Alaska West is located just up the Kanektok River from the Yupik Eskimo village of Quinhagak. We’re really lucky to have good friends in the village. It’s a unique community, and we’re all there for fundamentally the same reason – incredible, consistent returns of salmon to the Kanektok each year.
During each of our angling weeks at Alaska West, we host Jackie Cleveland, a friend from the village, on a visit to our camp to talk with our guests about life in Quinhagak, the history of the village, and the subsistence-based lifestyle that is still in place there. Jackie also brings with her a variety of handcrafts for sale that are produced by local Yupik artists and craftspeople.
This stuff is beautiful, high-quality and authentic. Fur, ivory, beads and more are used to produce everything from hats to earrings to purses to yo-yos. Many of our guests jump at the chance to purchase a real piece of Alaska from the community that produced it, and support the local people to boot.
I like this..I think it is important that you do this.would like to get some photos of village ,as well.
great site ! I’ll be listing it on my blog about native crafts..
I purchased a piece of art in 1998, handmade by Fannie Cleveland and would like more information about the artist. It is a single dog sled and Eskimo. It is completely made by hand with intricate bead detail on the sled and real fur was used for the clothing of the Eskimo. It also bears the label of being a hand made piece with Fannie’s name and Quinhagak on it. Any information about Fannie Cleveland would be most appreciated. Thank you!