Recovering Voices: Documenting & Sustaining Endangered Languages & Knowledge

Arctic Studies Center, Alaska: The Alaska Office of the Smithsonian's Arctic Studies Center hosted the Dena'ina Language Institute at the Living Our Cultures exhibit gallery located in the Anchorage Museum. Elders Helen Dick and Gladys Evanoff shared their knowledge about Dena'ina heritage objects in the Smithsonian collections, using the objects as tools to teach the Dena'ina Athabascan language. Join the elders and language learners for a lesson on dog packs, and learn about the important role that dogs played in traditional Athabascan life.

In 2002, Yup’ik traditional scholars Neva Rivers, John Phillip Sr., Virginia Minock and Joan Hamilton traveled from Alaska to Washington DC to share their knowledge about ancestral objects in the Smithsonian collections. These discussions contributed to the Arctic Studies Center’s Living Our Cultures exhibition at the Anchorage Museum. Join John and Neva to learn about Yup’ik bentwood bowls. From Arctic Studies Center, Alaska.

In 2009, Tsimshian artist David Boxley shared his knowledge about cultural heritage objects in the Smithsonian collections in preparation for the Arctic Studies Center’s Living Our Cultures exhibition at the Anchorage Museum. Then in August of 2011, he gave a lecture at the exhibition about his work as an artist, dance group leader and educator. Join David Boxley to learn about past and present Tsimshian culture. From Arctic Studies Center, Alaska.

In 2011, Sugpiaq (Alutiiq) artist Andrew Abyo gave the October Smithsonian Spotlight, a monthly lecture series for the Arctic Studies Center’s Living Our Cultures exhibition at the Anchorage Museum. He discussed his development as an artist and presented examples of his work and its cultural context. Join Andrew to learn about the traditional Sugpiaq dart game, bentwood visor, mask and kayak. Arctic Studies Center, Alaska.

Elders Helen Dick and Gladys Evanoff shared their knowledge about Dena'ina heritage objects in the Smithsonian collections, using the objects as tools to teach the Dena'ina Athabascan language. Join the elders and language learners for a lesson on snowshoes, which are used for traveling in deep, soft snow. From Arctic Studies Center, Alaska: The Alaska Office of the Smithsonian's Arctic Studies Center hosted the Dena'ina Language Institute at the Living Our Cultures exhibit gallery located in the Anchorage Museum.

In 2001, traditional scholars Branson Tungiyan and Estelle Oozevaseuk from St. Lawrence Island traveled to the Smithsonian Institution to share their knowledge about ancestral objects in the museum’s collections. These discussions contributed to the Living Our Cultures exhibition at the Arctic Studies Center, hosted by the Anchorage Museum. In 2007, St. Lawrence Island Yupik artist Elaine Kingeekuk provided additional information about objects selected for the exhibition and repaired a ceremonial gut parka in the traditional way, making it ready for exhibition. Join these Alaska Native experts to learn about the ceremonial gut parka now on display in Anchorage.

Elders Helen Dick and Gladys Evanoff shared their knowledge about Dena'ina heritage objects in the Smithsonian collections, using the objects as tools to teach the Dena'ina Athabascan language. Join the elders and language learners for a lesson on fire bags, and learn about the special status of dentalium shells. From Arctic Studies Center, Alaska: The Alaska Office of the Smithsonian's Arctic Studies Center hosted the Dena'ina Language Institute at the Living Our Cultures exhibit gallery located in the Anchorage Museum.

The Alaska Office of the Smithsonian’s Arctic Studies Center hosted an Iñupiaq language workshop in January 2011, bringing together eight fluent speakers of Alaska’s northernmost Native tongue for four days of intensive discussions about NMNH and NMAI objects in the Smithsonian exhibition, Living Our Cultures, Sharing Our Heritage: The First Peoples of Alaska at the Anchorage Museum. One goal of the project is to document a language that is now spoken fluently by fewer than 600 people, 92% of them over the age of 65. Another is to create language teaching videos for use in the North Alaskan schools. This project represents one of the Arctic Studies Center’s major initiatives under the NMNH Recovering Voices program. From Arctic Studies Center, Alaska.

In 2011, Unangax (Aleut) artist Patty Lekanoff-Gregory gave the July Smithsonian Spotlight, a monthly lecture series for the Arctic Studies Center’s Living Our Cultures exhibition at the Anchorage Museum. She was born and raised in Unalaska, on Unalaska Island in the Aleutian Islands chain of Alaska, which is the westernmost part of the United States. Join Patty to learn about the history and artistry of bentwood hats and about her mentor, the late Andrew Gronholdt. From Arctic Studies Center, Alaska.

In May 2011, the Smithsonian Arctic Studies Center, Alaska State Council on the Arts, and Anchorage Museum hosted a workshop to highlight a key implement of Arctic survival – the sinew-webbed snowshoe. Koyukon Athabascan master artists George Albert and Butch Yaska built snowshoes in several traditional styles while teaching the intricate construction process to apprentices from their communities. Gwich’in Athabascan culture-bearer Trimble Gilbert discussed the art in his Native language, documenting the rich vocabulary and traditional knowledge that surround this focal item of Athabascan culture. Museum visitors observed the work in progress, and nearly 200 students and teachers from the Anchorage School District took part in educational tours to meet the artists and learn about Athabascan culture. Sponsors for this program included the National Endowment for the Arts and the Smithsonian Institution’s Recovering Voices program. From Arctic Studies Center, Alaska.

In the first arrangement of its kind, the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History and National Museum of the American Indian loaned more than 600 Alaska artifacts to their place of origin. These cultural treasures are on display until 2017 in the exhibition "Living Our Cultures, Sharing Our Heritage: The First Peoples of Alaska" at the Smithsonian Arctic Studies Center located in the Anchorage Museum. Join Arctic Studies Center anthropologist Aron Crowell and Iñupiaq educator Paul Ongtooguk for a tour of the exhibition and research facility in Anchorage, Alaska. From Arctic Studies Center, Alaska.

In October 2010, the Alaska Office of the Smithsonian's Arctic Studies Center hosted the Dena'ina Language Institute at the Living Our Cultures exhibit gallery located in the Anchorage Museum. Elders Helen Dick and Gladys Evanoff shared their knowledge about Dena'ina heritage objects in the Smithsonian collections, using the objects as tools to teach the Dena'ina Athabascan language. They worked with language learners, linguists and museum staff to script and record new language learning videos for a series published on YouTube (http://qenaga.org/). The Dena'ina program initiated Recovering Voices – an international Smithsonian program to assist indigenous communities with language preservation and education – at the Arctic Studies Center in Anchorage.

It takes an artist up to 2,000 hours, or 83 days, to weave just one ceremonial robe. Not surprisingly, this art form is practiced by a dedicated few including Tlingit artists Teri Rofkar and Shelly Laws of Alaska. In their presentation for the Smithsonian Spotlight series hosted by the Arctic Studies Center at the Anchorage Museum, Rofkar and Laws discuss the methods and cultural significance of robes, spruce root baskets and more. From Arctic Studies Center, Alaska.