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Unique artifacts, quotes, and historic photographs convey how the United States’ purchase of Alaska Territory in 1867 has shaped the lives of Unangan people through many generations.

The artifacts from World War period speak volumes about history, culture, and individual experience during a challenging time for Unangan people. The archival materials and photographs and quotes trace the buildup of U.S. defenses, the devastating bombing attack on Dutch Harbor, and the Evacuation of Native Aleutians to southeast Alaska.

History of fisheries in the Aleutians includes everyone in the community: a dockside vignette and film footage offer glimpses of daily lives in a dangerous line of work.

The Special Collections Gallery is a tribute to the Aleut spirit and artistic traditions creating beauty through decoration of everyday objects, stunning bentwood hats, gutskin kamleikas, and grass baskets known throughout the world. Traditional and contemporary artworks are arrayed inside a space that resembles a barabara, the traditional subterranean dwelling of the Unangan people.

To learn more visit the Museum of the Aleutians or go to Collections

Our exhibits depict cultural heritage of Unangan people in prehistoric times, evoke the profound shifts that began when Unangan people first encountered newcomers from outside the region, tell the story of Russian fur traders and the history of the Russian Orthodox Church and its influence on developing the cultural identity of Native people.

Archival and present-day imagery, graphics, and heirloom objects tell the ongoing story of this historic place.