Aaron Leggett was selected as a recipient of one of the 2014 Governor’s Awards for the Humanities. He has played a vital role in preserving and perpetuating the Dena’ina language and culture. As the Anchorage Museum Special Exhibits Curator, Leggett was instrumental in bringing the first exhibition of the Dena’ina Athabascan people to a major museum. The exhibit “Dena’inaq’ Huch’ulyeshi: The Dena’ina Way of Living” ran from Sept. 15 through Jan. 12 and featured artifacts and artwork from museums all over the world.
The Awards for the Humanities annually honor the contributions of individuals and groups that enrich the civic, intellectual and cultural lives of Alaskans through the wisdom and techniques of the humanities.
Other 2014 awardees included Alaska Native Elder William “Willie” Iggiagruk Hensley, University of Alaska Anchorage Distinguished Visiting Professor and author of “Fifty Miles from Tomorrow: A Memoir of Alaska and the Real People.”
The awards were presented at the Juneau Arts and Culture Center on Jan. 30 and sponsored by the Alaska Humanities Forum, the Alaska State Council on the Arts and the Office of the Governor.
