Sergie and the White Seal: An International Arctic Indigenous Collaboration

Tukuuludaa will retell Rudyard Kipling’s “White Seal” St. Paul Island-based Jungle Book story from a modern, Unangan, and Unangan fishermen's perspective. Through an art installation, young adult novel publication, and short animated film, we will premiere our work as the headliner of the 2026 Arctic Arts Summit in Umeå, Sweden.

St. Paul Island has been associated with Rudyard Kipling and Disney’s The Jungle Book since its original publication in 1893, as it is the setting of the only story from the book that is not in India. The story tells of an albino fur seal who, after witnessing Unangan seal hunters kill a group of seals, decides the practice is barbaric and must find a new home for his species. The story positions Unangan seal hunters as villains.

Rather than just abandoning the story, we are retelling it from the perspective of local Unangan. Instead of the seal and Unangan hunter being enemies, this story will paint us as allies in the fight against destructive fishing practices that are destroying our homeland. With this project, we are publishing one of the world’s first big-kids’/young adult Unangan-themed novels (aimed for ages 8+).

To tell the story, and in addition to the book, we are creating a corresponding art installation that showcases characters from the retelling as soft sculptures crafted from local St. Paul Island materials using traditional methods. This project fosters international collaboration among Indigenous artists in Sápmi and Unangam Tanangin. The Sámi artists Rebecca Tornberg and Mickael Berglund will illustrate our book and adapt it into a short animated film to premiere at the Arctic Arts Summit in June 2026.

The first draft of the novel was completed in August and was workshopped with 4th and 5th grade students at the St. Paul Island School in October and November.

The novel, publishing through the Alaska Native Language Center, will be available for sale at the Arctic Arts Summit and then afterwards online. After the summit, we will adapt the book into an audiobook.