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History

How is it possible to tell the story of Kodiak’s first residents? Alutiiq/Sugpiaq people have lived in the region for thousands of years. Yet written records of our traditions only date back to about 1763. The Alutiiq Museum explores the answers. Weaving together many sources of information, we dig into Kodiak’s past to reveal Alutiiq history. From the time Alutiiq ancestors first stood on Kodiak Island to Alutiiq life in the twenty-first century.
Online Exhibits

Emil and Polly Adonga in front of their steam bath, Old Harbor ca. 1965.  Andrewvtich Collection, AM694.


Our Stories

KODIAK ALUTIIQ HISTORY

Alutiiq/Sugpiaq people have lived in the Kodiak region for over 7,800 years. Explore Alutiiq history from the deep past to the present and learn about the forces that have shaped the Alutiiq community.

Online Exhibits

Uganik village, ca. 1914. Photo by Dennis Winn, McCubrey Collection, Alutiiq Museum.


Villages

GUANGKUTA NUNARPET. — THIS IS OUR LAND.

Learn about twentieth-century Kodiak Alutiiq villages. Select a community to explore its history and see photographs.

Online Exhibits

Preparing a bear hide at the Helgason camp.  Photo courtesy of the Helgason Family.


Story of a Bear Camp

THE HELGASON FAMILY IN UGANIK PASSAGE

For more than sixty years, members of the Baumann/Helgason family lived on the shore of Uganik Passage, mining, gardening, harvesting local resources, and guiding sport hunters. 

Online Exhibits

Daniel Harmon in Vietnam. Harmon Collection.


Daniel Harmon

AN ALUTIIQ HERO

Daniel Lee Harmon was an Alutiiq man from Woody Island, Alaska, who volunteered to serve his country by fighting in the Vietnam War.

Online Exhibits

A museum archaeology crew working on the shore of Karluk Lake, 2024.


Archaeology

BURIED HISTORY

The Kodiak Archipelago has a rich archaeological record, with hundreds of sites spanning more than 7,800 years of local history.  To learn more about the deep past, and the museum’s archaeological research, visit the recent studies pages of this website.