Pete White, of Wrangell, stands next to freshly harvested sea otter pelts. Jeremiah James, who will teach a class on sea otter pelt sewing in Wrangell this weekend, hopes his class will interest more Alaska Natives in harvesting sea otters and sewing their pelts.
"Wear sea otter, save a crab!" says Jeremiah James.
James will teach a sea otter skin sewing class in Wrangell Thursday through Sunday, May 9-12, at the Wrangell Cooperative Association cultural center.
The workshop, put on by Sealaska Heritage Institute, will teach about 15 students to hand sew a pattern of their choosing, including garments like hats, scarves, headbands and pillows.
James, who lives in Yakutat and Juneau, got into sea otter sewing in 2011 after taking a beginner sewing class in Yakutat where he made a headband. At the time, he was working construction in the winters and commercial fishing in the summers. He had no idea there was revenue in sea otters and seals. But today, James makes his living off of his sewing.
He started teaching sewing in 2014, and now teaches roughly 10 classes a year around Southeast Alaska. He harvests sea otter pelts and sews and sells vests, blankets and other garments, using his Bonis commercial sewing machine from the 1970s.
James' garments were featured at the Far North Fashion Show at the Arctic Encounter symposium in Anchorage in April, which showcased garments and jewelry created by Indigenous artists from all over Alaska.
James said he hopes his classes will help get more people into harvesting sea otters.
Commercial crab harvesters have long complained that the growing population of sea otters is eating their way through Southeast Alaska Dungeness crab stocks. Under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, sea otters may only be hunted by coastal Alaska Natives.
The class fee is $100, but all tools and supplies will be provided by SHI and each student will be provided with a sea otter pelt, worth $450 in value. The sea otter pelts are limited to students who have at least one-quarter Alaska Native blood quantum, in accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Students who don't meet the blood quantum requirement will be provided with beaver hide.
The class is already full, with students on a waitlist.
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