Alaska Natives and their cultural heritage represent one of the state's richest resources. This fancy woman's parka is made from wolf, wolvern, muskrat, and calfskin. A traditional Inupiaf form, the fancy parka is worn only on special occasions. The wolf ruff protects the face from the freezing arctic wind. Unlike other available animal furs, wolf and wolverine furs do not ice up with condensation from human breath. Nora Ann Rexford-Leavitt, an Inupiaq Eskimo from Barrow, Alaska, made this parka in 1997.
This traditional Kutchin chief's coat is made from moose-hide trimmed in beaver fur, velvet, and fringed hide, and decorated with beads, dentalium shells, tufted and died caribou-hair embroidery, and moose-antler buttons. Athapaskan seamstresses for centuries have made garments suited to the challenges of life in the northern forest. Chief's coats help celebrate community heritage and testify to the vitality of Alaska's Native Indian cultures. Dixie Alexander, a Kutchin woman from Ft. Yukon, Alaska, made this coat in 1997.