An Anchorage Museum exhibit will feature the cultural significance of the walrus and polar bear.
Aaron Leggett is the curator of Alaska history and culture at Anchorage Museum. During an interview with KNBA’s Morning Line, he says an ever-changing climate has forced the walrus and polar bear to adapt.
“These two giants are also on the forefront of science an indicators of climate change, certainly,” he said. “Polar bears, for example, (are) spending more time on land, or walruses having to find new locations for haul-out sites.”
“Aiviq and Nanuq: Sea Horse and Sea Bear of the Arctic” is a six-month exhibit. Legget says it’s about the relationship that humans have with the animals.
“These animals have helped Alaska Native people, indigenous people, survive in the Arctic whether it's the skin for the walrus used for the umiaks, or the stomachs the intestines used for the drums, ceremonial performances,” Leggett said. “Obviously the ivory has always been an important material for the Alaska Natives. Certainly today in contemporary uses -- the use of ivory as a source of income, one of the few sources of cash income for many village people.”
The Anchorage Museum exhibit includes artwork from artists such as Alvin Amason and Nicholas Galanin.
The exhibit opens Friday, Oct. 5, 2018, and runs through May 2019.
For more information, go to anchoragemusem.org/exhibitions.