It feels a bit weird to promote my own work, but I can’t let a series on Alaska Native-created books go by without talking about my favorite illustrator and collaborator – my dad.

Don “Wakeesh” Starbard passed away a few months ago, and in those few months I have been constantly reminded how much I relied on him for my own literary projects whenever I reach for my phone to text him a question for my research.

“Raven Steals the Toilet Paper” began as a children’s poem I write at the beginning of Covid. I asked my dad if he could do one or two illustrations for it, and it quickly turned into a self-published children’s book. He was so proud of it, and his last few days on earth he was still excited to give it away to his hospice nurses.

“A Tlingit Christmas Caroling and Coloring Book” started with my dad doing some illustrations for my online play, “A Tlingit Christmas Carol.” We had so much fun Christmas-afying his Tlingit designs, and over his last Christmas, the National Park Service used his/our designs from the book as ornaments on the official U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree in Washington D.C.

My dad was always game to jump into one of my larger literary projects, and I’m so glad I had the collaboration time with him, and this work of his to share with everyone.