Thirty Years of Community-Based Archaeology in the Kodiak Archipelago

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Collaborative and Community Archaeology" session, at the 90th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

For nearly 30 years the Alutiiq Museum has been conducting community-based archaeological research in the Kodiak Archipelago, Alaska, with the goal of advancing cultural stewardship. Our museum preserves and shares the heritage and living culture of the Alutiiq/Sugpiaq people. Fueled by an interest in ancestral traditions, early museum research focused on excavations at threatened sites, involving community volunteers and interns. A complementary site stewardship program harnessed public interest in archaeology to document site conditions in remote locations. As partnerships and public excitement grew, research shifted to large scale surveys to understand both ancestral settlement patters and the modern forces that shape the archaeological record (erosion, animal damage, human use). By exploring Alutiiq heritage across the Kodiak Archipelago, the Alutiiq Museum has formed lasting partnerships with federal, state, municipal, and Native landowners. Today these partnerships continue to develop as Native corporations explore archaeology on their own lands and develop ecotourism opportunities. Alaska is home to nearly half of the nation’s federally recognized tribes, yet almost no Indian land and only one THPO. The Alutiiq Museum provides an example of a community-based organization working across many land-managing jurisdictions to study and share the archaeological history of the Alutiiq people.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Collaborative and Community Archaeology   •
• Society for American Archaeology 90th Annual Meeting, Denver, CO (2025)

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 53168