MamaArcher's Blog

Spirit Houses

We decided to go adventuring today.  So we headed ten minutes up the road to the Eklutna Historical Park.  I began to tell the children a little bit about where we were before we entered.  The children decided to have a little fun with me.  They asked me if I was depressed.  After assuring them that I was not they then proceeded to ask why I was bring them to a cemetery.  Apparently, the only reason to visit a cemetery is if you are depressed.  This of course was all in jest.  And I guess I am a little crazy but I actually do like to visit cemeteries. I love to visit churches too, so this was the perfect place.

So, on to the Eklutna Historical Park.  This is a great place to visit if you are interested in different cultures and the convergence of the Athabascan culture with the Russian Orthodox Church’s influence.  This is a cemetery with the Native Spirit Houses as well as the old church and the new church in which services are still held.  I have several neat photos to share so it may take more than one posting.

The interior of Alaska is home to the Athabaskan Native Peoples. Specific to the Eklutna area are the Danaina or Tanaina, Athabaskans. These colorful spirit houses are a uniquely Athabaskan tradition; according to cultural beliefs.  Spirit houses were built by the family after the person’s death.  A wonderful and unique mix of this native tradition with the practices and beliefs of Orthodox Christianity can be seen in the cemetery. The graves of the Athabaskan people are marked not only with their traditional spirit houses, but also with an Orthodox Christian Cross. There are also graves marked only with crosses, honoring the resting places of the Orthodox non- native members of the church.
Info. via Eklutna Historical Park–Orthodox Church in America

The Athabascans at the time did not have a written language so the houses were marked with the colors of the family to identify them. They were made to only last about a year because they believed that the spirit of the individual hovered above ground for a year and lived in these houses. Today, the park restores the houses for educational purposes. They would also place items dear to the individual in the houses. If there was a smaller house inside of a larger house it indicates a mother and child. You can determine the approximate age of an individual by the size of the houses also. A small child for instance has a very tiny house. Houses with fences around them indicate a person of prominence within the community. The shapes along the ridges of the houses also help in identification of a family.

This is still an active cemetery, meaning that people are still buried here.  In fact, we saw family members coming to care for the graves of loved ones.  They will first bury the individual and cover them with a blanket.  They wait, if I remember correctly, about four months then build the houses.

This was the grave that was being tended to; they removed all of the dead flowers.  If you look at the corners you can see how the blanket is secured over the grave.

Here is one where you can see the blanket with the house on top.  You can see the distinctive colorings as well as the markings along the roof ridge.  The cross in front is the Russian Orthodox Cross which I will share the details of with you in another post.

A very old house in which the shelter covering it is falling apart.

A very elaborate Spirit House.  The children learned things about this lady by looking in the windows and viewing items within.  This lady knew how to knit.

An example of the different sizes.  A child verses an adult grave.  This is also a good example of the coloring and ridge markings of different families.

And of course no trip would be complete without a moose.  Notice the blanket covered grave behind him.

I will share more about our trip in future posts so check back during the week.