ways to support ALASKA NATIVE BUSINESSES By Mary Goddard & Samantha Phillips Purchasing art from Alaska Native artisans is two-fold. When you support these locally owned businesses, not only does the money go back into the community, helping it to thrive, but you receive an authentic Alaska experience. Buyers take home quality art—rich with culture and history—while the artists receive profit to continue their sacred traditions, pass down knowledge, and stay connected to their cultural heritage. Alaska Native artists share the same sentiment: “Our art helps us maintain our lifestyle and continue on with our way of life.” Much of Alaska Native art is created through materials from animal byproducts such as furs, skins, tusks, and hair. Other raw materials from nature—such as roots, bark, and wood—are sustainably sourced with special care given to the environment. With this mindful care for the earth and unparalleled craftsmanship, you’ll be able to take home items such as fish-skin earrings, a spruce root basket, a sea otter blanket, or a hand-carved mask. celebrating ivory Yup’ik artist Bailey Mccallson slowly carves away bits of ivory to create beads that will soon adorn someone’s neck... Walrus, mammoth, and mastodon ivory are often used by Alaska Natives to create a wide range of carvings and ceremonial masks, as well as other contemporary or traditional artwork, jewelry, and home decor. In contrast to elephant poaching in other parts of the world, walrus hunting isn’t controversial in Alaska—it is legal and sustainable, and Indigenous artists are aware of the effects of their actions, meaning that nothing goes to waste. What you see as an ivory necklace tells a story about the artists’ culture, heritage, and lifestyle. Every single part of the walrus has been utilized: the meat for eating, the bones for sculptures, and even the stomach lining for creating drums for celebration. To ensure an ethical purchase, search for the Silver Hand stickers or tags attached to an item to confirm it was made by a member of an Alaska Native tribe. The program helps Alaska Native artists promote their work in the marketplace and helps consumers identify authentic Alaska Native art. Visit TravelAlaska.com/ AlaskaNativeArts to learn more. LOOM BEADING HOW DO YOU KNOW IF IT’S ALASKA NATIVE-MADE? CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: INSTAGRAM/STATESWEET, SPRUCE ROOT/ ISABELLA HAYWOOD, LORENDA JOHNSON, INSTAGRAM/TUSKWORTHY_PREMIUMS, INSTAGRAM/AKSWEETGRASS, BETHANY GOODRICH PHOTOGRAPHY. 15
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