Hello, my name is Miranda Nayokpuk, but my friends call me Tuk. I am Iñupiat Eskimo and I am originally from a small island in Alaska. I am pursuing my degree in Psychology online at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. I also do freelance artwork. My primary medium is canvas and I enjoy using acrylic paint.
My relationship to Art began at a young age when I watched my grandfather Herbie Nayokpuk create his traditional Iñupiat artwork. His primary medium was ivory from the animals we hunted to sustain our subsistence lifestyle. He etched drawings into these carvings, and he was able to tell stories with the images that he carved into the ivory with ink. Watching my grandfather create and tell our stories was an incredibly rewarding experience. It helped me understand my culture and how my tribe came to be. Art holds a lot of power and this was when my love for Art began to grow.
Here is a link to some pictures of my grandfather’s Artwork.
Indigenous Voice 
This is awesome, Tuk! Look forward to more posts.
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Fantastic introduction, Tuk. Your grandfather’s name has a ring of familiarity to it. My ex husband collected ivory carvings, and that may be where I heard his name many years ago.
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Very nice artwork Tuk. Thank you for sharing your grandfathers work also.
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Hey Tuk, I think it’s really cool that your grandfather inspired your love for art and that you’re doing freelance work now. I’ve always thought canvas work was awesome! Your grandad’s got a great grin!
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I really enjoyed your post! You couldn’t of said it any better. Art really does hold a lot of meaning and history in our native cultures. I am Koyukon Athabascan and I as well treasure the traditional arts that i have been given that my ancestors created, such as beaded slippers my grandma made. I also related to this post because my grandpa did carvings as well. I love native art!
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