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Where Family, Fishing, Basketball, and History Come Together

There are places you live, and then there are places that become part of who you are.

For me, that place is Metlakatla, Alaska.

Here in Southeast Alaska, surrounded by water, mountains, forests, and a history that reaches back generations, I have always felt a deep connection to this community. Metlakatla is a Native village, a proud Tsimshian community, and the first Alaska Native Reserve established in what is now the State of Alaska.

But when I think about Metlakatla, I don’t just think about its history.

I think about the people.

I think about family.

I think about fishing boats coming home.

I think about the cannery.

I think about the egg house and cold storage.

I think about basketball games packed with people cheering for our Chiefs and Miss Chiefs.

And most of all, I think about the memories.

We Are a Fishing Community

Metlakatla is a fishing town.

That isn’t just something we say. Fishing is woven into the fabric of our families and our community.

Many of my family members have spent their lives on the water. Some are fishermen and women. Others have been divers. Many worked in the cannery, the egg house, or the cold storage over the years.

These weren’t just jobs.

They were a way of life.

They were places where families worked together, neighbors knew one another, and stories were made.

I remember working for my dad in the freezer at the cold storage.

And when I say freezer, I mean freezer.

We had a blast freezer where we would blast-freeze the catch in temperatures around 30 degrees below zero—and sometimes even colder.

It was cold.

Really cold.

But those are some of the memories that stay with you.

I worked alongside a lot of my family at the cold storage, and looking back now, I realize how special those days really were.

At the time, you are simply going to work.

You don’t always realize that you are living through a piece of your family’s history.

Years later, you look back and think:

Those were good days.

The Cannery, the Egg House, and Cold Storage

I know I’m not the only one who has memories like these.

There are families all across Metlakatla who could probably sit down around a table and tell stories for hours about working at the cannery, the egg house, or cold storage.

There were long days.

There was hard work.

There were cold mornings.

There was laughter.

There were disagreements.

There were friendships.

And there were generations of people working side by side.

Those places were more than buildings.

They were part of our community’s story.

And I believe those stories are worth remembering.

That’s one of the things that has been on my heart lately.

I want to hear more of these stories.

Tell me about your family.

Tell me about the boats.

Tell me about the cannery.

Tell me about working in the egg house.

Tell me about cold storage.

Tell me about the crazy days, the funny days, the difficult days, and the days you will never forget.

Because history isn’t always found in books.

Sometimes history is sitting at the kitchen table, waiting for someone to ask a question.

And Then There Is Basketball

Of course, we can’t talk about Metlakatla without talking about basketball.

Basketball is a big deal here.

And when basketball season arrives, our community comes alive.

The Metlakatla Chiefs and Miss Chiefs aren’t just basketball teams.

They represent our community.

During basketball season, it almost feels like our own version of Friday Night Lights.

People come together.

Families show up.

The gym gets loud.

The excitement builds.

And for those few hours, the whole community seems to be pulling in the same direction.

That’s something I love about Metlakatla.

We may have our differences. Every community does.

But there are moments when something brings everybody together.

Basketball is one of those things.

Proud of Who We Are

We are a proud people.

And when I say that, I don’t mean prideful.

I mean that we know who we are.

We know where we come from.

We know the sacrifices made by those who came before us.

We know the importance of family, community, culture, hard work, and perseverance.

We are people of the water.

People of the mountains and forests.

People who have worked hard to build lives in a place that can sometimes be unforgiving.

And we carry our stories with us.

Those stories matter.

There Are So Many Stories Still Waiting to Be Told

When I look around Metlakatla today, I sometimes wonder how many stories are still sitting quietly in people’s memories.

Stories about fishing.

Stories about the cannery.

Stories about the old days.

Stories about families.

Stories about our Elders.

Stories about growing up here.

Stories about basketball.

Stories about boats, storms, fish camps, hard work, laughter, and life in Southeast Alaska.

Every family has a story.

And every generation adds another chapter.

I would love to see us preserve more of those stories.

Not just for those of us who remember them, but for our children and grandchildren who may someday ask:

“What was it like back then?”

I want them to have an answer.

I want them to know the names.

I want them to know the places.

I want them to hear the voices.

I want them to understand that the community they live in today was built by generations of people who worked, struggled, loved, laughed, fished, raised families, and stood together.

Yes, I Love Our Community

When I think about Metlakatla, I think about a great fishing town.

I think about family.

I think about cold storage and blast freezers.

I think about the cannery and egg house.

I think about fishermen and women heading out onto the water.

I think about divers.

I think about basketball games where the gym is rocking.

I think about our Elders and the stories they carry.

I think about our children and the future they will build.

And I think about history.

Great fishing town.
Great memories.
Great stories.
Great history.

That’s Metlakatla.

That’s home.

And yes…

I love our community.

If you have a Metlakatla story you’d like to share—about fishing, the cannery, egg house, cold storage, basketball, growing up here, or simply a memory from days gone by—I would love to hear it.

Because our history isn’t just something that happened yesterday.

Our history is still living among us.

And together, we can make sure those stories aren’t forgotten.