About The Show
Alaska Native, Kootink, Heather Douville, documents her tribe’s cultural and hunting practices and knowledge with the goal to teach and instill these values in future generations through specialty pursuits only available to a member of the Tlingit Nation. Heather has inherited the meaning of being a steward to the land: respecting what one takes from the land, giving back to the land, using as much as possible and sharing with fellow tribe members. These core values define how Heather moves within her landscape of Tlingit Aani, or what is now called Southeast Alaska.
As a young adult, Heather took it upon herself to learn her people’s practices of cultivating and harvesting resources from the land and sea. She was taught to do it with respect and reverence, understanding that the lifeforms she takes must be used fully and shared with her family and elders. For Heather, it has been a vulnerable journey of reconnecting to her culture. As she continues to embrace her heritage, she is motivated to teach and inspire others to do so as well.
This is a unique opportunity that Heather and members of the Tlingit Nation are sharing with the MeatEater team and audience. This series will encapsulate the essence of celebrating the land, air and water. It will share the story of their hunting and pursuit history lost while bringing it back alive and to the forefront. Heather is a vessel; she is providing an opportunity to share these practices with her tribe, her family members, and now, the MeatEater crew and audience.