Sven Haakanson facts for kids
Sven Haakanson, Jr. (born in 1967) is an American anthropologist. An anthropologist studies human societies and cultures. Sven Haakanson Jr. works to record and protect the language and way of life of the Alutiiq people. The Alutiiq are a Native Alaskan group.
From 2000 to 2013, he was the director of the Alutiiq Museum in Kodiak, Alaska. Today, he is a professor at the University of Washington in Seattle. He also works as a curator at the Burke Museum, looking after Native American collections. In 2007, he received a special award called the MacArthur Fellowship. This award recognized his important work in bringing back the Alutiiq language, traditions, and culture.
Growing Up and Learning
Sven Haakanson, Jr. was born in Old Harbor, Alaska. This is a small village on a remote island. He grew up as part of the Alutiiq people. His father, Sven Haakanson, Sr., was a leader in their community. He was the Mayor of Old Harbor and led the Tribal Council.
When Sven was a child, he didn't learn much about Alutiiq history in school. He wanted to know more about how his ancestors lived. He asked the older people in his tribe, called elders. Only one elder shared stories and traditions with him. This elder taught Sven the Alutiiq language and the culture of his people.
He went to the University of Alaska Fairbanks. He earned a degree in English in 1992. While in college, he went to a conference in Copenhagen, Denmark. There, he heard a talk about Alutiiq culture. He realized he could learn about his own history right at home. In 1991, he spent a year in Russia. He taught English in a town called Magadan. While there, he became interested in the Nenet people.
Sven Haakanson continued his studies at Harvard University in 1992. He studied anthropology and earned his master's degree in 1996. He then completed his PhD in 2000.
His Important Work
Sven Haakanson's main work is about saving the Alutiiq language and culture. In the early 2000s, only about 24 people could speak the Alutiiq language fluently. Because of this, he focused on recording everyday conversations. This helps keep the language alive.
He was the director of the Alutiiq Museum from 2000 to 2013. He also taught at Kodiak College. Since 2009, he has been on the board of the Native Arts and Cultures Foundation. This group helps support Native artists and cultural projects.
In 2013, he became a professor at the University of Washington in Seattle. He also became a curator at the Burke Museum. A curator helps manage and care for museum collections. He looks after Native American items there.
In 2015, Sven Haakanson led a project called the Angyaaq project. An Angyaaq is a traditional Native boat used for travel. Long ago, these boats were destroyed by explorers. For over 150 years, no Angyaaqs had been built on Kodiak Island. Sven Haakanson's project helped people learn how to build these important boats again. This helped bring back a valuable part of Alutiiq culture and skills.
Awards and Recognition
- 2007 MacArthur Fellows Program
See also
