Ivory Amulets - More Info

According to traditional Alutiiq belief, sea otters (ahnat) were formerly human beings. A story from Prince William Sound tells of a man who was trapped on the beach by a rushing tide. To save himself, he cried “I wish I might turn into a sea otter!” Designs show the animal’s ribs and spine. The bones of killed otters were returned to the sea so that the animals would be reborn.