Sven Haakanson - New Board Member

Sven Haakanson, New Native Arts & Cultures Foundation Board Member

Executive Director, Alutiiq Museum & Archaeological Repository

Born and raised in the rural Kodiak Island community of Old Harbor, Alaska, Sven Haakanson is a member of the Old Harbor Alutiiq Tribe. He holds a BA in English from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and a Ph.D. in Anthropology from Harvard University.

Since 2000, Haakanson has worked to share Native American perspectives with museums and museum practices with Native people as Executive Director of the nationally acclaimed Alutiiq Museum, a Native cultural center in Kodiak, Alaska. Haakanson has made collections more accessible to Native communities by researching objects in the world’s museums and developing traveling exhibits and educational resources around the information they hold. In 2007 his work was honored with a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship.

Haakanson serves on many cultural organizations and maintains an active research program. He is systematically documenting Kodiak’s prehistoric petroglyphs and continues to publish his research on the Nenets culture of Siberia. In addition, he is an accomplished artist, known for his carvings and photography. Sven is married to Kodiak educator Balika Finley Haakanson. They have two daughters.

“These gifts demonstrate strong tribal interest in creating a powerful funding engine for protecting and preserving Native art and culture—the very cornerstones of tribal sovereignty. A foundation of this nature will help reverse the long history of government suppression of Native culture done as part of the United States' assimilation program. Through gifts of this nature, Indian Country can direct its resources to protect what is closest to home to all Indian tribes—our own cultures."

Walter Echo-Hawk, Pawnee

Board Chair, Native Arts & Cultures Foundation

“The act of giving was part of the ‘gifting economy’ of the Northwest where one’s wealth was measured by generosity, good work and a good heart. That is the work of philanthropy too: It’s an honor to have plenty and to share. There is no lack when you have this process in place and the most important mindset to have while participating is gratitude, or giving thanks and promising to care for all, no matter what.”

Elizabeth Woody, Navajo/Warm Springs/Wasco/Yakama

K-12 Program Coordinator, Center for Coastal Marine Observation & Prediction

Sven Haakanson - New Board Member

2011/2012 Grantees

2010/2011 Grantees