ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Cook Inlet Region, Inc. (CIRI) and the Alaska Native Heritage Center (ANHC) are proud to announce the launch of Nakenaghch’ Sutdu’a, a one-of-a-kind traveling exhibit exclusively assembled and designed to share ancestral knowledge and cultural education with CIRI Shareholders and Descendants. Nakenaghch’ Sutdu’a was unveiled on April 20, 2024, at the CIRI Shareholder Information Meeting in Anchorage, Alaska.Nakenaghch’ Sutdu’a, meaning Our Traditional Legacy, Stories of Our History in Dena’ina, is a captivating collection of Alaska Native cultural artifacts, historical imagery and information. The exhibit also incorporates unique immersive film experiences including the world’s first co-produced, Indigenous-led virtual reality experience spotlighting a Dena’ina Beluga whale hunt. Other notables features in the collection:
- Over 20 cultural artifacts on loan from the Alaska Native Heritage Center, Anchorage Museum, and Dena’ina Elder Marilyn Balluta.
- Rare footage courtesy of the Alaska Movie Images Preservation Association showcasing a historic Eklutna semi-subterranean house.
- A digital slide show featuring over 50 archival photographs from the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) 14h1 Program, University of Alaska Fairbanks photo collection, University of Alaska Anchorage photo collection, and the Anchorage Museum collection.
“Connecting with our Shareholders and Descendants at all life stages, no matter where they live, is incredibly important to CIRI. This exhibit marks an exciting new chapter in cultural preservation and sharing Dena’ina culture and history with our people,” said Sarah Lukin (Alutiiq), CIRI President. “We are thankful for the many brilliant working hands and minds that helped bring the exhibit to life.”
“Alaska Native people have always utilized tools to advance our peoples and ways of life,” said Emily Edenshaw (Yup’ik/Iñupiaq), President and CEO of the Alaska Native Heritage Center. “Today, we are upholding that tradition by leveraging a new and innovative tool that will enhance cultural connections for Alaska Native peoples.”
CIRI Shareholders and Descendants in partnership with ANHC and the Alaska Native community made the exhibit possible. Major contributors include: Melissa Shaginoff, Benjamin Jacuk, Benjamin Baldwin, Christopher Delgado, Darla Graham, Nikki Graham, Susan Anderson, Andrew Alexan, and Tiffany Tutiakoff, Angie Demma, Savanna Von Scheele, Eden Hopson, Michaela Ternasky-Holland and the CIRI Foundation.
CIRI plans to share the exhibit both in Alaska and the Lower 48, providing unique opportunities to learn about and celebrate the rich traditions of the Dena’ina people.
Cook Inlet Region, Inc., also known as CIRI, is one of 12 land-based Alaska Native regional corporations created pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA). CIRI’s regional boundaries roughly follow the traditional Dena’ina territory of Southcentral Alaska. Incorporated on June 8, 1972, CIRI is owned today by a diverse group of almost 9,300 Shareholders who live in Alaska and throughout the world. To learn more about CIRI and its subsidiaries, please visit www.ciri.com.
Alaska Native Heritage Center (ANHC) is a statewide Alaska Native non-profit organization and renowned cultural arts and education center located in Anchorage, Alaska. ANHC is a living cultural center that offers a unique experience for program participants and visitors to learn and explore the traditional and contemporary ways of Alaska’s Indigenous cultures. In 2020, ANHC was named one of America’s Cultural Treasures by the Ford Foundation. In 2023, ANHC received the prestigious National Museum of Excellence Award by the Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries, and Museums. This year marks the 25th Anniversary of ANHC. In honor of this milestone, ANHC launched a robust capital campaign to expand its campus. To learn more about ANHC, please visit www.alaskanative.net.
