Language and Museums: Supporting Alaska Native Languages Through Collaborative Networking

• Main Author: McClain, Heather J.
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: Digital Commons @ DU 2014
• Subjects: Alaska native languages; Collaborative networking; Intangible cultural heritage; Museums; Revitalization; Smithsonian Arctic Studies Center; College of Arts Humanities and Social Sciences; Indigenous Studies; Museum Studies; Social and Cultural Anthropology; Arctic; Alaska
• Online Access: https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd/415; https://digitalcommons.du.edu/context/etd/article/1414/viewcontent/McClain_denver_0061M_11085.pdf

With the ever-increasing risk of language loss and possible extinction of the world's Indigenous languages, museums are quickly becoming active supporters and valuable resources for communities engaged in revitalization initiatives. Although working with language material is inherently difficult for museums because of their traditionally object based nature, it is imperative for museums to focus on the documentation and preservation of language as intangible cultural heritage (ICH) because of the vital connection between language and culture. This thesis examines how museums in Alaska, particularly the Smithsonian Arctic Studies Center, Alaska Office, are supporting Alaska Native language and cultural revitalization through collaborative networks and the adoption of methodologies to successfully develop and implement language-based programming.