Visit Sitka Magazine 2021-22 | Page 40

Sewing

with Fish Skin

PASSED DOWN FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION , skin sewing has been used to make everything from canoes to baskets and waterskins .
After moving to Sitka in 2013 from Bethel , Alaska , Karen McIntyre had no idea she would soon be taking fish skin sewing classes , let alone teaching them . Inspired by the fish skin artifacts housed at the Sheldon Jackson Museum , Karen took classes through the Sitka Fine Arts Camp and soon fell in love with the ancient Alaska Native tradition .

 Fish skin sewing is a delicate process that involves scraping the scales and flesh off the fish before willow tanning the cleaned skin in a salt and freshwater solution . After multiple soaks , the skin is ready to be stretched , dried , and oiled before it can be sewn into garments , baskets , or jewelry .
“ Fish skin sewing has made me feel more connected to my Yup ’ ik heritage ,” says Karen . Mentored by Athabaskan skin sewing expert Audrey Armstrong , Karen has found that sewing gives her time to remember and honor her ancestors by not letting any part of an animal go to waste .
“ Depending on the season and the species of fish , the colors and striations of the skin change as well . I ’ m always in awe of the intricacies I find in the sewing process ,” she explains . Karen continues to share her enthusiasm and knowledge of skin sewing through the classes she teaches at the Sitka Fine Arts Camp . Visitors can view the fish skin artifacts that inspired Karen to start sewing at the Sheldon Jackson Museum , which showcases a beautiful and diverse collection of cultural and historical Alaskan objects .
VISIT SITKA MAGAZINE 19 VISITSITKA . ORG
SHOP Bring Home a Piece of Sitka Bead by Bead If you gaze into the storefronts along Sitka’s downtown Lincoln Street, you’ll probably see the hand-painted drums, intricately beaded necklaces, and herring egg earrings crafted by talented Tlingit artist Helen Mercado. SITKA’S MANY TALENTED ARTISTS and entrepreneurs each have their own special niche, making their products amazingly unique. A piece of advice: bring an extra suitcase when visiting! Caitlin Fondell so people look in the window and ask, ‘What is that?’” says Helen. She started beading in the 1990s after being inspired by another artist’s jewelry. “I looked at it and thought, ‘I can do that!’” “YOU HAVE TO KEEP THINGS INTERESTING Helen used that same can-do spirit to create her signature ravenstail jewelry, too. “[Late artist] Teri Rofkar was an expert on ravenstail designs, weaving them into robes and Chilkat blankets,” she explains. She studied Rofkar’s robes and realized she could bead similar designs. Helen’s relationship with art is always evolving. For example, when her nephews started making their own drums, she began painting them and sold them alongside her jewelry. She likes to incorporate natural materials in her pieces, such as halibut cheek bones and gumboots. As for Helen’s iconic herring egg earrings, those are made of hyper-realistic clusters of beads – not eggs. Although, that doesn’t stop people from smelling them to see if they’re real! Her work can be found at the Sheet’ka Kwaan Naa Kahidi-Tribal Community House gift shop and the Sitka History Museum. Helen is also a member of Island Artists Gallery, a local artists co-op, where she showcases the products of her three-decade artistic career. V I S I T S I T K A M AG A Z I N E 3 8 V I S I T S I T K A .O R G V I S I T S I T KA M AG A Z I N E 3 9 V I S I T S I T KA .O R G