SAGHANI GGAAY YOUTH CAMP
By Sonia Vent
OVERVIEW
The Saghani Ggaay Youth Camp at McCarthy Alaska was held July 13-19, 2025, with travel dates on the 13th and the 19th. Two colleagues and I traveled together to McCarthy by my vehicle while others came by shuttle service. The camp was for the AHTNA region. We had three AHTNA Instructors and students from Copper Center, Tazlina, Chitina and Kenny Lake. A total of ten mixed gender youth ranging in ages from 14-17.
The drive from Chitina to McCarthy was sixty miles of dirt road which required driving slower. Despite this, the scenery was unbelievably beautiful with landscapes of lush green hills and valleys covered in summer foliage, and the Chitna River down below. Cover picture is of Liberty Falls just before Chitina.
The week was filled with traditional cultural activities both to empower and to inspire the youth in knowing who they are and where they come from, using the Cultural Identity Curriculum, University of Alaska, Anchorage, Psychology Department, Dr. Sara Buckingham, and a group of Alaska Native Elders. The paper Guiding the Narrative: Ethical Guide Training and Indigenous Representation in Alaska Tourism by Heather Reiss, Masters of Outdoor and Environmental Education, Alaska Pacific University was also used as a reference. This paper had much of Elder Wilson Justin’s guidance throughout. And lastly, the knowledge of the AHTNA Athabaskan Cultural Instructors.