Bering Land Bridge National Preserve unveiled its new Heritage Center to a cheering crowd in the heart of Nome in early September.
Centered around a fish rack with hanging salmon replicas, the Heritage Center’s exhibits showcase Western Alaska’s rich geological and cultural heritage. For example, a mural depicts the Bering Land Bridge, also known as Beringia, as it was thousands of years ago in the last Ice Age, when it connected Asia and North America: filled with birds, horses, and plants.
Besides the region’s megafauna and plant life over the ages, the exhibits highlight the diverse cultures of the people who call Western Alaska home. Labels for the exhibits are written first in Inupiaq, then in English. Also on display are Inupiaq language stations with voices from two elders and two youth.
This new Heritage Center was designed by a Tribal Workgroup made up of community members from around the Preserve, and built in partnership several community organizations, such as Sitnasuak Native Corporation and the Nome-based non-profit Kawerak.
The Heritage Center opened alongside Sitnasuak’s headquarters. Park staff say they hope it will be a space where the past and present of Beringia come together through community voices.
