Untitled, shaman plans to hang himself

Kivetoruk Moses (1903-1982)
Ink, watercolor, pencil- 2002.2.11

James Kivetoruk Moses lived in several villages on the Seward Peninsula near the Bering Strait coast. He was brought up as a trapper, traditional subsistence hunter, and reindeer herder. He had less than two years of formal schooling but began drawing as a teenager. In 1953, when he was fifty years old, a plane crash left him partly crippled, and following his brother-in-law George Ahgupuk's example, he turned to drawing to make a living.

Moses made very detailed colored drawings of Eskimo life and legends. His wife, Bessie, would sometimes write short stories to accompany the drawings that explained what was happening in them. His work showed animals, hunters, shamans, celebrations, and other aspects of Eskimo life, including mythical situations. Moses suffered a stroke in 1974, and he was unable to produce as much work as before. By 1978, he was no longer able to work and he died in 1982.

This is one of twelve drawings by Moses that was in the collection of an Anchorage physician. The drawings had been for sale at an Anchorage gift shop that was badly damaged during the Alaska Earthquake of March 1964. The doctor saw the prints in the damaged building, crawled into it and saved the artworks, and later bought them from the shop owner.

The Museum is now planning a major exhibit to focus on early Alaska Eskimo artists. The scope of the exhibit is not yet determined, but among the artists being considered for inclusion are George Ahgupuk, Kivetoruk Moses, Florence Malewotkuk, Robert Mayokuk, Guy Kakarook, Happy Jack, and Milo Minock.

The twelve Moses drawings were purchased for the Museum by the Anchorage Museum Foundation.

2002.002.001-12.

While the Museum's collections have been significantly boosted in the past several years, we still have gaps in our holdings and areas where we need more depth. The Museum's staff would be delighted to talk with you about possible donations. Please contact Walter A. Van Horn at 907-343-6182; by fax at 907-343-6149, and by email at vanhornwa@anchoragemuseum.org.