My name is Karen E. Stickman. Evanoff is the name of my family of origin. My heritage is Dena’ina Athabascan, the most southern Athabascan tribe in Alaska. I was born and raised in Nondalton, Alaska. I am fortunate to have been raised closely connected to the natural environment with values  influenced by my Dena’ina Athabascan heritage. My childhood was simple with very limited material items or distractions. We had no running water, electricity, television or phone. Our two room log cabin had moss chinking for insulation, it was cozy. We picked berries, went to fish camp, had steam baths and enjoyed the natural land. 

I realize today how fulfilling this traditional way of life has been and continue to be to my spirit and my cultural pride. This is the experience I plan to pass on to my customers by offering an eco-tourism camp. The definition of Tava in the Dena’ina Athabascan language is swan. I chose this name because Chulitna (the main camp site) is the resting and nesting place for swans. One of my summer highlights is paddling, in a canoe, to within a few feet of the swans.