She's taking Dad's advice

WASILLA -- June Pardue is adamant that the reason she possesses the skills to create many traditional Alaska Native crafts is that she took her father's advice as a young child.

"I learned all these things from my elders and others who knew how to make them," Pardue explained about her weaving and beadwork. "My dad always told us, 'Respect your elders and remain teachable so you can learn from them.'"

Time has a funny way of changing roles, and now Pardue has gone from student to teacher. Working as the curator of education at the Dorothy Page Museum and a cultural instructor for the Knik tribe, Pardue teaches time-honored traditions such as beading, basket weaving, Native doll-making, quill work and skin sewing.

"I encompass history and Native values in all my teaching," Pardue said. "We have to share what we know so that it doesn't die."

Pardue, an Alutiiq Native, was born in Harbor Village and raised on Kodiak Island. She sold her first hand-woven grass basket at age 12, but didn't become serious about selling her work until years later.

"When I was a little girl, I use to think all women had to weave because my mom did," Pardue said. "I learned how because I wanted to be a good Native woman."

Years later, while pregnant with her now 28-year-old daughter, Pardue was hospitalized and bedridden from complications during the pregnancy. During her stay at the Alaska Native Medical Center, Pardue said she spent many afternoons in a wheelchair, studying the woven baskets on display at the hospital's gift shop. By studying those baskets, she was able to refine her own weaving skills, and began selling her own baskets even before being released from the hospital.

"We can always learn things through hardships," Pardue said.

She then went on to immerse herself in many of the Native crafts she had learned as a child, and now sells her work throughout the state. To keep the magic of these crafts alive, Pardue also began teaching Native crafts, and has taught basket weaving in 25 locations throughout Alaska.

"I actually revived weaving in the Kachemak Bay area," said Pardue, beaming.

Pardue will teach a beginning beadwork class three times a week at the Dorothy Page Museum in August, and hopes to teach more classes for both children and adults in Wasilla, where she has lived for the past four years.

"I'm getting requests in high volumes from adults who want to learn things like beading, skin sewing and doll making," Pardue said. "I'll teach whatever people want to learn."

Pardue's husband, Charlie, also makes some of the traditional Alaska Native crafts. The scraps of ivory left over from his handmade knives are carved into pieces Pardue uses in her jewelry. The Pardues' work is so highly renowned, the couple was invited to a United Nations convention in New York two years ago.

Along with her artwork, Pardue also does traditional Native dance. Many of Pardue's family members -- she has two daughters and eight grandchildren -- make up her dance group, called "Alutiiq Anguyaq", meaning "Warrior Dancers."

"When they dance, they learn their Native language, Native values and Native history," Pardue said. "We share spiritual values and traditional values to honor our creator and our elders."

Pardue is also involved in a dance group called "120 Drums of Thunder". Native dancers from Alaska, Canada and the Lower 48 make up this group, which will perform at the Homer Spit on the weekend of July 31.

"Everyone is invited to come," Pardue said.

Pardue will travel to Israel in September with the dance group. She said the money she makes selling her artwork will help pay for the trip.

When she is not traveling or teaching her trade, Pardue said she and Charlie spend time conducting their life much as their ancestors did -- collecting seagull eggs and berries, drying fish and making seal oil as a healthy replacement for butter.

"Just like when I was growing up, we eat off the land, doing things like wrapping fish in wild celery leaves and cooking them for added flavor," Pardue said. "We are living a subsistence life."

Contact Jen Ransom at jen.ransom@frontiersman.com.