Leader from the Region

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 Calista Shareholder who began her qaspeq business as a hobby with guidance from her grandmother.

“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.”

Letha Chimegalrea Simon, Calista Corp. Shareholder

Chimegalrea first made qaspeqs for herself and her kids—especially for performances. A qaspeq [GUS-puk], in Yup’ik, is a form of traditional Alaska Native attire. It is a lightweight overshirt with a hood and large pockets.

“Eventually I made some to sell at AFN [Alaska Federation of Natives], and then it just evolved from there,” Chimegalrea says. “Rather than just the regular calico cotton fabrics, I ventured into other types of materials like sheer, chiffon and heavy-duty.”

Chimegalrea’s styles range from lighter chiffon qaspeqs to the more traditional skirted, pullover qaspeqs typically for women, to heavy-duty zip-up qaspeqs for men.

“I’ve had businesses ask me to make matching qaspeqs for their staff. It does look pretty sharp,” 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 Facebook page: @Qaspeq. She loves her work.

Visit the Calivika Shareholder Directory, a website featuring businesses owned by Calista Shareholders.