Alaska Native Heritage Center Unveils Renovations

Coinciding with its twenty-fifth anniversary this summer, the Alaska Native Heritage Center (ANHC) unveiled its newly renovated Hall of Cultures.

“We stand on the shoulders of giants who helped bring the ANHC to its current place,” says ANHC President and CEO Emily Edenshaw. “We are born out of a vision from the late Paul Tiulana, and we are honored to continue our mission-driven work to preserve and strengthen the traditions, languages, and arts of Alaska’s Native peoples.”

Qayaqs, a Qasgiq, and Returned Belongings

ANHC stands as the only statewide living cultural center representing all Alaska Native peoples. The Hall of Cultures renovation marks the first major conceptual update to ANHC’s exhibits since it was first established in northeast Anchorage.

Visitors can now explore completely remodeled Identity Galleries along with four new exhibits:

• • Qayaqs and Canoes: Native Ways of Knowing: This exhibit features eight traditional watercraft by Alaska Native master boat builders alongside apprentices, skin sewers, and their families.
  • Good Medicine: A Qasgiq (Men’s House) and a Menstruation or Seclusion Hut demonstrate these important ceremonial and traditional structures.
  • Nacheyakda’ina (“Our Ancestors” in Dena’ina): This preview exhibition explores cultural belongings that were removed from Alaska Native communities or are part of the movement for repatriation.
  • Education in Alaska: Disruption of traditional teachings: This exhibit delves into the history of education in Alaska, particularly the forced removal of Alaska Native children to boarding schools. Visitors are advised of the sensitive nature of this exhibit’s content, as the topic touches on traumatic experiences.