February Fame and Shame: Beyond Seward's Folly with Seward House Museum

Join staff members from the Seward House Museum in Auburn, New York for a virtual program on the 1867 Alaska Purchase and its long aftermath. Often referred to as "Seward's Folly," this acquisition redefined Secretary of State William Seward's career at the conclusion of nearly half a century in public life. But Alaska was always contested-- from the original negotiations, to the transfer from Russia, and for generations afterwards. Museum staff will bring these stories to life from inside the historic home of the Seward family, including an inside look at the objects and artifacts from Seward's visit to the territory in his retirement years.

Images Courtesy of the Seward House Museum. Learn more: https://sewardhouse.org/

**Note: This is a hybrid event! Museum staff from the Seward House Museum in New York will be presenting live remotely, with the opportunity for in-person attendees at the Tongass Historical Museum to interact, ask questions, and engage in real-time. For those who prefer to join virtually, a link to attend online will be shared closer to the event date.

This Museum Midday event is free and open to all!

---

PAST PROGRAMS

January: Ketchikan's Dive Center – More Than Just Diving

Join us for a deep dive into the world of Ketchikan’s Wind & Water Dive Shop! Since 1997, Allen and Saunya Alloway have been dedicated to promoting dive safety and education in our community. Over the years, they’ve adapted to the needs of Ketchikan's working waterfront, becoming the go-to spot for scuba training, gear sales, and hydrostatic testing for high-pressure cylinders—serving recreational and harvest divers alike.

From their start in local dive charters to becoming Southern Southeast Alaska’s only hydrostatic testing station, Wind & Water has evolved with Ketchikan’s growing needs. Learn more about this incredible local business, their focus on safety, the services they continue to provide, and the dive community that exists here.

Learn more: www.windandwaterdiveshop.com

December: Our Submerged Past — Archaeology in Southeast Alaska with Dr. Kelly Monteleone

Dive into history with us and learn how submerged archaeological sites, like those off Prince of Wales Island, help piece together the ancient story of human migration to the Americas.

Join us for an eye-opening journey beneath the waves with Dr. Kelly Monteleone, Underwater Anthropologist with the Sealaska Heritage Institute! Discover the story of Southeast Alaska’s ancient submerged coastline, which witnessed a dramatic sea-level rise at the end of the last Ice Age. As the land transformed, early peoples traveled these waters, leaving traces of their existence below. One incredible find: a 11,000-year-old stone fish trap, evidence of early coastal migration and possibly one of the oldest of its kind! Now Available on our YouTube channel

November: Unlocking the Wisdom of an Ancient Canoe

Join Stormy Hamar and Stephanie Hamar from the Haida Canoe Revitalization Group as they share about their project documenting an ancient canoe in the forest and how that process relates to Haida canoe making today. This project was made possible with funding from the State of Alaska's Historic Preservation Office NPS Maritime Heritage Preservation Grant. Learn more about the Haida Canoe Revitalization Group: www.hcrg.org Now Available on our YouTube channel

October: Ketchikan Indian Community Tlingit Language Team

Presenters Yakdushí, Lisa Milne-DeWitt, and Kiyéis Tláa Natasha Clevenger, discuss what Ketchikan Indian Community's (KIC) Tlingit Language Team is doing in the community, in the schools, and what goals and achievements are being worked on to contribute to Indigenous language revitalization. Traditional place names and the importance of Indigenous history of the land were also discussed. Now Available on our YouTube channel