On loan from the Anchorage Musuem, “Dena’inaq’ Huch’ulyeshi: The Dena’ina Way of Living” opens Friday with a reception from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Pratt Museum, the first Alaska museum to show the traveling exhibit. The reception includes music by Jon Ross of the Kenaitze tribe and a talk at 6 p.m. by co-curators Suzi Jones and Aaron Leggett. The exhibit is on view through Sept. 1.
About half of Alaska’s residents live in traditional Dena’ina territory, but many Alaskans have little general knowledge about the indigenous people who have called Southcentral Alaska home for more than 1,000 years.
Meet the Dena’ina through film, life-size re-creations, archival images and more than 40 artifacts. Rare objects include a waterproof bear-gut parka, an eagle feather headdress and a hunter’s amulet. The exhibition includes hands-on activities for families, such as a storytelling house with audio recordings of traditional tales.