Nasek'taq

Its been a busy time this summer – I haven’t had time for arts and crafts- except for two qaspeqs.  I want to share some pictures of my outdoor adventures in Fairbanks and the Kuskokwim Delta to make up for the times I haven’t posted.  I start with a flower that is a must have berry, cloud/salmon berry.  I rarely see these flowers bloom;

Low bush cranberries – I love the color;

If you have cold you just can’t get rid of – the whole plant helps get rid of coughing cold.  The Cotton trees got chomped on by an engineering beaver on the Tanana River;

I found a fat Stink Weed/Worm Wood that is medicinal;

And when you are out and about – there are frightened birds that fly off when you get too close to their nests;

Trees that make you feel small and trees that can make a sauna hotter than your oven;

I just remembered that I had nature do its course in removing the hair from a spotted seal for some kind of art work in the winter;

The skin required a lot of rinsing with water.  When I went out for an adventure and found a neat creek that washed the silt to the side;

I am puzzled by nature’s beauty.  Nature can take its course in all directions;

Rotting from the inside and the wind cracked it to the ground.  The week that I adventured was great and just before the fires broke out;

The fish have already begun their treacherous journey to spawn for new generations of fish and some were caught for winter food;

I like to make fish soup like my mom.  We have something fish almost everyday.  Something like this: half dried, smoked, fermented, baked, grilled, caviar, salted, pickled, and in soup!

Then the fire season arrived in the midst of fireweeds blooming;

The smoke was bad so we stayed home most evenings.  So I decided to try out a different modern qaspeq;

Even in the midst of smoke, nature speaks louder;

When subsistence regulation hinder the time for harvest – those that wait will eventually catch up with the rest.  Patience is hard.  My mom reminded us the advice from grandfather William Lomack and it stayed with my father and then to my brother, Quyana;

Fish camp was extremely hot during the day and we were cautious not to cook out smoked salmon.  July 9 was way too hot.  We drove 3-4 hours down the Kuskokwin River with t-shirts and life vest the whole way.  Along the way, we saw dead floating pike and salmon.  On our return to Akiachak/fishcamp – we came across a salmon with bulging eyes trying to stay alive.  My great-niece thought it was a frog and then realized that it was a fish.  When I was her age, we had never heard or seen anything like that;

My heart was pounding at the sight of this dying salmon.  On the shores of Akiachak and all over the river, we saw salmon that died from the heat wave.

Before we found out about dying salmon, we had a blast of berry picking for cloud/salmon berries on the tundra.  The water and land gave us nourishment for us.  Why should we ignore the climate change?

I end this portion of the blog with these two pictures.  Old and new salmon berry plant and young boy reaching out to a plant;

Piurci, tui-ingunrituq.  

 

 

Experimenting with material. I used mostly scraps from bunch of qaspet (plural) I made and left over fur. I measured the traditional fur parka qaliq. I went from measuring to cutting back and forth like the wind we’ve been having lately.

I wanted to make sure the measurements were right.

This was going to be easy- zooming with the sewing machine.

Small squares made it complicated. I think I’ll look for an easier way.

The shapes were true to their form.

It was a puzzle and like a quilt.

Using exact measurements were important.

I decided to add some fur for fun.

The hood is exact shape.

I almost messed up but I paused and thought for a bit- I didn’t want to redo the sewing.

The side are adjustable to anyone’s size. The trimmings are same size as the fur trimming.

this was before the tassels were placed.

This was fast and easy part. I’ve seen similar designs as these.

Before it was brought over to the Alaska Bear Gallery I frantically searched for a manikin.

Frantic no more- I found these 😆

These two became buddies.

Happy spring everyone. Piurci!

Here is glimpse of what is happening this week – modern day qaliq

No squirreling around but the left overs are still around peeking and their tales sticking out. Left over qaspeq materials can be useful for any garment. Happy fast sewing and spring.

I wrote this blog early part of February with an intention of finishing it before the end of the month but things didn’t work out with my timing and heartaches. Sun is shining more each day – like a morning stretch from winter days. One winter while attending undergraduate courses at UAF I didn’t see the sun for a few weeks – walked to classes at morning nights and walked to the dorm at evening nights. In Alaska, we get excited when we gain light day by day after cold winter days. Today, it’s not the sun that melts the snow earlier than normal – climate change is real! Several weeks ago it was raining in southwest Alaska! It’s flooding in one of the Y-K tundra villages in March and spring is not yet here! Be careful out there when you’re traveling. Always let someone know where you go and your estimate return!

I finished a pair of kameksak few weeks ago. The pair were for a naming ceremony in Saint Marys, AK. My Kuskokwim Campus UAF advisor, Bridget Kline placed an order for a fancy Yup’ik women’s traditional kameksak, ciivalek for her granddaughter. Bridget makes beautiful qaspeqs, check out her Facebook page ‘Qaspeqs by Bridget.’ Bridge sewed the top piece of the kameksak matching her unique design. So exciting!

My friend Lolly Carpluk guided me with measurements and rounding the naterkaq just right. Lolly has helped me at my difficult situations at these crafts, Quyana!

I have made the kameksaks naterkaqs shaped like a lower lip sticking up or slightly smiling:

Congratulations to the 2019 Governor’s Arts and Humanities Awards recipients. I was able to watch through 360 North – they are inspiring to witness.

I thank God for many friends, who at times pray for me when I am struggling. Below is a Yup’ik women’s dance headdress for a friend and prayer warrior, Bonnie;

My next assignment was a qaspeq for Ivana. Ivana Ash is a Sugpiaq from Nanwalek attending UAF, majoring in Linguistics. She has a presentation coming up in Hawaii.

On Saturday’s – when busyness isn’t overwhelming, my friends have been over for sewing time! We had successfully cut patterns and sew. Thank you Val Pingayak, Rebecca Wilbur and Rebecca’s aunt for coming over. We will get together for sewing again sometime. I have plenty of leather for baby booties or other projects that were donated by my cousin Sophie and her husband Eric Holland – Quyana!

I am making slow progress with the little squirrel atkuk:

I have been debating, with the hood or no hood? We will see how much squirrels I have left. These furs are leftovers from the qaliq, many of them are front parts of squirrels. I just love the way they turned out.

I am working on the arms and trying to figure out the mechanics of the underarms so they don’t tear from putting the atkuk on. I have it mapped out in my mind. Talking of mapping, my mom sent some pictures I have drawn out in the late 1900s;

This was the time I was taking a class in Indian Law at UAF. I was never bored at that class because the teacher made it interesting and he, he was takarnarqeq. I had a left over note book to scribble. I have completely forgotten about this drawing. At that time, I envisioned myself to someday sew a parka. Rasmuson Foundation helped my drawing a reality, Quyana!

Around the time in 2005 spring semester at UAF, I met a young Yup’ik lady from Tooksok Bay. We first saw each other’s at the airport before we became neighbors. Our Yugnikek connected us – the love of being who we are, nature, subsistence gathering and hunting, traditional art, love of eating fermented food and other Native food, and raising our children with Yup’ik values, with love and healthy habits. My friend Anna, Ingamuralria “Ingam”- you have taught my family healthy foods and habits. You provided positive feedback in raising my girls. You truly made us feel valuable and loved by you. We have ventured out for berry picking, hunted grouse, went fishing, camped out with our children, we cried, laughed, we fell and picked each other up thru prayer. You were humble, loving and forgiving. You have set a positive Yup’ikness to my girls and I – and I am forever grateful for you, I love you my friend.

Please pray for my friend Ingam’s family and many friends. Ingam’s friendship shined in our hearts ♥️🌸

“Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.” John‬ ‭20:29‬ ‭KJV‬‬

I am not sure how to interpret naterkaq (the one for the floor?), but I can share what it’s all about. Naterkaq is a product of a bearded seal skin. The hair is removed by aging but I am not sure how or with what. All I know is the seal skin hair and the skin that is black comes off by aging the skin and scraping. I’ll have to share that process at another time.

I am learning about making piluguq/kameksak by trial and lots of error. Naterkaq is for the bottom sole of a boot that is hand made from below the knee to the sole.

Right now I am searching naterkaq to make more piluguq/kameksak. The picture above is few of the piluguq/kameksak I made. It takes lots to measurements and practice to make a good pair. Quyana, to special orders by various people who have entrusted me to make for their loved ones.

I have avoided biting into these skins but I found out that it’s necessary part of the process to soften the seal skin.

There is carving involved too – thinning out the edges of the soles.

I like my daughter’s little uluaq from her Atelli Aiyang (my aunt).

Main fur for this is wolverine that was cut from the leg.

I have several more naterkaq to work with before I run out.

Quyana tailuci 🌸❤️