Aleut is proud to partner with and support St. Paul Island residents Garrett Iĝayuxˆ Pletnikoff and Hannah Atsaq Zimmerman as they lead a community education and outreach initiative through Tukuuludaa Creations, reclaiming Rudyard Kipling’s “The White Seal,” the only Jungle Book story set outside India.
Rather than abandoning the story, this project retells it from a modern Unangan and Unangan fishermen’s perspective. In the new interpretation, the seal and the Unangan hunter are allies, united in protecting their shared homeland from destructive fishing practices.
The project includes one of the world’s first middle grade/young adult Unangan themed novels (ages 8+), a full cast audiobook, the first majority Unangaxˆ /Aleut cast production of its kind, and a corresponding art installation featuring soft sculptures made from local St. Paul Island materials using traditional methods. Sámi artists Rebecca Tornberg and Mickael Berglund will illustrate the book and adapt it into a short, animated film. Together, the works will premiere at the 2026 Arctic Arts Summit in Umeå, Sweden, highlighting Indigenous collaboration across Unangam Tanangin and Sápmi.
Summary
So begins the story of Sergie Oustikoff, an Unangan teenager who can’t wait to leave his small island home; and Kotick, an albino fur seal who can imagine no better place in all the world. The two live separate lives, divided by species and habitat—until one day when an unknown danger arrives on Saint Paul Island, bringing fish shortages that threaten the livelihood of humans and fur seals alike. As Kotick turns to Sergie for help, Sergie grapples with the strange, shamanistic powers that seem to burgeon within him whenever the white seal is near. Along with a host of animal and human companions, the two embark on a quest to save their island that will lead them through the annals of history—and into a world of magic they never imagined.
