A New Northwest Arctic Culture Heritage Center
Week of October 21, 2002

I am very pleased to announce that the National Park Service has unveiled plans to construct a new $12 million facility on the site of the present NANA Museum in Kotzebue. Dave Spirtes, Superintendent for Western Arctic National Park Lands, and his special assistant Willie Goodwin met with me recently to discuss the project and gather ideas. The new facility, which will house both a museum/cultural center and Park Service staff, has been discussed for the last five years and was finally incorporated into the funding plans of the agency. Construction is anticipated in 2004.

An agreement has already been reached with NANA Regional Corporation for the purchase of the existing museum property. The sale will be finalized when the pending Congressional budget is passed.

According to Mr. Spirtes, who has resided in Kotzebue as a Park Service employee for the last eight years, the project is in the pre-design stage. It is yet to be determined whether any part of the existing structure will be retained.

I am already confident that the Cultural Heritage Center will be a true showcase of the traditional life of our people and the history of the region. I feel that way because of the careful approach the Park Service is taking to gather public input. On the evening of October 29, there will be a public discussion of the project at our Borough Assembly chambers. Representatives of the Park Service will meet with local organization leaders here the following day. And in April, after preliminary plans are on paper, they will host a meeting of elders from the region to gather their special ideas.

The new museum should provide a boost to the local tourism industry, which has dropped off significantly over the last several years. It will house not only our amazing wildlife collection and artifacts, but a variety of new exhibits. The building will also represent new office space for the 20 full-time Park Service employees and additional part-time workers in the summer.

Because of the multi-use of the facility, it will be open year around for the public, which is a huge plus. All visiting student groups as well as local students will be able to make educational visits. The many winter visitors to Kotzebue will also have a chance to tour the museum.

It's exciting to see this kind of positive change in our future. We at the Borough will be doing everything we can to assist the National Park Service with the planning and future operation of the Northwest Arctic Cultural Heritage Center.