Each year, Indigenous artisans converge for three days during the convention to sell carvings, kuspuks, fur-lined hats and all manner of jewelry.
This year’s convention featured more than 200 artists from around Alaska and the Lower 48. Sitting in the middle of it all was George J. Bennett Sr., a Lingít artist from Sitka. His bentwood boxes, decorated in formline designs, were already halfway sold out by the end of the morning.
“This is kind of like the melting pot,” he said. “It’s like you’re sat on a corner and you’re watching all your friends go by and as you see them and you wave.” Earrings made by Vina Brown, owner of Copper Canoe Woman, sit on display during the 2023 Alaska Federation of Natives arts market in Anchorage.
Vina Brown, owner of Copper Canoe Woman, sells her jewelry during the 2023 Alaska Federation of Natives arts market in Anchorage. Her business is called Copper Canoe Woman, based on her Indigenous name ƛ̓áqvas gḷ́w̓aqs, and features traditional designs like formline with a high-fashion flare.
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