Native Village of Eyak

The Native Village of Eyak's Ilanka Cultural Center and Museum will purchase a handheld 3D digital scanner to create a virtual reality story for museum visitors to learn about and use tribal artifacts in their traditional manner. Many of the tribe's artifacts have been widely dispersed, making it difficult for members to see and interact with them. A company experienced in 3D scanning and immersive virtual reality simulations will provide the training, which will be open to all tribal members. The museum will produce scans of selected objects collected over the past 15 years. The new exhibition will feature the words and voices of tribal members, particularly elders who can share their stories and historical knowledge. The mobile scanner will offer multiple other benefits for the museum to create 3D printed copies of rare items for use in cultural performances.