Sergie and the White Seal

“This story takes place on the island of Saint Paul, away and away in the Bering Sea. Saint Paul is home to many residents, from the blue foxes to the elusive reindeer, but the largest of these groups are the northern fur seals and the Unangan.”

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. 

One hundred and thirty-two years after “The White Seal” first appeared in Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book (1894), this retelling lends it a long-overdue Indigenous perspective. It recharacterizes the fur seals and the Unangan not as mortal enemies, but as equal partners in stewardship of their lands and seas. With Unangan Traditional Knowledge woven into the fabric of the story, and featuring over ninety Unangam Tunuu words and phrases, the tale of Sergie and Kotick invites readers to celebrate Saint Paul Island and all those who call it home.