Panaaluk

This photo was taken on Shismaref a small island off the Alaskan cost. Shismaref is slowly being swallowed by the sea due to the effects of climate change. The local people will have to leave the island by 2020.

Is the name of the food that you see laying on the cardboard. Panaaluk is dried seal meat in seal oil. The Inupaiq people, a local Inuit tribe consisting of a few thousand people catch the seals themselves. They don’t just eat the meat, they also eat the organs.

Dana became famous for her portraits of people. She mostly photographs vulnerable people often in poor communities. The Inupaiq people are one of these vulnerable groups as their home is disappearing slowly due to the effects of climate change. This photo is part of a series that shows life on Shismaref.

Want to know more about this work of art? Start a conversation with one of our employees or a visitor. They will be happy to share their knowledge and thoughts on this object. And to hear yours of course!