The Sheldon Jackson Museum would like to invite you to two different events to celebrate Native American Heritage Month. On Friday, November 8 at 10 am, there will be a storytelling of Apay’uq Moore’s book, Quyana Spirit at the museum for children and their families. All ages are welcome, though the book is best for ages 2-7. On Wednesday, November 20 at 1 pm, Moore will give a presentation on the process of writing and illustrating the book, her artwork, and her life in Bristol Bay and how it informs her work. This will take place over Zoom, but there will also be a watch party at the museum.
Moore is a Yup’ik multidisciplinary artist and activist living in the Bristol Bay region. Her bright murals and paintings decorate places all around Bristol Bay, but Quyana Spirit is her first children’s book. Her tagline for the book, she said, is “we live in a world that is magic.”
In her book, a human boy and his guide, the Quyana Spirit, journey through the world around them. Moore said she was inspired to write this story during a walk with her two kids in Twin Hills. The boy and the Yup'ik spirit guide are based on her children Bode and Kaya, with big sister Kaya acting as a guide for her little brother. “The book is about these two characters who are going through the world and sort of on a little field trip,” she said. “They are taking note of the world around them and finding all of the magic in it.” Colorful illustrations of woods, tundra, river, and more fill each page, and many pages include Yup’ik vocabulary.
Moore said that Quyana Spirit aims to show the value of Yup’ik culture and the knowledge contained within it. When it comes to learning, she wants to encourage people to share what they know of the language, even if they aren’t fluent, as well as the culture, and normalize supporting each other in that exchange of knowledge.
Moore hopes her work on the book encourages others in Bristol Bay to try new things and follow through on new ideas.
Zoom details for November 20 Author & Artist Talk at 1 pm
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89208716520?pwd=YHGsOPYIZYfQEUSUn5dQiGrahODip9.1
Meeting ID: 892 0871 6520
Passcode: Moore
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