Project Grant
A Journey to What Matters: Increased Alaska Native Art & Culture
Story and Photos Courtesy of Melissa Shaginoff
Alaska Native PLACE Workshops
with Alaska Native Heritage Center
Hide Toolmaking with Tom Huntington
Beginning Hide Tanning with Jessica Denny
Moose Hide Drum Making with Daniel Harrison
Final Hide Scraping/Softening with Melissa Shaginoff
![workshops](https://thecirifoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/PLACE-Hide-scaled-e1717615627415.webp)
Project Overview
This iteration of the Alaska Native PLACE workshops centered around the material theme of moose hide. We chose this theme based on local interest in Dgheyey kaq’ (Anchorage) and the need to foster intergenerational community engagement around moose hide tanning processes. Our goal was to offer workshops that would equip participants with the necessary tools for hide tanning, impart knowledge about the various stages of the tanning process, and nurture the growth of a community of hide tanners in Dgheyey kaq’.
Goals
Hands-on Learning
While workshops involving multi-step processes are challenging, the hands-on, in-person experience facilitating this work is invaluable. Meeting hunters, sharing resources, building strength, and tanning a hide together is deeply effective.
Impact and Results
Hide work is healing. These workshops became a testament to the healing power, evident in the continued mentorship of our instructors, the shared stories of our hides, and the hide community we continue to nurture today.