Earl Auralria Atchak

I believe in keeping my art true to the way of my ancestors and so I use their beliefs and tools and I collect all my material from the tundra around me.

I try to bring something from the past to share and preserve my culture for the future. I follow my people’s tradition of carving, but my interpretation is personal. I watched my grandfather (Joe Friday) carve ceremonial masks and listened to his stories.

I gain insights, direction and strength through the stories of how my people lived their total subsistence lifestyle.

Through my work, I can express my ideas of tradition… those feelings of being part of a culture that is thousands of years old.

Artist Statement