Shorebirds are vital to both the ecosystems and the cultures of Alaska’s Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. These long-distance travelers migrate thousands of miles from their nesting grounds in Alaska to destinations as far as New Zealand and South America. For the Yup’ik people, shorebirds are a food source and deeply embedded in cultural practices, reflected in traditional dance masks shaped like long-billed shorebirds (sugg’erpak). These masks carry stories, values, and environmental knowledge passed down through generations. By popular demand, we have added more seats to this event.
As part of the Anchorage Museum’s In Context program—which invites community members to offer perspectives on the history, art, science, and culture of Alaska and the North—this session explores the powerful relationship between people, place, and shorebirds.
Participants will:
- Learn about shorebird migration, ecology, and their cultural significance to the Yup’ik people
- Hear from Oceanographer Dr. Lili Naves about the importance of Indigenous knowledge in conservation
- Engage in a creative activity by painting a shorebird on precut material
- Have the opportunity to make a personal pledge toward shorebird stewardship
This is a free program; registration is recommended to reserve materials for the painting activity.
About the Presenters
Liliana Naves is an oceanographer with a background in avian research. Naves received a Ph.D. in Biodiversity at the University Pierre et Marrie Curie-Sorbonne in France. Since 2007, Naves has worked with the Division of Subsistence of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Her work blends natural and social sciences and has focused on bird harvest assessment, local and traditional knowledge, and outreach and education. Naves received the Isleib Award in 2023 from the Alaska Bird Conference, which recognizes outstanding contributions to bird conservation in Alaska.
Arin Underwood, a wildlife biologist in southcentral Alaska, studies boreal waterbirds and small mammals.