Collections Care Guidance and Support
FAIN: PG-280636-21
Huna Heritage Foundation (Juneau, AK 99801-9380)
Amelia Wilson (Project Director: January 2021 to September 2023)
A preservation needs assessment and community training workshop focusing on a collection of 250 books, 200 documents, 2,500 audiovisual assets, and more than 800 photographs documenting Tlingit culture, history, and language. Examples of the collection include recordings of ku.eex, a Tlingit potlatch and traditional ceremony that serves as a memorial for clan members; Tlingit language and song; veterans’ histories; cultural protocols and ways of knowing; and guidance on traditional hunting and gathering. The Huna Heritage Foundation uses its archival collection to partner with local, regional, and state organizations, produce short films, and conduct educational programming for students, conferences, Hoonah community members, and the public.
The “Collections Care Guidance and Support” project will result in a preservation needs assessment for the Huna Heritage Foundation (HHF) collections. The assessment will include documenting the physical state of the entire collection (AV, digital, print, objects, etc.) and provide recommendations for its care. A report documenting the current state of the collections, site visit findings, and making recommendations for improved preservation practices for the collections will be provided after the visit. In addition to the on-site assessment, grant funds will support a half-day community workshop, entitled “Introduction to Audiovisual Preservation” at the Alaska State Library Archives and Museums. This workshop will be free and open to their staff as well as staff at local collecting institutions such as the Juneau City Museum and Sealaska Heritage Institute. This will ensure the learning opportunity has a wider reach than our small team. Funds will also provide for archival boxes.