The native village of chenega will undergo a planning process for a future tribal museum that will support an archive, collections storage, and associated programming, while also caring for existing…

The Institute of Museum and Library Services awarded the Native Village of Chenega $289,573 on September 1, 2026, under the Native American/Native Hawaiian Museum Services Program (CFDA 45.308) to conduct a planning process for a tribal museum that will house archives, collections storage, and community programming while preserving existing museum collections.

The Native Village of Chenega will engage an experienced planning professional to develop a strategic plan for the revitalization of Chenega's language and cultural knowledge, and will work with a cultural curator to catalog and rehouse the current collection. The project will generate a concrete vision and direction for a museum that preserves and provides access to Chenega's heritage and cultural resources as a Sugpiaq (Alutiiq) community.

The period of performance runs through August 31, 2029, with place of performance in Anchorage, Alaska. This is a Project Grant, one of several assistance types the program provides to support tribal capacity building in museum services, professional development, collections stewardship, and cultural preservation.

The native village of chenega will undergo a planning process for a future tribal museum that will support an archive, collections storage, and associated programming, while also caring for existing museum collections. Project activities will include engaging with an experienced planning professional to conduct and complete a strategic plan for the revitalization of chenega's language and cultural knowledge, as well as working with a cultural curator to catalog and rehouse the current collection. The project will result in a concrete vision and direction for responding to the community's desire for a museum that preserves and provides access to chenega's heritage and cultural resources.