Wrangell Sentinel -

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) - In Juneau, fishing is a hobby for some and a lifestyle for others. For 17 Alaska Native youngsters, fishing provided a way to get in touch with their centuries’ old roots and get to know other middle-schoolers before classes start.

Goldbelt Heritage Foundation, a locally based non-profit focused on preserving and teaching Tlingit and Haida culture, put on its first ever middle school fishing camp last week, teaching kids 11- to 14-years-old traditional methods like gillnetting, trolling and setting crab pots.

John Smith, lead teacher for the week-long camp, said th...