![]() Following this, a design competition was held, with the award going to Christchurch sculptor, William Trethewey (1892-1956). This story originally appeared in Indian Country Today and is republished here with permission.In 1929, Matthew Frank Burnett, a retired bootmaker, donated money for the erection of a statue in honour of Captain James Cook (1728-1779). Cook monument in Resolution Park, Anchorage, Alaska, unveiled Ma(Photo by Joaqlin Estus/ICT)Īfter his speech at the unveiling, Leggett added, “I think for our tribal members in particular, it’s important that our future generations know who they are and can be proud of who they are and can see themselves as part of this place because we have been here for well over 1,000 years.” Ma(Photo by Joaqlin Estus/ICT) Dena’ina Athabascan place names sign at the Capt. James Cook at Resolution Park in downtown Anchorage. “And we want to keep going, making these small and large changes in our public spaces for Anchorage and Anchorage visitors to enjoy.” Life-size statue of Capt. ![]() “Today is a small victory, but a beautiful victory,” Nordland said. She said the foundation has been working with Leggett and the Native Village of Eklutna “for some years now on Indigenous place names and the conversation about being able to add historic and cultural value interpretation in our parks and on our trails.” The new sign is one of a handful of similar projects at Anchorage parks. They also convey oral traditions.”Īnchorage Parks Foundation Executive Director Beth Nordland said the new sign is part of a larger project. These names and stories reveal relationships with lands, waters, animals, and plants of the environment. The new sign reads, in part, “Before Captain Cook sailed into the inlet, the Dena’ina Indigenous inhabitants named all the features of the land you see in front of you. “This gives you a Dena’ina view and shows that Cook didn’t discover these places, he simply documented them,” Leggett said. “So, what are the names that existed here when Captain Cook arrived at the end of May in 1778?” ![]() “One of the ways of doing that was (using) this great vista that you can see here to highlight the Dena’ina names,” Leggett said. He’s also senior curator of Alaska history and Indigenous culture for the Anchorage Museum. “I’m not really in favor of tearing down monuments in this case, but I want to use it as an opportunity to tell the complete story,” said Native Village of Eklutna President Aaron Leggett, Dena’ina Athabascan, speaking at the March 23 unveiling. Plaque at Captain Cook monument in Resolution Park in downtown Anchorage, Alaska, Ma(Photo by Joaqlin Estus/ICT)Īnchorage’s then-Mayor Ethan Berkowitz said he would defer to the Eklutna tribe. Similar calls were made in Anchorage to have the Cook monument taken down. In 2020, activists pushed for the removal of symbols of the slave trade, colonization and other injustices. The new sign is due in part to the Black Lives Matter movement. The Eklutna Tribe, Anchorage Park Foundation and Anchorage Museum last week unveiled a Dena’ina place names sign near the Cook monument. ![]() For at least a thousand years, the region has been home to the Dena’ina Athabascan people. Cook monument at Resolution Park, Anchorage, AK Ma(Photo by Joaqlin Estus/ICT)Ī monument to Captain James Cook in downtown Anchorage hails him as “greatest explorer-navigator the world has ever known.” The plaque under the life-size statue of him highlights Cook’s travels, including Cook Inlet, where Anchorage is located. Anchorage Parks Foundation, speaking at the unveiling of a Dena’ina place names sign at the Capt. Aaron Leggett, Chief, Native Village of Eklutna, and Beth Nordland, Exec. ![]()
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