October 25, 2008

Radio documentary on Alutiiq masks

Radio program details return of artifacts, cultural renaissanceA dramatic story of a culture saving its lost art and history comes to life in the special edition of Koahnic Broadcast Corporation’s national program, Earthsongs.

This one-hour radio documentary project, set to release in November, stems from a partnership with United States Artist Rockefeller Fellow and George Peabody Award-winning artist Dmae Roberts and Koahnic’s Earthsongs, hosted and produced by Shyanne Beatty.

The documentary details the long-sought return of the Alutiiq masks from France to Kodiak. In the winter of 1872, French anthropologist Alphonse Pinart traveled the Kodiak archipelago, assembled one of the world’s most extensive collections of Alutiiq ceremonial masks and took them to France. In May, 34 of these Alutiiq ceremonial masks were returned to their people and exhibited at The Alutiiq Museum in Kodiak.
Comment:  For more on the subject, see Native Documentary and News.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I know this is a bit late- but I had the excellent chance to visit this museum at the end of April- I lament that I wasn't there but a few weeks later.
I found the museum to be excellent, the curater actually allowed us in even though they were closed.
How exciting to have those masks returned!