The Unangax (Aleut) Heritage Library and Archive (UHLA) is the library and archive that lives within the Cultural Heritage Departmant (CHD) at Aleutian Pribilof Islands Assocation, Inc (APIA).
Mission:
Our mission of the Unangax (Aleut) Heritage Library and Archive (UHLA) is to preserve information, objects, and places relevant to Unangax/Aleut culture, which includes but is not limited to, Unangax/Aleut languages, traditional knowledge and values, cultural practices, art, history, archaeological and historical sites, and cultural objects.
The Unangax/Aleut people have a cultural history in the Aleutian region that extends at least 8,000 years into the past. The Cultural Heritage Department is dedicated to preserving that past for the future good of the Unangax/Aleut people.
The purpose of the Cultural Heritage Department1 is to preserve Unangax/Aleut heritage and to provide programs that encourage Unangax/Aleut culture to flourish. Knowledge of Unangax/Aleut culture is critical to the identity and survival of the Unangan/Unangas (Aleuts) as a unique group of Alaska Natives.
Our audience is primarily Unangan/Unangas (Aleuts). However, we also seek to educate the general public about our history and culture. The scope of our work includes preservation programs to record information pertinent to Unangax/Aleut cultural heritage, and education programs to teach Unangax/Aleut cultural practices and values to new generations and to inform all people about Unangax/Aleut life and culture, both past and present.
Goals:
The overall goal is to make information about Unangax (Aleut) Heritage and Culture more accessible to our tribal communities, researchers and the general public, to build capacity, and to channel resources to Aleutian and Pribilof Islands communities.