Alaska field School Presentation

BUSH PLANES, SALMON, & SEAL OIL: IUPUI STUDENTS IN THE LAND OF THE MIDNIGHT SUN

ANCHORAGE MUSEUM

COLLECTIONS TOUR

ALASKA NATIVE HERITAGE CENTER

ALASKA NATIVE HERITAGE CENTER

World Eskimo Indian Olympic Games Eyak, Tlingit, Haida, Tsimshian Village Site

SELDOVIA VILLAGE TRIBE MUSEUM PROJECTS

Fast Ferry from Homer to Seldovia

CAMPING ON THE BEACH

TIDE POOLING WITH A NATIVE ELDER AND TRIBAL ENVIRONMENTAL COORDINATOR

SELDOVIA VILLAGE MUSEUM

REPURPOSING

THE CHALLENGES OF CREATING A COLLECTIONS STORAGE AREA

Before

After

CLEANING THE COLLECTION

CAMP LIFE

9 am

Midnight

CAMP LIFE

CAMP LIFE

CHALLENGES OF CAMP LIFE

CHALLENGES OF CAMP LIFE

CHALLENGES OF CAMP LIFE

FOOD AND DANCE IN NANWALEK

THE IMPORTANCE OF FOOD AND THE POTLUCK

• What food means • The Potluck

INTERESTING FOODS

• Salmon, Salmon, Salmon • Unique foods

DANCE

• Dance at the first potluck • Types of dance

THE GENEROSITY OF THE COMMUNITY

• The importance how much food we were fed

• The importance of Seal Oil • The care of the community

EARNING COMMUNITY RESPECT

• Arriving in Nanwalek • The Community and Our Role as

Visitors • Respecting the Tribal Elders

and their choices • Open conversation with the

Tribe • Respecting the objects

within the museum and their connections to the Tribe

WELCOMING PARTY: SALMON HEADS, DANCING, AND BASKET

MAKING WITH SALLY

• Tribal Potluck Dinner • Where do we sit? • Talking with the tribe • Trying new foods • Learning their culture

“WE HAVE A MUSEUM?”

• The Chief’s Approval • Working for the Tribe, not

for the museum • Cleaning, moving

objects, and cataloging • Open door policy • Asking for help,

teaching collections care

THE FLOAT PLANE

STORIES WITH RHODA AND SPERRY

• Respect for Elders • Rhoda’s importance

in the Tribe and Sperry’s respect

• Generational tales and stories from the past

• The language and rapid change

CONNECTIONS

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: THE CHURCH PROJECT

• Helped students paint wooden slats for church graveyard • Made connections with high school students

BECOMING PART OF THE COMMUNITY TO SERVE COMMUNITY

• We worked to become part of the community by: • Learning about the

community • Helping out • Talking with people

• The Museum is for the community

• They will only keep it going if it is valuable to them

AVOIDING THE TOP-DOWN APPROACH

• Led by example • Built interest

• Got to know people

• Brought people into the space

• Respected decisions

WHAT WE DID FOR THE MUSEUM

• Worked with lighting

WHAT WE DID IN THE MUSEUM

• Lightly cleaned objects

WHAT WE DID IN THE MUSEUM

• Inventoried collections objects

• Moved objects into the museum collections storage

THE END

THANK YOU TO IUPUI SOLUTION CENTER FOR PROGRAM SUPPORT!