Will Tacoma Lose Its Alaska Curios?
The Ferry Museum’s prestigious collection of Alaska Native artifacts faces the threat of being sold to Chicago, Pittsburgh, or New York.
Negotiations are underway to sell Captain Tozier's invaluable collection of Alaska curios, currently housed in the Ferry Museum, to interests in Chicago, Pittsburgh, or New York. The collection includes 4,500 rare Indian baskets, ancient stone lamps, whalebone tools, and totem poles. Experts note the collection is worth far more than the $15,000 it cost to assemble. Tacoma civic leaders are organizing an effort to ensure these rare cultural artifacts remain in the city.
“There are numberless face masks and house posts or totems in the collection that are now almost impossible to secure.”
The struggle to keep historical collections in their home city is a perennial debate in the museum world. This story highlights the ongoing civic conversation about who owns and should hold the stewardship of Indigenous cultural history.
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