What is "Made In Kodiak" ?

Made In Kodiak is composed of a group of artisans and craftsmen who live on beautiful Kodiak Island, located in the northern Gulf of Alaska. Our goal is to promote high quality local products made exclusively by those who reside on Kodiak Island. To the extent possible, we use only natural raw materials found in Kodiak and other regions of Alaska in the production of a wide variety of unique handcrafted products.

Kodiak Island is the largest island in Alaska and second largest island in the United States, second only to the island of Hawaii. It is a wilderness island, the largest of the twenty or more islands that make up the Kodiak archipelago. Thousands of years ago, Kodiak Island was covered by glaciers that moved across the island, carving the landscape of the island that exists today. It is characterized by steep rocky mountains that form the spine of the island, giving way to narrow valleys that make their way to a myriad of bays and inlets of unsurpassed beauty. During the summer months, Kodiak Island is covered by a lush carpet of green vegetation, nurtured by a mild maritime climate and long hours of sunlight. In the winter, the daylight hours are few and the island is buffeted by fierce storms with high winds that make their way to the island from Siberia and the Bering Sea.

When Russian traders arrived on Kodiak Island in the mid-1700s, about 10,000 Alutiiq peoples inhabited the island. The Russian’s were attracted to Kodiak in search of the luxurious sea otter pelts. In 1784, Gregorii Shelikof established the first Russian settlement at Three Saints Bay, on the southeast coast of Kodiak Island. By 1792, Russian Alexander Baranof established a trading post on the northeast coast at St Paul Harbor, making the town of Kodiak the first capital of Russian America.

Kodiak has abundant natural resources including timber, sea mammals, land mammals, many varieties of berries as well as many types of seafood. The island is home to the world's largest carnivore, the Kodiak brown bear.  The economy of Kodiak is based on commercial fishing and Kodiak is consistently ranked as one of the top three commercial fishing ports in the United States. The seafaring tradition runs through the fiber of the culture and people of the archipelago.

The natural beauty and abundance of this wilderness island and surrounding ocean are captured in the unique works of art and products created here on Kodiak Island. It is our hope that you will enjoy bringing a bit of our island home into your home wherever it may be.