Laid to Rest and other Kodiak, AK Local Custom Tips

Cemeteries in Kodiak are limited in number and scope. Most people who pass on here generally are shipped to the mainland for interment in Anchorage or elsewhere. At the intersection of Erskine and Upper Mill Bay in Kodiak is one of the largest cemeteries in town (the other is near the hospital). A stroll through the graveyard will reveal not only English names but many Russian surnames. The latter are quite common in town, the descendants of Kodiak's past whalers and fur traders.

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Though Russian dominance of Kodiak ended in the 19th century, evidence of the Russian Orthodox Church is prevalent throughout town and the other settlements on the island. The Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church, the seminary or chapel under the same denomination, the ubiquitous Russian crosses and the frequency of religious icons (many made by important Russian iconographers now living in the United States) all tend to portray the deep vein of religious undercurrent in this small community of fishermen and outdoors enthusiasts.

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Website: www.kodiak.org

It is an Alaskan custom but especially practiced in Kodiak to leave one's footwear at the stoop or foyer when entering a private house. The same does not apply to entering a pub or a place of business. This practice is easy to observe, but my backcountry ways and short time in town did not allow me to recollect it often enough to even think about making it my custom (sorry, Nick).

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Salmonberry is a prevalent plant throughout the island and town. It is not uncommon for Kodiak residents to have a bush or two growing on or near their own property (ask herzog63). This pulpy fruit is not the most succulent of the island's berries, but in July and August it is a familiar "fast food" for residents and visitors alike. The berries grow in a conical bunch, with each berry having a stem or hair-like projection, but the fruit is easy to digest and actually quite filling for its size. Unless the bushes sit on private property, go ahead and tear off a handful and see for yourself.

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Website: www.kodiak.org

Halibut is a staple of Kodiak's fishing industry. Professional fishermen will bait as many as 2,000 hooks on their industrial line with individual shrimp, a painstaking process that often leads to a remarkable harvest. Halibut itself is reckoned a mild or even flavorless fish, but their importance to the local economy and their sheer size make them somewhat notorious. In recent years, a casual cast by a private individual not far from town landed a 440-lb monster, only twenty shy of the world record (on display at the Anchorage airport). Normal weights are much smaller, but individuals in excess of 100 pounds will not raise an eyebrow. About 75% of the fish is recoverable for the freezer.

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Website: www.kodiak.org