Nuuciq Spirit Camp
The regional cultural camp is located in the Prince William Sound on Hinchinbrook Island. The camp is hosted every year for two, one-week sessions in July. Every summer, the camp is held on the historical village site of Nuchek to provide opportunities for students, elders, and instructors to share and learn the native arts, lifestyle and language of the Chugach region.
Thank you to the camp attendees, volunteers, workers and donors that helped to make 2024 Nuuciq Spirit Camp a success! All of your hard work helped us in our pursuit of our mission to utilize, preserve and promote the tradition and cultural heritage of the Chugach region. We look forward to working with you all on Nuuciq Spirit Camp 2025!
Thank you to our Nuuciq Spirit Camp 2024 Contributors!
About the Camp
Nuuciq Spirit Camp has been in operation since 1995. It recently transitioned to the Chugach Heritage Foundation in 2016. The CAC Cultural Resources Department partner each year to host the annual program. The classes offered during camp include traditional kayak building, traditional dance, Sugt’stun & Eyak language, subsistence, beading & fur sewing.
Shareholders and Descendants interested in attending camp and participating in classes may sign up as a volunteer or youth participant. Youth applications for descendants 17 and younger are now available online.
The camp also has a variety of job opportunities and you can now apply online through CHF’s job board. Positions available during camp include Program Coordinator Team, Traditional Counselor, Kitchen Assistant, Youth Coordinator and Camp Attendant.
Nuuciq Spirit Camp
Old Village of Nuuciq
The old village of Nuuciq is located on an 800-acre island at the entrance to Prince William Sound. In the late 1790’s, the Russians came to this area and built a fortress and trading center that served all of Southcentral Alaska. This center was called Fort Saint Constantine and Helen.
At one time, this area was claimed by many nations. The Russians claimed this area by burying a bronze plate with a double-headed eagle. The Spaniards claimed this area by erecting a large cross. The English buried a wine bottle with coins and the Americans hoisted a flag. Now Nuchek is owned and controlled by the original landlords – the Chugach People.
Nuuciq is once again coming alive and emerging out of the history books as a location of beauty, history, and cultural pride. For over 25 years the Nuuciq Spirit camp has brought together the young and old in celebration of our thousands of years of occupation as the original settlers of this great land. The younger generation is coming from every community within our region to learn from the past and to enjoy the new friendship they have made.
In recent years Nuuciq has grown in leaps and bounds. Our ancestors would have been proud to see a village grow out of the ruins of the past with such a great opportunity for the future generations.
