Museum of the Aleutians hires new director

Virginia "Ginny" Hatfield is the newest director of the Museum of the Aleutians, the third in two years.

According to a Dec. 31 news release from the museum: "The board is excited that Ms. Hatfield, the current collections manager, accepted the position of the executive director. She is an archaeologist and has done work for the museum in the past. We are certain Ginny will pick up where the previous director left off, and move the museum forward."

After just four months on the job, the last executive director, Neal Hitch, departed for unforeseen family reasons, according to board member Suzi Golodoff. Hitch started work in Unalaska on July 15, and resigned effective Dec. 11.

While the museum's board was "extremely disappointed" that Hitch didn't last longer, they praised him for moving the museum forward in a "positive direction." Hitch likewise said he enjoyed his time in the Aleutians "immensely."

Hitch's arrival came after an extended closure of the museum because of the scandal involving rare books found in the home of former executive director Zoya Johnson in 2015. Johnson eventually resigned.

Among Hitch's accomplishments was overseeing the annual fundraising auction, held in November for the first time in two years. He said it was attended by about 45 people and raised about $10,000.

Hatfield, from Lubbock, Texas, participated in a major archaeological expedition to two uninhabited Aleutian Islands in the summer of 2014, Chuginadak and Carlisle, in the Islands of Four Mountains, west of Unalaska and east of Atka. The excavations were led by archaeologist Dixie West of the University of Kansas.

The museum continues showcasing local history and culture.

Three temporary exhibits supported by an Alaska Humanities Forum grant, entitled "MOTA: Focus on Collections, Temporary Exhibits," will run through mid-April, Hatfield said.

The first one is "Grassweave Basketry."

The weavers whose work is on display include Mike Rasmussen, Tatiana Zaochney, Oleana Prokopeuff, Augusta Dushkin, Margaret Lokanin, Agnes Thompson, Pariscovia Wright, Vera Snigaroff, Agnes Sovoroff, Jennie Goalie, Alice Hope, Paula Hope, Gertrude Svarney, Nadesta Golley, Clara Snigaroff, Vera Nevsoroff, Sophie Pletnikoff and Melanie Lokanin, as well as unknown artists.

"We would love for people who know about the history of these baskets to come and talk with us," Hatfield said.

The next two exhibits include one in mid-January on "Prehistoric Fishing Technology" and one at the beginning of March on "Tools from the Islands of the Four Mountains."

"The community archaeology program that we will start this summer will involve as many volunteers as we can and professionals will excavate the site and work in the lab to clean and categorize artifacts. It should be exciting," Hatfield said.

This story first appeared in The Bristol Bay Times/Dutch Harbor Fisherman and is republished here with permission.