果冻传煤

By Francesca Du Brock, Chief Curator听

听Although听Alutiiq/Sugpiaq听artist Hanna听Sholl听was born in Kodiak,听she left the island with her father听when she was听still听a baby. She spent most of her childhood in Oregon听with her dad, travelling听with her mother听and siblings听in the summers across the听Western听US. As an Indigenous kid growing up far away from听her mother鈥檚 homelands,听she reflects that听鈥淚 was听always trying to find this thing that I knew was missing鈥�but when you are child you don鈥檛 realize听what you are feeling is basically an听identity crisis.鈥澨鼺or Sholl, art听was always听a conduit for figuring out her place in the world and processing feelings of confusion and displacement.听听

At听18,听Sholl听returned to Kodiak to start a family and to help take care of her grandma. Shortly after the birth of her first child,听Sholl听separated from her husband and听became a single mother. Her听art practice at听this point听became more rooted in practical concerns as听she began looking for opportunities to sell her work and supplement her income. She found a听friend and mentor in听I帽upiaq听artist Flossie Spencer,听who took her under her wing. Sholl says, 鈥渂ecause I wasn鈥檛 raised in听my听Native community, I didn鈥檛 know anything about etiquette.鈥� Spencer not only taught Sholl how to skin sew and听about听Indigenous cultural values, but she also helped her navigate marketing her art to tourists that came to town on cruise ships.听Sholl began to understand 鈥渉ow important culture is for healing鈥�my growing connection to my culture helped me unravel self-doubt and听let go of听unhealthy behaviors.鈥澨�听

Sholl听and her mentor, Flossie听Spencer,听2015.听

After so much time away, Sholl says听that听many听people听in Kodiak听considered her an outsider. She worked hard to build relationships, learn, and reconnect with her听culture. Her art practice听expanded in tandem with these efforts as she听embraced听new techniques听and听experimented with new materials. She points to her involvement with the听Kodiak Alutiiq Dancers听as an example of this.听In dance,听she says, 鈥測ou鈥檙e听dealing with beaded headdresses, you鈥檙e making kid鈥檚听regalia,听you鈥檙e making adult鈥檚听regalia, you鈥檙e doing embroidery鈥�there are so many elements to it. Plus, you鈥檙e learning history!鈥澨�听

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Sholl听dancing in headdress and regalia completed during the Luce Indigenous Knowledge Fellowship, 2021. Photograph听by G.听Sholl.听

Sholl听also found art to be a powerful tool for听sparking dialog about challenging social topics听affecting her community.听鈥淚t鈥檚 not about selling and making money,鈥� she says, 鈥淚t鈥檚 about听making a piece that people are going to ask questions about.鈥� In听2017, Sholl created a series of masks addressing听pernicious cycles of听drug and alcohol abuse and the听importance of healing for the health and wellbeing of future generations. Drawing on traditions of Alutiiq mask-making听as tools used for telling stories听and听teaching lessons, as well as her own experiences of addiction within her family, this series听mobilized听traditional听artforms听to address contemporary issues.听听

In 2019,听Sholl was awarded a Luce听Indigenous Knowledge听Fellowship to create a collection of works that would spark conversations about issues facing Indigenous peoples. For her, this meant听delving into topics that听were听鈥渦ncomfortable, that people didn鈥檛 want to talk about, or maybe didn鈥檛 know about.鈥� With听the support of the fellowship,听she embarked on an ambitious series of projects听including the creation of sculptures, regalia, public murals, and implements such as dance rattles,听ulus, and seal oil lamps. Many of these projects served听as conduits for education and outreach around major topics, such as the epidemic of missing and murdered Indigenous women (MMIW), land acknowledgment, lateral violence, mental health, and cultural resilience.听听

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Left:听Pieces,听2017.听Right:听MMIW Woven听Sugpiaq听Bird, 2020.

In 2019,听Sholl听began听a project听assisting听with the听revitalization of听Alutiiq dance rattle traditions. Due to colonization and depletion of customary materials used to create the rattles,听the practice of rattle-making had gradually faded way.听Sholl听first learned how to steam and bend wood. She then used this knowledge to听process,听soak, boil, form, and听lash together 50听bentwood听hoop听kits for a children鈥檚 culture camp. A curriculum was听also听developed for teachers at the Alutiiq Museum, based on a rattle that Sholl created. As a result听of this process,听rattles are being used again throughout Kodiak and younger generations are familiar with the cultural and ritualistic importance of these instruments.听听

Research, education, and outreach are deeply intertwined aspects of听Sholl鈥檚听process.听Through her work, she has been able to travel to听Finland to听examine听collections belonging to her ancestors. She has incorporated scholarly research methods alongside boots-on-the-ground learning from elders and culture bearers. For her, the most rewarding projects are those that come full circle: when she is able to pass on听learnings听on听to younger generations through workshops and听culture camps.听Reflecting on this cyclical process of learning, making, and teaching, Sholl says, 鈥渆verything becomes听more valuable and clear the more I learn鈥�and it continues to do听so.鈥澨�听听

Left: Sholl in regalia, 2020. Right: Hoop rattle in progress at听Akhiok听Kids camp 2019. Photograph听by听H.Sholl听

Header image: Nacaq, 2020, courtesy the artist.

This residency was made possible with funding from the Rasmuson Foundation, administered by the Alaska State Council on the Arts.