Enterprising Entrepreneurs: Creative business in rural Alaska.

AuthorStrieker, Julie
PositionALASKA NATIVE

One of the first things most people notice when they meet Holly Mititquq Nordlum are the distinctive tattoos on her chin. Nordlum. an Ihupiaq from Kotzebue, is a graphic designer and artist in Anchorage who is successfully melding traditional art with contemporary ideas.

Art and Tradition

Nordlum opened her graphic arts studio, Naniq Design, in 2004 and specializes in work for Alaska Native corporations and events. "It's kind of great for me," she says. "I love Anchorage. It's the biggest Native village in Alaska. Now, with the traditional tattooing that I do, and talking about it being part of who you are and your identity, I get to travel all over the state"

"It's kind of awesome that it's taking off so well," Nordlum says. "We're tattooing people every day.

"I started the program here in Alaska to revive the old techniques," she says. She estimates that she or one of her trainees has tattooed hundreds of people, mostly women, around the state.

Nordlum has found a niche that taps into her cultural heritage and her love of art. Just as the Alaska Native regional and village corporations are reshaping the state's economy, businesses owned by Alaska Natives are making a difference on a village and personal level. In many ways, the corporations help to pave the way for new businesses by providing educational and vocational scholarships, job training, mentorships, and, in some cases, direct funding.

Corporations are also investing in businesses within their regions, such as tourism destinations, hardware stores. and oilfield services. These businesses provide local jobs and enhance the local economy. In return, shareholders gain knowledge and experience and are better prepared to start their own businesses down the line.

Nordlum's primary business is graphic design and artwork, but she's captivated by the tradition behind the tattoos. While they serve as a marker in a woman's life, the tattoos' specific meanings are hard to describe, says Nordlum, who is working on a documentary.

"It's a complicated answer," she says. "Traditionally it meant one thing, which we're still trying to recognize. In contemporary times, it's about identity and standing up against the tone of the times, which we're kind of fighting back with racial relations. It's a step forward with our heads up for our identity as women in our culture.

"Sometimes I just say my greatgrandmother had them and a thousand generations before her."

Nordlum's childhood was spent at her...

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