Science at the Anchorage Museum
Premiers at the Yupiit Picaryarait Cultural Center in Bethel, Alaska, Sept. 8 - Nov. 21
On view at the Anchorage Museum Feb. 3 - Oct. 26, 2008
The Yup'ik have no word for science yet their tools were so well designed that they allowed them to live in a land no one else would inhabit. This exhibition presents more than 200 remarkable 19th and early 20th century tools, containers, weapons, watercraft and clothing in an exploration of the scientific principles and processes that allowed these people to survive in the sub-arctic tundra of the Bering Sea coast. These tools, from the collections of 13 museums in the U.S. and Germany, are the legacy of the intelligence and ingenuity of this ancient culture and illustrate the intimate relationship between humans and their environment.
The Way We Genuinely Live is a joint project of the Anchorage Museum and the Calista Elders Council, developed with the guidance of Yup'ik elders and educators and with support from the National Science Foundation. Opening first in Bethel this fall (with 80 objects) and then traveling to Anchorage early next year, this exhibition takes visitors through the seasonal cycles of activities, showcasing the tools and materials used with information shared by regional elders. Hands-on science interactives, developed in collaboration with the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, show how and why things work; and video programs document traditional activities as well as the construction of traditional Yup'ik tools.
The Yup'ik people didn't have iron tools, only rocks. Their tools weren't sharp, but they were amazing. The Way We Genuinely Live taps the power of the past to reveal the creative nuances of the Yup'ik world and the ways their rich traditions continue to live on.
Sponsors of this exhibition include the National Science Foundation,Totem Ocean Trailer Express, Northern Air Cargo, Alaska Airlines, BP, ConocoPhillips Alaska, Calista Corporation and the Anchorage Museum Association.