Tag Archives: Sven Haakanson

The August pilgrimage to Spruce Island, just off the coast of Kodiak, is a yearly event for Orthodox believers in Alaska and the world over. The ritual celebrates the canonization of St. Herman, a Russian missionary who arrived with the early fur traders and soon became a major part of Alutiiq history. Pilgrims make their way toward the Ss. Sergius …

Sarah Owens holds a fish skin bowl by Audrey Armstrong. Kayla Desroches/KMXT Kayla Desroches/KMXT A traveling exhibit featuring pieces from Alaskan artists is moving from community to community, and it features some local creations along the way. The exhibit, called Living Alaska, is curated by former Alutiiq Museum executive director Sven Haakanson and originated at the Anchorage Museum, all thanks …

Kayla Desroches/KMXT How does a crafter construct a vessel without any blueprints? How about a boat that hasn’t been built consistently since the mid-19th century? That’s one challenge a group of curious, crafty people faced in the village of Akhiok this summer. Former executive director of the Alutiiq Museum and current Burke Museum Curator of Native American Anthropology, Sven Haakanson, …

On today’s Talk of the Rock, you’ll hear host Kayla Desroches speak with former executive director of the Alutiiq Museum, Sven Haakanson. Haakanson is a teacher and scholar, formerly in Kodiak, and now in Washington State. He is Curator of Native American Anthropology at the Burke Museum and an associate professor at the University of Washington. In 2007, he received …