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26-27 August

Spirit Houses of Eklutna

Thursday, 26 August: Part III

Since we passed on going to the Alaska State Fair this afternoon, we had time to visit one more site that I was hoping we’d be able to squeeze into our day — a hidden gem seldom visited by tourists — the Eklutna Historical Park.

When we visited this park in 2001, there was a single-room museum here and tours that explained the historic and cultural significance of the site were offered regularly. We were dismayed to find that the museum is now closed (a dispute with the tribal elders, we were told). Sure, we’d already seen the few items that were on display, but I’d been hoping to get a better picture of what our guide at the time described as the first “disposable diaper.” Here’s the story …

We were studying a basket on the floor when our guide pointed to one of the photos on the wall that showed a baby occupying a similar basket. She drew our attention to a patch of straw peeking out from between the baby’s legs and explained that, in lieu of diapers, the mother would pack straw and grass between the baby’s legs. This served a dual purpose — the straw had anti-bacterial properties that protected the baby from germs, and when the baby wet it, the straw could be thrown out and it would naturally decompose.

Disposable and environmentally friendly at the same time.
[images of museum photographs (2001)]

Back to today … Paying the $5/person admission, we opted out of the tour since we’d done it before. Instead, armed with an information sheet, we wandered around the park at our own pace.

Eklutna Historical Park

Dating back to 1650, the village near the park is the area's oldest continuously inhabited Dena'ina Athabascan Indian settlement — estimates range from 300 to 1,000 years. The name Eklutna means “objects by the water;” it refers to the group of hills that surround the village.

On the grounds of the park are two Orthodox churches and a still-active cemetery where the graves are covered with crumbling, colorful spirit houses. One of the churches is the Old St Nicholas Church. The log cabin structure is one of the oldest in the Anchorage area. Built in the 1830s by Orthodox Missionaries who came to spread the word to the local Indians, the church was reconstructed in 1970.

Left: The Old St Nicholas Church served the village until 1962.
right: historic photograph showing the blending of cultures.

Some of these icons date back 200 years or more.

The New St Nicholas Church was built between 1954-1962. It is a fully functional church that offers services on Saturday and Sunday. Orthodox Christians stand during services to show their reverence to Christ. Following that tradition, there are no seats inside except for two benches in the back for the elderly and infirm.

The cupolas are shaped to remind believers of a candle flame
burning upward to heaven.

The wall of icons (the Iconostasis or Icon stand) separates the nave
from the altar. only Orthodox Christian men are allowed behind it.

Left: the cross reminds us that this is a Christian cemetery.
right: the three-barred cross, adopted by the Russian orthodox
church, dates back to Byzantium.

For those interested in the symbolism associated with the three-barred cross, here’s an excerpt from the information sheet we were given on arrival at the park.

… The upper bar represents the inscription over Christ’s head, “This is Jesus, King of the Jews,” the long middle bar [is] for the arms outstretched, and the lower slanting bar represents his footrest. The slanted position is twofold: 1) it shows that not only was Christ fully God, but that he was fully human and felt pain and agony when he died, wrenching the bar by drawing one foot up and thrusting one foot down; 2) the spiritual [meaning] is that the thief on the right side of Christ confessed, so he went to heaven, and the thief on Christ’s left side did not confess, so he went to hell.

My primary interest in coming here today was to photograph the colorful Spirit Houses that had enchanted me during our first visit.

The red and white colors are those of the Alex family.
(eklutna Alex was the chief after which the town was named.)

Prior to the arrival of the Orthodox Missionaries, it was customary for the Athabascans to cremate their dead. Afterwards, a blend of their customs with Russian Orthodox practices evolved and they started to bury their dead in the cemetery established around the church. These practices continue today.

When the deceased is first buried, a blanket is placed over the grave to comfort the soul and keep it warm as it transitions from this world to the next. Forty days later, a miniature house, painted in the family colors, is placed over the blanket to house the spirit and possessions of the deceased. In keeping with the Athabascan belief that what is taken from earth must be returned to earth, the houses are left to decay and crumble over time.

A Modern Spirit House

Left: Hidden in the trees is a grave with a moose standing guard.
right: dates of birth and death are described as Sunrise and sunset.

The spirit houses are painted with a blend of colors derived from
the marriage between two families.

Covered by a blanket to warm and comfort the soul of the deceased,
this grave will eventually be covered with a spirit house.

The people of the village thank us for coming to Eklutna;
we thank them for allowing us to visit.

As befits the setting, our visit to the cemetery was peaceful and quiet. That we were the only ones there on a beautiful, late summer afternoon made the experience all the more special.