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In 1977 I was born in Kodiak, AK to Jerry and Esther Laktonen. Our family of six lived off of the main gravel road in the Native Village of Larsen Bay. Only accessible by foot trail, we were up on a hill inside the bay from the rest of the village. We spent most of the year subsistence hunting, fishing, and crabbing and the summers commercial fishing for salmon.
When I was twelve, we moved to the city of Kodiak, where my mother was an elementary school teacher. We still returned to Larsen Bay in the summertime to fish. There are many things I don't miss about our family business like camping out in abandon cabins or in tents or living six deep on a small boat. Beach seining could be hard work, but some of my experiences out on the ocean are my most vivid memories.
I am thankful for the natural beauty my family dealt with on a day to day basis, whether it be storms, tides, cold, bears, or seeing our dog play with a fox on the beach. I learned that the threat of nature in our life was much more than anything man made. My sisters and I would spend hours in the woods building forts out of old wood and fishing net, or collecting treasures on the beach.
We would collect shells, shiny rocks, and sometimes find something rare like a labret, a rock lamp, or a killer whale tooth. My father would show us where barabaras had been (Alutiiq dwellings) and about how at one time there may have been twenty to fifty thousand people on the island before Russian contact. He would tell us stories about how smart they were and how they survived. Although there were pieces of our culture still around, like mannerisms, or names of places or things, most of our language and customs had vanished after the clashing of Russian and American contact.
In high school and college I became very involved in sports. My junior and senior years at Kodiak High school, I went to the state Native Youth Olympics and attended Native leadership camps. In college, (Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA) I chose to major in Kinesiology with a minor in American Indian Education. I couldn't imagine a career where I couldn’t be active or use my hands.
One of the best things I did was to joint the Indian Teacher and Educational Personnel Program where I got to study the educational history of Alaska Natives and American Indian people. I saw the influences of native educational institutions like boarding schools and missions and the lack of culturally relevant materials in schools today for students. The twenty units I took for my minor became much more influential to me than my major was. I met professors and friends that were an encouragement for me to learn more about my past and my peoples past and grow artistically and culturally.
I began designing jewelry in 2003 inspired by Kodiak Island, the oceans, the beaches, and the people. My sister who has dedicated her career to bring back the Alutiiq language and my father who has become a very successful carver have also been and inspiration to me. In 2006 I was given a new inspiration, my daughter, Ravenna Fedocia.
I have found so much beauty in the art of our past, like a headdress form the 1800’s made of solid dentalium, or colorful woven hunting hats. Dentalium is a sign of wealth to us still today and has such elegance in its long slender shape. Abalone, mother of pearl, and Russian trade beads have also been major contributors to my designs. I have incorporated many of these elements in my jewelry with various glass beads, semi precious stone beads, and sterling silver hooks and clasps for a modern appeal. I have hopes that each person who wears one of my pieces finds their own individuality in the uniqueness of each design.
LaRita
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