Inner sTRENGTH
Anchorage, Alaska
The story unfolds on a cold winter day over 30 years ago.
Hunting beside Pederson Point lake, along the shore between the mouths of the two great rivers, the Naknek and the mighty Kvichak, in Bristol Bay Alaska.
Laying on the snow downwind of a group of Ptarmigan who were eating willow buds, I took the shot. All but one of the birds fled, ‘junk shells…’ I thought to myself in frustration.
As I peered through my rifle's scope, I realized a single pellet had skinned his forehead right down the middle!
Yet the bird held his ground and looked directly into my eyes…and his gaze unnerved me.
As this single Ptarmigan stood in stoic defiance, I thought, ‘he has not given himself to me, I cannot take this bird’, a few more moments passed, he turned, then he slowly walked back through the willows to rejoin his group.
“Yet the bird held his ground and looked directly into my eyes…and his gaze unnerved me.
As this single Ptarmigan stood in stoic defiance, I thought, ‘he has not given himself to me, I cannot take this bird’…”
— David Angaiak, About Inner Strength
We crossed paths again roughly two weeks later, and once again I let him and his group go…and once again that particular Ptarmigan with his scarred forehead met my eye.
To this day I imagine he passed on this encounter to his brood…
This story mask pays homage to the character of inner strength displayed through Creation.
Today it serves as a remembrance for me, and a token of gratitude for the lessons I’ve learned over the years hunting Ptarmigan along the shores of my homeland.
Inner strength | Created in 2022
Materials:
Basswood, Spruce Wood, Cherry Wood, Feathers, Porcupine Quill, Glass Beads, Synthetic Sinew, Soapstone, Brass Casing, Milk Paint, Gouache Paint, Rare Earth Pigments (personally gathered from the Yukon River, Alaska)
Dimensions:
15" x 15" x 5"