▁sum mers ▁at ▁a ▁can n ery ▁in ▁Al aska , ▁which ▁gave ▁him ▁the ▁opportunity ▁to ▁visit ▁native ▁villages , ▁examine ▁the ▁car v ings ▁on ▁cer emon ial ▁buildings ▁and ▁to tem ▁pol es , ▁and ▁talk ▁to ▁car vers . ▁He ▁made ▁draw ings ▁and ▁lin oc uts ▁of ▁fish , ▁fish erm en , ▁the ▁can ner ies , ▁and ▁the ▁dram atic ▁Al ask an ▁landscape . ▁▁▁ ▁He ▁continued ▁to ▁paint ▁and ▁make ▁prints ▁( as ▁he ▁would ▁throughout ▁his ▁life ), ▁but , ▁when ▁it ▁came ▁time ▁to ▁declare ▁his ▁major , ▁chose ▁sculpt ure . ▁He ▁received ▁his ▁B FA ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 7 . ▁Although ▁he ▁had ▁paint ings ▁and ▁prints ▁in ▁several ▁exhib itions , ▁and ▁was ▁act ively ▁involved ▁in ▁Seattle ' s ▁arts ▁community , ▁he ▁didn ' t ▁immediately ▁focus ▁on ▁a ▁career ▁in ▁art , ▁as ▁he ▁was ▁helping ▁his ▁un cles ▁with ▁the ▁family ▁business . ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁attack ▁on ▁Pear l ▁Har bor ▁on ▁December ▁ 7 , ▁ 1 9 4 1 , ▁most ▁of ▁Ts ut ak awa ' s ▁Japanese - American ▁friends ▁and ▁family ▁were ▁intern ed ▁or ▁re located ▁to ▁primitive ▁cam ps ▁in ▁the ▁interior ▁western ▁U . S ., ▁and ▁the ▁Ts ut ak awa ▁Company ▁was ▁seized ▁by ▁the ▁government . ▁Ts ut ak awa ▁himself , ▁as ▁a ▁male , ▁U . S .- born ▁N ise i ▁of ▁military ▁age , ▁was ▁draft ed