"Alaska Native Cultural Celebration" blog header image. Image elements include a fur-lined box, traditional beaded headdress, a beaded drawstring bag, and a torn piece of plain white stock paper in the top right corner with the Camp Fire Alaska logo.Camp Fire Alaska acknowledges, treasures, and champions the Alaska Native Community. For Native American Heritage Month, staff led a cultural celebration, a special history lesson teaching youth about Alaska Native culture using historical artifacts!

Telling History with Alaska Native Heritage

Alaska Native heritage is foundational in telling our state’s history; it gives examples of pure ingenuity and resiliency. Adaptable and enduring, their traditions showcase the technologies that have empowered their people to thrive in Alaska’s harshest environments. These pieces of history are vital in preserving culture and call for celebration – especially during Native Heritage Month!

To bring cultural celebration to youth, Senior Site Director Reese Cameron contacted the Alutiiq Museum requesting artifacts and teaching materials to use with youth. The museum generously provided resources for our Rural Alaska Program Leaders, Nancy Andrew and Anne Geuss, to lead educational activities during our Afterschool Program.

 

Informing Youth about Tribal Masks

During the lesson, Nancy informed youth about tribal masks. She held up detailed photographs, teaching about the commonly used metaphors in their designs. For example, a circle represents the universe. After speaking about the masks, youth had the opportunity to hold the photographs and inspect them closely. They marveled at the masks’ intricate attention to detail, creativity, and beauty, asking questions about the materials and depictions.

 

Learning about the Qaspeq

Later in the lesson, youth learned about the “qaspeq.” These traditional Yup’ik hooded overshirts feature a large front pocket allowing easy berry storage during foraging. Additionally, the hood serves multiple purposes, including mosquito-protection and, if pointed, signaling that wearer is a woman. Historically, the latter is important because women were spared from violence during tribal warfare. Modern variations of women’s qaspeq feature a rounded hood. Nancy, Anne, and Reese all wore qaspeqs and highlighted design differences amongst one another’s garments.

 

 

A youth wears a beaded headdress during the Alaska Native cultural history lesson.

Trying on the Artifacts

After the lesson, youth were able to try on and touch the artifacts. Youth giddily tried on the beaded headdress, and excitedly felt the fur-lined box, and other handcrafted items. They were fascinated by the natural materials used, like sinew, feathers, and bone.

 

Giving Options for the Final Activity

For the last activity, kids either partook in traditional Alaska Native art or learned about Native Youth Olympic games. Those opting for arts and crafts learned about traditional drawings, most notably, cultural animal depictions. The kids chose an animal design from the provided references and etched the pattern in Sketch Art paper. Youth opting to learn about NYO games learned how the games improve abilities relevant to Native Alaskan life allowing skill mastery applicable to hunting, fishing, and survival situations. Additionally, they got to play a few NYO games themselves!

On the left: a young girl holds her rendition of a sea otter etched in sketch art paper in a traditional Alaska Native art style. On the right: Two boys play an NYO game.
Expressing Gratitude for the Chance to Share

We are grateful for the chance to share cultural history lessons with Camp Fire youth, and we thank the Alutiiq Museum for providing artifacts and educational resources.