Exploring Native Textile History From Steve Henrikson, Alaska State Musem Curator The Alaska State Museum is preparing a large exhibit exploring the history of textiles developed over the past two centuries by Alaska Natives and First Nations of the Northwest Coast–primarily Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian weavers. Six weavers, most representing these tribes, were selected to … Read more
Project: Tanana Chief Conference Cultural Programs Grantee: Tanana Chief Conference Story and photos from: Cindy Schumaker Keeping Traditions Alive: Skin Tanning Workshop There was a time when families in Koyukuk made a living trapping, skinning and selling wolf, beaver, marten, and muskrat hides. According to tribal administrator Loretta Lolnitz, many youth today have never seen … Read more
Project: Youth, Elder, Active Hunter and Gatherer – Food Sovereignty and Self Governance Grantee: Inuit Circumpolar Council Story and photo from: Carolina Behe On February 25th and 26th, 2019, Inuit from across Alaska and the Inuvialuit Settlement Region (ISR) came together in Bethel, Alaska to explore Inuit values surrounding our relationships to the environment and … Read more
Project: Alaska Native PLACE Sewing Workshops, Professional Development & Dialogue Grantee: Anchorage Museum at Rasmuson Center Story and photos by: Angela Demma Alaska Native PLACE, which stands for Providing Living Artists Creative Environments, holds a monthly gathering for Alaska Native artists (except during subsistence activities in the summer), in Anchorage and beyond on Facebook. The … Read more
Project: 35th Annual Elders & Youth Conference – Survival Kit Tool Making Grantee: First Alaskans Institute Story by: Denbigh Perry Volunteering for the 2018 Youth and Elders Conference in Anchorage, Alaska, which is hosted by the First Alaskans Institute; was a terrific opportunity. This event was held in the Dena’ina Convention Center in downtown Anchorage. … Read more
Project: Journey of Artistic Exploration Grantee: Bethel Council of the Arts Story by: Laura Ellsworth There were 14 students lined up and ready to go on the first day of the Nasqurrun (headdress) sewing class at the UAF Kuskokwim Campus in Bethel. The students were young, and some, a bit older. A few in the … Read more
Project: 35th Annual Elders & Youth Conference Grantee: First Alaskans Institute Story by: Lena Jacobs Photos by: Sven Haakanson The First Alaskans Institute (FAI) hosted the 35th Annual Elders & Youth Conference in Anchorage October 14-17, 2018. One of the conference highlights every year includes the Living & Loving Our Cultures Workshops, during which conference attendees … Read more
Project: Cultural Traditions Workshops Grantee: Tanana Chiefs Conference Authored by: Cindy Schumaker Reclaiming cultural heritage is part of the solution to the ills adversely affecting the well being of Alaska Native people. By reconnecting with traditional values, preserving traditional ways of knowing, becoming grounded in one’s past, the damage of cultural trauma will begin to … Read more
Project: Re-emerging Culture in Wrangell II Grantee: Alaska Native Sisterhood Story by: Tis Peterman ANSA co-sponsored a two-day paddle making class with the One Canoe Society and Sealaska Heritage Institute in Wrangell. The local school district provided their wood shop classroom as in-kind. The students shaped their paddles and then created their own designs that … Read more
Project: Nutaqiq, a Circumpolar Art Show and Workshop Grantee: Inuit Circumpolar Council Alaska Authored by: Holly Mititquq Nordlum Photos by: Michael Conti Photography Inuit Circumpolar Council Alaska contracted me to organize and executed Nutaqtiq: A Circumpolar Inuit Art Show and Workshop during the ICC General Assembly 2018, in Utqiagvik, Alaska and for the residents there. … Read more