Our team acknowledges the Gabrielino/Tongva peoples as the traditional land caretakers of Tovaangar (the Los Angeles basin and So. Channel Islands). As students and faculty of a land grant institution, we pay our respects to the Honuukvetam (Ancestors), ‘Ahiihirom (Elders) and ‘Eyoohiinkem (our relatives/relations) past, present and emerging.

We would like to express our gratitude to specialists who made our work possible, particularly the staff of the Charles E. Young Research Library, UCLA Special Collections, and the Fowler Museum. A special thanks to Collections and Conservation Assistant Kate Anderson of the Fowler Museum, Japanese Studies Librarian Tomoko Bialock of the Richard C. Rudolph East Asian Library, and Teaching and Learning Librarian Jimmy Zavala of the Library Special Collections of the Charles E. Young Research Library. We could not have witnessed and engaged with the Ainu collections located at these sites without their thoughtful guidance and expertise.

We are also grateful to Don Cole for his assistance obtaining high resolution photographs of the Fowler collection items, Dr. Kit Brooks of Princeton University for their guidance on the Gessen manuscript comparisons, Suzy Lee for allowing us the use of library space to showcase our findings to the community.

Card Image Credits

Ainu robe, Meiji period (1868–1912), cotton and wool with applique (kiri-fuse), 122.6 × 128.3 cm. The Met Museum; Seymour Fund (67.172.2).

Carved Wooden Bear Figure, wood, 10.5 cm × ca. 6 cm × ca. 7 cm. National History Museum, Smithsonian (E433542-E433544).

Tani Bunkei, Ezo kikō 蝦夷紀行 vol. 6, Image 28, after 1799, manuscript on paper, 27 cm. Library of Congress (DS894.22 .T364 1799).

Matsuura Takeshirō, Bogo Kōhō Yōtei nisshi 戊午・後方羊蹄日誌, Image 27, c. 1861, manuscript on paper, 19.8 × 13.1 cm. Library of Congress (DS894.22 M365 1861b).