When I was born in the Yukon, my parents assigned me a northern middle name to acknowledge my birthplace: Kluane (klü-ˈȯ-nē). It is both a National Park (and lake) up in the Yukon, as well as a Tlingit word meaning "many fish". While I only spent a handful of years in the Yukon, much of the art I create is influenced by the landscape of the area and lifestyle of my family when we lived there. A few years back it felt fitting to start blogging under the name "Kluane National", and now extends to the name of my creative work as I have started using the name "Kluane National Workshop" for my handmade goods.
A few years back I had the privilege to visit Whitehorse once again, and even enter into my namesake park as an adult (pictured above). It is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been, and I am so excited to one day return.
That is such a special tradition of having a northern middle name acknowledging your birthplace, and a pretty one at that :)
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