Interview with Deborah McMullen
Berlin Ethnological Museum (Contributor)
Chugach Alaska Corporation (Contributor)
Chugach Heritage Foundation (Contributor)
Deborah McMullen (Author)
Chugach Alaska Corporation (Contributor)
Chugach Heritage Foundation (Contributor)
Deborah McMullen (Author)
Deborah McMullen introduces herself, sharing her Sugt'stun name and her community of Port Graham. She explains why it was important to her to represent her community — both for the community itself and for herself personally. She shares that this trip marks the first time she has had physical contact with artifacts from her region, and reflects on how being with the objects in person gave her an entirely different perspective than viewing them in a book.
She speaks to why the trip matters so deeply to the communities, noting that so many aspects of Sugpiaq culture were taken away in so many ways. She describes young people asking "what is our culture?" and acknowledges that even for adults the question is difficult, because so much has been lost. On this trip, she shares, she has seen that it is possible to reclaim that culture — to go out and find it and pursue it. She notes that material heritage held in museums is not the only aspect of culture, but that it is an important one.
She speaks to why the trip matters so deeply to the communities, noting that so many aspects of Sugpiaq culture were taken away in so many ways. She describes young people asking "what is our culture?" and acknowledges that even for adults the question is difficult, because so much has been lost. On this trip, she shares, she has seen that it is possible to reclaim that culture — to go out and find it and pursue it. She notes that material heritage held in museums is not the only aspect of culture, but that it is an important one.
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Paluwik/Port Graham (Related)
