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Knik Series Launches Feb 1 “Explore the Pacific World with Pacific Pathfinder,” by Sven Haakanson

The Knik Spring Series launches this Thursday (February 1) at Chugiak High School at 6pm. 

6pm:  Public Engagement Session, Pacific Pathfinders

Chat with MacArthur Genius Award recipient, Dr. Sven Haakanson, check out kayak displays, meet flocal historical societies, enjoy an array of refreshments prepared by Michele Miller, and watch the film, The Navigators: Pathfinders of the Pacific, which looks at how the ancient Polynesians settled the vast Pacific Ocean. 

7pm: Featured Presentation, Retracing Kayak Sea Routes From 1871

Evening schedule opens with a lively performance by the student-led Polynesian dance group Pacific Bloom.  Then, journey along with Sven Haakanson as he retraces the sea routes of the French explorer Alphonse Pinart and the four Unangan men assisting his travels from Unalaska to Kodiak Island in 1871.

Please Note ATTENDING ALASKA STUDIES TEACHERS CAN RECEIVE PROFESSION DEVELOPMENT CREDIT.  Events are free, open to the community, and family friendly. 

 Bios
Pacific Bloom is a dance group partnering with Mo’a Tosi AK Pride program. Its mission is to provide a positive environment for youth, to empower them through dance and history, and unite the Anchorage community one person at a time.

 Sven Haakanson is a modern-day Pacific pathfinder and major force behind the revitalization of indigenous culture in Alaska and beyond. He is the former Executive Director of the Alutiiq Museum and received the MacArthur Genius Award in 2007. Currently, Sven is the Curator for North American Anthropology at the Burke Museum and Associate Professor at the University of Washington. 

The Knik Lecture Series is a collaboration between University of Alaska Anchorage, the Anchorage School District and Tundra Vision: Public History Consultants. Our aim is to bring Knik Arm communities together through history.

For program details, please contact Dr. Katie Ringsmuth at 830-2251, or visit Tundra Vision on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TundraVision/