Hello, my name is Diana Burton and I am originally from Cordova,
Alaska located in Prince William Sound. I was born and raised in
Cordova and grew up commercial fishing and skin sewing with my
family. I am a quarter Athabaskan and also part Eyak and Irish. I
have been sewing with my mom since I was seven, did an
apprenticeship with her, and now I run and own Dineega Furs. I
recently graduated with my degree in Rural Development from the
University of Alaska Fairbanks, and I now live in beautiful Sitka,
Alaska with my husband and 1 year old daughter. We enjoy playing
on the ocean and fishing, camping, hiking, as well as traveling and
visiting with friends.
My mother, Monica Riedel, is half Athabascan from Kaltag, Alaska.
She started Dineega Furs in 1982 with a pair of baby booties for
me. They became very popular at baby showers and so she kept
making them and then started expanding her products, and it soon
grew into a business. Now my mom runs the Alaska Native Harbor
Seal Commission, a nonprofit organization, who's missions is "To
ensure that harbor seals remain an essential cultural,spiritual,and
nutritional element of our traditional way of life, and to promote
the health of harbor seals in order to carry forward the cultural,
spiritual, and nutritional traditions of Alaska Natives." In Monica's
spare time she continues making beautiful sea otter headbands with
fancy bead work, sea otter collar and cuff sets, fancy parkas, and
jewelry.
using marine mammals and links to where you can get more information!
Alaskan Natives can hunt and use sea otters and seals.
It is legal to sell handicrafts made from these animals to all people.
Alaska Natives can sell or trade raw marine mammal parts (or tanned sea otter pelts) to other Alaska Natives.
It is illegal to sell raw or tanned sea otter pelts to anyone except other Alaska Natives or registered tanneries.
For more information on marine mammal hunting and use laws please visit U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services , The
Alaska Native Sea Otter and Steller Sea Lion Commission , or the Alaska Native Harbor Seal Commission website.
