Mana: The History We Inherit is a groundbreaking exhibit enriching our knowledge of Alaska’s heritage and history. The exhibit has a profound effect on Alaska’s cultural landscape, particularly how it reshapes the narrative around Filipino American history in the state. By illuminating stories seldom shared or forgotten, the exhibit fills a significant gap in historical record, contributing to a more inclusive, nuanced, and accurate portrait of the state’s history.
As a model of community-based curation, the exhibit brought together dozens of contributors from across Alaska. It was led by Tasha Elizarde, Shayne Nuesca, and Joshua Albeza Branstetter, with written contributions from Pearl-Grace Pantaleone and Matt Jardin, along with stories submitted by community members. The exhibit was made possible by generous donations from more than a dozen groups, including Filipino American community organizations uniting to uplift our elders.
The exhibit premiered at a poignant time in Alaska’s history: the first state-recognized Filipino American History Month. Aware of this momentous occasion, curators knew the exhibit called for celebration and deep community involvement. To do this, they leveraged social media and other digital platforms to build anticipation and excitement, and foster engagement with the community throughout the process. The result was a vibrant event attended by more than 1,500 community members from across Alaska celebrating intergenerational connection, Filipino culture, and showcasing Filipino artists and small businesses.
Mana: The History We Inherit was displayed at the Anchorage Museum from October 2023 through February 2024, but the exhibit’s influence extends beyond the walls of the museum. It has sparked conversations about the importance of centering communities and authentic relationships while preserving and sharing underrepresented stories. The exhibit’s success demonstrates a need for community-driven storytelling in cultural preservation efforts. Recognizing this, Tasha Elizarde, Shayne Nuesca, Joshua Albeza Branstetter, and Pearl-Grace Pantaleone officially established Mana as a media collective to ensure voices of Filipino Americans in Alaska are documented and shared for generations to come.
In July 2024, Mana presented its exhibit and approach to historical preservation in Houston, Texas after an invitation from the Filipino American National Historical Society to speak at its 20th biennial conference attended by nationally acclaimed historians, conservators, curators, and educators. They continue to preserve Filipino American history and plan to share the exhibit through Filipino community groups in Ketchikan and Fairbanks this year.
When asked about the importance of the exhibition, the Anchorage Museum said that this award to the Mana team is well deserved, and recognizes the important work they are doing to preserve and share the stories and history of the Alaska Filipino community. The Museum was honored to collaborate with the Mana team and to feature and celebrate the exhibition.
“We’re excited to present this award because it’s such a great example of a community curation project,” said Dixie Clough, director of Museums Alaska. “It takes a lot of passion and time to gather community stories and curate them for an exhibition. The team’s dedication to this work is outstanding.”
