Ideas surrounding gender identity and expression vary across cultures and through time. In Unangax̂ culture, for example, as elder Ilarion (Larry) Merculieff explains, “Being a man means being patient, a keen observer, considerate of people and wildlife, cooperative, not macho or aggressive, soft spoken, always in relationship to everything and being present in the moment. Western society calls these qualities ‘feminine’ and somehow that is negative, but in the Unangax̂ worldview, these qualities are necessary to be a true man.”

Historically, Indigenous cultures also recognized two-spirits, people who identify as having both a male and female essence or spirit. Colonization introduced a patriarchal social organization, and the idea of a rigid gender binary with two opposing genders.

Today, we see increased visibility of two-spirit, nonbinary, transgender, and gender-neutral identities, among others. Here, artists explore how gender roles are learned, enforced, subverted, and transformed.

Western culture has traditionally upheld thinness, light skin, long hair, and youth as physical attributes considered to be beautiful. Yet these limited standards become more inclusive as people push back, recognizing beauty and asserting pride in a diversity of shapes, sizes, colors, ages, and gender expressions.

Many artists use portraiture to question oppressive norms surrounding how women are seen, categorized, and expected to behave. They draw attention to, and push back against, constricting social expectations and norms.

As artists consider the challenges facing the North and the globe—racism, environmental destruction, violence against women, and the COVID-19 pandemic—they offer visions of how we might respond and move forward with care, compassion, strength, imagination, and collective action.

The North is often romanticized for its natural wonders, but many residents spend long winter months mostly indoors. Artists draw attention to the landscapes behind closed doors: the familiar, mundane, and un-picturesque aspects of Northern life.

Whether expressing lasting ancestral ties to the land, or a sense of fleeting ephemerality, materials can convey meanings and evoke associations that extend beyond what they are used to represent.

In Western society, labor is often gendered, meaning that certain professions or types of work are dominated by either men or women. The reasons for this are many, including socialization, differences in education and networking opportunities, and employer bias. Female-dominated work like teaching and caregiving tend to be undercompensated compared to male-dominated work.

Perhaps the most culturally enduring image of the colonized North is that of the rugged explorer and adventurer—usually a man. Mardy Murie, Ada Blackjack, and Alaska Nellie are three of the many women whose stories complicate mythologies of the North as a testing ground for male strength and bravery.

Alaska women are deeply engaged in political and civic life and hold leadership positions, whether as elected officials, religious leaders, activists, or trusted elders.

Alaska’s first female legislator was Nell Scott of Seldovia, elected to the territorial House of Representatives in 1937. The number of woman lawmakers remained limited until the late 1970s, when seven women served in the State House and Senate. Since that time, numbers have grown. In 2019, 23 of 60 House and Senate legislators were women.

In 1994, Alaska elected Fran Ulmer as lieutenant governor. She was the first woman to hold statewide office. In 2002, Lisa Murkowski was appointed by her father, Governor Frank Murkowski, to fill his vacated US Senate seat. She remains Alaska’s senator, having won three subsequent elections. Sarah Palin was Alaska’s first woman governor, taking office in 2006. She served less than one term, resigning after a run on the 2008 republican presidential ticket, as the party’s first female vice-presidential nominee.

Presented with support from:

John and Carolann Weir

Brian Kirchner and Ryan G. Webb