About Us
About Riiglluk Creations
Riiglluk Creations is a family owned business located in Anchorage, Alaska. Our family gathers Riiglluk Stinkweed and Devils clubs plants for our products once per year. The Riiglluk Stinkweed plant is gathered on St. Lawrence Island from the tundra.
Artemisia Wormwood grows in wooded areas and on tundra. Our family prefer to use tundra Riiglluk Stinkweed plant for our products because the medicinal properties are more potent than what grows in wooded areas.
Riiglluk Collected from Wooded Areas
Riiglluk Collected from the Tundra
Our Story
“The first Yuuk” Story (the first human)
Ungipaghaaninguq imaani – Once upon a long time ago, when our Creator made earth, he put many different types of animals in every part of the world, according to environment. The Creator put the first yuuk in a qayaq (kayak).
The qayaq washed up on the beach. The animals were curious, so they gathered and went to the beach to see the qayaq; inside they saw a creature sleeping and naked.
A caribou says, “Look at this creature! He won’t survive, he will freeze to death”.
A polar bear says, “Look at this creature! He won’t survive. He can’t hunt like us; he doesn’t have claws and teeth like us.
He certainly won’t survive. We must sacrifice ourselves to him, because without us he will not be able to survive, but he must treat us with respect.
The animals decided together that they were going to call him “yuuk – human”. Eventually the yuuk woke up. A wolf said, “You are yuuk, you are human.
We have decided that we will sacrifice ourselves to you, because without our fur, you’ll freeze to death, without our bones you cannot make tools, without our meat you cannot eat; but you must treat us with respect, you must not take more than what you need, you must not waste, and you must share”.
The yuuk and the animals made an agreement.
This story teaches the human race to treat the animals with respect, for without them the human race would not be in existence.
About the Riiglluk and Devil’s Club Plant
The Riiglluk Plant (Stinkweed, Artemisia, Wormwood) is a medicinal plant used by the St. Lawrence island (aka Siberian Yupik) people for many generations as tea for illnesses, skin ailments, injuries, and pain. The plant is harvested by our family on St. Lawrence Island each year. Once the plant is dried, it’s medicinal properties last five years and can be stored away properly. Stinkweed or Wormwood is a species of flowering plant from the aster family. It’s common names include Tilesius Wormwood, Aleutian Mugwort, and Stinkweed. Artemisia Tilesius has a number of historical uses in the traditional medicine system of Alaska Native peoples.
The Devils Club Plant also known as Oplopanax horridus, is a popular member of the plant community due to its medicinal properties. It can be used for coughs, colds, stomach ulcers, and more. When eaten, it can be utilized to empty the stomach, but when applied topically it can treat skin infections, swollen glands, sores, and boils. Devil’s Club contains chemicals that can prevent cancer cells from forming, and even fight off some forms of viruses, bacteria, and fungi.
Devil’s Club