Blueberries - Cuawak

Today is gray and wet, and I have been thinking back to some of our early adventures here on the Rock. The pictures below were taken on a beautiful day we spent hiking the Anton Larsen Loop. The wild thing pictured below enjoyed sampling some of nature's bounty...

"The Kodiak Archipelago is home to two species of blueberries, the early blueberry (Vaccinium ovalifolium), also known the blue huckleberry, and the alpine blueberry (Vaccinium uliginosum). The early blueberry is a spreading shrub that grows in moist forests and bogs at lower elevations. In contrast, the alpine blueberry thrives on mountain slopes and coastal tundra. Both species are prolific, creating large annual crops that ripen in late summer. The Alutiiq people typically gather blueberries in August and September. Blueberries are primarily harvested for food, although their juice can also be used as a dye.

Today, fresh blueberries are eaten with meat and fish, or added to Eskimo ice cream - akutaq - with a variety of other ingredients. Seal oil, lard, dried fish, fish eggs, sugar, and mashed potatoes are all potential additions to this traditional dish. They are also made into a variety of jams, jellies, and luscious deserts. In the past, blueberries were harvesting in quantity and preserved for use throughout the winter. In the Kodiak region, the Alutiiq families stored blueberries in seal stomach containers filled with water or oil. In Prince William Sound, they dried blueberries on special wooden grates over an open fire. The berries were then stored in containers and re-hydrated as needed. The Chugach Alutiiq also mashed fresh berries into a paste and spread them on skunk cabbage leaves. The paste was allowed to dried and then stored on the leaves for later use. "

This information comes from the Aluutiq Museum and Archeological Repository-a great resource for learning more about the rich history of the island and its inhabitants.