Alice Bioff, founder of Naataq Gear, is Inupiaq. She has lived in Nome with her family since 1999.

Alice was working as a tour guide when the Crystal Serenity made its first voyage up and over the arctic circle. One day at sea, a tall passenger with a white cowboy hat admired Alice’s traditional Alaskan garment called a Kuspuk. The man asked if the Kuspuk was waterproof. This sparked Alice’s vision for Naataq and her idea to create a water-resistant jacket inspired by the traditional Kuspuk to share with visitors that came to the region via cruise ships. To her surprise, not only did the visitors love her garment, so did her fellow Alaskans!

Today, Naataq Gear offers quality products that are not only functional and beautiful, but share a story and a culture that has been in existence for over 10,000 years.