Looking Both Ways: Heritage and Identity of the Alutiiq People

This volume represents a collaborative effort of the Smithsonian Institution and The Alutiiq Museum and Archaeological Repository—a collaboration that produced an exhibition scheduled to tour in Kodiak, Homer, Anchorage, Seattle, and Washington, D.C. in 2001-2003. While it showcases in color photos and offers commentary on the 200-plus pieces of the exhibition, the book is more than a simple catalog. Introductory narratives and 20-some contributed essays address various aspects of Alutiiq history, culture, identity, and spiritual beliefs, and discuss the involvement of the people in the project. Among the topics: traditions and science, Alutiiq midwives, subsistence fishing, and the question of whether there can be "such a thing" as a native anthropologist. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)