When Erika Tripp’s most recent collection of earrings, zipper pulls and bolo ties go live on Instagram, she posts each item, one at a time: Oftentimes, the entire lot sells out in minutes to buyers across the country.
Tripp sells her beadwork in small drops, telling her followers long in advance what will be available the day-of, from beaded lighter cases to pasties. Tripp, whose Lingít name is G̱unanáalx̱i Tláa, started Busy Beaver Beadwork in late 2019, but her interest in beading began after attending AFN with her brother the year prior.
Tripp is one of dozens of Alaska Native artists selling their work through social media. It’s been a growing trend for years, with Indigenous artists making significant followings for themselves. Jasmine Sherbahn of Sleepyhouse Designs sells polymer clay earrings and has grown her Instagram following to over 45,000 followers. Lisa Apangalook of Piitkaq Jewelry markets her jewelry made of ivory, seal skin and other materials to her 11,000 followers.
Iñupiaq artist Joshua Qagmuk Ahsoak of JQA Designs is known for his jewelry, furniture and earring holders.
“My sister knew how to bead, and she’s actually the one that taught me the two-needle method of beading,” Tripp said. “I did my first beading project and completed it on — I actually know the day, Oct. 27, 2018. It was a ghost pin on felt. His name is Balthazar, and I still have him.”
She also does trades. Tripp traded a pair of salmon skin earrings with comedian and actress Jana Schmieding for a pair of her own beaded earrings. They were later featured on Season 2 of Peacock’s “Rutherford Falls.”
“It was so cool to watch the show and be able to be and be like, ‘Oh, that’s my friend’s beadwork.’ ‘Oh, I know who made that.’ ‘Oh, I know who did this,’” Tripp said.
In addition to selling her jewelry, Tripp trades her art for things like traditional foods and experimental desserts with members in the Juneau community, including local business owner Beau Schooler of In Bocca al Lupo. She recently took a virtual class on how to tan salmon skin, and made Schooler a bolo tie from a piece of salmon that he gifted Tripp last summer.
“I’ve traded many bolo ties with them for dessert, and pastries and things… I was finally able to use the salmon skins that [Beau] caught and gave to me,” Tripp said.
Tripp isn’t the only artist using traditional materials. Taytum Robinson, an Unangax̂ artist, incorporates seal intestines into her work: Qawax̂ Creations. Robinson, from Nawan-Alaxsxa (Unalaska), started selling her earrings after moving home in early 2020. She recently began learning how to weave, and has been sharing her experiences through social media. Robinson said after following so many artists and curating her own earring collection throughout the years, she learned from the great examples set by other Indigenous artists.
“It was actually like pulling teeth to get me to start my art Instagram account,” Robinson said.
Robinson said she has always shared a love of beading with her family: she and her sister were gifted beads growing up, both from a beloved family member, Aachax̂, and her kukax̂, (grandmother).
“It was kind of like a light bulb,” Robinson said. “I was like, ‘Why don’t I just try to recreate what she’s created as a way to honor her and the beautiful art that she’s made?’”
Robinson’s Kukax̂ was a masterful crafter who worked in different mediums — from doll-making to basket-weaving, she said.
“I tried to look at my grandma’s work and sort of emulate the way that she reinforced the seal gut to not be super fragile… I decided to put it on felt, and that’s worked so far,” Robinson said. “I think she used maybe a different type of cloth or textile, but I can’t quite figure it out. It’s the biggest mystery.”
Like Tripp, Robinson initially sold her pieces of art through drops on Instagram, but has since moved to a website. She’s a fulltime student, and plans to get into a medical program after graduating.
“I do art when I’m feeling creative… I believe that that creates the best art, and I want to be able to send art out into the world that was made with love,” Robinson said. “If I’m creating when I’m not in a good headspace, that’s not the type of energy that I want to put into my art for someone to wear.”
Both artists hope to continue trades in the future.
“I wish that I could survive off of trades, so I think that would personally be my aspiration: to be financially stable from my medical field day job,” Robinson said. “To be able to just trade all of my art to new homes, to be able to accumulate goods that way, and to create connections that way.”
Sam Davenport is a writer residing in Anchorage. She's a leo and a plant-person, and loves spending quality time with her dog, Aspen. She is a Real Housewives fan and has been called a Bravo historian.
