Travel by Water
Assemblage, 2017
Toy (1970s), beach trash from Attu, foam
12" x 9.5" x 3"
Humans have occupied the Aleutians for at least 11,000 years, with evidence of Unangax settlements on every one of the islands. Intricate societies developed, supported by the abundant marine mammals, fish,seabirds, marine invertebrates and seaweed.
Dividing the Bering Sea and North Pacific,beachcombing on the islands provided other important resources. Driftwood was the only source of wood and long before contact, shipwrecks provided copper, iron and other valuables. Today the shorelines of Attu are scattered with plastic bearing Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Canadian, American and other labels amongst the flotsam.
