The native village of eyak, through the ilanka cultural center, will expand an immersive virtual reality experience that reconnects tribal members with eyak culture, language, and ancestral lifeways…

The Institute of Museum and Library Services awarded the Native Village of Eyak $237,526 on September 1, 2026, under the Native American/Native Hawaiian Museum Services Program (CFDA 45.308) to expand an immersive virtual reality experience reconnecting tribal members with Eyak culture, language, and ancestral lifeways across the four distinct cultures represented by the village: Eyak, Chugach Region people, Tlingit, and Athabascan.

Project activities include updating technology, adding interactive cultural activities, integrating digitally modeled artifacts, and recording language voiceovers in collaboration with the Eyak Cultural Foundation and a private contractor. The work is performed at the Ilanka Cultural Center in Cordova, Alaska. The expanded virtual reality platform will increase access to culturally grounded educational resources and strengthen community engagement for tribal youth, elders, and visitors.

The period of performance runs from September 1, 2026, through August 31, 2028. This is a project grant, the most common assistance type under the Native American/Native Hawaiian Museum Services Program, which supports Indian Tribes and Alaska Native Villages in sustaining heritage, culture, and knowledge through educational services, workforce professional development, organizational capacity building, community engagement, and collections stewardship.

The native village of eyak, through the ilanka cultural center, will expand an immersive virtual reality experience that reconnects tribal members with eyak culture, language, and ancestral lifeways for the four distinct cultures the village represents: the eyak, chugach region people, tlingit, and athabascan. Building on earlier phases, project activities will include updating technology, adding interactive cultural activities, integrating additional digitally modeled artifacts, and recording language voiceovers in collaboration with the eyak cultural foundation and a private contractor. The project will result in increased access to culturally grounded educational resources and strengthened community engagement for tribal youth, elders, and visitors.