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Inlet, just off the Glenn Highway Scenic Byway and
within the Municipality of Anchorage. Dating back See Video
to 1650, Eklutna is the oldest continually inhabited
Athabascan site in the region. Visit Eklutna’s St.
Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church, originally built in
the 1830s. A blend of Athabascan beliefs and Russian
Orthodox teachings introduced by missionaries in the
1800s holds that when a person dies his spirit wanders
the earth, searching for his earthly possessions. To
keep the spirits confined to the Eklutna Cemetery,
colorful miniature houses are built on top of the
graves; each structure is topped with the distinctive
cross of the Russian Orthodox Church. The tiny
houses are painted with family colors and contain
personal items of the deceased such as cups, plates,
spoons, a comb, a pipe, or even a rifle or camera.
Ten thousand years ago, at the end of the
Pleistocene Age, Portage Valley was covered by a
massive glacier, which has since largely retreated.
Visitors can take a one-hour cruise or stroll along the
lakeshore to wonder at hulking blue-white icebergs
and learn of the Portage Glacier area’s geology and
history. Three road-accessible campgrounds with 55
campsites are available to the public in Portage Valley.
For thousands of years, Alaska’s Natives have
produced arts and crafts that are both functional and
beautiful. Decorative pieces crafted from animal
skins, ivory, bone, grasses, and many other materials
have allowed Natives to memorialize the history and
traditions of their ancient cultures. The Alaska Native
Heritage Center is the first-ever visitor attraction to
share Alaska Native traditions through educational
programs. Visitors enter the Center through the
Welcome House, which has interpretative displays,
a theater hosting a film presentation and daily Log Cabin Visitor Information Center
photo by:
performances of traditional Native dance troupes. Roy Neese
A trail will introduce visitors to Native Tradition

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