Kayak Conservation Project

Our well-studied and well-conserved kayak has pride of place in a new Alaska exhibition. http://bit.ly/1SqbtBE

After nearly 150 years, a rare Alutiiq kayak returns to Alaska A rare Alutiiq-style kayak, taken out of Alaska 150 years ago, has returned to the state as the star attraction in a Kodiak museum exhibit.

A Preserved Kayak Floats an Exhibition in Alaska An oiled sealskin kayak from around 1850 has been loaned to the Alutiiq Museum in Kodiak, Alaska, where it goes on display April 22.

One of our conservators captured this great time-sequenced panorama shot of another conservator at work on a kayak. Come visit the conservators at work in the gallery by August 28.

Ask a conservator...time is running out. http://hvrd.me/19LToMp

One visitor asked about gender roles in the creation and use of these objects. While the kayaks were likely used primarily by male hunters, the women of the community would have played a crucial role in the success of the hunt: they made the waterproof gear, such as this gutskin parka, that hunters would wear in the kayak.

Visitors often ask how the conservators clean the hundred-year-old kayak on display in the Kayak Conservation Gallery. Recently, our Anthro 1025 students got a chance to see for themselves. Here, a student uses a soft paintbrush to sweep debris into a specialized vacuum after gently dusting the surface with a vulcanized rubber sponge.

“I didn’t know where I belonged until I found this” – Alfred Naumoff in reference to building Alutiiq kayaks. He is one of the few Alaskan natives who possesses the rare knowledge of how to do so. The consultants’ visit to the Peabody revealed that working with these objects is about more than just preserving culture; it’s about revitalizing it.

An anthropology student writes:
Last week, three consultants from the Alutiiq museum met with the Kayak Project team and Harvard’s Museum Anthropology class to answer questions and learn more about the objects in the collection! Meet the team and get the inside scoop.

On the left, the director of the Alutiiq Museum Sven Haakanson talks about how kayak paddles are custom made for their owner. Sven grew up in Old Harbor, Alaska, and as a child knew little about the Alutiiq history. Today, he works to revitalize lost arts and revitalize knowledge of Alutiiq heritage through his work both at the museum and throughout the communities on Kodiak Island.

In the middle, Susie Malutin discusses the design of a waterproof, gut skin skirt that would have been worn in the kayak. Susie specializes in the art of skin sewing and has been able to discover much about waterproof sewing techniques from studying tear repairs and patching techniques preserved on the kayak. Susie recognizes that every little detail on an object has a distinct purpose, and by looking at the tiniest of stitches she is able to uncover the finest craftsmanship.

Alfred Naumoff has been building Alutiiq kayaks for over 30 years. He learned the art in high school from community elders, and today he is one of the last traditional kayak builders. On the right, Alfred teaches us about how the wood is carefully molded into its curved shape and how the kayak is all held together by a complex system of knots. By observing the piataluq – meaning “three-person kayak” in Alutiiq – Alfred is able to learn more about the lost art of kayak making.

An Anthropology student writes: How did one single Alutiiq hunter manage to bring down an enormous whale, by himself in a kayak? By using a poison-tipped spear, like the one pictured above. According to Sven Haakanson, Director of the Museum, this wildly dangerous endeavor was something like "going up to a bear and sticking it with a needle." This is just one of many insights gleaned from the Peabody's collaboration with the Alutiiq Museum, and we are thrilled to have the opportunity to learn more!

Alutiiq skin sewing workshop in the gallery attracted a crowd. Overheard: "Susie Malutin in a natural teacher!"

A lot of excitement in the Peabody Museum this morning as the consultants examined the kayak on display.

PBS documentary filmmaker shooting Alutiiq consultants as they visit a rare three-hole kayak in the gallery.