Alaska

Alaska is home to many Indigenous peoples, including Unangax, Alutiiq, Iñupiat, Yup'ik and Tlingit communities. Their tattoos, clothing and ceremonial arts have different local histories.

Tattooing was once widespread in parts of the region. Techniques included drawing a pigment-covered thread beneath the skin with a needle. Designs could express beauty or mark relationships and stages of life.

Lip ornaments and finely sewn skin clothing changed the body's appearance in other ways. Making garments drew on the same detailed knowledge of materials that helped people build boats and equipment for life at sea.

Portraits from Unalaska and Prince William Sound show striking headwear, ornaments and dress. Ceremonial masks reveal still more ways to transform a face. These are different community traditions, linked by northern geography but never one uniform 'Alaskan' style.