October 2011 ASCA Communique

This May, ASCA partnered with the Smithsonian Arctic Studies Center and the Anchorage Museum at Rasmuson Center to host an intensive traditional Northern Athabascan snowshoe residency. The project was part of our growing Alaska's Living Cultural Treasures program. We had two goals. The first was to highlight the work and cultural expertise of snowshoe makers and culture bearers - two of whom we featured in our Alaska's Living Cultural Treasures: A Gift for Our Next Generation publication. The second was to cultivate long term working relationships between master snowshoe artists and apprentices to effectively transfer endangered traditional Koyukon snowshoe making skills to a new generation of dedicated apprentices.

Art is in everything we do... even if we don't think about it." ~Dixie Alexander

ASCA chose individuals from the same community to generate momentum for teams to continue their work at home. Apprentices were selected based on master artists' recommendations. Three teams worked together during the weeklong residency. George Albert trained William McCarty IV from Ruby and Daniel Tritt from Arctic Village, Butch Yaska and Al Yatlin were the Huslia team, and traditional storyteller Trimble Gilbert from Arctic Village told stories about the design, use, and cultural significance of snowshoes in his Gwich'in language.

George Albert and Butch Yaska, both Koyukon Athabascan, are two of very few remaining individuals still actively building traditional snowshoes. To both of them, snowshoes are a dynamic part of their lives. They are friends and accomplished athletes who relate to their snowshoes like runners do to their fine Nike sprint shoes. Nearly 130 Central Middle School students came to the museum to visit with the masters and apprentices during the snowshoe residency. We asked students if they played a sport and how fast they ran a mile. Eyebrows flew up, students' interest was piqued, and a rich conversation opened when they realized George Albert could outrun them on snowshoes.

Both George and Butch, who were raised in and continue to spend almost all of their time in the woods and on the waterways of the Koyukon people, have a love and understanding of birch trees that other fine artists have with their materials. They are so fluent in the qualities of birch it is as if they are describing the personality of a tree. Koyukon cultural intimacy with birch trees was apparent when Butch shared with Central Middle School students the old Koyukon story about how the tree people settled in different parts of the north.

"I learned Athabascans are cool!"

Master artists agreed their time together helped them preserve and perpetuate endangered traditional snowshoe making skills, knowledge and artistry. George Albert "gifted" Daniel Tritt with a pair of his snowshoes in recognition of Daniel's exceptional apprenticeship efforts. Butch Yaska donated his residency snowshoes to the museum education department. ASCA and the Anchorage Museum each commissioned George Albert to make full caribou babiche, moose rawhide footing and unvarnished birch snowshoes. The Council accessioned George's shoes into the Contemporary Art Bank this September.

ASCA, the Anchorage Museum, and the Smithsonian Arctic Studies Center will host a Living Cultural Treasures Sugpiaq and Unangan traditional bentwood hat making residency March 5 - 9, 2012 at the Smithsonian Arctic Studies Center. The Alaska's Living Cultural Treasures Residencies are funded by the National Endowment for the Arts Folk and Traditional Arts Infrastructure Grant.

"In his core he takes it seriously since snowshoes have saved him in the bush plenty of times" Eileen

The Alaska State Council on the Arts awarded over $60,000 in special project, career opportunity and arts education grants Alaska artists and arts organizations at their recent quarterly meeting.

The Alaska State Council on the Arts is funded by the Alaska State Legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts, with support for arts education grants from the Rasmuson Foundation.