About

Forget Me Knots was originally Bristol Babes in Dillingham, Alaska in 2012 and I made shirts and crocheted hats. Today it has served as a way to showcase my traditional values and art. My family combined comes from Curyung, Koliganek, Togiak, Aleknagik and Chignik, Alaska. Mixed family we are Yupik, Aleut, Inupiat, Mexican, Irish, Swedish, Japanese and more. We are rich with history in fishing, Yuraq-Native Dancing, Dog Mushing-Racing and traditonal hunting and gathering subsistence. My Amau-Grandma Elena is the main reason I still practice these Native traditions today. From her homemade herbal medicine to family heirlooms such as her dance headwear and qaspeqs. My Uppa-Grandpa was an avid community member who often dog mushed down town to bring the kids to school and won every race during our town festival. I find myself looking at my Amau's beadwork on pieces left to me and feel an overwhelming gratitude she was able to pass her traditions down to us. Today I bead, sew, hum Native songs I learned in school, search for wild herbal medicine, we as a family love to sit and just enjoy the wilderness and bird watching.

Currently living in the Wasilla Valley, I work helping those recover from drug & alcohol addiction as well as a strong advocate for Murdered, Missing Indigenous Women in honor of my late Aunt Natalia Timurphy. My Husband is a Navy Veteran and did a long time service of Firefighting/EMT in Chignik and Dillingham. We have 3 beautiful children and live in our dream home. After moving to the city, I find myself missing certain practices we were able to enjoy back home like drift net fishing because I prefer it over rod-n-reel and being able to catch sayaluks in the river by the roadside to make tamuanuqs for winter and being able to run downtown and grab a gallon of melucuaqs from our Togiak relatives. This website is dedicated to keeping my Amau's legacy alive along with our traditional values and knowledge.

Quyana for reading,

Marie, Braden and the kiddos.