Qiviut Culture: Oomingmak and the Future of the Native Knitters' Cooperative
This paper examines the current and historic use of the Qiviut industry in Alaska to protect subsistence livelihoods among Native Alaskan coastal communities, and reviews the role of cooperative and institutional structures in the Musk Ox Project's efforts to aid cultural survival. The economic viability of the Qiviut industry, competition with producers in Canada, changing market interests and evolving marketing strategies are viewed as potential distractions from a sustainability focus. In an environment where Native corporations provide an emerging model of economic and cultural development, the priorities and properties of Oomingmak, an all-Native knitting cooperative, seem likely to shift from an emphasis on survival to strictly economic success.
Keywords: Cooperative, Sustainable Development, Cultural Survival
Ms. Amy Russell
Masters Student, Northern Studies Department, University of Alaska Fairbanks
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Ref: S05P0218