Kanesia McGlashan-Price

The Qawalangin Tribe hosted the annual culture camp July 31-Aug. 6 in Unalaska. During the weeklong celebration of Unangax̂ culture, mentors passed down knowledge and skills, and even started a new tradition of their own.

Taytum x̂anix̂ Robinson is the artist behind Qawax̂ Creations - a contemporary Unangax̂ jewelry line she started about a year ago. Her earrings are known on social media for their unique use of seal intestine, or seal gut, which has traditionally been used to make rain gear.

Unangam Tunuu [Unangax̂ language] classes are available at the University of Alaska for the first time in two decades. Instructors Haliehana Stepetin and Moses Dirks are using traditional methods as a framework for teaching this course.

The Qawalangin Tribe has partnered with Aleutian Housing Authority, the City of Unalaska and other local donors to open Unalaska's first official food bank. While items like frozen meat and fish aren't very common at food banks, the Tribe is making an effort to have a variety of nutrient dense and traditional foods available to the community.

In 2019, the Qawalangin Tribe of Unalaska initiated its Wellness Program through funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Good Health and Wellness in Indian Country grant aims to strengthen cultural connections that improve health and promote wellness in Indigenous communities across North America. Unangax̂ artist Anfesia “Sweetie” Tutiakoff is the culture and wellness program coordinator at the Qawalangin Tribe, and is using weekly craft nights to address wellness initiatives.

Jacob Tix̂lax̂ Stepetin co-founded and plays lead guitar for the Indigenous heavy metal group, Merciless Indian Savages. They have song titles like “Pseudo Savior,” “Manifest Death” and “Kill the Man/Save the Indian.” These song titles grab your attention, but Stepetin says the point is to create an opportunity to talk about Indigenous issues.

Alaska’s coastal communities face pronounced threats as climate change creates new hurdles around the globe.The Qawalangin Tribe of Unalaska hosted an event in early November, designed to help local, regional, statewide and national partners share knowledge about how to face those challenges.The event was mainly virtual, but there were also group gatherings in Unalaska, Akutan and Sand Point. Around a dozen people attended the in-person event at the Grand Aleutian Hotel in Unalaska.

Lydia Dirks is a 21-year-old Unangax̂ artist who takes her inspiration from her family, Unangax̂ heritage, and other Indigenous artists, and hopes to use her work to inspire others to find healing through art.

Indigenous women in the United States are murdered 10 times more often than the national average, and nearly half of all Alaska Native and Native American…