Día de Muertos in Alaska

Abstract

The celebration of Día de Muertos (Spanish for Day of the Dead) has been hosted by the Latino community in Anchorage, Alaska, every second of November since 2004, where the ritual to honor ancestors is shared, and a symbolic bridge between the communities that converge within the territory is built. During the 2021 celebration, the Indigenous women Christina Edwin (Denaa and Chicana) and Itzel Zagal (Mexica Xochimilca) collaborated on an altar that was culturally appropriate for Olga Ezi (Ahtna Dene, South Central Dena'ina matriarch). It was a tribute the Alaska Native women (Chedas or grandmothers) and brought together Indigenous perspectives with a common respect for ancestries. This collaboration found that Día de Muertos is a spiritual practice and an act of cultural resistance and solidarity.