Students in the field at Katmai

Welcome to the Alaska Anthropological Association

 

Founded in 1974, the Association is a statewide professional organization for people working, studying and interested in all areas of northern anthropology. Today, the Association has over 200 active members in Alaska, the United States and countries including Canada, France, Denmark, Norway, and Japan. For more than thirty years its members have helped to break new ground in basic and applied research, to build collaborations between researchers and communities, and to foster public knowledge and interest in circumpolar cultural heritage. The Association’s annual meetings are an international forum for projects in archaeology, linguistics, cultural studies, oral history, medical anthropology, museum exhibitions, cultural resource management, human genetics, and more. Our peer-reviewed publications – the Alaska Journal of Anthropology and Aurora monograph series – hold a growing and respected place in the literature of the north.

The Alaska Anthropological Association is a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation that depends on dues, contributions, and the volunteer efforts of its members. It offers student, regular, and institutional memberships, all including an annual subscription to the Alaska Journal of Anthropology.

 

 

December 15, 2025

Annual conference: Registration and Abstract Submission now open!

The 79th Northwest Anthropological Conference (NWAC) will join the Alaska Anthropological Association’s 53rd annual meeting in Bellingham from 25-28 March 2026. Visit the Western Washington University (WWU) joint conference Meeting page for updates on the 2026 conference, conference registration, agendas, and hotel reservations:​ https://wwu.eventsair.com/QuickEventWebsitePortal/nwac-2026/event-info-site  
November 26, 2025

Fall 2025 newsletter

The Fall 2025 newsletter from the Alaska Anthropological Association is finally here! For conference updates and news from the field you can check it out here! Your continued support of the association is greatly appreciated!
August 22, 2025

2026 Annual Meeting Update!

The 2026 Alaska Anthropological Association annual meeting will be a joint conference with the Northwest Anthropological Conference (NWAC) hosted by Western Washington University in Bellingham, WA from March 25-28.  We will be offering additional travel grants to help students take advantage of this unique networking opportunity. More news to come in the weeks ahead. We . . . MORE