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For centuries, Alaska Natives have used sustainably sourced walrus for food, clothing, tools and artwork. 1972’s Marine Mammal Protection Act, in part, helped protect traditional uses of walrus ivory for Alaska Native artists.
But regulation changes like a 2014 federal ban on the commercial trade of elephant ivory have muddied the waters on what kinds of ivory are legal to buy and sell. States like California and New Jersey subsequently passed even broader ivory bans aimed at combatting illegal ivory trade.
The changes inadvertently hurt demand for walrus ivory crafts, leaving Alaska Native artists less ways to make money with traditional skills. But a solution is on the table, and it’s been a decade in the making.
Senator Dan Sullivan spoke at the Alaska Federation of Natives Convention in October. He championed a new bill, the ARTIST Act, that hopes to bring new protections to ivory artists.
“I'm pleased to say that last week, after almost 10 years of trying, the Senate passed my Alaska's right to ivory sales and tradition act, what we called the ARTIST act, and we passed it unanimously,” Sullivan said.
The ARTIST Act seeks to protect Alaska Native artists’ right to sell ivory artwork across the country, regardless of laws at the state level.
The Eskimo Walrus Commission unites 19 coastal Alaska Native communities including St. Lawrence Island Yupik, Central Yup’ik and Inupiaq peoples that rely on walrus as an essential cultural, natural and subsistence resource.
The commission’s director, Vera Metcalf, said in the decade following the federal ban, the org worked to educate policymakers on the traditional uses of walrus ivory in Alaska Native communities.
“Ten years seems like a long time, but you just keep advocating for what walrus ivory meant to us in Alaska, and in our communities that rely on it,” Metcalf said.
The commission collaborated with the Indigenous Peoples Council on Marine Mammals (IPCOM), the Inuit Circumpolar Council, and the World Wildlife Fund.
“We work hard advocating for our communities when a public policy is presented to us that could assist or negatively affect us in the long run,” Metcalf said.
Metcalf, fellow leaders and ivory carvers traveled to Washington, D.C. for briefings. They provided data on harvest numbers from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, who co-manage the walrus population with the commission. Artists spoke about their lifeways and shared their work.
“Bringing in artists like Perry Pungowiyi of Savoonga and Ben Payenna and Sylvester Ayek from King Island, who do beautiful work, that's how we managed to inform the public that attended that this is what we do, and this is a part of our identity, our lifeways,” Metcalf said.
After a decade of advocacy, the Senate unanimously passed the ARTIST Act on Oct. 8. The companion House bill, sponsored by Representative Nick Begich, awaits a hearing by the House Committee on Natural Resources. If no edits are needed, the bill will go to the floor for a vote. Finally, if passed through the House, the bill will head to the President’s desk to be signed into law.
Metcalf said she was grateful for the progress that’s been made, but said the commission’s work will continue past the bill’s potential signing into law.
“[I’m] thankful for everyone that has been supportive and advocating along with everything that we strive to do, and because our mission is to protect the Pacific walrus population as the Eskimo Walrus Commission. So still, the work still continues,” she said.
As the government shutdown looms over D.C., the timing for a vote on the bill in the House is uncertain. Looking ahead, Metcalf said, the goal will be to educate the public, including tourists and state officials, and to continue to advocate on behalf of carvers and their communities.
