Tikchik village: a nineteenth century riverine community in ... - Cluster

Spring and summerVANSTONE: TIKCHIK VILLAGE 339In late February or early March trapping would begin again withthe taking of beaver, bear, land otter, and other fur-bearing animals.It appears that beaver were taken mainly by digging them out oftheir houses (DRHA, vol. 1, p. 329). Caribou were again huntedextensively in the open country to the north and east of the village.The ice would go out of the Tikchik River in early May, but it mightbe the middle of June before the lake was completely free of ice. Atthis time the Tikchik families would begin to prepare for salmon fishingeven though it would be some time before the runs of salmonreached the village. Traps constructed of split spruce strips were repairedso that they could be used effectively when the fish began torun. At the rapids on the upper Nuyakuk not far from the villagesalmon were taken with spears and dip nets (Cobb, 1907, p. 32-Bower, 1926, pp. 108-110). Today waterfowl are plentiful aroundthe site and various kinds of ducks and geese nest in the marshy bankarea just to the northwest of the settlement. The taking of thesebirds must have been an important activity in the late spring andearly summer.We have already noted that in early summer not long after theriver ice broke up, the residents of Tikchik would go down the Nuyakukand Nushagak rivers to the Alaska Commercial Company postat Nushagak to trade their furs, thus following a pattern that haddoubtless been established shortly after the founding of AlexandrovskiRedoubt. It was at this time that trade goods were obtained andcontacts made with the Eskimos of Nushagak Bay and other coastalpoints. It is likely that they did not stay long on the coast becauseof the necessity of getting back to the village in time to put up awinter's supply of fish. The return trip, as previously noted, wasmade by way of the Wood River and the lakes in order to avoid anarduous, time-consuming upriver paddle.Today the red salmon appear in the Tikchik River opposite thesite about the 15th of July and the run continues sporadically forabout two weeks. Other species follow and it is likely that some salmoncould be taken right up until freeze up. The river is relatively deepnear the settlement since the bank is cutting at this point; it wouldbe an ideal location for the setting of nets and traps. Most of thefishing at Tikchik, then, would take place in the late summer or earlyfall and it would be necessary for the villagers not to prolong theirstay at the post if they wanted to be certain of taking full advantageof the red salmon run. It was this necessity of returning to the settle-