Yup’ik Hat

Hats of this type, known as ciayaq, are worn by the Yup’ik people of Alaska. The ciayaq, shaped like a pointed piece of ice, helped to conceal the hunter as he floated in a white kayak among the broken spring floes. The long brim protected the hunter’s eyes from ocean spray, waves, sun, and glare off the water. This Yup’ik hat was made in the Kuskokwim River Valley from bone and very thin sheets of wood.  The white paint that originally covered the wood has largely worn away.  The hat was collected by Moravian missionaries based in Bethel, Alaska and was donated to the Museum as a part of the Wachovia Historical Society Collection.

Learn more about the Yup’ik people and make a hat with Cultures Up Close.