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You're listening to LifeKit from NPR.

Hey, everybody. listening to Life Kit from NPR. Hey everybody, it's Mariel.

Alana Hurley was born and raised in southwest Alaska in a village of about a hundred people.

My grandma made the best traditional smoked fish. Like her traditionally smoked salmon was just the best.

Alana is a U-Pick, and she grew up with her grandma. One day, her grandma needed some maintenance

work done around the house. She was a widow, and she had struck a deal with a tradesman who

worked in a local salmon cannery, a non-native man

who came to the property to help out. I took the smoke salmon out to the tradesman who was,

I think he was fixing her smokehouse and the ma'iwick and a few other things.

The fish was payment for his work in the form of a barter or trade. I just remember he immediately took it out and he was like, oh, I love this stuff.

And he just immediately started eating it.

Alana's grandma used bartering as a way to meet her needs.

You know, she was just a super sharp lady and thought, I know how to get this done.

And she got it done in a way that made both parties happy, while also sharing a part of their

culture, traditionally smoked salmon.

And, you know, my grandma's generation was the first generation to see non-native people

in Alaska, or, you know, one of the first generations.

...