Whew! What a learning day. We were off early to the Alaska Native Heritage Center where we were to spend the day listening to orators, tour guides and watching Native dances and movies about the native Alaskans and their cultures. While understandable, it was difficult keeping up when almost everything covered all eleven clans and the twenty two different dialects that was discussed. Eventually, we figured most of it out.
Our greeter Kiana Pete
What an interesting history and culture they had. While all of them were sociable with each other, their life style could be completely different depending on what area of Alaska they were from. Most, by virtue of their environment had to live on what GOD provided. One tribe (clan) lived almost entirely on seafood because they lived on the coast or on an island and had nothing else available. One survived on a well rounded diet since everything was available. The short Spring-Summer -Autumn seasons brought many vegetables and all the berries, seafood, moose, etc they needed. Another lived on Walrus and whales, mostly Bulga' whales and seafood.and yet another ate mostly sea otters.
We started by sitting in on a session of "games" played by Alaskan"s that are different than the norm. Like the Olympics, the Alaska Games is a special event and highly touted among the youth. They are designed to be done in a small space, but require physical strength and agility. One was a game of high kicking a suspended ball from different angles. One angle was to approach the ball and from the foot you land on, kick with that foot and land back on that foot. Another was to rise up from the floor from a sitting position and kick it. The record supposedly is around nine feet. Apparently quite popular among all Alaskans as we saw in a movie.
Attempting to kick the ball (suspended near her left wrist)
Next we watched as a young man, high school graduate, told us about the different clans (tribes) and told us about their environment as mentioned above. He said the interpretation for "Eskimo" was "one who eats raw seafood" because they ate a lot of sea otter. He, along with other teenager school students (and one postgraduate) and a couple others sang several native songs and performed native dances that consisted of their lifestyle. None of which we understood, but the instructor did explain them to us. There was very little foot movement . The reason was that in the winter months they lived in very tight quarters in a commune type house and there was little room to move around. The song was expressed with arm and hand movement. Much like the Hawaiians do but without the swaying of the hips. Only the men stomp their feet to indicate strength. Their music is a wood circle covered with carabou skin to make a flat drum-similar to a tambourine. the entire group was just fantastic. Not only were they going to school, they were all native and doubled as tour guide at sections of the tour.
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Following the performance, Michelle, our tour guide (one of the performers), walked us through the five outside village areas of each clan (tribe) and explained their culture and showed us the different types of building construction for each area of Alaska that they lived in. They had entrances that prevented bears or other animals from gaining entrance into the house. Some had tunnels with small entrances that they could close off and also provided closure from the cold. Ventilation was unique. One had a window in the roof with a shear cover made of seal intestines. They are transparent and waterproof (and are also used to make raincoats). Very innovative because everything on or in the house had a useful purpose and every animal part was used for something. Nothing went to waste, nothing. The igloo is a myth, maybe some snow is used for shelter on occasion, but never lived in.
Our Tour Guide Michele
A community house for the men of the tribe.
A food storage.
The beginning. Bear prevention door.
The End Less than four feet high
Fishermans net
Privacy curtain (lots of privacy?)
A reduced doorway
Raven feathers folded & used as a broom
A community house.
A totem pole.
Story of the leader & tribe
Entrance stairs & tunnel underneath
Hard to get through
Caribou boots
Elevated planter
After the tour we stopped to shop. Here are some of the ladies and their crafts. All Alaskan but from different tribes. Nita got a fur pin made from a Sea Otter and a Harbor seal plus two pair of ear rings, one made from a dentilium shell and crystal and another from African turquoise, jade and ivory, all handmade by these ladies. what a grand talent.
Tamara Mosier Yupik Clan--Seal and otter Pin
Sabina--Ivory & jade ear rings
Liz --Shell, crystal and bead ear rings
Meet Emily
Next on the list was a walk through the museum and look and gape in wonderment at all the artifacts and creations of the people. they were really beautiful and these pictures just don't give them justice. It must have taken them months on end to create them as well as prepare the skins, trade for beads and finish the sewing. many of these were created for ceremonial purposes and not worn or used in real life.
A Halibut snare (largest halibut 600 lbs)
Chieftains Helmet
The helmet was used when hunting, it could be lowered over the face and allowed the hunter to get closer to his prey. A hunting helmet was not painted so brightly.
Here is another covered with walrus skin
Visitor
