Etched pebble showing a person in a birdskin parka. Koniag, Inc. Collection, Karluk One.
The Alutiiq Museum cares for more than 250,000 items related to the culture and history of the Alutiiq people. Our holdings include the following types of collections: archaeological
materials, photographs, ethnographic objects, archival items, film &
audio recordings, and natural history specimens. Browse each collection type below to learn more.
Our collections help
to tell the Alutiiq story. They reach beyond written records to reveal details from all eras of Alutiiq history - from ancient traditions to the daily lives of modern Alutiiqs. We use our collections to illustrate exhibits and education programs, provide information for research, and inspire the world to know more about the remarkable heritage of the Alutiiq people.
The Alutiiq Museum cares for over 100,000 historic
and prehistoric artifacts from archaeological surveys and
excavations, and their accompanying assemblages of animal remains, plant remains, and sediments samples.
The great majority of
our archaeological collections come from the Kodiak archipelago.
These
assemblages reflect all eras of archaeological research in the
region,
as well as the complete span of Alutiiq history - from Kodiak's colonization 7,500 yeaers ago to the American era. Most are from
scientifically conducted studies, including many led by the Alutiiq
Museum.
Erickson Family beside their Chignik home. Erickson Collection.
The Alutiiq Museum cares for over 41,000 photographic images. These collections include slides, prints, negatives, and digital images illustrating Alutiiq people, cultural activities, communities, heritage programs, archaeological excavations, and the Kodiak environment. Most of these images are color and date to the mid and late twentieth century.
Photographs are part of many of the museum's major collections. They are associated with our archaeological, ethnographic, archival and natural history collections. Images for which the museum does not hold copyright, about 5,900 pictures, reside in our library.
Photographs are among the most widely used museums
collections.
People consult our photographs to study recent Alutiiq
history,
find pictures of family members, illustrate publications, and learn
about traditions.
The
Alutiiq Museum’s ethnographic collections include objects
manufactured during
the historic period, objects collected from living persons, works of
contemporary art, and replicas of prehistoric Alaska Native
objects.
The
collection of recent and contemporary objects helps to tell
the continuing story of the Alutiiq people and to illustrate the ties
between
the museum’s historic and prehistoric collections and the present.
These objects promote the recognition and
perpetuation of Alutiiq culture.
The
Alutiiq Museum collects videotape, digital video, audiotape, compact discs, and
other recordings of the Alutiiq language, events in the Alutiiq community,
archaeological excavations, oral histories, interviews, museum programs, and
media presentations on Alutiiq heritage projects. Some recordings in this collection are accompanied by
written transcripts. Additional recordings, whose copyright is not owned by the museum, can be found in our library.
