Anchorage Museum

Happy Monday, everyone! I hope you had a great weekend. Mine was pretty much spent in bed, recuperating from an awful head cold and cough. It sucks being sick while on vacation, but I'm with family, so it's all good.  We managed to squeeze a trip to the museum before I fell ill, which I'm really glad we got to do. When I lived in Alaska, I rarely got to do touristy activities, and I deeply regret that. It's catch up time, for sure.  We spent the bulk of our time looking intently at the wonderful display at the Arctic Studies wing where I took most of the following pictures. There is a wealth of information about Native cultures that was revealed to me, and I struggled to lap it all up in one afternoon. I marveled at totems, clothing, daily utensils, and various tchotchkes, each having its own story to tell.  One of the more interesting pieces I saw is this gorgeous armor made of thick hide and sinew.  This is perhaps my favorite piece ever. It's a hand-sewn coat made out of animal intestines that have been treated and dried before sewing with sinew thread to create a waterproof outer covering. I couldn't stop staring at how even and delicate the stitches were, and how visually captivating the coat is to look at.