Melissa Shaginoff
Ahtna & Paiute |Interdisciplinary artist & museum specialist
Nay'dini'aa Na Kayax (Chickaloon Village, Alaska)
Melissa Shaginoff, of the Udzisyu (caribou) and Cui Ui Ticutta (fish-eater) clans from Nay'dini'aa Na Kayax (Chickaloon Village, Alaska), is an interdisciplinary artist and museum specialist of Ahtna and Paiute descent. Working on Dena’ina lands in Dghayitnu (Anchorage), her art practice focuses on conversation to deepen understanding through exchange and reciprocity. Melissa has completed residencies in Alaska, Canada, Sweden, and New Mexico and curated for several institutions, including the Anchorage Museum. She operates the Indigenous-centered Kuzuundze’ ts’eghaanden Gallery and contributes to Łuk’ae Tse’ Taas Comics, creating language materials and sharing Dene knowledge.