Page 78 - eatg

SISTER Running a family business in Indian, Alaska inspired Doug to work with native elders
It was that sense of community that
required an all hands on deck approach.
in meat processing. He developed a two-
“In the 70s, Mom and Dad embarked on
ACT a journey from Michigan to Alaska with week course where individuals from the
their newborn baby, heading towards the
villages would come to the store and
land of opportunity,” says Kukowski. Their
learn how they could provide for their
cutter and knew that there was serious
everything, including sharpening knives
Women in Business father Doug Drum was a trained meat people. According to Renia, they covered
and packaging and selling the meat. “But it
game meat in Alaska. When the business
opened in 1976, they processed game and was more than just my Dad teaching. There
then moved into bulk items of smoked was a real sharing of knowledge where
ham, bacon and turkey for people to take he learned about things like processing a
into remote backcountry. “My husband whale,” says Kukowski.
remembers when he was young, that his Family stands not only as the cornerstone
father would come into Indian Valley Meats of their existence but also their business,
and purchase entire slabs of smoked offering unwavering support and a sense of
bacon for them to take to Chicken Alaska belonging. “Our mom Millie is 78, and she
where they would spend the summer gold still works at the store three days a week.
prospecting,” states Kukowski. “That was a She would work every day if we let her,”
thing, back then. Entire families would go says Kukowski. Today Indian Valley Meats
off into some isolated area for the summer processes over 175,000 pounds of bone-
and prospect or fish.” in game meat a year, not including all the
Renia and Cathy’s father also worked other boneless meat such as hotdogs and
with the owners of the reindeer herds on sausage. While the family business has
St. Pauls Island to help them obtain state grown from the early days, the sisters still
inspection so that they could process retain a sense of tradition and quality in all
and sell the meat to individuals. “My Dad the meat they process. They also count all
knew how to butcher and grind meat for their customers as family. “It was humbling
burgers. He had local friends that pitched during the pandemic that people made
Sisters Renia Kukowski and Cathy Drum in and helped him develop the recipes for it a priority to come out and support us.
grew up in Indian Valley Meats. Some of reindeer polish sausages and the teriyaki That sense of community where everyone
their most memorable family pictures are sticks,” says Kukowski. “I remember there pitches in and comes together is what
of Cathy wrapping meat and Renia packing. were a lot of burned batches.” makes Alaska unique.”

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