Sinrock Mary

Changunak Antisarlook Andrewuk (also known as Sinrock Mary, Mary Makriko, or the Queen of Reindeer) (1870 - 1948) (Modern Inupiaq spelling: Saŋuyaaq or Chaŋuyaaq) was an Inupiaq businesswoman who became one of the richest women in Alaska due to her work in the reindeer industry.

Life and work

She was born Changunak in 1870. Her mother was Inupiaq and her father was Russian. He worked at the Seward Peninsula as a trader. Healy brought the first Siberian reindeer to Alaska to help feed and sustain the Indigenous communities. Antisarlook served as a reindeer herding apprentice and then the couple were given reindeer. She sold reindeer meat to the United States Army in the region, which had become busier due to gold being discovered. The Sinuk settlement did not prosper, however: it was effectively wiped out by influenza, in 1916.

Mary was also in demand as a linguist and interpreter. She took on these roles in government-supported expeditions, in Alaska, and beyond into Siberia. She was a companion to Sheldon Jackson too, on his travels.

Death and legacy

Mary died in 1948. A documentary titled "The Reindeer Queen: Once the Richest Woman in Alaska – The True Story of Sinrock Mary" was released in 2000. In 2009, Mary was inaugurated into the Alaska Women's Hall of Fame.