The Living Spirit of the Alaska Native Heritage Center

Located on the northwest edge of Anchorage, on 26 acres of beautiful, pristine land, lies the Alaska Native Heritage Center, the only statewide center dedicated to celebrating all Alaskan Native cultures. More than a cultural attraction- it’s a living space where memory, tradition and education intertwine. It is a place where young people step into the role of cultural ambassadors, elders find reconnection, and visitors from all walks of life are welcomed and encouraged to engage, learn, ask questions and discover.

A Reflection of Indigenous Alaska

“Know who you are” is a guiding truth that echoes throughout the Heritage Center.

For many Alaska Natives living in Anchorage or away from their villages, the

Center offers a reconnection point—a place to remember, rediscover, and reaffirm their cultural identity. Elders come to practice traditional dances. Youth take part in storytelling, language, and leadership development. “It feels like a safe place to go and just express yourself as an Indigenous person,” shared Paul Asicksik, Cultural Program Manager. In every corner of the Center, identity is honored, heritage is alive, and tradition is ongoing.

Youth as Cultural Ambassadors

When visitors walk through the doors, they’re often greeted by the Center’s summer interns—young cultural ambassadors trained to share their stories. The experience is personal, powerful, and often transformational.

“We want to break down some stereotypes,” Asicksik explains. “And to have people be aware that there are many different types of Alaska Native groups.”

The Center recognizes each person has a special gift, and in fostering leadership among youth, they are incubating the next generation of community leaders.

Giving, Gathering, and Growing Together

Visitors may come with curiosity, but they leave with connection. They hear stories about gifting your first catch or bucket of berries—share what you have—to teach generosity and humility and that kindness will come eventually come back to you. They learn that in the Alaska Native worldview, you cannot live

The Gathering Place

without others, and that community is sustained through shared meals, song, and celebration. “We all have our own ways that we celebrate family,” said Asicksik, “and we’ll all do it uniquely—but we do it together.”

When entering the Heritage Center, visitors walk into the open Gathering Place, a space with stunning floor-to-ceiling windows and decorated with hand-crafted clothing and dugout canoes carved from a single piece of wood. Inside the center is a theater running documentary films on Native culture and the Hall of Cultures displays curated artifacts and information on the different Alaskan tribes. Also, in the gallery is an exhibit that seeks to inform and educate visitors on the dark period of Indian Boarding Schools. Executed with sensitivity to the victims and families of this period, the exhibit is a meaningful way to understand the lasting trauma that was experienced during this time.

Outside the Center, visitors can walk around the picturesque Lake Tiulana, experiencing different village sites showcasing the adaptability and uniqueness of living in harmony with the land and environment.

Education as Connection

What is most remarkable about the Alaska Native Heritage Center is that it is not a museum of the past. It is a living, breathing community—welcoming, teaching, evolving.

It’s a place where honoring your elders is not just ceremonial, but practical.

Where intergenerational connection is built into the architecture. Where values are not written on the wall, but lived in every dance, every conversation, every shared meal.

“People walk in a little unsure of what to expect,” Asicksik said, “but they walk out

looking more relaxed, more open.” In that transformation lies the quiet power of the Heritage Center: the ability to meet people where they are, and leave with a richer appreciation of music, storytelling and other cultures. “Learning is a two-way thing. We learn from our visitors just as much as they learn from us.”

The Alaska Native Heritage Center invites every visitor to learn, to reflect, and to leave changed. Because in this place, we are all related—and in the sharing, we all become part of the story.

For information on hours and schedule of events, visit: alaskanative.net.