Christy Ruby (left) assists her friend Chevy Horval with a harvesting seal class for the KIC Tribal Scholars Program. (Image courtesy of Christy Ruby)

Alaska’s sea otter population has grown since being reintroduced to the region in the 1960s. The species preys on clams and crabs, which are profitable fisheries throughout the state.  

But Alaska Native fashion artist Christy Ruby wants to keep the species’ population under control by eventually building Southeast’s only large-scale tannery for harvested sea otters. KRBD’s dropped by Ruby’s studio in Ketchikan to find out how a recently-awarded Rasmuson Foundation grant could help her achieve this goal. 

Hunter Morrison is a Report for America corps member for KRBD. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep him writing stories like this one. Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution.

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