Alaska Native Heritage Center, Anchorage, AK

​It is pouring cats and Jo Jo’s today. I went to the Alaska Native Heritage Center, just around the corner from Eagle River Camp, and it was wonderful. Artists were working and demonstrating in wood, clay, fabric, and beading. There were silver smiths, creating the ulu knife, as well as items made in fur. I took a group walking tour lead by Cheyanne, all of 16 years old, who was born in Anchorage, and grew up in Barrow, AK, a very distinctively, remote, northern tip of Alaska. We walked into at least six different native homes, depending on where they lived in Alaska, some of them were partially underground, and some were built of Cedarwood to accommodate the pan handle rainforest. We learned about the purpose of carving the totem, which was to signify the family members and their clan, we learned what they eat, and how they heated their homes mostly with burning seal oil. There were a few videos to watch, as well as speakers who live in the most outlying places in Alaska, in sight of Russia. Athletes demonstrated unique performances as part of their culture, including a jum similar to the long jump which they would practice jumping from glacier to floating ice. It was such a worthwhile and a great experience!
























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