Masks are an ancient tradition of the Alutiiq people on the southern coast of Alaska. Alutiiq artists carved the masks from wood or bark into images of ancestors, animal spirits, and other mythological forces; these extraordinary creations have been an essential tool for communicating with the spirit world and have played an important role in dances and hunting festivities for centuries. Giinaquq—Like a Face presents thirty-three full-color images of these fantastic and eye-catching masks, which have been preserved for more than a century as part of the Pinart Collection in a small French museum. These masks, collected in 1871 by a young French scholar of indigenous cultures, are presented for the first time in their complete cultural context, celebrating the rich history of the Alutiiq people and their artistic traditions. In addition to the stunning photographs, Giinaquq—Like a Face includes an informative text in three languages—English, Alutiiq, and French—in order to provide a cross-cultural understanding of the masks’ traditional meaning and use. This captivating and revealing book will be an essential resource for anyone interested in indigenous art and culture.

Living Our Cultures, Sharing Our Heritage: The First Peoples of Alaska features more than 200 objects representing the masterful artistry and design traditions of twenty Alaska Native peoples. Based on a collaborative exhibition created by Alaska Native communities, the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History, the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian, and the Anchorage Museum at Rasmuson Center, this richly illustrated volume celebrates both the long-awaited return of ancestral treasures to their native homeland and the diverse cultures in which they were created. Despite the North's transformation through globalizing change, the objects shown in these pages are interpretable within ongoing cultural frames, articulated in languges still spoken. They were made for a way of life on the land that is carried on today throughout Alaska. Dialogue with the region's First Peoples evokes past meanings but focuses equally on contemporary values, practices, and identities. Objects and narratives show how each Alaska Native nation is unique—and how all are connected. After introductions to the history of the land and its people, universal themes of “Sea, Land, Rivers,” “Family and Community,” and “Ceremony and Celebration” are explored referencing exquisite masks, parkas, beaded garments, basketry, weapons, and carvings that embody the diverse environments and practices of their makers. Accompanied by traditional stories and personal accounts by Alaska Native elders, artists, and scholars, each piece featured in Living Our Cultures, Sharing Our Heritage evokes both historical and contemporary meaning, and breathes the life of its people.

For many the idea of living off the land is a romantic notion left to stories of olden days or wistful dreams at the office. But for Sara Loewen it becomes her way of life each summer as her family settles into their remote cabin on Uyak Bay for the height of salmon season. With this connection to thousands of years of fishing and gathering at its core, Gaining Daylight explores what it means to balance lives on two islands, living within both an ancient way of life and the modern world. Her personal essays integrate natural and island history with her experiences of fishing and family life, as well as the challenges of living at the northern edge of the Pacific. Loewen’s writing is richly descriptive; readers can almost feel heat from wood stoves, smell smoking salmon, and spot the ways the ocean blues change with the season. With honesty and humor, Loewen easily draws readers into her world, sharing the rewards of subsistence living and the peace brought by miles of crisp solitude.

This second edition of Historical Dictionary of the Inuit provides a history of the indigenous peoples of North Alaska, arctic Canada including Labrador, and Greenland. This is done through a chronology, an introductory essay, an extensive bibliography, and over 400 cross-referenced dictionary entries on significant persons, places, events, institutions, and aspects of culture, society, economy, and politics. This book is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about the Inuits.

A playful collection of over 85 Vietnamese and Viet American dishes and immersive travel photography from Top Chef alum Tu David Phu that blends the Oakland native’s modern culinary style with the food wisdom from his refugee family. “Stripped of Oriental exoticism, this is a cookbook infused with the intense flavors of refugee kitchens and the inauthentic authenticity of the diaspora.”—Viet Thanh Nguyen, author of Pulitzer Prize winner The Sympathizer Tu David Phu trained in the nation’s top restaurants only to realize the culinary lessons that truly impacted him were those passed on by his parents, refugees from Phú Quôc. In his hometown of Oakland, California, his parents taught him hard-won lessons in frugality, food-covery cooking, and practical gill-to-fin eating. Centered around Tu’s childhood memories in the diverse Bay Area and family stories of life on Phú Quốc island, The Memory of Taste explores the Phu family’s ability to thrive and adapt from one coastal community to another. With tried-and-true tips like how to butcher a fish, tastebud-tingling flavor combinations, and stunning photographs, Tu guides both novice and experienced chefs alike in his take on Viet cooking, including: • Staples in every Vietnamese kitchen like Cơm Tấm (Broken Rice), Dán Sả (Lemongrass Paste), and Nước Mắm Cham (Everyday Fish Sauce) • Seafood dishes that utilize the less “desired” parts like Huyết Cá Tái Chanh (Tuna Bloodline Tartare), Canh Chua Đầu Cá Hồi (Hot Pot-style Salmon Head Sour Soup), and Xương Cá Hồi Ghiên Giòn (Fried Fish Frames) • Fine-dining dishes from Tu’s pop-up days like Gỏi Cuốn Cá Cornets, Mì Xào Tỏi Nấm Cục (Truffled Garlic Noodles), and Bánh Canh Carbonara • Adapted recipes from new traditions like Bánh Ít Trần (Sticky Rice Dumplings), Cơm Cua Hấp (Dungeness Crab Donburi), and Phở Vịt Nướng (Roasted Duck Phở) The Memory of Taste is Tu’s story of returning to his roots and finding long-hidden culinary treasure. In his debut cookbook, Tu offers readers a chance to enjoy the bounty of his parents’ lessons, just as he has.

Photographs and text provide an introduction to the indigenous people and culture of Alaska's south central coast, tracing their history from its earliest origins through the present day.

Marvin W. Falk offers a systemic and select listing of just over 3,000 publications on the history of Alaska, published from the 18th century to early 2004. Early explorations were conducted by nationals from several nations, and the results were published in Russian, German, French, Spanish, and English. Many of these foreign language accounts have been published in translation and are included in the bibliography. This bibliography covers a wide span of Alaskan history including historical literature from: Discovery in 1741 The Russian period ending in 1867 The U.S. territorial period ending with statehood in 1959 The oil boom

Black Ducks and Salmon Bellies presents a comprehensive look at two Kodiak archipelago villages with a rich cultural history that extends from prehistory to Russian America to the present day. Author Craig Mishler spent over ten years visiting these rural Native Alaskan communities in the wake of the Exxon Valdez oil spill, illuminating such diverse topics as local history, demography, political organization, kinship, and expressive culture. Documenting the changes in these two communities over recent years, Black Ducks and Salmon Bellies paints a portrait of economic development amid a distinctive, vital way of life, as interviews with elders allow readers to hear a multiplicity of voices and identities when the Alutiiq people tell their own fascinating stories.