The Alutiiq Museum has a community of people that contributes time and assistance to its work. Volunteers set up for events, greet visitors, identify historic photographs, organize collections, and work with archaeologists. To show their gratitude, they recognize one outstanding contribution with their annual Volunteer of the Year award. For 2015, the Alutiiq Museum picked Anna Donaldson.

Anna is an illustrator from Oregon. She moved to Kodiak in July of 2015, with her husband Jake Donaldson, a member of the United States Coast Guard, and their yellow Labrador retriever Luna. Although Anna is new to the community, she is already involved. After hearing an Alutiiq Museum presentation at the Coast Guard base, she signed up to volunteer.

“I thought it was so great that the museum had come and really wanted the Coast Guard to be part of Kodiak, because it is. I thought that if they could reach out, I could reach out too,” said Anna.

As a volunteer, Anna works mainly with collections, cleaning and labeling artifacts and caring for archives. She also assists with events, helping the museum to run programs like the First Friday Art Walk. And now she is training to become a museum docent, a person who greets visitors, answers questions, and gives tours. For her reliable, steady presence, many hours of assistance, and the exceptional care with which she treats our collections, the museum says, “Quyanaasinaq Anna. Ugauten. Thank you very much Anna. You are kind.”

The Alutiiq Museum welcomes all volunteers. If you are interested in learning more about Alutiiq heritage and the museum’s work call them. No previous experience is necessary and they will find an opportunity that fits your schedule.

The Alutiiq Museum is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and sharing the cultural traditions of the Alutiiq, an Alaska Native tribal people. Representatives of Kodiak Alutiiq organizations govern the museum with funding from charitable contributions, memberships, grants, and sales.

Source: Alutiiq Museum [xyz-ihs snippet=”Adsense-responsive”]

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