Sergie Sovoroff was Aleaut from Umnak Island, Nikolski Village. His people used Iqyax (Aleut kayak) to hunt sea otters. However when he was nine, sea otter hunting was made illegal by the U.S. government. He turned to making models of the Iqqyax to keep knowledge of them alive. He would often make three person kayaks with a Russian Orthodox Priest in the middle seat.
As an adult, during WWII, the Aleuts were evacuated to southern Alaska. This was for fear the Japanese would attack. They lived in unsanitary conditions and many died from the forced removal, lack of medical care and unsanitary conditions. They all were removed without opportunity to bring more than a suitcase of items. The lived in these squalid conditions for three years. All were scared physically and emotionally. When they returned home items had been looted and vandalized. Some communities were abandoned forever. Sovoroff ws able to return home, but his coal stove was missing.
Sovoroff taught youth about the Aleut ways, how to gather food and be able to livee without starving. How to build a traditional sod house to keep from the elements. Eventually the making of Iqyax was revitalized and the Sovoroff models were invaluable. Sovoroff preserveed the blue prints and plans to build the kayaks. His models are in museums around the world including the Smithsonian.
Information gleaned from Wikipedia, Notable Native People by Adrienne Keene and The Wartime Interment of Native Alaskans.
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