QAY

Ronald Apongalook, whose name is Qaygeghutkaq (shortened to Qay), literally means “put on top”, is a Yupik Eskimo born in Gambell, on St. Lawrence Island, on August 6, 1968. Unlike many of the native people who had to leave their home village in order to get an education, Ron was fortunate in that he was able to receive an education in Gambell. In 1984, he was a member of the Gambell High School team that participated in a nationwide competition dealing with future problem solving. His team came in first in the nation. Ron Humorously adds that he has been unable to solve any of his personal problems since then. 

Art was one of his worst classes in high school. He says that he couldn’t picture what he wanted to carve and felt he had no talent. In 1991, he began carving while attending college in Anchorage motivated by the need to support his family. He works primarily with ivory and bone. He is noted mostly for his figurines which include otters, bears, cormorants, rookeries, hunters, puffins, and dancers. Most of his bone carvings depict Eskimos dancing, polar bears, and walrus. 

Recently he started carving sets of ivory human figurines engaged in subsistence activities to include auklet netting, seal hunting, hunting with bolos and fishing native style.

When not carving, Ron is himself a subsistence hunter and takes care of much of his family’s grocery needs. He and his wife, Caroyln, are the proud parents of three daughters, Leandre, Lisa, and Hillary. Long range goals include earning a degree in teaching.