Our Story

From Ancient Times

"Apaani," (Bering Straits Inupiaq Dialect)

"Qangircaq," (Sugpiaq Dialect)

We are an Alaska Native family owned and operated business.  Our owners are from the family of Brian Randazzo (Kompkoff) of Tatitlek, AK and the family of Sheila (Seetomona) Randazzo and Shawn Seetomona of Shishmaref, AK.  The mission of From Ancient Times is to promote and preserve traditional Alaska Native culture and traditional healthy lifestyle.

The story of our families is similar to those of many Alaska Native families.  In the mid-1900's our families relocated to urban Alaska from the villages, in search of better economic opportunity.  Through our elders, our great grandparents, and grandparents, we were able to see a glimpse of a dying way of life.  Our language, hunting and gathering skills, dance, tool making, skin sewing, and our traditional values and beliefs are leaving us with each passing elder.  As we live here in Anchorage, the largest city in Alaska, we witness culture loss daily. 

As  we experience culture change, our family seeks to find peace and health.  We have found that embracing our traditional ways brings strength of spirit.  Our values, our strong spiritual beliefs,  our traditional art, our tool making, our skin sewing, our hunting and gathering, strengthen us within.  We are fortunate to have learned some of our traditional ways from our elders, our relatives, our friends.

Despite the many efforts, our cultural lifestyle continues to  become a forgotten way of life.  We join others, then, to promote and preserve our traditional wisdom.  We devote a part of our life to honoring and reviving the traditional knowledge and lifestyle of our Alaska Native people...from ancient times.  If we learn, and share the wisdom with others, maybe our beautiful old ways will be revived, bringing peace and health to our people, and enriching all people.