Alaskan Parka, Artic Ground Squirrel parka, Qaliq – Page 21

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;

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.

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! 🌸

The sewing is calling again with the forest fire in the air. I am aiming with a needle to sew this weekend; qaspeq or atkucuaq (little fur parka). I plan to cut out a pattern with materials and measure out my fur parka.

Before the heavy smoke was blown this way from the southwest of here, I had the opportunity to get out into the wild 😜.

Before stores or ships with western goods arrived to AK, we already had a chewing gum, spruce sap. While on the trail or out and about – vegetables were a hand pick away, fireweed. Soup was never far with a hand made wooden bowl – burl.