A mock up of the first Children’s Book that I will publish, the only suggestion I had was that both names need to be the same size! This is an exciting transition in my life. From the Ashes a new woman emerges and I will only continue to strive to be the best mom I can be! Peace be with you! I am so excited to be collaborating with my good friend and classmate! I hope this is the first in a series of books I have already written!
Category: Pictures
Adventures of Mommy and Duke, Alaskan Snow.
Valentine’s Day Alaska
Alaskan Mermaid
A bit rudimentary, but not bad for my first mermaid.
Alaskan Seal Skin Ornament
Artists Conk Alaska
Today I used my wood burning iron for the first time. This is what we call punk in Alaska. In ash form it helps absorb other substances more intensely. It would be interesting to study its effects in other combinations besides nicotine, considering that is what a lot of natives mix it with I’m sure it could play a more useful part perhaps absorbing nutrients that are beneficial. I’d like to try mixing some ash with chaga tea or Labrador tea along with my rosehip petals and spruce resin. Possibilities are endless with an open mind.
Walk in the light.
Inupiaq
I grew up being called an Eskimo and guess what? It has never bothered me not once. This is not a derogatory term, it simply means “eater of raw meat.” I eat muktuk, which is the part of the whale skin and blubber, raw. We also eat quaq, which is thinly sliced frozen fish. We dip that in seal oil, which is seal blubber rendered into a clear oil. I am Eskimo, but I prefer Inupiaq as it is more identifiable to where I am from, Unalakleet. The sod houses on our beach date between 200 B.C. And 300 A.D. A lot of people move to Unalakleet but my mother’s side is originally from the area, unlike a lot of families who do not originate from there. I loved growing up at fish camp, my mom would tell us oral legends and all these were passed down through the generations. One of my favorite is of the link between Orcas and Wolves. Long ago they would say when a wolf was near death they went into to ocean to transform to the killer whale, and vice versa. Mainly the point of that legend from my understanding is that a pack of wolves are so similar to a pod of orcas. We do not hunt killer whales. Our area hunts beluga whale and our family trades other Native food for bowhead whale from more up north villages. When I was growing up a fresh gallon of milk was five to seven dollars and I’m sure the price went up. It is too expensive to only rely on modern grocery stores, so we live a subsistence lifestyle. Most of my vivid nightmares, starting from a very young age, are of catastrophic events happening in the village I grew up in. I still live in Alaska but not in Unalakleet. I am Inupiaq, but we are all people and when people come together for a common cause, it’s pretty awesome. Love and be love.
Shrick shrick
Swedish Kick in Alaska
Today on our adventure we visited with our nice neighbor. She is Swedish and was nice enough to let us try her kick. Duke loved it and was not happy I stopped to take a picture.