Nick Tanape, Sr.'s Slideshow

Nick Tanape, Sr. was a Sugpiaq Elder from Nanwalek, Alaska. He was born to Alma and Joe Tanape in English Bay (Nanwalek) in 1946 and grew up living a subsistence lifestyle of fishing and hunting and following his traditional cultural practices. He spent nearly all of his life in the village, except for serving in the Navy from 1967 to 1971. He worked a variety of jobs including commercial fishing, and continued to rely upon his subsistence hunting and fishing as his main food source. Nick was an expert on Sugpiaq cultural traditions and practices. He organized celebrations of Native traditions around Kachemak Bay, built a traditional baidarka (kayak) for the Pratt Museum in Homer, was an ivory carving artist, and was generous with his time sharing his knowledge about Sugpiaq culture. He especially enjoyed teaching young hunters in the community, and sharing his Native foods. Nick also was a member of the Alaska Native Harbor Seal Commission and the Sea Otter Commission, worked on projects for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, and coauthored "Imam Cimiucia: Our Changing Sea” about a subsistence food known as bidarki disappearing from shorelines. Nick Tanape, Sr. passed away in 2018 at the age of 72. For more about Nick Tanape, Sr., see his obituary.