This Ancient Alaskan Art is one of our 1st forms of non aural storytelling!
This Ancient Alaskan Art is one of our 1st forms of non aural storytelling!
Similar to cave drawing, etching is a way to tell a story to the generations that follow. Ancient Alaskans used Walrus Ivory and Whale Baleen predominantly, and some of us still practice the entirely freehand form today. Called “Scrimshaw” by the mostly Norwegian Whalers who started to practice it, etching is considered to be the first American Folk-Art. An elder once told me the Alaska Native term is “Stik-chuk”, loosely meaning, words that don’t go away. Cheers!