The Eastern Aleutian Tribes, Inc. sponsors week-long spirit camps in mid June near the village of Sand Point. Camp includes one week of overnight camp and one week of day camp. Activities include fishing, set netting, preparing fish, Aleut dancing, drum making, traditional arts and crafts, etc.

Qawalangin Tribe of Unalaska sponsors Camp Qungaayux in Unalaska. The camp is a Day Camp and will be a week in early August. The camp began as a way to teach children the local Unangan Culture. we try to instill in them an appreciation of the local way of living and of the local nature and environment, to give them a bigger picture of their own worlds that they come from. It is a time for Elders and Mentors to teach the younger generation what they have learned in their life and times, so they will be able to pass the Unangan Culture on to the next generation.T he focus for the camp will be to participate in subsistence activities with the Unangan Elders and Mentors providing guidance and teaching by example, cultural activities that focus on identifying plants and animals indigenous to Unalaska Island and surrounding islands. Campers will stay at the local hotel and will be transported to and from camp daily by camp vans.

Ilisagvic College Iñupiaq Studies Program sponsors the Arctic Subsistence Education and Experience: Iñupiaq Land Use Values and Resources Culture Camp, which will be held in mid-July. This year the camp is held at Pt. Hope. During the camp, participants will participate in preparation of camp, traveling to and from camp grounds, set up camp, hunting and food gathering experiences and learn firsthand how we subsist on te land and the rivers using skills and technologies stemming back thousands of years.

Traditional Harvesting Camp will be held July 7-11. During this camp, youth ages 9 to 14 will participate in traditional subsistence activities with local Elders and other adult mentors in harvesting, preparing, and preserving a variety of our local foods. Participants will take part in activities designed to preserve our subsistence traditions and connect them with our local environment.

Leadership Academy will be held June 26 - July 2. During this camp, Alutiiq teens ages 13-17 will learn from local Alutiiq professionals how to survive in society today, what it means to be a tribal leader, and some of the career opportunities available to them. Participates will engage in various culturally driven activities and talking circles.

Native Village of Old Harbor sponsors Nuniaq Camp, which is on Kodiak Island. Camp activities include Alutiiq language, subsistence gathering and preparation, arts and crafts. The campsite includes a traditional banya (steam bath).

Organized Village of Kake sponsors the Kake Culture Camp, which is located north of Kake, and the camp dates are mid-July. Number of campers: 60-80 for the day camp (grades K-6) and 27-45 (7-12th grade) for the overnight camp. Camp activities include Tlingit dancing, subsistence food gathering, goose tongue, sea asparagus, deer harvesting, seal harvesting, gumboots (chitons), octopus and other seafood. Language taught in Tlingit. Culture specialists teach along with Elder storytelling and guest artists teach their skills. Survival overnight camping trip for 7-12th graders.

I have never "blogged" before and I'm not sure what is expected. I enjoyed culture camp. It was like the ultimate camp trip with teachings about plants and curing meat mixed in.

Wow, it’s difficult reflecting on my own culture. I would like to think I’m intensely interested in who I am, from the perspective of my family, my ancestors, and my New Jersey and American roots. My travels across North America and abroad have acted to frame my roots in terms of boundaries defined by other cultures, boundaries that I wasn’t only ignorant of at the time but did not even know to be looking for. Our U.S. culture is colored by the clock (schedules, slave to our jobs, etc.), money (economics and the dependent variable of too many of decisions) while being rife with stereotypes that paint a vague canvas of reality. I would like to think I act to subvert some of the more not-so-flattering aspects (in my opinion) by eating well, exercising, striving to constantly bettering myself, biking and other such qualities to care for my upbringing and surroundings. In many ways then, perhaps my culture is steeped in the mold of the classic American that is forging ahead to chink out there own sense of individuality.

Our enclosed skiff pounded its way through bone jarring waves on our final leg to Dig Afognak. There are about 40 guests, elders, teachers, and staff that shared a week of ideal weather and company. Daily activities, chores, language instruction, and explorations kept us busy enjoying each day and each others' company. Many of the campers have returned each of the five weeks of camp this summer.