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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (April 24, 2019)
4 Wednesday, April 24, 2019 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon Alaska natives show masterworks Sixty thousand filter- feeding baleen whales in the Pacific Ocean head north each spring, undertaking a great journey to reach the nutrient- rich waters of Alaska. They9ll migrate along the southeast- ern archipelago and southern coast of Alaska before passing through the Aleutian Island chain. There, they9ll turn north once more and swim up the Bering Sea to com- plete their 6,000-mile voyage before entering the richest phytoplankton waters of all, the Arctic Ocean. Along the way, the great behemoths swim by countless seals, sea otters, coastal brown bears, walrus, bald eagles, sea lions, and polar bears. Schools of herring and salmon swim underneath them; innumer- able flocks of waterfowl fly overhead. Along the shores of the Bering Sea, the first whale9s arrival arouses an innate longing within the tra- ditional peoples, one that has been occurring for millennia 4they9re irresistibly com- pelled to commence the hunt- ing seasons for all animals yet again. The Alaskan Native Peoples still closely follow the annual hunting cycle, although their equipment is mostly non-traditional now. Another change to their life- style is that certain parts of these animals get utilized as material for artwork that will be acquired by the outside world, artwork that respect- fully honors the world of, and their life in, the Far North. The 21 peoples compro- mising <Alaska Natives= come from one of three pri- mary populations 4 the Coastal Region Peoples of the south, west, and north; The Athabascan Peoples of inte- rior Alaska; The Northwest Coast Peoples of Alaska9s southeastern archipelago. They are comparable to the three language groups of Europe 4 the Romance, Germanic, and Slavic nations. Each has varying languages and cultures, but within these three primary groups they remain relatively similar. The people and artwork of Don Johnston, Terresa White, and Mark Tetpon 4 Aleut, Yup9ik, Inupiaq 4 have simi- larities while being distinctly different from that of the Athabascan and Northwest Coast peoples. Don, Aleut, moved to Anchorage 35 years ago to work construction but suf- fered a somewhat fortuitous back injury. While recovering, he met the highly acclaimed Inupiaq baleen basket weaver James Omnik Sr. James taught him the art and Don eventu- ally became so skilled that some are now heralding him as perhaps the finest baleen basket-weaver ever. Baleen baskets are woven with the filtering plates found inside the mouth of plank- ton-eating whales. Baleen has a strength and flexibility comparable to fiberglass, so attempting to weave a small, intricate basket of this rigid- ity demands strength and fine motor dexterity at the same time. Typically, an elegantly carved walrus ivory handle or finial sits atop the basket9s lid. Don9s contemporary per- spectives on the traditional art-form not only explore the possibilities of what baleen baskets can be but led him to capture the 2017 Best of Show Award at the renowned and juried Native American art show 4 the Heard Museum Indian Fair and Market in Phoenix, Arizona. Seldom does an artist from Alaska gain entrance to this annual event; to win Best of Show is unprecedented. Mark Tetpon, Inupiat, is a wood-walrus ivory-bone master carver who is virtually unknown outside of Alaska and the Pacific Northwest. He has done numerous shows in Anchorage and Seattle, where his pieces are quickly acquired, thus secreting away knowledge of his works and awareness about his prodi- gious talent. Mark9s pieces depict sea mammals or birds as they are understood within the spiritual realms of his people. A sculptured polar bear or walrus might be drumming; an honoring mask that depicts a loon or seal9s body will be surrounded by a dozen smaller sculptures paying homage to the life of The People. Mark9s father, John, from the traditional village of Shaktoolik along the Bering Sea Coast near Nome, men- tored him in the ways of the Inupiaq people, during Mark9s early artistic endeavors. John still collaborates with Mark on some pieces. Bronze and ceramic sculp- tor Terresa White, Yup9ik Eskimo, is being lauded as one of the blossoming talents in the Native American art world. Her fresh perspectives on the ancient Yup9ik belief of transformation garnered a Best of Sculpture Award in 2018 at the Santa Fe Indian Market, the other apex event for Native American art venues. Transformation concerns the traditional Yup9ik belief that a human can at least spir- itually, if not also physically, become an animal4and vice versa4if proper behaviors are maintained. Thus, humans and the animals reside in a type of metaphysical brother/sister- hood coexistence. Terresa9s works honor the interconnec- tion of all beings, often focus- ing on the defining moments of the metamorphosis. Note: The Marine Mammals Protection Act of 1972 limited the tak- ing of bowhead and beluga whales in U.S. waters to the Not Using Your RV? Want it Sold? CONSIGNMENTS WANTED! Cons i gn ★ We arrange financing! to S N O S A RV ★ We certify the RV as sound 9 RE ith Larr y’s w V R r u o Y with a full systems check! ★ No waiting by the phone! ★ RV is shown at our lot, ★ We advertise for you! not at your home! ★ We help you set a price! ★ We have excellent ★ No missed appointments! Highway 97 exposure! See our complete inventory online at www.larrysrv.com Call 541-923-4564 3000 S. Hwy. 97 in Redmond PHOTO PROVIDED Baleen Whales Breaching Coast of Alaska. Inupiaq who live along the coast. However, other Alaska Native Peoples along Alaska9s coastlines may harvest other marine mammals. There has long been a tradition of trad- ing sea mammal parts among the different groups, so any Alaska Native may acquire the materials necessary for producing artwork from it. Once the sea mammal part has been hand-worked, it can be sold as long as the work will remain within the United States. These artists will be offer- ing an in-person show in Sisters April 26-28. Friday: Artist Reception from 4 to 7 p.m. with Jim Cornelius providing music. Saturday: art-making demonstration. Sunday: artists available till mid-afternoon. All events will take place at Raven Makes Gallery at 182 E. Hood Ave. Tasty THURSDAY Caduceus Cellars April 25, 5-7 p.m. LIVE MUSIC Sat., April 27, 6:30-8:30 p.m. J Jazz Folks 391 W. Cascade Ave. | 541-549-2675 corkcellarswinebistro.com 351 W. Hood Ave., Sisters Wed.-Sat., 10 a.m.-4 p.m. | Closed Sun.-Tues.