FNSBSD Alaska Native Education
(DRAFT)
AN ATHABASCAN ART
SAMPLER
Activities, projects, and games about traditional Athabascan
Native Art: K-12.
The art of Athabascan Indians varied from decorative handiwork on
skin clothing and personal articles to some carvings and sculpting of
masks and useful objects.
Delicate bead and quillwork, as well as birch bark baskets are
prized samples of this artistic heritage.
Adapting materials available for quality art
projects about traditional Athabascan
culture.
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Birch bark
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heavy brown paper bag.
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Sinew for sewing
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dental floss or waxed string
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Tanned skin or Leather
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felt or heavy paper
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Dentalia shells
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cut straws
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Porcupine quills
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narrow paperstrips can be woven to simulate quill
weaving.
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Painted Figures
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marker, stencil wit fabric paint/tempera
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Carved wood
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heavy poster board slotted and notched to give a sense of
volume
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decoration
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use bright yarn, common beads and embroidery floss.
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ABOUT SOME ATHABASCAN OBJECTS
click on images for a bigger graphic
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The Octopus Bag
The tentacle-like parts that end in eight points resemble
the octopus and give this bag its name. Highly prized as an
object and worn by important men around their necks and
shoulders on special occasions, most octopus bags were
heavily beaded. |
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Fringe and Tunic Decoration
Caribou skins, cut into fringe and caught with decorative
beads, quillwork or shells adorned the skin clothing of men
and women. |
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Babiche Bags
Babiche was caribou sinew. A common woven netting technique
was used to produce a string bag that was light and
flexible. Yarn and beads decorated the babiche bags.
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Paint Stones
Red was a favorite color with Athabascans. They got the
pigment by heating the paint stone, rubbing the hot powdery
color onto a palette, mixing duck blood and water to
consistency.
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Necklaces
Young girls wore dentalia shell necklaces. Widows wore them
with stone pendants which acted as charms and passed through
the family.
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Knife Sheath
Made of tanned caribou skin, fringed and decorated with
beads and dentalia shells, the sheath held an Athabascan
hunter's treasured knife.
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ATHABASCAN DECORATIVE PATTERNS
Before contact the patterns and designs of the Athabascans were
made from porcupine quills, which were dyed and woven on looms.
With expanded trade they used Dentalia shells, beads, wool yarn
and flannel which were sewn to tanned skin clothing items.
After contact with traders the Athabascans began using glass beads
and silk embroidery floss. They created floral designs from the
European influence.
These patters can be adapted to
your
own Athabascan art activities.
ATHABASCAN GAMES
Athabascan games for you to make yourselves.
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Hoop Game
The ball is made of bent willow as is the hook. One
child throws the ball into the stream, other children try to
catch it in their hooks.
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Wolf Scarer or Buzz Toy
This wooden or heavy card-board toy is flat with two
center holes. String is strung through them. When the toy is
whirled in the air it makes a high pitched whirring noise. |
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Cup and Pin Game
Caribou toe bones are cut to form cones that fit into one
another. They are strung on a thong, with a metal pin tied
to one end. You are to catch the metal pin in the holes in
the metal cup. The holes in the skin distract your mark.
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ATHABASCAN LINE ART: THE QUIVER
The Athabascan Quiver was made of buckskin, red pigment, wood,
feathers, rawhide, trade beads, and thread. We can create our won
quiver with similar found objects.
1. Collect these supplies: a brown paper bag, markers, string,
scissors, glue, and found objects (feathers, beads, etc).
2. Study the shape of the Athabascan Quiver. Create your own shape
for a quiver and draw it onto the brown paper bag. Cut out two
identical quiver shapes.
3. Glue the two shapes together along the edges leaving the curved
opening unglued.
4. Create your own animal and bird designs with markers to
decorate your quiver. One suggestion is to cut out an animal from a
piece of paper. Color with markers into the negative space left by
the animal using it as a stencil. Repeat this animal shape several
times across your quiver.
5. Decorate your quiver. Add a handle, feathers beads, etc.
ATHABASCAN LINE ART: THE OCTOPUS
BAG
The Octopus Bag was originally made of felt, cotton, calico, trade
beads, yarn, and thread. We can create our own bag with paper or
felt, markers, glue, scissors, a hole punch, beads, and buttons.
1. First practice drawing various shapes for your octopus bag.
Draw the shape you want onto felt or heavy paper. Cut out two
identical shapes.
2. Glue together along the edges leaving the top unglued.
3. With markers create many flower designs on your bag, or cut out
and paste designs. Use a hole punch to create small shapes for beads
or buttons.
4. Cut out a flower shape from a piece of paper. Use the negative
as a stencil with your markers to create a repeated pattern of the
same flower shape.
BIRCH BARK BASKET
Baskets of this type were used for storing food collected during
the summer season.
A design has been scraped onto the basket of decorative stripes
running around its diameter. Can you give it an Athabascan design?
The original basket is made of birch bark sewn with spruce root.
The rim is sewn with spruce root dyed green, orange and blue.
(Athabascan Heritage Curriculum)
MASKS
Can you identify the Athabascan Moose Mask, Fox Mask, Finger Mask,
Seagull Mask?
TRADITIONAL ATHABASCAN
GARMENT
This traditional Athabascan figure needs to be completed.
Can you decorate the garments?
Consider: fringe, embroidery, beads, or quill designs.
ATHABASCAN QUIVER
The Athabascan Quiver was decorated with small painted animals,
beaded fringe, borders and strap. Can you complete this unfinished
quiver?
TRADITIONAL SKIN TUNIC
The Athabascan man's tunic created a "V" shape front and
back. It usually had a fringed yoke and hem and was decorated with quills
and
beads.
Finish this traditional skin tunic.
ATHABASCAN OCTOPUS BAG
Finish drawing this Athabascan Octopus Bag traditionally decorated
with colorful beadwork of flowers and leaves.
Introduction
ANE Curriculum
Overview
Unit Overview
Athabascan
Art Sampler
OCR SCANNED MATERIAL
Athabascan
Winter Studies
