HOW TO SURVIVE

On view October 6, 2023 – January 19, 2025
Third Floor, West Wing

"The only way to survive is by taking care of one another.”
— Grace Lee Boggs, Chinese American activist and philosopher

As the Arctic continues to warm at four times the rate of the rest of the planet, Northerners are grappling with the practical and existential consequences of climate change. The destabilizing effects are numerous—melting permafrost, vanishing sea ice, unpredictable weather patterns, and struggling wildlife species—all of which are playing a role in reshaping Northern lifeways. While so much of this story is one of sadness and loss, stories of resilience, ingenuity, and hope are embedded throughout. Our collective story of survival is written by those creating space for hope, encouraging innovation, and envisioning sustainable futures grounded in equity and justice. Often, these stories, initiatives, and efforts are guided by Indigenous knowledges that remind us how we might live in reciprocity with the land, as Alaska Native peoples and global Indigenous communities have done since time immemorial.

How to Survive considers the idea of survival through hope and care, and asks how gestures and practices of love, protection, nurturing, and sharing can help us face climate change. Examining ideas of interconnectedness, listening, and caretaking, works on display invite reflection, encourage action, and urge us to consider our responsibilities to each other as well as to the plants, animals, lands, and waters of our shared planet.

Installations by contemporary artists, cultural belongings from the museum’s collection, recent design innovations, and a Community Climate Archive featuring voices from across Alaska prompt us to consider the habits we must nurture to bring forth more positive futures.

We hope this exhibition offers many opportunities for discussion with yourself, or with your fellow visitors. There are no easy answers here, only gestures that show us other ways of being are possible and within our power to imagine and enact.