Miniature skin working board painted with the images of a swimming sea otter. Koniag Collection, Karluk One, AM193.
In classical Alutiiq society, graphic arts had many functions. Careful decoration added beauty to objects, showing respect for the plants and animals that provided for people and ensured future prosperity. Pictures also preserved history. Like books, they created a physical record of the past, recording events and stories.
Some images were also family symbols. Imagine that a hunter killed two seals with one harpoon strike. This very lucky event might be symbolized in paintings on his household implements. When people saw the painted tools they would be reminded of the hunter’s skill and good fortune, and know the objects belong to his family. The picture preserved a story, celebrated the hunter’s talent, and expressed ownership.
Painted images, including geometric designs, animals, human figures, boats, celestial bodies, and spirits were the final decorative touches on many objects. Alutiiq people painted pictures on wooden objects–hats, paddles, arrows, bows, boxes, masks, and many other implements. They also pecked pictures on boulders, etched designs into stone and bone weaponry, and created images through weaving and embroidery.
Igaruacirpet—Our Way of Making Designs
Alutiiq artwork is alive! Paintings tell family stories and send messages. Circles are eyes that watch for prey. The color green calls upon spirits for assistance. Igaruacirpet explores the Alutiiq arts, focusing on the ways that graphic designs carry cultural information. The chapter on petroglyphs, incised drawing, painting, and body art share hundreds of traditional images, investigate their history and meaning and reveal conventions in Alutiiq art. Available from the Alutiiq Museum Store.
Illustrating Alutiiq Legends
Images help bring stories to life. In 2021, community artists helped to illustrate Alutiiq/Sugpiaq legends with drawings, paintings, fabric art, and digital media for Unigkuat, a book of traditional Alutiiq tales. A selection of their work appears below. Supported by the Munartet project through the Alaska State Council on the Arts.
