Trish Abston-Cox

Medium: Beaded Headdresses

Patricia Abston Cox is an Alutiiq artist with deep roots in the Kodiak community. Her father was born in the City of Kodiak and her mother Virginia was from the Alutiiq village of Larsen Bay. Her mother worked in a local bakery until it was swept away in the tsunami that followed the 1964 Great Alaska Earthquake. After living briefly in Washington state, the family returned to Kodiak where Patricia has lived since.

Cox enjoys beading and began making Alutiiq headdresses fifteen years ago under the mentorship of Dee Dee Chya, Margaret Roberts, and her mother, Virginia Abston—all local Alutiiq ladies who led efforts to preserve regalia and dancing. Cox was one of the founding members of the Kodiak Alutiiq Dancers and danced for eight years, alongside her mother and sister. Additionally, she played a major role in sustaining the group as its coordinator for three years. During this time, Cox learned to make cultural objects associated with traditional dance: headdresses, masks, bentwood hats, drums, and fur and beaded hats. Since, she has completed about twenty-five headdresses, beading for personal enjoyment and on commission. One of her most important commissions was for a wedding headdress.

Cox also teaches her skills to others. She is considered a local expert and has provided instruction in headdress making both in Larsen Bay and Kodiak, for adults and children. Despite her mastery of beading, Cox still sees herself as a student, “learning with each and every headdress [she] makes.” In 2018, examples of her beaded work were featured in the Fire Mountain Gems catalog—a publication that sells beads and beading supplies to artists around the world.

Photo: Trish Abston Cox with her niece Maryssa Abston-Tolliver