Kenai Peninsula College is dedicating its anthropology lab to Dr. Alan Boraas — the beloved, long-time anthropology professor who died in 2019 at the age of 72. This Friday, the college is inviting members of the public to share stories about Boraas and visit the space at the Soldotna campus.
Boraas was the anthropology professor at the college for over 40 years, making him the longest-serving professor there.
KPC Assistant Anthropology Professor Adam Dunstan said Boraas’ early anthropology career was focused on archeology research, but that his research later expanded to encompass the study of local linguistics and culture through conversations with Dena’ina elders. He was an honorary member of the Kenaitze Indian Tribe and worked closely with Dena’ina elder Peter Kalifornsky to publish his collected writings.
College Director Cheryl Siemers said her predecessor, Gary Turner, initiated the process of naming the lab after Boraas.
"And our goal was to honor the legacy that Alan left to this institution with 40-plus years of teaching, community engagement, a commitment to local history, to supporting the community here and to honoring tradition and cultures in a meaningful way," she said.
That legacy continues today through KPC’s continued work with the Kenaitze tribe.
Dunstan said the anthropology department is starting a project on salmon sustainability through interviews with elders, which he hopes to conduct at the lab.
"I think with anthropology, people sometimes think of it as sort of the stuff where we dig in the ground and try to understand the past," he said. "But for me, the way I approach anthropology and the way I want this space to be seen in the future is it’s very much about present, living cultures. Things like an artifact, things like an old historical record are really only important inasmuch as they help people understand who we are today on the peninsula."
Today, Dunstan works between five and 10 students in the anthropology program at KPC, but also supports close to 100 students around the state through the university system.
He said there's a real need statewide for anthropologists who are trained in Alaska.
"But just as much as that, I just want students to take at least one class and to get to know the cultures in our area so they can be better informed and do better in their jobs and have more fulfilled lives," he said.
Dunstan wants the lab to be a space for non-students, as well. He said people are welcome to come by the lab anytime to learn about the history of the Kenai Peninsula and its people.
"Consider this to be your space," he said. "This is for the community."
Alasha Brito, advancement programs manager at the college, said there will be a brief indoor ceremony Friday at 6 p.m., where speakers will pay tribute to Boraas. They’ll later move to a campfire, outside.
Boraas did a lot of his teaching outdoors.
"Alan was notorious for saying there’s no bad weather, just bad gear," Brito said. "So we’re going with that on Friday."
Dunstan said they’ll also try to walk attendees down to an archaeological site near the college.
The Alan "Tiqutsex" Boraas Anthropology Lab is on the second floor of the Ward Building at Kenai Peninsula College, at 156 College Road in Soldotna.
