Object

48. Parka
  • Alaska Native artist
  • 1940
  • Fur, cloth, and zipper
  • Native arts acquisition funds, 1953.230

Alaska Natives crafted clothing from animal hides to endure the cold weather. The basic outfit consisted of a parka, pants, mittens, inner footwear, and outer boots. The most common sources of hide were caribou, seals, and seabirds. The Russian and American occupation of Alaska, starting around 1741, brought European influences to the Indigenous clothing. This parka is a modern adaption of traditional fur parkas and appears to have used mink, wolverine fur, and polar bear fur.