INTERIOR – ALASKA NATIVE HERITAGE CENTER

A replica Unangax longhouse: a single, semi-subterranean, dimly lit room. A GUIDE of about sixteen is showing RYAN around, explaining various artifacts of her traditional culture.

GUIDE
The flap over the hole in the ceiling is made from seal intestine. It lets in the light but keeps out the cold air.

RYAN
All right.

The GUIDE indicates a large black stone.

GUIDE
This is a lamp, made from volcanic rock. It burned grass and seal oil. It lit the room for four hours and kept the room warm for an additional eight hours.

RYAN
Cool.

RYAN motions toward a pointed object carved from wood.

RYAN
What’s this?

GUIDE
That’s a… I forget the name. It starts with an A.

RYAN perks up, remembering something he learned from crossword puzzles.

RYAN
Is it an adze?

GUIDE
No, this is an adze.

The GUIDE picks up an adze.

GUIDE
It was used to cut the steps into this log, so it could be used as a ladder.

RYAN
Oh, I get it.

The GUIDE picks up the pointy thing RYAN had asked about before.

GUIDE
This was used to throw spears–

RYAN’s eyes widen again.

RYAN
Is it an atlatl?

GUIDE
Yeah, that’s it!

RYAN freaks out about how cool atlatls are for the next several days.