About Southeast Alaska: Snowcapped mountains drop steeply into the ocean along this narrow coastal strip of our largest and wildest state. The traditional home of the Tlingit tribe of Alaskan Natives, the area north of Juneau and adjacent to Glacier Bay National Park features rivers filled with salmon, protected ocean waters that are home to seals, dolphins, and whales, and grassy, alpine meadows where mountain goats graze. A feeling of living at the edge of genuine wilderness pervades even Juneau’s hilly streets, and becomes more pronounced as students head north by ferry to the small community of Haines. Set at the mouth of the Chilkat River Valley and sheltered by the Fairweather Range, the Haines area enjoys the driest and warmest summer climate of any spot in Southeast Alaska.

The Project: A 22-mile drive from Haines towards the Yukon, is the tiny, exclusively Tlingit village of Klukwan, population 130, which is the group’s home during the month. The wide, glacial Chilkat River, where some villagers fish for 20+lb. salmon, passes just behind the houses, and the 5,000 foot peaks of the Coast Range loom nearby. Klukwan has been a center of Tlingit culture for centuries. In its clan houses are extraordinary works of Native art, some recently returned from museums. The greatest attraction of Klukwan, however, is its people; each year Putney students are astounded by their openness and kindness in welcoming the groups into the life of the community. Village residents share the traditions of the Tlingit people, teach students how to prepare a feast of fresh salmon from the river, explain the meaning of their art, and invite students to join in both traditional and modern village ceremonies. Projects will carry on the work of previous summers during which Putney students helped renovate village buildings, the Veterans’ Memorial Park, and small traditional clan cemeteries, and assisted the Haines parks department in trail-building and maintenance work. The group runs a small day-camp for the younger children of Klukwan, and students can join subsistence salmon fishermen on the river.

Weekends: With safety assured by the leadership of experienced guides from a local outfitter, the group enjoys two excursions into nearby wilderness areas. The first trip includes sea-kayaking on the sheltered waters of the Chilkat Islands, with stops to camp on sandy beaches littered with huge driftwood. The abundance of wildlife is astounding — whales breach and blow, bald eagles circle, and dolphins and seals streak by the boats. Later in the program a second excursion takes the group onto the remote Davidson Glacier where students learn basic glacier walking and ice climbing techniques and see first hand the evidence of climate change. Descending into a “blue cave” in the glacial ice, and, weather permitting, ascending one of the smaller peaks in the area are highlights of this trip. During the last two days of the program the group returns to Juneau, a scenic and unique small city perched on the lower slopes of Mount Juneau where it touches the Gastineau Channel. Students explore the renovated historic section of the downtown, and gather for a farewell feast in a Juneau restaurant.