Spring 2021 Honorary Degree recipient Susan Malutin

 For more than 30 years, Susan Malutin, master skin sewer, has been at the forefront of revitalizing Alutiiq culture and art in Alaska. Her journey into animal skin sewing came from her husband’s request for a fur hat after bringing home a sea otter pelt. Her first garment sent her on a decades-long journey to study the history, craft and art of sewing animal skins and fur to design heritage pieces in the style and tradition of the Alutiiq people. 

Born and raised in Kodiak, Malutin’s family has roots in Afognak and Ukamok (Chirikof Island) villages. She has been sewing since she was a small child, but it wasn’t until adulthood she realized she wanted to merge her talent for sewing and desire to know her people’s art and culture that she began designing traditional Alutiiq clothing. 

Her journey was not easy as the tradition of animal skin sewing had been lost through the generations and she relied on elders’ recollections of their mothers’ and grandmothers’ techniques for sewing. Malutin spent years studying archival pieces from museums in Alaska to the Smithsonian, painstakingly deconstructing garments to examine their stitching, design and artwork. Malutin’s works of art primarily consist of fur hats, slippers, infant boots, dance boots and mittens that display the intricate beading and embroidery of traditional Alutiiq clothing. While working for the State of Alaska, Malutin traveled across the state and always had fur and sinew on hand, just in case she met someone who could teach her new techniques on the spot. 

Malutin’s dedication to learning and sharing her craft has rekindled the tradition of Alutiiq animal skin sewing in Kodiak. She’s not only impacted her local community but also helped educate people across the state of the history, culture and art of the Alutiiq people. Her efforts have been recognized by The Alaska Federation of Natives with the 2003 President’s Award for Tradition Bearer and in 2006, was awarded the Margaret Nick Cooke Award for Alaska Native Arts as one of the Governor's Awards for the Arts.