Thomas Barlow with a large halibut caught on a traditional wood hook made during a SHI halibut hook carving workshop. (Sealaska photo courtesy Thomas George)
A Klawock teenager and his grandfather have been chosen to accept an award during a ceremony this week in Juneau.
The award comes from the Juneau Economic Development Council and Alaska State Committee for Research. Those groups chose the traditional wooden halibut hook for induction into the Alaska Innovation Hall of Fame.
Tlingit elder Thomas George and his grandson, Thomas Barlow, were invited to accept the award on behalf of Northwest Coast people.
According to an announcement from Sealaska Heritage Foundation, George trained his grandson from an early age to fish using the handmade hooks. Barlow now knows how to make his own hooks, and how to pinpoint precise fishing spots using traditional techniques, according to Sealaska.
On its website, the Juneau Economic Development Council says the halibut hook was chosen for the hall of fame because it is a sophisticated and innovative piece of technology unlike any other fish hook.
The annual Innovation Summit ceremony is Wednesday at Juneau’s Centennial Hall.
