Alaska outdoor adventures with a purpose

Summer is outdoor every day event in Alaska! The other day, my lunch consisted of wild rhubarb right out of the interior forest, peel and eat! Picking Labrador Tea is a must!! Tea is especially great after a good home cooked food. After a busy day of work; in office or any outdoorsy event – look out the window with a cup of tea is peaceful.

I have been extremely busy not sewing-I feel disconnected from my tasks of sewing but the call of the wild outdoors Alaska is tempting and can’t be ignored. Thanks to my Ilung, Letha- she insisted my mom and I pose for a picture of our hand made Yup’ik traditional parka;

Maryann Lomack and Merna Wharton

I am on my way to my extended family on the Kuskokwim River. I am looking forward to seeing friends and family – cut fish with them and go out to the tundra to harvest berries and greens. I am bringing with me some ingredients for home made soap to mix with healing plants. I am also bring organic zucchini to make akutaq with black berries with non organic crisco and sugar – 🤣!

Every year I plant zucchini in my front yard. This year I won’t wait til they are humongous to harvest them.

Labrador Tea

Just yesterday, my mom picked tea and left them in my Tacoma truck. We stepped out for little bit and entered the truck. I tell you, it was an amazing aroma! I would say better than any store bought deodorizer!

Wild Rhubarb is another eatable plant that is a must pick green!! I saw one right in the city limits of Anchorage!

I am looking forward to rain, sunshine, tundra, the smell of delicacy Yup’ik food and seeing family!! Summer means a whole lot more then outdoors-it’s means subsistence til the sun goes down and maqiq til wee morning. Piurci! 🌸

Author: Nasek'taq

Merna Wharton “Nasek’taq” is Yup'ik from Akiacuaq (Akiachak) lives in Anchorage Alaska. Merna is an Alaska Native artist, poet, traditional and contemporary seamstress, carver, gatherer of greens and berries, and loves the outdoors of Alaska! Merna enjoys finding art in natural elements and shares her experiences through her website, nasektaq.com. Merna crafts to preserve her culture and art and shares her worldview from a remote village Yup’ik girl’s perspective with a glimpse of life in Alaska in her writing and poems. More information about her art can be found at https://www.rasmuson.org/49writers/artist-profile/merna-wharton/.

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