“By combining elements of Christian iconography with Alutiiq tradition, the artist suggests that they are equally important. She is asking us to consider traditional Alutiiq beliefs on the same level as Western beliefs” The Alutiiq Museum and Archaeological Repository, Kodiak, Alaska My ancestors from Alaska’s Kodiak Island were both Alutiiq/Sugpiaq and Russian/Estonian. In my paintings, in the spirit of inclusion and inter-connectivity, I acknowledge the duality of my history: past and present, Native and non-Native, Western beliefs and indigenous perspectives. My work is built upon assimilated Christian symbols and inspired by traditional Alutiiq culture. My grandmother taught me the Alutiiq belief that all things—living and inanimate—possess a soul, are infused with a divine spirit and are interconnected. My work represents this worldview and is an invitation to reconsider what we define as sacred and worthy of our reverence.