By Dr. Kristin Drexler
Professor, School of STEM
With Dr. Michelle Watts
Associate Dean, School of Security and Global Studies
Left to right: Flying by Mt. Rainer (Seattle) and the mountain coast south of Anchorage. Images courtesy of Kristi Drexler.
In early August, we had the opportunity to visit the Native village of Ouzinkie (pronounced “you-ZINK-ee”), a small community on Spruce Island near Kodiak, Alaska. Our mission was to interview Ouzinkie’s inhabitants about their experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic. This research is part of a four-year study funded by grants from the University.
Arriving in Anchorage, we were ready for the next flights to Kodiak and on to Ouzinkie village. Image courtesy of Kristi Drexler.
Ouzinkie is only accessible by water or air, and travel is often difficult because of the weather. Our 15-minute flight made it to the island, but the return flight was canceled because of high winds, rain, and fog. We were fortunate to join two utility repair people departing the island by air taxi before the storm descended.
Flying to Ouzinkie village, north of Kodiak, and Kristi looking for the St. Herman shrine during a turbulent flight out before the storm. Images courtesy of Kristi Drexler and Michelle Watts.
The Alutiiq of Ouzinkie and Spruce Island
According to the Ouzinkie village website, the Spruce Island “is part of the ancient homeland of the indigenous Alutiiq people who have continuously occupied the Kodiak Archipelago.”
The name Ouzinkie comes from the Russian term “uzen kii” or “uzkiy,” which means “narrow.” It refers to the narrow body of water that separates Spruce Island from Kodiak Island.
Mayor Elijah Jackson showing us around the village (including the reservoir/water source for residents) and interviewing local elders of the village from Ouzinkie. Images courtesy of Kristi Drexler.
The Russian Orthodox Influence on Ouzinkie
The Ouzinkie Native Corporation notes the residents of Ouzinkie are predominately Russian Orthodox. This religion was “introduced in the eighteenth century when Russian fur traders colonized the area before its sale to America.”
There are dramatic Russian influences on Spruce Island, including the Russian Orthodox Church. This church, called the “Nativity of Our Lord,” is located at the start of the coastal boardwalk.
The Ouzinkie village’s website explains that the church was built in the 1890s and is registered as a national historical landmark.
From top: The Nativity of Our Lord Russian Orthodox Church in the Native Village of Ouzinkie, the local cemetery, and the landmark coastal boardwalk. Image courtesy of Kristi Drexler.
Saint Herman and the Shrine
On the eastern shore of Spruce Island is Monk’s Lagoon and the shrine dedicated to Saint Herman. He was the first canonized saint of the Russian Orthodox Church in North America.
St. Herman was beloved throughout the Alutiiq homeland, according to the Kodiak Archipelago Leadership Institute (KALI). To honor him, the village hosts an annual pilgrimage where people from around the world walk to Monk’s Lagoon in early August.
During our visit at the beginning of August, Mayor Jackson and his staff were preparing to host this annual event.
KALI also explains that “Saint Herman arrived as a young monk from Russia in the late 1700s [and] established a hermitage which “took in Alutiiq children orphaned through disease and Russian exploitation.”
Herman was a skilled gardener, having learned in Russia. He helped to introduce farming and gardening to the island.
Governance on Ouzinkie: City, Tribal, and Native Corporation
In addition to the City of Ouzinkie, there is also the Native Village of Ouzinkie and the Ouzinkie Native Corporation. All three of these governing bodies come together to address local issues when needed.
The Ouzinkie Native Corporation was formed in 1973 in accordance with the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971 (ANCSA). This legislation involved the U.S. government returning 44 million acres and $962 million to Native peoples in Alaska in exchange for the “termination of aboriginal land claims.”
Our Time at Ouzinkie and Spruce Island
When we arrived, Mayor Elijiah Jackson took us on a tour of the Ouzinkie village and the surrounding area.
Using our rented, side-by-side ATV, we moved across the village to conduct interviews and saw a few beautiful coastal sites in the evenings.
There are typically no Kodiak brown bears on Ouzinkie, although one does swim over from time to time. This bear occasionally wreaks havoc, such as destroying the village garden.
The beautiful nature of Spruce Island and Ouzinkie, including the historic town hall (which survived the ‘64 tsunami) and an abundance of very ripe salmonberries everywhere. Images courtesy of Kristi Drexler and Michelle Watts.
More Time on Kodiak and the Alutiiq Museum
Upon our return to Kodiak, we were on high alert for the Kodiak brown bear. The bumper crop of ripe salmonberries in and around town meant increased bear activities and frequent sightings by locals.
From top: Photos from Kodiak Island, including the Curator of Collections Amanda Lancaster at the now-open Alutiiq Museum. Paintings are by Alaskan Artist Alvin Eli Amason, and the seal helmet beneath the picture is by his daughter Lena (Lena Amason – Alutiiq Museum and Archaeological Repository). Images courtesy of Kristi Drexler and Michelle Watts. Photos from the exhibits are used with permission from the Alutiiq Museum.
Ouzinkie During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Ouzinkie struggles with population numbers; the COVID-19 pandemic didn’t help. When the first case of COVID-19 was identified in Alaska on March 12, 2020, community leaders worked quickly to formulate plans to protect the population. They reactivated a council composed of leaders from the city, Tribal administration and the Native Corporation of Ouzinkie.
Ouzinkie faced some unique challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic due to its small size and lack of infrastructure. Mayor Elijah Jackson assumed office in 2019. His ambitious plan to upgrade their antiquated electrical system soon ground to a halt as the COVID-19 pandemic set in.
Jackson noted that Ouzinkie could barely get doorknobs, let alone equipment and supplies to carry out grants for badly needed upgrades to infrastructure. Local residents were faced with power outages in the middle of the winter.
Another challenge this island community faces is the threat of tsunamis. While the island has a tsunami shelter, communities members came together to help address a couple of concerns.
First, they built a second shelter during the pandemic. This second shelter provided more space for community members to take cover from any tsunamis.
Second, community members came up with a plan to go to elders’ residences and guide them to shelter in the event of a tsunami warning. These plans are essential for the survival of the Ouzinkie population, because climatologists have predicted that the island could sink 5 feet in the event of an earthquake and tsunami
During the COVID-19 pandemic, food sovereignty became even more important in remote communities like Ouzinkie. There are no stores or industries on the island. As a result, residents must shop in Kodiak or order supplies to be delivered by ferry or by one of the small planes that fly to Ouzinkie when weather permits.
The city and tribe also worked together during the COVID-19 pandemic to enhance their soil farm and to start a kelp farm and an oyster farm. While still in development, they have increased vegetable production for the population.
Most importantly, residents in this community described how they care for each other and took special care of their elders, taking measures to protect them from infection. Strict measures that limited access to Ouzinkie during the COVID-19 pandemic likely contributed to Ouzinkie’s success in keeping infections to a minimum.
Many community members expressed gratitude to the City of Ouzinkie and the Native Village of Ouzinkie for keeping Ouzinkie safe during the pandemic. As one respondent stated, “We just kind of did what we felt was right, no matter what it was other people were doing. We…wanted just to do what was right for our community.”
Our Four-Year Study on COVID-19 Impacts to Indigenous Communities
To date, we’ve conducted over 160 interviews and examined several factors including culture, economics, health, education, environment, governance, and other factors that may have influenced (or been influenced by) the pandemic.
Our study is supported by the University’s office of Research Grants. These grants have been instrumental in enabling us to travel to remote areas and interview Indigenous communities on this important topic.
We have published three scholarly articles:
- Spiraling Up: Agency and Resilience among Indigenous Communities during the COVID-19 Pandemic
- The Past as Prologue: How Historic Relations with the Federal Government Encouraged Foundations of Resilience and Autonomy for the Metlakatla Indian Community During the COVID-19 Pandemic
- A third article, “COVID-19 Resilience in Indigenous Communities: A Community Capitals Approach,” was accepted and published in late September 2025 in the Journal of Indigenous Research. It was written by Michelle and I, as well as Bridget Kimsey and Casey Skvorc.
SACNAS at the University
Students, alumni, faculty members or staff at the University are welcome to join the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS). This organization promotes diversity in STEM in the contexts of social connections and a sense of belonging, academic development, and professional development.
About the Authors
Dr. Kristin Drexler is a full-time faculty member in the Space Studies and Earth Sciences Department. She teaches geography, environmental science, conservation of natural resources, earth and planetary sciences, and sustainability for the School of STEM.
Dr. Drexler holds a master’s degree in Latin American studies with an emphasis in natural resources management from Ohio University. She earned her Ph.D. in educational leadership at New Mexico State University with research in socioecological systems, sustainable agroecology, and community education.
Dr. Drexler earned the Undergraduate Excellence in Teaching Award for the School of STEM (2020) and the Dr. Wallace E. Boston Leadership Award (2021). Dr. Drexler has conducted numerous community surveys in Belize and Guatemala regarding agroforestry, conservation, sustainable agriculture, and COVID-19 impacts and is a co-investigator for the multi-year research study “A Case Study Comparison of Pandemic Experience of Indigenous Groups in the Americas.”
In the late 1990s, Dr. Drexler served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Belize; she co-founded Full Basket Belize, a 501(c)(3) and has served on its Board of Directors since 2005. She produced the award-winning short film Yochi; she also founded “Science Talks with Dr. Drexler and Friends” to assist teachers during the pandemic. She also co-directed the Gila Film School and produced seven documentary films sponsored by the U.S. Forest Service to celebrate the centennial of the Gila Wilderness in 2024. Dr. Drexler serves as a faculty advisor for the University’s wSTEM, AWIS and SACNAS chapters.
Dr. Michelle Watts is the Associate Dean of the Department of Security and Global Studies, where she also teaches in the doctoral program. She has a bachelor’s degree in international studies from American University, a master’s degree in Latin American studies from the University of Arizona and a Ph.D. in international development from the University of Southern Mississippi.
Dr. Watts has collaborated with colleagues on nine research grants encompassing a wide range of topics. Her work includes “Bomberos, Maestros y Psicólogos: Guatemalan Civil Society Response to the Volcano of Fire Disaster,”“Making Sovereignty Mean Something: Native Nations and Creative Adaptation,” “Drugs, Thugs, and the Diablos Rojos: Perils and Progress in Panama,” “Seguridad del Canal de Panamá: Una Década Después de la Salida de Estados Unidos” (Security of the Panama Canal: One Decade after U.S. Departure), and “Game of Norms: Panama, the International Community, and Indigenous Rights.” She is the principal investigator for the research study “A Case Study Comparison of Pandemic Experience of Indigenous Groups in the Americas.”
Comments are closed.