Culture & Arts

Services & Programs

The Ninilchik Tribe strives to maintain its historical and contemporary cultural identities and promote the arts in every aspect of our day-to-day lives. The Ninilchik Traditional Council supports institutions and projects engaged in research, preservation, or the revitalization of the indigenous culture of communities within Ninilchik lands. Events and projects take place throughout the year to help serve the cultural and artistic interests of the tribe and the Kenai Peninsula.

Use the tabs below to navigate between the programs and services we provide.

Cultural Events & Activities

Niqnalchint Library

Historical Culture & Preservation

NTC’s Role in Area History & Preservation

The Cook Inlet area as a whole has a rich natural and anthropological history, and the Ninilchik Tribe is the cultural point of contact for archaeological discoveries and projects on the south Kenai Peninsula. While the Ninilchik Traditional Council currently does not facilitate its own museum or anthropological archive, the tribe is an official supporter of the Pratt Museum in Homer which holds numerous artifacts and historical objects from the Kenai Peninsula in its collections and archives.

Current & Upcoming Local Cultural Exhibits

All-Alaska Biennial at the Pratt Museum

The Pratt Museum in Homer is hosting the All-Alaska Biennial, a juried exhibtion featuring works by a Alaskan artists. Over 600 works were submitted from a variety of media, from painting and jewelry, to ceramics and paper arts, to photography and sculpture. The exhibition will display Kristy Summers’ piece, “Descend,” which received the Juror’s Choice Award. For more information on the All-Alaska Biennial and other upcoming exhibits at the Pratt Museum, visit the museum’s website at prattmuseum.org.

Past Local Cultural Exhibits

Dena’inaq’ Huch’ulyeshi: The Dena’ina Way of Living

“Dena’inaq’ Huch’ulyeshi: The Dena’ina Way of Living,” curated by the Anchorage Museum, was the first comprehensive exhibition about Dena’ina Athabascan people of Southcentral Alaska and the Cook Inlet. This exhibition originally opened in late 2013 and featured around 200 Dena’ina objects such as caribou skin clothing adorned with fine quill work, puffin beak rattles, and birch bark cradles. A gallery of photos of these cultural items can be found at the Anchorage Museum site along with detailed information about the exhibit.

View Online Gallery

Other Area Institutions

Other notable institutions with educational resources and historical objects from the Cook Inlet include:

  • The Museum of the North (Fairbanks)
  • Anchorage Museum
  • Alaska Native Heritage Center (Anchorage)
  • The Kenai Visitors Center
  • Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian (Washington, DC)
  • Alaska State Museum (Juneau)

Click below for NTC office and business locations, hours, and contact information.

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Niqnalchint Library

The Niqnalchint Library is a tribal library owned and operated by the Ninilchik Traditional Council and is located at the Administration Office. This library is funded by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. It houses cultural and historical books and media which focus on tribal, Alaskan, and indigenous genres. In addition to cultural materials, the library also offers a variety of literature, non-fiction books, and videos as well as a computer station for library member use.

Tahyiga Book Club

The Tahyiga Book Club meets monthly and its members discuss contemporary Alaskana and world literature with a focus on indigenous cultures and issues. Club participation is free and anyone is welcome to join. A limited number of free books are available to club members each month. Please see contact information at the bottom of this page for more information.

Next Meeting: No book club meetings scheduled at this time.

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Cultural Events & Activities

The Ninilchik Traditional Council and its Niqnalchint Library host ongoing cultural and art events to promote the enrichment of contemporary tribal culture and to encourage the creative communities of the Kenai Peninsula. The Tahyiga Book Club is our primary recurring cultural program and other activities take place throughout the year. NTC is also a point of contact for other notable local and regional cultural events that involve the Ninilchik Tribe. You can learn about the Tahyiga book club under the Library tab and check below for upcoming cultural events and activities.

NTC Cultural Events & Announcements

 

No current NTC cultural events or announcements.

Click below for NTC office and business locations, hours, and contact information.

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