alutiiq museum

PZzz

loved finding out more about what natives used for water proof coats, and how their boats looked. The picture frame of rosewood with no nails intrigued me.

uliggam

This is one of the best small ethnic museums I have ever visited. The video shows are short, to the point, and have wonderful interviews with the elders about the "old" ways. Oral history is so important in preserving the culture, and these interviews are wonderful. The museum also has demonstration learning for preserving skills of the culture. My favorite elder quote was "My mother taught me that when the tide goes out, dinner is served". The museum had a fabulous basket exhibition that showed weaving techniques. I would love to spend time in Kodiak and be able to see some to the cultural demonstrations. There was a small book store and gift shop featuring local artists and crafts.I did not have enough time there, but on my next trip, I will correct that. https://www.alutiiqmuseum.org

sanDP70

An absolute Must in Kodiak. Friendly staff and necessary visit to understand local Native culture. In summer some archelolgical wokshop are organised which you can join for a few days. They are free and help the archeologs make progress in their researchs about the past of the island.

JanC837

Located not far from Kodiak Harbor, this is museum has some interesting displays and an excellent video about the crafts, lifestyle, and history of the Alutiiq people who are indigenous to this part of Alaska.

TXtraveler67_71

Visited this museum and it is a small museum documenting the Alutiq history. Presentations are well done and covers the different aspects of life for the Alutiqs. Some nice native art work is for sale and probably the best in the city of Kodiak. Workers were very knowledgeable on the displays and museum. Highly recommended

MickeyBinOz

Great information, nice local art, good insight into the area and very helpful staff (I could leave my backpack behind the counter while I visited the museum).

LaDolceVita27

If you have the slightest interest in native culture and crafts then you will find this small museum fascinating - it was certainly the most engaging experience we had during 3 days spent in Kodiak. The focus of the exhibits is upon mask making, weaving and sewing, including the making of clothing from such unusual materials as fish skin or walrus intestine. A series of video clips also explores the foods that were traditionally hunted or gathered from the land. The young woman staffing the museum, herself one eighth Alutiiq, was really enthusiastic and a great advocate for her culture. She was able to give a lot of context to the exhibits as well as describe the projects being undertaken in conjunction with ethnographic museums abroad (Russia, Sweden, France, etc.) to recreate artefacts from previous generations and to re-establish techniques that have virtually died out. Fluent Alutiiq speakers are now elderly and younger people are seeking to acquire fluency themselves and to pass it on to their children. In addition to the exhibited material, a small number of items by native artists are on sale, some of very high quality.

konstanzj

Great information about the Alutiiq people and their way of life. I enjoyed this museum a lot. It's a small museum, but has many interesting things. I really enjoy seeing the baskets and handwork done by the Alutiiq Artists. The videos provided so much interesting information.

RAFtexas

Kodiak is a small island. Really only one main highway. We arrived by ferry after spending the night on the ferry. We love learning about the various native peoples of Alaska and their particular methods of sustainable living. The museum has several very interesting videos that are very well made. The museum store has local made jewelry and cravings as well as the usual postcards and books.

pm1msd

I started my tour of Kodiak at the Alutiiq Museum and enjoyed the background that it provided. The artifacts, videos and displays helped me understand more about the history of the island and it's native culture.

AlaskaWorker

Great museum to share history and knowledge with little ones or on your own. There was also free live music when I went. Clean and interesting!

MarciaSimpkins

The collection is small but very precious so it is a great place to spend an hour or so on a rainy day. The clerk at the admissions counter was so knowledgeable about the collection and made us feel so welcome! Even though they are supposed to be closed on Monday's we were able to visit that day. The gift shop is small but very nice. Don't miss this little treasure if you are in Kodiak!

Marianneza

If you have an interest in the native peoples of Alaska, you won't want to miss this museum. It's not very large but what is exhibited is very informational. We were fortunate to visit while one of the people working to preserve the Alutiiq language was there and she answered many questions as well as teaching us a few Alutiiq words. A special exhibit on Alutiiq basketmaking was a treat, both for learning about the craft as well as seeing many beautiful baskets. Well worth a visit. The gift shop isn't large but it has a variety of jewelry, baskets, masks and other items made by local artists.

AlaskaFile

The curator gave the two of us a personal introduction to the exhibits on display, and provided extensive descriptions of the Alutiiq people's history and customs. I learned so much and have a much greater understanding and appreciation now.

MarenZ474

It takes only an hour, but all you need to know about the natives is there. I loved the squirrel parka. What a master pice.