preview

Alaska Native American Heritage Essay

Decent Essays

Alaska Native Heritage Center Alaskan Native American art is richly found in the State of Alaska and can range from beaded clothing and woven baskets to flintknapped arrow heads and metal ceremonial drums. The native American art culture found in the State of Alaska is rich in its depth for variety, renowned for its beauty, and praised for its originality. Artifacts that have been recovered from the native American culture of Alaska have been pronounced authentic works of art. The artifacts produced by the Alaskan cultures praised and sought by collectors and museum throughout the world. Cultures abilities to turn tools, weapons baskets, pots, figurines, and clothing into a beautiful art is amazing and interesting to the world. In fall …show more content…

Basket making was normally done by the elders of the tribe. The elders would sit around large fires weaving baskets and singing ancient songs or prayers. Phillip Martin said, “The baskets were made out of any materials found in the area. The most common material used was tall grass (Martin 1).” The baskets can be found in various sizes and different configurations. While in the Hall of the Tribes we found a basket that was taller than a fully grown man. The basket was made out of tall grass and weighed well over one hundred pounds. In order to color a basket tall grass would have to be cut and dried on drying racks. After the grass was dried baskets would be decorated with dye. In order to dye a basket a particular color different herbs, fruit berries, flowers, grasses of color, and certain species of trees were selected to make the different dye colors. The materials used for dye were then crushed or pulverized into powder and made into paste or liquid paint. After the dye paint was made the tall grass was soaked in the desired color and again placed on drying racks. Weavers then selected the desired color stained grass and wove it into their baskets. After we departed the Hall of Tribes, we ventured out into the surrounding snow covered grounds to see the ancient structures and ceremonial dwellings that were also painted with the same colors and patterns as used on

Get Access