Alutiiq Museum and Archaeological Repository

The Alutiiq Museum and Archaeological Repository preserves and shares the heritage and living culture of the Alutiiq/Sugpiaq people. Founded in 1995, the museum is a tribally governed cultural center and repository. An exhibit hall features displays on Alutiq history and culture, with emphasis on values, harvesting, community, spirituality, and a recent cultural renaissance. A large display of a complete 19th-century kayak is a central feature. A Living Culture Gallery features a short-term display. The museum store carries authentic Native artwork, jewelry, books, clothing, toys, and museum merchandise. All visitors are welcome. Taikina! — You Should Come!

The Alutiiq Museum is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and recognized as a natural and cultural history repository by the State of Alaska.

The Alutiiq/Sugpiaq are an Alaska Native people whose ancestors settled Kodiak over 7,500 years ago. We are closely related to the Native societies of the Bering Sea coast and Aleutian Islands. Like our neighbors, we make a living harvesting from the land and sea. Today, about 2,000 of our people live in six coastal villages and the City of Kodiak. Many others live in Anchorage, Seattle, and beyond. We speak Sugt'stun or Alutiiq. Some people also refer to the language as Alutiit’stun—which means “like an Alutiiq.”

Our tribal museum opened in 1995 to preserve and share our history, revitalize traditions, and invite all people to learn about our culture. It grew from the Kodiak Area Native Association's Culture and Heritage Division (KANA). In 1987, the KANA board decided that the exploration and celebration of Native culture was essential to the well-being of Alutiiq communities. KANA established island-wide programs to teach Alutiiq arts, study the Alutiiq language, and investigate Alutiiq history, with the vision of developing a museum for the Alutiiq people.

Following the tragic 1989 Exxon-Valdez Oil Spill, KANA secured $1.5 million from the oil spill trustee council to build a state-of-the-art repository, a place to care for artifacts from the spill area. Construction for the facility began in the spring of 1994, in collaboration with Natives of Kodiak, Inc. The Alutiiq Museum opened to the public on May 13, 1995, under the governance of the Alutiiq Heritage Foundation. It is tribally governed. From 2022-2025, the Alutiiq Museum underwent a major renovation to expand and update its facilities.This project transformed the entire first floor of the building into space for public education.

https://alutiiqmuseum.org/museum/about/#history

https://alutiiqmuseum.org/alutiiq-people/