It's Culture Camp!!!!!!!!!!!!

Culture camp is started here on the island and will last for two weeks. This camp is designed for young and old and in between to come and learn traditional arts from the elders and vistors from other tribes and bands of Alaskan Natives. There are over 80 kids attending from 8-5 and probably close to 30 adults at night. Some of the crafts and skills being taught are the Aleut visor/hat, traditional regalia, beading for glass ball, beading head-dresses and drum making.


This is an Aleut visor being worked on by one of the kids during the day. I decided this was what I wanted to make and have posts coming later of my progress. These visors come in three different sizes and are decorated with many different symbols.

This is the beginning of a Bering Head-dress, Some colors are more traditional for certain tribes and bands or the kids can choose their own and be creative.

The glass balls are found floating in the ocean around False Pass and especially Nelson Lagoon. The glass balls are from Japanese fishing vessels that use them as floats for their nets. Where we have progressed from wood to styrofoam, the Japanese still use glass and are found on the Bering sea side more often than around here.

The regalia is made from suede, leather, fur and beads. There are several women who measure pattern free hand. Every stitch made on these garments are handsewn and it is beautiful to see them work so hard on these. The last night of culture camp, the children will dress in their traditional clothing and head-dresses and perform an Aleut dance to drums and songs.

An absolutely beautiful work in progress.

This is just one of the types of head-dresses being made and shed a whole new light on the term "beading" for me.