Wheelbarrow used for clam garden construction. Photo by Shaelene Grace Moler.
By Shaelene Grace Moler
IN AUGUST 2023, Kake, AK completed the foundation of the first contemporary clam garden in Alaska. Clam gardens are a traditional marine resource management system that once was integral to the diets and livelihoods of coastal Tribes such as the Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian peoples. Clam gardens, which historically were located along the shoreline near communities, are referred to as “gardens” because they harness natural systems to grow shellfish and support local ecosystems. These gardens are constructed by creating rock-walled terraces on the beach which trap silt and create flat, elevated areas where shellfish can thrive. This practice enhances productivity, and traditionally provided food during the cooler seasons when other resources are limited.
When Alaska was colonized, Indigenous food systems were disrupted, nutrient-rich traditional diets were slowly replaced, and Indigenous land management was halted. Clam gardens now are being revitalized by coastal Tribes, beginning with the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community in Washington and in the small, rural community of Kake.
Roadside view of Clam Garden demonstration site. Photo by Shaelene Grace Moler.
The Kake Clam Gardens is a project by the Organized Village of Kake (OVK), the local tribal government, and run by OVK Tribal citizen and Clam Gardens Coordinator Ethan Kadake, who took over the project just over a year ago. The completion of the clam gardens is a historic achievement that marks a significant step toward addressing modern challenges such as cultural preservation, food insecurity, climate change, and ecological health and diversity.
Ethan began his career with OVK as a Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) crew member, an initial workforce development program at OVK with the United States Forest Service, that has since morphed into the Alaska Youth Stewards (AYS), a workforce development program across Southeast Alaska hosted by the Central Council of Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska (CCTHITA) and OVK.
The Alaska Youth Stewards have involved rural and Indigenous youth in stewardship projects like the clam garden for about nine years. AYS emphasizes Indigenous stewardship, providing experiential education, leadership development, and skill-building rooted in cultural and environmental care. In this work, youth gain meaningful, hands-on experience in stewardship, forming strong ties with their communities and lands observing the direct impact of their efforts on their homelands while being introduced to local career opportunities. Ethan’s story is an excellent example of both the stewardship AYS promotes and the local career pathways it creates.
Reflecting on his time in YCC/AYS and how it positioned him for his role today, Ethan shares “AYS already had us helping with ocean monitoring and stream monitoring” providing him with transferable skills to lead this project. “I was also part of the first crew that helped build the garden,” added Ethan.
Baby Giant Pacific Octopus found within the walls of the clam garden being moved for its safety by construction participants. Photo by Shaelene Grace Moler.
Clam garden amidst construction on a foggy, late-summer day. Photo by Shaelene Grace Moler.
The demonstration clam garden is a project that initially began with AYS, formally known as TRAYLS (Training Rural Alaskan Youth Leaders and Students), Ḵéex̱ʼ Ḵwaan Community Forest Partnership alumni Shawn Merry who laid some of the groundwork for it, and Simon Friday who served as the first official coordinator implementing and constructing the garden wall. Merry has been the Environmental Regulatory Enhancement Coordinator for the Tribe at the Organized Village of Kake and is now an Indigenous Guardian through the Tlingit and Haida Seacoast Indigenous Guardians Network, and a geographic information system (GIS) technician for OVK programs.
The idea for Kake’s clam garden originated during the COVID-19 pandemic– an idea dreamed up and initiated by Organized Village of Kake Executive Director Dawn Jackson. It began as a food security project, intending to make traditional, healthy foods more accessible during the pandemic, evolving into a food sovereignty project emphasizing the right of Indigenous peoples to control their food sources, make decisions about food production, and access their traditional diets. Though this first model is a demonstration garden used to educate others, it is a huge step toward envisioning this future.
Constructing a clam garden requires deep knowledge of local ecosystems, including tidal cycles, sediment dynamics, and the life cycles of clams and cockles– which is why there is a need to integrate traditional ecological knowledge and Western science for the project to succeed. Beyond building walls, maintaining a clam garden involves clearing away large rocks, removing predators such as starfish and sea otters, and aerating the sediment to create an environment where clams can grow more easily.
It began as a food security project, intending to make traditional, healthy foods more accessible during the pandemic, evolving into a food sovereignty project emphasizing the right of Indigenous peoples to control their food sources, make decisions about food production, and access their traditional diets.
The clam gardens represent a way to reclaim and restore traditional food systems supporting community health nutritionally and by bringing community citizens together. Ethan continues to lead the Organized Village of Kake’s efforts with support from Elizabeth Figus to turn the garden into an educational opportunity– this first site being a demonstration.
He organizes and advertises many events over the year, saying “One of the big things this garden does is bring the community together and get the youth involved… the whole community in general.” He emphasizes how connected he feels to his home community being able to bring them into this work and having them “Building it with me, showing them what this is.” Each year, the Kake AYS crew is invited back to participate, and with the help of Figus, Ethan hopes to go into the local school district and talk to them about upcoming clam garden opportunities.
The Kake clam garden is not only an important initiative for the local community but a replicable model for other Indigenous communities seeking to restore traditional food systems. Led by Indigenous youth who grew up in the community, it demonstrates how traditional practices can be integrated with modern science to create sustainable solutions and support access to healthier foods and the local workforce in turn. Kake hopes to inspire others to embark on similar projects. The Kake clam garden is a learning journey, marking a return to traditional management systems that promote a healthier environment and sustain local communities. ■
Shaelene Moler is the Communications Catalyst for the Sustainable Southeast Partnership, a collective impact network, who grew up in the community of Kake, AK. She was also a fall 2024 Storytelling Fellow with Alaska Forum Magazine and currently resides in Sitka, AK.
The Alaska Humanities Forum is a non-profit, non-partisan organization that designs and facilitates experiences to bridge distance and difference – programming that shares and preserves the stories of people and places across our vast state, and explores what it means to be Alaskan.
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