Of the 574 federally recognized tribes in the United States, 228 share geography with Alaska. In the latest decennial census, 21.9% of Alaska’s population identified as American Indian or Alaska Native—the highest percentage of any state. Alaska’s Native peoples are comprised of 11 regional cultural groups and there is tremendous diversity within those regions, which encompass more than 663,000 square miles, more than 50 recognized dialects and innumerable place based cultural traditions. To meet the needs of this large population, the Alaska State Council on the Arts (ASCA) has begun to strategically cultivate a portfolio of Alaska Native arts programs and services.
- Counterfeit art is a significant problem undermining the livelihood of Native artisans in Alaska and beyond. To address this issue, the Silver Hand Permit Program is an authentication system that helps Alaska Native artists promote their work and enables consumers to identify genuine Alaska Native products. Only original works (not reproductions or manufactured items) may bear the Silver Hand tag, which is protected under Alaska trademark statute. Artists apply to ASCA for Silver Hand permits, which are valid for two years. Permit holders are issued a supply of distinctive Silver Hand tags to label works for sale. These tags indicate that items are handmade in Alaska by an Alaska Native artist. Permit holders also are encouraged to document their unique patterns and designs to create a record of their work. ASCA enrolls Alaska Native artists in the program, encouraging participation by traditional and contemporary practitioners and emerging artists. Around 2,500 artists currently are registered. After a lull between 2018 and 2020, there is now an upswing of new and returning applicants, as the program offers a simple, cost-effective way to distinguish one's work from mass-produced merchandise found in most gift shops. ASCA has used the program not only to serve artists, but also to educate consumers and tour operators about the importance of purchasing authentic Alaska Native arts and crafts.
- To help Alaska Native artists succeed as entrepreneurs, ASCA has provided training and technical services, both in person and virtually. A key resource in this effort is the Alaska Native Artist Resource Workbook. This guide was developed in partnership with The CIRI Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Cook Inlet Region, Inc., a for-profit Alaska Native corporation. The workbook explores topics such as artist identity development, artistic ecosystems, professional business standards and legal issues. In the future, ASCA is planning to conduct virtual workshops on developing artist statements, marketing and other professional development topics.
- Alaska Native arts are incorporated across the agency's artist services. For example, ASCA manages the Alaska Contemporary Art Bank, a collection of high-quality works by contemporary Alaskan artists. The collection invests in Alaska's creative industry through direct purchases and facilitates public access to notable works across the state. As a part of its commitment to all Alaska art forms, the agency has made a concerted effort to acquire works by Alaska Native artists for this collection. The pieces contained in the art bank are lent out to Alaska state facilities, including courthouses and legislators' offices.
- ASCA serves as a grantor and administrative partner for the Munartet Project, a collaborative initiative to promote education programs on Kodiak Island through the integration of the arts and culture into teaching. Pre-service and early career educators are paired with mentor teachers, culture bearers, elders and artists. Lesson plans that align with state standards and explore many aspects of Alutiiq heritage are developed for use by teachers and the wider community. Partners include the Kodiak Island Borough School District, Alutiiq Museum, Kodiak Arts Council, and Kodiak College as well as ASCA.
ASCA’s community engagement efforts are informed by a complex constellation of federal and state policies. The 1971 Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) is an important example. In an attempt to avoid some of the difficulties experienced by tribes in the lower 48 states, this landmark federal legislation reserved 44 million acres of land—and their associated natural resources rights—under the authority of the Alaska Native peoples, based on both historic and contemporary usage and stewardship practices. ANCSA led to the creation of 13 regional Native-owned and -operated for-profit corporations and more than 200 village corporations. They provide access to resources and shape economic opportunities for enrolled Alaska Native shareholders and their descendants. Traditional governance structures are also present, with at least three tiers of tribal councils providing local, regional and statewide oversight of education, health care, economic development, subsistence food gathering rights and conservation, and social services (including child care, foster families and elder meal programs) as well as judicial functions. Alaska Native for-profit and nonprofit entities and their affiliate tribal councils play major roles in Alaskan community life, in addition to influencing state and local politics. Some of these entities invest in the arts, others do not, and available support mechanisms for artists vary widely, depending on location and available infrastructure. Artists and ASCA alike must learn this intricate constellation of corporate, community and cultural systems.
Unique circumpolar and geopolitical issues also arise for Alaska Native artists who use marine mammal parts—ivory, in particular—in their artwork. The use of walrus ivory by Alaska Native people is permitted by the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, which allows Alaska Native subsistence hunters to harvest walruses, bowhead whales, polar bears, seals, sea lions and sea otters. Their ivory, bones, baleen and teeth are incorporated into artworks, decorative and practical objects. Marine mammal hides and furs are used to create traditional clothing, such as hats, mittens, hunting pants and parkas, headbands, slippers, and mukluks—all of which are essential gear for life in the extreme frigid environment of the north. In 2016, the United States enacted a near-total ban on elephant ivory from Africa to curtail profits from poaching. Numerous states augmented those protections with their own bans, but they often did not differentiate between walrus and elephant ivory. As a result, Alaska Native artists have been scrutinized and even harassed for their uses of walrus ivory. Alaska Native leaders and advocates have had to educate policymakers and continually assert legal protections for the work of Alaska Native artists. The ASCA board of trustees passed a resolution in support of these efforts.
Alaska’s complex tapestry of Indigenous sovereignty and birthrights; local, state, federal and international regulations; and citizenries that predate statehood requires specialized knowledge and skills to navigate. To that end, ASCA hired a dedicated, full-time program director who oversees the agency’s services to Indigenous populations. ASCA’s Indigenous arts and culture program director is tasked with leading the agency’s Native Arts programs, conducting training programs, facilitating access to state and federal funding, and cultivating strategic partnerships among Alaska Native and philanthropic organizations.
For more information on Alaska’s services to Native artists and communities, contact ASCA Indigenous Arts & Culture Program Director Patti Oksoktaruk Lillie, Inupiaq.