Interior youth learned to tan hide and to save a life

Moose hide tanning, fiddle dancing, CPR, and naloxone — TCC's youth summit taught Interior kids their traditions and how to save a life, all in one weekend.

Over one weekend in the Interior, Alaska Native young people learned to tan a moose hide, dance to the fiddle, bead, make a fishnet, and mix plant medicine — and, in the same gathering, how to perform CPR, reverse an overdose with naloxone, and handle a gun safely.

That mix was the heart of Tanana Chiefs Conference's annual Youth Summit, which drew young people from across the region for traditional skills, hands-on safety training, and talking circles with elders on values, leadership, and advocacy.

"Our youth are preparing to step up and represent us and our traditions," said Amanda Tritt of TCC, who called the gathering a success in the organization's weekly update.

It's a small picture of what growing up in the Interior asks of its young people — and what its elders are passing down.