Jennie is most well known as a renowned Chilkat blanket weaver, but she was more than that. She was a teacher, a historian and a remarkable role model for all women. Jennie lived a long life, which touched a lot of people across the state. Right before her 90th birthday she taught a Chilkat weaving symposium in Haines fulfilling her prayer not to die without passing on the gift of weaving. Ruby was one of a group of young Alaska Native leaders instrumental in the creation and congressional adoption of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act.
Alaskan women are strong, independent, creative, and very talented in many ways.
We are a mixture of cultures and languages. We are young and old and wise in years. We own 26,000 of the estimated 48,600 small businesses in Alaska. Most of us work in typically female occupations. Sometimes it seems that progress moves at snail's pace, but we do move forward in the United States.