In December of 2009, the National Park Service (NPS) announced that the Ethnology & History Department had been awarded $75,000 to preserve the Kolmakovsky Redoubt collection. This important collection contains more than 5,000 artifacts, including the first building erected on the site in 1841. Kolmakovsky Redoubt was the first Russian fort in the Interior of Alaska (located on the Kuskokwim River near the current community of Napaimute) and was the major trading center on the river from its establishment until the purchase of Alaska in 1867. This project will rehabilitate and preserve the Kolmakovsky blockhouse and stabilize the archaeological collections. The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) will manage this and five other projects. (See the press release here.)

This page will document, in images and text, the progress of this exciting and important project over the next two years. Check back often for updates.

The Ethnology and History collection is available for researchers from all walks of life. Contact department staff if you are interested in viewing the collections.

If you would like to conduct research in the collections, see our Collections Access Policy here.

As part of the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus, collections departments depend on student assistants for a large part of the work done on a daily basis. In the Ethnology & History department, grant funding helps us hire UAF students during the academic year and interns from all over during the summer months.

Students interested in interning in the collection should submit their resume and a letter of interest to the department.

Departmental staff are involved with projects across Alaska and the rest of the United States. If you are interested in having us participate on your project, contact us to discuss what assistance we may be able to provide.

The ethnology & history collection is one of the most exhibited collections at the Museum.

The Ethnology & History department is actively seeking volunteers!

Volunteering can be a wonderful way to contribute to the accomplishments of the museum. In the past, ethnology volunteers have been involved in a number of ways including:

• photographing collections objects;
• conducting inventories;
• basic cleaning and rehousing of collections;
• re-organizing collections; and
• updating database records.