Our Alaska

Our ancestors discovered the great land of Alaska many years ago.  They crossed the Bering Strait Land Bridge and chose to settle in this rich land.  We are their descendants.  Our artists and their families are from villages throughout this northern land.  Below are a few of the villages from which our artist's families orginated.

Shishmaref

The original Eskimo name for the island is "Kigiktaq." In 1816, Lt. Otto Von Kotzebue named the inlet "Shishmarev," after a member of his crew. Excavations at "Keekiktuk" by archaeologists around 1821 provided evidence of Eskimo habitation from several centuries ago. Shishmaref has an excellent harbor, and around 1900 it became a supply center for gold mining activities to the south. The village was named after the Inlet and a post office was established in 1901. The City government was incorporated in 1969. During October 1997, a severe storm eroded over 30 feet of the north shore, requiring 14 homes and the National Guard Armory to be relocated. Five additional homes were relocated in 2002. Other storms have continued to erode the shoreline, an average of 3 to 5 feet per year on the north shore. In July 2002, residents voted to relocate the community.

Tatitlek

Tatilek is an Alutiiq village first reported in the 1880 U.S. Census as "Tatikhlek," with a population of 73. The present spelling was published in 1910 by the U.S. Geological Survey, who wrote that the village originally stood at the head of Gladhaugh Bay, but was moved to its present site in the shadow of Copper Mountain around 1900. A post office was established in 1946. Many residents of Chenega moved to Tatitlek following its destruction by tsunami after the 1964 Good Friday earthquake. The dominant feature in the village is the blue-domed Russian Orthodox Church.