a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization

LaVonne’s Fish Camp is a small, intimate, off-the-beaten-path fish camp on the Chukchi Sea six miles south of Kotzebue, Alaska.

Possible activities during your visit: LaVonne’s Fish Camp offers you an opportunity to meet local Inupiat Eskimo people. Discover their culture by sharing with community elders; observe their traditional healing practices, enjoy their dancing and games, and inspect their crafts – birch baskets, beading, bone and skin masks and ivory craving. Experience Eskimo story telling, beachcombing for shells and old ivory, hiking to Loon Lake, observing the reindeer herd at Sadie Creek, setting fish nets and picking salmon from a net, harvesting plants from the tundra and the beach for use as food and medicine, cutting salmon Eskimo-style so it stays preserved without refrigeration, bird watching, and many other activities.

Accommodations at a working fish camp: Meals are served family style around a large table that seats everyone. For those on special diets, every evening meal includes fresh local salmon and a large salad. There is also a second entree of familiar American foods for those non-fish eaters. Local subsistence foods are shared by local folks whenever the opportunity presents itself. Not to worry - samples of these unique treats are served to be tasted in small amounts during the "evening sharing" before dinner.

The fish camp includes seven simple guest cabins with water jugs and with electric heat when the generator is on. There is a lounge/library cabin and a dining room/kitchen cabin with a shared shower. Toilet facilities are a turn-of-the-century model (an outhouse). Linens, blankets, and towels are provided.

Other things to know: Kotzebue is a damp community, which means you can bring your own bottle but you can't buy or sell alcohol in Kotzebue or any of the surrounding villages.

Comments from some of our guests

I was surprised with getting to spend so much time with the local people, with their generosity, and willingness to share their lives with us . . . their joys and tragedies." (Vivian)

"I came with the feeling this would be a one-time adventure but now I will return. The tremendous variety of things happening here was a surprise." (Don)

"I had such a wonderful feeling of inner peace at camp . . . hope it will last for a long time . . . if not, I will have to hurry back." (Lillian)

"My greatest pleasures were meeting the Inupiat people, getting in and really experiencing the fish processing, the beauty and the wealth of plant life on the tundra, and the sea in its many colors and moods." (Mary)

"Meeting real life Inupiat people who could share experiences with us that most of us can't even read about was a special privilege . . . This has been one of life's treasured forever memories for me. Thank you for sharing your vision and your space." (Bill)

"I surprised myself by learning to live without indoor plumbing, running water, and electricity and like it because my thoughts turned to other things . . . the people, the land, and one spirit!" (Gail) 

Pictured is LaVonne's Fish Camp taken from the Chukchi Sea during the summer of 2009.

Last modified: February 28, 2010