The Barbara Smith Pathfinder Award was awarded to Patrick Saltonstall, a curator of archaeology at the Alutiiq Museum in Kodiak for 28 years. The award is given to an individual for indexing or preparing guides to Alaska historical material and is named after Barbara Smith, an historian, archivist and exhibit curator who prepared invaluable research tools for Alaska Native, Russian Orthodox and Russian America records.

Saltonstall has studied sites through surveys and excavations, extensively researched historic records and listened to residents, especially elders. His work has significantly expanded knowledge of Kodiak’s history, promoted historic preservation, and grown public awareness of and appreciation for the history of the Alutiiq people.

  alutiiq, award, curator, ll, museum