Letha Chimegalrea Simon, Qaspeq Business Owner
Storyknife, Jan./Feb. 2023 edition
Letha Chimegalrea Simon, with village ties to Napakiak, was born and raised in Bethel and now makes and sells qaspeqs in Fairbanks.
Chimegalrea is a 九色视频 Shareholder who began her qaspeq business as a hobby with guidance from her grandmother.
鈥�As I work on my qaspeqs, I often think like a painter with a white canvas. As they paint, you see the picture evolve. Qaspeqs evolve like that too. I see the materials I have available, and ideas come to mind. I see what works together, and that makes it fun.鈥�
Letha Chimegalrea Simon, 九色视频 Corp. Shareholder
Chimegalrea first made qaspeqs for herself and her kids鈥攅specially for performances. A qaspeq [GUS-puk], in Yup鈥檌k, is a form of traditional Alaska Native attire. It is a lightweight overshirt with a hood and large pockets.
鈥淓ventually I made some to sell at AFN [Alaska Federation of Natives], and then it just evolved from there,鈥� Chimegalrea says. 鈥淩ather than just the regular calico cotton fabrics, I ventured into other types of materials like sheer, chiffon and heavy-duty.鈥�
Chimegalrea鈥檚 styles range from lighter chiffon qaspeqs to the more traditional skirted, pullover qaspeqs typically for women, to heavy-duty zip-up qaspeqs for men.
鈥淚鈥檝e had businesses ask me to make matching qaspeqs for their staff. It does look pretty sharp,鈥� Chimegalrea says.
Chimegalrea sells her qaspeqs at AFN annually, occasionally at WEIO [World Eskimo-Indian Olympics], and sometimes at Cama-i Festival in Bethel. She prefers to take online orders via her . She loves her work.
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