It’s been about 200 years since Russian colonizers demolished the last remaining examples of large Unangax̂ boats called a niĝilax̂. The wooden framed boats were used in the Aluetian islands to transport goods and people.
Now, a group of boat builders have resurrected the niĝilax̂ and returned the practice of making them to the Unangax̂ people. KUCB’s Theo Greenly has the story.
Matt Faubion is a multimedia journalist at Alaska Public Media. Reach him at mfaubion@alaskapublic.org. Read more about Matt here.
