Periodically, the Aleutian Current will feature historical information on the Aleut people authored by the Museum of the Aleutians. The feature will include information on Aleut artifacts, people, or even places. We hope you find this new section of our newsletter informative and educational.
The Museum of the Aleutians (MOTA) is proud to be a recipient of the Art Acquisition Fund from Museums Alaska this spring. With this grant, the Museum was able to add two beautiful handmade baskets by Atka weaver Agnes Thompson. These miniature baskets were made from grass collected from Attu Island during the 2017 Lost Villages journey with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Park Service. These baskets have been included in the Museum’s exhibition “Chillulix: The Long Journey Home.”
Agnes Thompson was born and raised in Atka and comes from a long line of weavers from Atka and Attu. She learned to weave in the Attuan style from her mother, Olean Prokopeuff (neé Horosoff, b. 1910, Atka) and was also influenced by her maternal aunt, Pariscovia Wright (b. 1922, Attu) and her godmother Jenny Golley (b. 1899, Attu). One basket covers a miniature glass bottle and the other is a thimble basket. Both are made from wild rye grass collected for the artist from Attu island. These miniature baskets are a testament to the artist’s high skill level, which is required to produce baskets so small.
The Museum of the Aleutians looks forward to continuing to collect, preserve, and share the rich history of our beautiful region and people! Are you a member of the Museum of the Aleutians? https://www. aleutians.org/support
