McKinley in her Kuspuk and braided hair-do

This post is primarily for Grandmother Friesner (Free-suh-ner according to her Great grandchildren). We were talking to her on the phone a few days ago, and I was telling her about what McKinley was wearing. It is called a Kuspuk (as most of you already know), and I copied a little information about what it is at the end of my post.

McKinley is smiling especially beautifully for Grandma Friesner here, because she had just been talking to her on the phone.
The print on her kuspuk is green moose. :)

Mommy fixed her hair so gorgeous. I could NEVER do that with my girls' hair when they were little. Mom, notice the hood on the kuspuk.

And McKinley said she needed to take a picture of me. It was allllllllllllmost centered.

So, now for a little Kuspuk lesson:

"A kuspuk is the traditional Yupik overshirt type garment worn by both men and women. Men tend to wear them primarily for ceremonial occasions, but for women they are everyday wear. Loose-fitting, they are extremely comfortable.
Basically, a kuspuk is a long-sleeved, hooded, slip-over shirt with a large pocket in the front. The cuffs, pocket and hood are edged with rick-rack or a similar decorative trim. The size of the pocket and the way the trim is applied vary widely among kuspuk makers.

Women’s kuspuks are usually made from a patterned fabric, often a small floral print, and may have a short gathered skirt at the bottom. They may also be longer, essentially a dress, mid-thigh or knee length. Many women prefer the shorter skirtless version, often known as “Yukon style.” “Kuskokwim style” generally has the skirt."

I have seem many native Alaskans wear this type of garment, and some especially beautiful coats made in the same style, with animal fur around the hood for warmth.

I love my little Kuspuk model! :)