The Universes We Let Disappear

The Steller’s sea cow and the Aleut peoples were connected through the rich marine ecosystem of the Bering Sea. The enormous marine mammal disappeared only decades after European contact, destroyed by intense hunting and commercial exploitation. At the same time, Aleut communities experienced colonial disruption, forced labour and the transformation of their traditional ocean-based way of life. This imagined encounter restores a connection between a lost sea creature and the people whose history was shaped by the same waters.