Russians Buying Up Alaskan Ivory: A New "Currency"?

[maryals]

Saturday, June 2, 2012 was a beautiful Alaskan Summer Day. I took the bus into town, and went to The Weekend Market.
We have all kinds of great stuff there: local goods like Honey and Birch Syrup, the fresh vegetables will be in soon. There are wonderful Arts and Crafts from both non-Native and Native alike.
The Native Arts and Crafts are of course made from bone, horn, antler, fur, leather, local stone, feathers. You'll find paintings, jewelry, sculpture, carvings, Native drums.
So, I went into one of the Tents to admire the items there and saw some lovely bracelets, some made of caribou horn, some made of moose antler.
Oh, did I forget to mention that Alaska is, I think, the only State in the Union where one can buy ivory. Much of it is fossilized and no less beautiful than "fresh" ivory. And there are provisions, laws, for the Natives to use fresh ivory from the walrus they kill for food.
So, I was having a nice chat with the young Native girl from whom I bought a lovely bracelet made of moose antler. And here is what she told me:
Russians have been traveling from Village to Village to buy up or try to buy up all the ivory they can!
I hope you find it as no surprise that even Villagers are well informed about politics and current events. This young woman and I both agree, speculate, that Ivory may replace gold and silver in some areas as "currency", as a tradeable commodity.
Of course we Alaskans don't want that to happen. Rarely are there poachers who just take the walrus ivory and leave the carcass behind.
Anyway, what this young woman told me is distressing, not only for Alaska in particular but for the economic outlook in general.

Mary and Baby

[Judee]

Saturday, June 2, 2012 was a beautiful Alaskan Summer Day. I took the bus into town, and went to The Weekend Market.
We have all kinds of great stuff there: local goods like Honey and Birch Syrup, the fresh vegetables will be in soon. There are wonderful Arts and Crafts from both non-Native and Native alike.
The Native Arts and Crafts are of course made from bone, horn, antler, fur, leather, local stone, feathers. You'll find paintings, jewelry, sculpture, carvings, Native drums.
So, I went into one of the Tents to admire the items there and saw some lovely bracelets, some made of caribou horn, some made of moose antler.
Oh, did I forget to mention that Alaska is, I think, the only State in the Union where one can buy ivory. Much of it is fossilized and no less beautiful than "fresh" ivory. And there are provisions, laws, for the Natives to use fresh ivory from the walrus they kill for food.
So, I was having a nice chat with the young Native girl from whom I bought a lovely bracelet made of moose antler. And here is what she told me:
Russians have been traveling from Village to Village to buy up or try to buy up all the ivory they can!
I hope you find it as no surprise that even Villagers are well informed about politics and current events. This young woman and I both agree, speculate, that Ivory may replace gold and silver in some areas as "currency", as a tradeable commodity.
Of course we Alaskans don't want that to happen. Rarely are there poachers who just take the walrus ivory and leave the carcass behind.
Anyway, what this young woman told me is distressing, not only for Alaska in particular but for the economic outlook in general.

Mary and Baby

Interesting Mary, thanks. I have often pondered that if the crap should hit the fan, and I had food, and someone else had gold, would I trade food for gold? My answer would have to be no. I could eat the food, but the gold would not do me any good as far as my immediate survival. Gold, silver, or in this case, ivory, are only as valuable as 'someone' has told us it is.

Are the Russians buying raw ivory, or are they buying ivory that has already been carved? If they're buying carved ivory, perhaps they are buying it cheap, and have intentions of reselling it on the black market--or maybe they're going to sell the raw ivory on the black market too.

[maryals]

I don't know enough about Alaska Law regarding the buying and selling of the raw ivory. It probably favors and protects the Natives, as it should.
Yeah, could make all kinds of speculation about why the Russians are buying up ivory from Alaska. But I know that this young Native woman had a bad feeling about it.
There will come a time, soon I think, when we will all need some kind of "currency". I trade something for your food, you trade something for, say, shoes...that sort of thing. Maybe you don't want to trade away any more food, so you use what ever "currency" that's locally accepted. Like gold, or ivory, or peacock feathers.
I just thought I'd share this news from NupNorth...another puzzle piece....to what's going on generally.

Mary and Baby