Alutiiq Museum Director receives tribal museum award

The Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries, and Museums (ATALM) yesterday announced the recipients of the 2012 Guardians of Culture and Lifeways awards. Among the recipients is one Alaskan, Dr. Sven Haakanson, Director of the Alutiiq Museum in Kodiak. Dr. Haakanson received the Leadership Award, which honors an indigenous individual with exceptional ability to lead and inspire.

"Haakanson is recognized for his leadership in preserving and giving contemporary meaning to Native history and local legends, rituals, and customs. Bridging cultures and continents, Haakanson has made collections more accessible to Native communities by researching objects in the world's museums and developing traveling exhibits and educational resources around the information they hold. Through these and other activities, Haakanson is preserving and reviving ancient traditions and heritage, celebrating the rich past of Alutiiq communities, and providing the larger world with a valuable window into a little-known culture."

Past recipients of the award include Alyce Sadongei, Arizona State Museum and Dr. Loriene Roy, professor, School of Information, University of Texas at Austin. Award announcements will be listed on the ATALM website. Awards will be presented in June at the ATALM conference in Tulsa, Oklahoma.