Presented by the Calista Land & Natural Resource Department
Storyknife, September/October 2026 edition
One of the Calista Region’s richest archeological sites is Nunalleq, a pre-Western contact winter village site near Quinhagak. Nearly 200,000 artifacts have been rescued from coastal erosion and permafrost melt at the site since 2009 and are preserved at Quinhagak’s Nunalleq Culture and Archeology Center (Nunalleq Museum).
Since excavations began, the Quinhagak community has worked with archeologists to co-create online materials about Nunalleq for Lower Kuskokwim School District students, local community members, and anyone around the world. They even created a digital library where you can view many of the artifacts online.
What was missing? The museum, formerly a schoolhouse, didn’t have interpretive materials for in-person visitors. The 16th century artifacts from Nunalleq are preserved in pull-out cabinet drawers, but unless knowledgeable individuals are present to discuss them, their purpose and significance could remain unclear.
We were taught by our Elders who were always telling us that we can’t be stingy with our knowledge. We have to think about the next generation and share that knowledge.
Lynn Church, CEO of Nalaquq LLC
That changed recently with a new project to bring interpretive resources to the museum. With support from an Institute of Museum and Library Services grant, the local village corporation subsidiary Nalaquq, LLC and Native Village of Kwinhagak are installing a large touchscreen panel at the museum.
The touchscreen panel features five educational themes that correspond to the artifacts stored in five different cabinet drawers. Navigating the panel, visitors will be able to access images, videos, and audio that document everyday living in Nunalleq as well as modern-day Quinhagak.
“[The artifacts] are owned by us, for the people of Quinhagak, for the people of our region, because we were taught by our Elders who were always telling us that we can’t be stingy with our knowledge. We have to think about the next generation and share that knowledge,” explained Nalaquq CEO Lynn Church, during a keynote speech in April at the Western Alaska Science Symposium in Bethel.
Church stated for this article that all parties involved in developing the museum are Calista Shareholders, including educators, computer scientists, cultural knowledge bearers, and photographers. Church said, “Through traditional knowledge and modern technological advances, we are working to develop solutions that help keep our language and culture alive for many generations to come.”
NUNALLEQ CELEBRATED IN ANCHORAGE
Anchorage Museum Exhibit Runs Oct 2 – April 4
The Anchorage Museum is hosting an installation called “Nunalleq: The Old Village” scheduled to open during the 2026 Alaska Federation of Natives convention. The installation will be open to public viewing until April 4. Click above to learn more.