Alaska Native Heritage Center, Cultural heritage museum in Anchorage, US.
The Alaska Native Heritage Center is a museum in Anchorage dedicated to the cultures of the state's indigenous peoples. Inside, traditional art and crafts are on display, while outside a series of full-scale dwellings shows how different regional groups built their homes.
The center was founded following a 1987 decision by the Alaska Federation of Natives and opened its doors in 1999. It came about after decades during which the cultures of Alaska's indigenous peoples had little public recognition.
Visitors can watch traditional dances and listen to storytellers while artists carve and create work nearby. Speaking directly with Alaska Native creators gives a real sense of how these traditions continue to be passed on today.
The indoor and outdoor areas are easy to walk between, and visitors can move at their own pace. Allow plenty of time, as the outdoor section follows a path around a small lake and the full circuit takes a while to complete.
The outdoor area includes reconstructed dwellings from several different regions of Alaska, each built using the materials and techniques that specific communities traditionally used. This means a visitor can walk within a few minutes from a structure made of driftwood and sod to one built from logs or animal hides.
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