Collaborative study and preservation of coastal Alaskan Native material culture with museum staff, Alutiiq scholars and artists, university students, and the visiting public

T. Rose Holdcraft, Sven Haakanson, Ellen Promise, Judy Jungels, Fran Ritchie and Patricia Capone

Abstract

The Alutiiq Museum and Archaeological Repository in Kodiak, Alaska, and the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Cambridge MA, partnered together to study and preserve endangered Alaska Native material culture and traditional knowledge. The project stemmed from 2003 consultations and grew through collaborative design and implementation. Staff at both museums along with other consultants worked collaboratively to meet our respective and collective needs and goals. This article shares the working process to achieve the study, preservation, educational exchange, and accessibility of historically significant Alutiiq material culture and knowledge. Results of the project’s activities including university and community engagement, and the two museums’ current and ongoing partnership are highlighted.

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2014 | San Francisco | Volume 21