring harvests commence with the arrival of eiders and emperor geese on their way north to nesting grounds, and the emergence of parky squirrels and brown bears from their dens. Hunters travel to coastal areas to hunt marine mammals and waterfowl. A short time later, usually around the first week of May, herring enter nearshore waters to spawn. They are netted and preserved by drying and salting. Herring spawn-on-kelp is picked and eaten fresh or preserved by salting, freezing, or drying. During the time of the herring run, clams are dug, and some marine mammal and waterfowl hunting occurs. Many residents of the area also participate in the commercial spawn-on-kelp and herring sac-roe fisheries. Later in May and in June, eggs of gulls and seabirds are collected.
Commercial and subsistence salmon fishing are the primary activities during the months of June and July. Kings are the first salmon to run up local rivers, followed by reds, chums, pinks, and silvers. Incidental catches of halibut, and occasionally flounder and sole, are saved from commercial salmon catches for consumption at home. Dolly Varden (char) are taken throughout the year, but are caught in largest quantities in spring and fall. Smelt, whitefish, and pike are taken by jigging or in nets from late fall through spring.
Berry picking starts with salmonberries (cloudberries) in mid to late July and continues through fall as blueberries, huckleberries, blackberries (crowberries), and lowbush cranberries ripen. In August and September, moose and caribou hunting is a major activity with many hunters travelling to the Wood River lakes and the Nushagak-Mulchatna areas. Spotted (harbor) seals, waterfowl, and small mammals are taken within the Togiak area in the fall. Later in fall and in winter, hunters travel to neighboring subregions by airplane or snowmachine to hunt caribou.
During winter, beaver, red fox, and river otter are the primary species sought by trappers. Beaver are an important source of food, as well as fur and may be taken at other times of the year. When ice covers Togiak Bay in late winter, bearded and ringed seals are available to hunters in addition to spotted seals, walrus, and sea lions which are present year-round. As the sea ice moves out of the bay, the spring migration of eiders and emperors begins, and the annual cycle starts anew. . . .
HISTORIC SUBSISTENCE HARVESTS OF HERRING SPAWN-ON-KELP
. . . Elderly residents of the Togiak area recall harvesting and eating herring spawn-on-kelp all their lives. According to their reports, in the early 20th century, kelp covered with layers of herring eggs was picked by hand at low tide along rocky shorelines. It was eaten fresh or preserved for later consumption by drying. Compared to staples such as seal, Dolly Varden, or salmon which were eaten many times each week for several months or more of the year; spawn-on-kelp was a special treat which was eaten occasionally and provided variety in the diet. Several residents reported that more was used in the past than is presently used. . . .
CONTEMPORARY USE OF SPAWN-ON-KELP FOR SUBSISTENCE
Many residents of northwestern Bristol Bay look forward each spring to harvesting herring spawn-on-kelp. Nearly all of these people belong to families who live, or once lived in coastal communities between Nushagak Bay and Cape Newenham, and who grew up enjoying the unique crunchy texture and tart taste of herring eggs on kelp. Two main groups using subsistence spawn-on-kelp are readily discernible in the Togiak district during the herring season. 1) Residents of Togiak and Twin hills who make short trips from home by skiff or camp in the area between Togiak and Rocky Point; and 2) people who camp at Kulukak and Metevik Bays, primarily residents of Manokotak and Aleknagik. Each group has developed a pattern of use in response to the location of their permanent settlement relative to the herring spawning area, and to their level of participation in the commercial herring fishery. . . .
THE "TOGIAK PATTERN"
Location and Timing of Harvest
Several families move to camps east of the village, but most Togiak residents harvest herring spawn-on-kelp during daylong trips from their home community. Subsistence and commercial activities are inextricably related in many cases. In 1983, 76 percent of the commercial kelpers from Togiak interviewed reported they also harvested spawn-on-kelp for subsistence use. . . . People generally picked spawn-on-kelp for personal consumption on a single tide just prior to returning home from commercial kelping, or kept a small amount from their commercial harvest. Specific trips were also made solely for subsistence harvests. . . .
The harvesting period for subsistence spawn-on-kelp usually falls between the first of May and the first week of June. People wait until sufficient spawning has occurred to produce many layers of eggs on the kelp, and consider it palatable for only a few days following spawning.
Methods of Harvest and Preservation
Picking is done by hand when the kelp is exposed by the tide, or by grappling below water from a skiff with a garden rake if the desired kelp remains submerged. For domestic consumption, many people said they preferred to pick by hand because it allowed them to be more selective. Care is taken to ensure that the spawn-on-kelp they select has many layers of eggs, is not contaminated by sand or mud stirred up by wave action, and that the eggs have not started to eye up. The harvest is placed in 5-gallon plastic buckets or other containers as it is picked.
Spawn-on-kelp is consumed fresh. It keeps for several days if covered with saltwater. Spawn-on-kelp also is preserved for longer storage. Freezing is the most common means of preserving spawn-on-kelp in Togiak (19 of 26 respondents; some used more than one method of preservation) while 10 reported salting and eight drying (data from Langdon 1983, combined with Division of Subsistence data). Most who reported drying spawn-on-kelp said only small quantities are dried these days. Frozen kelp is thawed and soaked in fresh water to prepare it for eating. Like fresh, or reconstituted dried or salted spawn-on-kelp, thawed kelp is preferable eaten with seal oil as a condiment. . . .
Consumption and Distribution
Spawn-on-kelp is eaten occasionally as long as the supply lasts. Most people said it was usually served as a special treat at birthday or holiday feasts, or whenever something different was desired in the diet. Most Togiak residents reported the supply they picked each spring would last them throughout most other following year. Since spawn-on-kelp was only eaten a few times a month at most.
People gave spawn-on-kelp to relatives and old people within their community, particularly to those who were unable to gather kelp for themselves. Twenty-five of 36 residents said they shared with others (data from Langdon 1983, combined with Division of Subsistence data). Some recalled distributing spawn-on-kelp to relatives in Dillingham, Manokotak, Akiachak, and Bethel in recent years. Serving spawn-on-kelp at feasts is a common way that spawn-on-kelp is shared. Large numbers of relatives and friends are invited to eat at feasts celebrating birthdays and holidays.
Relationship with other Subsistence Activities
Other subsistence activities occur opportunistically while people are out principally to pick spawn-on-kelp. Some people net herring to dry or salt for consumption at home. Rifles and shotguns are taken along in case the chance arises to harvest seals or waterfowl, though most spring waterfowl hunting occurs prior to the arrival of herring. Occasionally, a sea lion is taken, especially if a young one presents itself. If the herring season falls unusually late in the spring, people say they might collect bird eggs while out primarily after spawn-on-kelp. . . .
THE "KULUKAK PATTERN"
This group of participants in the subsistence harvest of spawn-on-kelp is primarily composed of former residents of Kulukak or Togiak, and their descendants, who now reside in the communities of Manokotak, Aleknagik and Dillingham. The majority is concentrated in Manokotak in Aleknagik. None of these communities are located on the shores of the herring district. Manokotak lies 20 miles east-northeast of Kulukak Bay on the Igushik River that drains into the western side of Nushagak Bay. There are several traditional portages and trails between the Kulukak and Igushik drainages. Aleknagik is located about 40 miles from Kulukak Bay at the outlet of Aleknagik Lake at the start of Wood River, which flows into the head of Nushagak Bay. Trails connect Aleknagik to the Igushik, Kulukak, and Togiak drainages.
Today, most people from these communities travel to the Togiak herring district in 32-ft. commercial salmon fishing boats with 18-ft. aluminum skiffs in tow, or by charter airplane. Commercial fishing crews, or the captain and his family, commonly go by boat down Nushagak Bay, rounding Cape Constantine, and heading north-northwest to Kulukak Bay. Most anchor in the protected mouth of Kanik River where three cabins, a permanent steam bath, and a few tent frames are located on the western bank. Wives and children and other relatives, generally fly over to spend weekends or other short periods. In 1984, seat fares from Manokotak to Kulukak ranged from $25 to $40 each way, and from Dillingham or Aleknagik the fare was $50 to $60.
One family from Manokotak traditionally spends the herring season in their cabin, with adjacent steam bath, at a site (Cukaraq) by the creek entering the head of Metervik Bay. They usually fly to their cabin because they do not bring a 32-ft. boat around from home, and they do not participate in the commercial herring fishery. A few relatives often anchor their 32-ft. boats near the cabin on the long mud flats at the head of Metervik Bay.
The common pattern is for the fishing crews to camp aboard their 32-ft. fishing boats for the 2- to 3-week duration of the commercial herring sac-roe and spawn-on-kelp fisheries. Women and children fly over for a few days at a time during closures of the commercial fisheries to participate with the men in subsistence activities. Most crews are composed of a captain and 2 to 4 crewmembers. Crewmembers are primarily relatives of the coat captain. Some wives and families accompany their husbands or fathers for the entire period.
Location and Timing of Harvest
Residents of Manokotak, Aleknagik, Dillingham, and other northern Bristol Bay communities pick spawn-on-kelp for subsistence use while their families are present in the Kulukak area during the commercial herring season in May and early June. Most of the subsistence harvest of spawn-on-kelp takes place in Kulukak and Metervik Bays between periods of commercial fishing activity. People often go to areas that were not opened to commercial picking because areas that had been open are sometimes "picked clean." Some people take spawn-on-kelp from their commercial harvest for subsistence use. One Manokotak resident said that some people pick only during commercial periods because they are unsure when it is legal to take subsistence harvests. Thus, harvests take place in a variety of locations, including open and closed commercial management areas in Kulukak and Metervik Bays, either during commercial periods or at times when the commercial fishery is closed.
Methods of Harvest and Preservation
As with Togiak people, spawn-on-kelp for domestic consumption is primarily picked by hand by Kulukak people so the highest quality can be selected. Some younger people, in their 20s and 30s, say they eat up their spawn-on-kelp right away, so they just keep it in 5-gallon plastic buckets filled with saltwater. Salting appears to be the favorite means of preservation among those who store kelp for use through the winter, though some is preserved by freezing. The same methods as described for Togiak are used to prepare preserved kelp for consumption. . . .
Consumption and Distribution
The pattern of use and distribution described for Togiak holds for this group also. Some younger families do not preserve any spawn-on-kelp and consume their harvest within a week or so after then end of the herring season; while others report that it lasts them all year. Among those who salted or froze kelp, holidays and feasts were the times they generally reported preparing the stored kelp for consumption. Kelp is widely shared during these meals when large numbers of family and friends are invited. Most people in Kulukak questioned about haring and distribution said that they frequently give portions of their harvest to other family members living in separate households and to old people in their home communities.
Relationship with other Subsistence Activities
While people are camped in Kukukak and Metervik Bays, many people participate in other subsistence pursuits besides harvesting herring spawn-on-kelp. One of the favorite activities on low tides during closed fishing periods is clam digging on the mud flats south of Kanik River in Kulukak Bay. People eat clams while camping and also take them home to eat at the end of herring season. Some families gill-net herring and preserve them by drying or salting. Hunters travel out in the bay in skiffs during closures of the commercial fisheries to catch spotted seals or travel up the rivers after waterfowl and cranes. People also search for gull eggs if the birds have started nesting. . . .