Deenaalee Chase-Hodgdon

Deenaalee Chase-Hodgdon is a queer Deg Xit’an Dene and Sugpiaq person from the villages of Gitr’ingithchagg (Anvik) and Qinuyang (South Naknek), Alaska. In the midst of a salmon crisis, they use their voice as a fisherman and Alaskan Native to advance sustainable management. They surface solutions that encourage thriving, just economies and communities in Bristol Bay, along the Yukon and in the Arctic at large. They are exploring projects across the fishing supply chain and market – securing fishing permits, sites, boats and nets and building infrastructure for a traditional and contemporary fish camp that supports their communities. Their work elevates the cultural importance of salmon and recognizes its loss as loss of knowledge, language, community and connection to the water. Alongside a collective of community members and organizations, Deenaalee’s work contributes to the nutritional and cultural sustenance of Alaskan Native communities in a time of crisis while planning for a thriving Indigenous future.

Deenaalee connects their hands-on experience catching fish to their role as a storyteller. Executive director and founder of On The Land Media, they host the On The Land Podcast that highlights Indigenous voices. In collaboration with the Alaska Climate Adaptation Science Center, they are working on a new series that discusses and dissects the fractured land status of Alaska at the intersection of climate change, food, cultural security and sovereignty.

Their interest in food started at a young age when they worked for Calypso Farm and Ecology Center building a community garden. Deenaalee’s exposure to fresh grown vegetables saved their health and deepened their cooking practice. Deenaalee began cooking as medicine using traditional foods harvested from the land and fresh ingredients, eventually leading them to work as a barista, restaurant manager, camp cook, and boat chef in places from Denali National Park to Hawaii, Standing Rock to the Nushagak River. Each of these experiences offered a unique look into America’s food system and its myriad of food cultures.

Deenaalee’s work also nourishes the roots of the Smokehouse Collective, a traditional and contemporary on the land camp dedicated to the harvest of salmon, the tanning of hides, the growing of foods, and the exchange of culture. They are happiest on the tundra, in the mountains, on a fishing boat and feasting with loved ones on the foods the land and waters provide.

For more information about their work, visit www.smokehousecollective.org.

Deenaalee Chase-Hodgdon (Photo: Emily Sullivan)