What does reindeer meat taste like? Some say, “Like beef.” Others say, “Like lamb.” People also report that the lean, healthy meat tastes better than caribou. (Caribou is the reindeer’s wild, migrating cousin.)

The Cup’ig people have lived on Nunivak Island for 2,000 years. Compared to them, reindeer are new to the neighborhood. In the 1800s, whaling ships moved up and down the coast of Alaska. They caused great harm to the marine animal populations there. The Cup’ig relied on those animals for food. So the U.S. government introduced reindeer to Nunivak in the 1920s. The reindeer became a new food supply. (Just one reindeer can provide about 200 pounds of meat!) The Cu’pig usually harvest reindeer around Thanksgiving. They travel many miles across snowy ground to corral them. Every year, the reindeer harvest creates about 20 jobs in Mekoryuk.

The Cu’pig village has such a small population that very few people know what it’s really like to live there. Can you imagine making your home on a frigid, volcanic island like Nunivak? Some travelers come to stay at camps on the island during certain seasons. But Mekoryuk is the only permanent settlement. The Cup’ig want to preserve their ancient way of life. They have a tribal government for that reason. But reindeer aren’t part of the early Cu’pig customs. Will these “cattle” bring the village money, jobs, and a future?