Eyak Puppet "Galushia"

This puppet was adapted and adorned by Mary Babic. Named Galushia, this puppet is designed in the likes of a traditional male chief of the Eyak people from Alaganik village. The puppet wears a wooden crown with feathers as a headpiece that would traditionally be worn for dancing. The puppet has a copper nose ring and an amulet bag around its neck. The amulet bag contains a special jewel that Bill Smith gave to Mary Babic. A painted Eyak eye is visible on the front of the amulet bag. This symbol of the Eyak eye has been painted on doors and canoe paddles. The puppet wears a pull over frock -- a typical garment for Eyak men. Because Galushia represents a chief, his frock features additional details and is decorated along the seam with fringe. It is made of de-haired caribou hide and sometimes decorated with animal teeth and porcupine quills. In the winter months, an Eyak chief would traditionally wear an inner shirt of seal skin with the fur against the body for warmth. The outer shirt has a hood and is made of eagle skins or swan skins with just the down attached in order to keep its wearer warm. Wealthy hunters and chiefs would often wear sea otter skins. Seal skin would be worn by both Eyak men and women. During the summer, rainy weather, Galushia would wear a bear intestine parka, similar to the Chugach seal-gut parka, which protects the body from the wet, cold weather. The puppet wears beaver fur mittens on his hands and sealskin boots on his feet, which come up right below the knee. Boots are only worn while traveling or hunting. When in the village, the Eyak chief would have walked around barefoot, even in the snow. (Description adapted from Mary Babic's Lesson "Storytelling with Your Own Chugach Puppet").