Looking across Lake Tiluana — ANHC in Anchorage, AK.

The Unangax and Alutiiq Village — ANHC in Anchorage, AK.

Mui taking a load off at the Athabascan Village — ANHC in Anchorage, AK.

Mui making music at the Yup'ik & Cup'ik Village — ANHC in Anchorage, AK.

This traditional entrance into an Inupiaq house makes me wish I was shorter than I am — ANHC.

Gate made with the jawbones of a grey whale — ANHC in Anchorage, AK.

A musher is born ... all he needs is a team of dogs — ANHC in Anchorage, AK.

Tlingit House Post ... Respect for Self — ANHC in Anchorage, AK.

Mask worn during seal hunting to fake it out and make it think the hunter is a bird — ANHC.

Ceremonial bib worn over Tlingit regalia ... with beaded Shark Clan design — ANHC.

Alaska Native Heritage Center

May 15, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 52 °F

Our run of blue skies turned overcast today ... though there were some sunny moments ... it just depended on which direction you looked. We even had a brief rain shower around 7:00a ... just as forecasted. No matter ... we were at home. We even made time to Zoom with the family this morning.

This was our stick-around-Anchorage day. Mostly because today was market day. Alas, as with so many things this early in May, the farmer’s market was not yet operating in full gear. The guys — Deniz and Mui — learned that the hard way while I stayed home to take care of some catch-up stuff. Just because we’re on “vacation” doesn’t mean that life’s boring chores don’t get to intrude.

After a quick lunch of leftovers, it was time to head out for some fun. First stop ... the ANHC. The organization’s website describes itself as “... a living cultural center located in Anchorage, Alaska that promotes active observance of Alaska Native culture and traditions. ...”

We arrived in time to watch a bit of the cultural performance in progress. Then we went out to explore the life-sized village sites of the various native cultures. The “villages” are situated around Lake Tiulana, named after the man who was instrumental in the vision of the ANHC. With the sun out, it was a pleasant wander ... even better because we were amongst the handful of people visiting this afternoon.Read more