The 2010 annual Peksulineq: Tatitlek Cultural Heritage Week event was held in the Native Village of Tatitlek between May 10th - 16th. It was the 16th year of this traditional event and it has been made possible each year through community sponsorship and generous support from various supporting regional and local organizations.
Peksulineq (pronounced pek su lin’ uk) is driven by the people of Tatitlek. The festival began in 1994 as a collaborative effort between the Tatitlek Community School, the Native Village of Tatitlek, and supporting regional and local organizations. Classes held during the week center around traditional lifestyle, subsistence gathering and preparation, Native language, and traditional arts. Every effort is made to pass traditional values and skills on to younger generations. Students from Cordova, Valdez, Chenega Bay, Whittier, Nanwalek, Port Graham, Anchorage, and Tatitlek were able to learn language, mask carving, soapstone carving, kayaking, beading, and fur sewing.
Celebrations also included a community potluck of subsistence foods and a live auction of Native arts and crafts on Friday, May 14th. Auction items included handcrafted items by instructors and community volunteers. Thank you all for your support of Peksulineq: Tatitlek Cultural Heritage Week!