Aleutian Toys

I met a family of Native Aleutians from Alaska recently at a Trapping convention. The elder woman of the family had some beautiful dolls for sale that she had made from native materials. She also had these items, which no one was paying attention to. They are tanned marten heads with caribou bones for decoration.

I asked her if they had any “significance” and she laughed and said they were just toys for kids. I laughed too and bought them from her. I felt lucky to have met a woman who was so in touch with the land.