Batuk'enelyashi: Natural Dyes from Dena'ina Lands
Batuk'enelyashi: Natural Dyes from Dena'ina Lands is a project of the Alaska Native Heritage Center, in collaboration with June (Simeonoff) Pardue and the Alaska office of the Smithsonian Arctic Studies Center that took place in the spring of 2022. The workshop was inspired and informed by the foundational work to continue the use of natural dyes by Elder Rita Pitka Blumenstein with the Institute of Alaska Native Arts (IANA) and Jan Steinbright. That 1983 workshop brought together grass weavers from Unangax, Sugpiaq, and Yup'ik regions of Alaska including Sugpiaq and Inupiaq artist June (Simeonoff) Pardue to learn the methods and materials that Dr. Rita and her family had used for generations.
The vision of the Batuk'enelyashi project was to honor Dr. Rita and her ancestors and the seminal work of IANA and to carry the knowledge forward to a new cohort of Alaska Native artists, in-person and virtually. The May 2022 workshop assembled ten artists including professional artists who do a lot of teaching from across the state including Dena'ina Athabascan artists to honor the original stewards of the plants being used. It was also important to include a paid apprentice to learn the knowledge and techniques being passed down.
The workshop was documented on film, video, and worksheets to capture the lessons learned, recipes used, and knowledge shared to reach larger audiences of Alaska Native artists who couldn't attend in person. The video of the workshop along with the interviews at Master artist June (Simeonoff) Pardue's home in Sutton capture the knowledge so generously shared by the talented artists who shared their expertise, materials, stories, and blessings.
One of the ten universal blessings of Alaska Native peoples adopted by the Alaska Native Heritage Center through knowledge passed down through our cultural advisory committees is to share what you have because sharing makes you richer. Please visit the smithsonian's Learning Lab Site Smithsonian Arctic Studies Center in Alaska - Group - sll (si.edu) for additional free videos and PDF copies of this booklet from the Batuk'enelyashi: Natural Dyes from Dena'ina Lands project.
The vision of the Batuk'enelyashi project was to honor Dr. Rita and her ancestors and the seminal work of IANA and to carry the knowledge forward to a new cohort of Alaska Native artists, in-person and virtually. The May 2022 workshop assembled ten artists including professional artists who do a lot of teaching from across the state including Dena'ina Athabascan artists to honor the original stewards of the plants being used. It was also important to include a paid apprentice to learn the knowledge and techniques being passed down.
The workshop was documented on film, video, and worksheets to capture the lessons learned, recipes used, and knowledge shared to reach larger audiences of Alaska Native artists who couldn't attend in person. The video of the workshop along with the interviews at Master artist June (Simeonoff) Pardue's home in Sutton capture the knowledge so generously shared by the talented artists who shared their expertise, materials, stories, and blessings.
One of the ten universal blessings of Alaska Native peoples adopted by the Alaska Native Heritage Center through knowledge passed down through our cultural advisory committees is to share what you have because sharing makes you richer. Please visit the smithsonian's Learning Lab Site Smithsonian Arctic Studies Center in Alaska - Group - sll (si.edu) for additional free videos and PDF copies of this booklet from the Batuk'enelyashi: Natural Dyes from Dena'ina Lands project.
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Book/Publication, Moving Image
Paper, DVD
The Alaska Native Heritage Center, in collaboration with June (Simeonoff) Pardue and the Alaska office of the Smithsonian Arctic Studies Center, Anchorage Alaska
1
2023.007.003
Copyright 2022 The Alaska Native Heritage center, in collaboration with June (Simeonoff) Pardue and the Alaska office of the Smithsonian Arctic Studies Center
