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Site: ANKN Resources
Course: Sharing Our Pathways Newsletters (Sharing Our Pathways Newsletters)
Glossary: Sharing Our Pathways Articles

VOLUME 1, ISSUE 2

Elder Participation In "The Spirit Of Our Ancestors" by Alice W. Stonecipher : Denakkanaaga, the Organization of Interior Native Elders, has started a cultural preservation project entitled "The Spirit Of Our Ancestors." This project seeks to involve the elders of the region in transmitting their cultural knowledge to the next generation, which is their traditional role. This will be done in several different ways. First of all, a cultural review board is in the beginning process of being formed. When functional, this board would have a dual purpose. It would set policy guidelines for the use of cultural resources (books and traditional stories) in the region. It would also work to ensure that elders in the region would not be taken advantage of by outsiders attempting to exploit them for their knowledge. Secondly, Denakkanaaga will compile a guide on Athabascan laws, customs and values. This guide will serve as a jumping off point to train youth in traditional ways. It will also help to ensure that traditional ideals are not lost in the modern world. Most of the information for this guide will be compiled directly from the elders, and will employ a village specific approach. And finally, Denakkanaaga will work to set up an Interior-wide information network, with contact people in each of the forty-three villages that Denakkanaaga serves. These contact people will communicate directly with the elders of each village and coordinate their participation. In conclusion, the elders were the guiding force behind "The Spirit Of Our Ancestors" project and will continue to be the focus of this project.

Integrating Native Ways of Knowing into the Curriculum by Ray Barnhardt, Ph.D. : The conceptual foundation for the Alaska Rural Systemic Initiative is based on a book by Angayuqaq Oscar Kawagley, Ph.D., titled A Yupiaq World View: A Pathway to Ecology and Spirit (Waveland Press, 1995). The book is an outgrowth of the research Oscar conducted for his doctoral dissertation at the University of British Columbia. In the book, he provides an insider's perspective on how the Yupiaq people of Southwest Alaska have continued to draw upon and adapt old and new ways to make sense of the world around them. Throughout the book he provides numerous examples to illustrate the inner workings of the Yupiaq knowledge system and the ways of knowing associated with it. He then contrasts this experience with the ways of teaching and learning reflected in the school, and finally offers suggestions on how the two systems can be brought together. Of particular concern to Oscar are the ways in which Native people have practiced their own form of "science" as a way of learning about and adapting to the environment in which they live. Through extensive observations and experimentation over an extended period of time, Native people learned to live in balance with the "ecological niche" in which they were situated, making efficient use of the resources available in their immediate surroundings. Out of this experience, they developed a highly functional world view that integrated the human, natural and spiritual realms of their existence. However, as this world view and lifestyle came under the influence of outside forces governed by a different way of making sense of the world, the two systems collided. The new system, based on a Western view of the world, became embodied in the institutions (including the schools) that regulated the public life of the communities, while the old system continued to survive behind the scenes as a basis for regulating peoples private lives and maintaining their subsistence livelihood. Until recently, these two systems operated largely independent of one another, leading to frequent conflict as the aspirations of one system appeared to impede the efforts of the other. It is Oscar's contention, however, that if the two systems are properly understood and appreciated on their own terms, they can be viewed as complementary to one another, each having something important to contribute to the quality of life for all Alaskans. It is to the task of finding ways to bridge the indigenous and Western knowledge systems, so they can be integrated into a comprehensive approach to education, that the efforts of the Alaska Rural Systemic Initiative are directed. With the help of elders, teachers, parents and anyone else interested in improving the quality of education in rural Alaska, we will endeavor over the next five years to develop new ideas for linking Western and indigenous knowledge into an integrated approach to education that encompasses both the community and the school. As Oscar has done in his book, we will begin this effort by focusing on ways in which science and math can be connected to everyday life in the community, utilizing the expertise of elders and the local environment as educational resources. We welcome any and all input from those of you who are engaged in similar efforts. Watch this newsletter, or check the Alaska Native Knowledge Network Web site at http://zorba.uafadm.alaska.edu/ankn for ideas and resources that are applicable to your cultural region. In the meantime, Oscar's book is available through your local bookstore, or you can order it from the Alaska Federation of Natives for $11.00. Write to Alaska Federation of Natives, 1577 * St., Suite 201, Anchorage, Alaska 99501.

Inupiaq Regional Report by Elmer Jackson : In December, 1995 at the first meeting of the ARSI retreat, Kathy Itta made a suggestion that we meet in Barrow during the Kivgiq Celebration. The celebration began on Monday, February 5 and ended on Friday, February 9. As the celebration began, I could sense the excitement within me. As many as nine Inupiaq dance groups participated. There were two dance groups from the Russian Far East. On Wednesday, February 7, the first regional Inupiat Elders' Council was held at Ilisagvik College. Co-Director Dorothy Larson, AISES Coordinator Claudette Bradley-Kawagley and Kathy Itta gave presentations. In attendance from the Bering Straits region were Elders Clarence and Mildred Irrigoo, Leora Kenick, Rose Koezuna and Cecelia Maktuayuk. From the NANA region, I attended along with Elders Sarah Evak, May Bernhardt, Tommy Douglas and Rachel Craig. In attendance from the North Slope region were Kathy Itta, Fanny Aqpik, Arlene Glenn, Emily Wilson, Ronald Brower and Elders Terza Hopson, Henry Kanayurak, Kenneth Toovak and Raymond Paneak. Elder Tommy Douglas opened the meeting with a prayer. Ilisagvik College president, Dr. Edna MacLean, welcomed the participants to Barrow. Co-Director Dorothy Larson gave a presentation of the ARSI project. Claudette Bradley-Kawagley, AISES Coordinator, Cross-Cultural Education Development Program of Fairbanks, also gave a presentation on AISES. Ron Brower, vice-president of the Inuit Circumpolar Conference (ICC) spoke on the responsibility of our elders. He stated that the elders need to be involved in the planning of what is going to be taught to our children, especially in the sciences. He also spoke on the principles and elements of ICC. The following are comments made by the participating elders: It was stated that the elders want to see the Alaska Rural Systemic Initiative go in the right direction. We, as Inupiat, are not to forget our Inupiat way of life. Inupiat people are very spiritual . . . and that is important to nurture our spiritual being. They stated that prayer should be a part of the school system. Rachel Craig, NWABSD Inupiat Ilitqusiat coordinator and president of the ICC Elders' Council spoke on the responsibility of our elders. She stated that we need to give specific jobs on what they are going to teach in the schools. If they (elders) are given specific jobs, they will have time to think and prepare what they are going to teach. (More comments were made, I was not able to record everything they said.) Claudette Bradley-Kawagley and I will travel to Kotzebue and Nome to meet with school personnel April 1-3; Bernadette Alvanna-Stimple and Claudette will travel to Unalakleet April 4-6. They will return to Nome to meet with administrators and school personnel. The MOAs between the University of Alaska and the school districts in the North Slope, Northwest Arctic Borough and the Bering Straits have been agreed upon.

News From ARSI Co-Directors by Angayuqaq Oscar Kawagley : ARSI co-director, Angayuqaq Oscar Kawagley, has been very busy this fall and spring doing many speaking engagements having to do with the Native world views, Native languages, and changes needed to make mathematics and science relevant to Native students. This systemic change knows no color line and, thus, is inclusive of all students from all walks of life. He gave a talk to the Northwest Health Corporation at Nome, Alaska on "Decolonizing the Mind; Learning from the Past." December 15, 1995 saw the conclusion of an interactive television course of "Native Ways of Knowing" which was aired statewide. There were many positive statements made on its timeliness and content. He is teaching the course by teleconference this spring semester. He and his wife, Dr. Claudette Bradley-Kawagley, made a presentation on teaching mathematics and science using the five elements: earth, air, fire, water and spirit during the annual Bilingual/Multicultural Education Equity Conference in Anchorage, Alaska. A spruce branch was used in the object lesson. He and Dr. Ray Barnhardt made a presentation on the Alaska Rural Systemic Initiative at the same conference. Both sessions were well attended. Angayuqaq gave a lecture recently to the UAF Department of Philosophy and Humanities on the Yupiaq world view. It was well received and many questions were asked regarding the different way of knowing. It was also his privilege to be a keynote speaker during the annual Lower Kuskokwim School District's bilingual teachers' conference in Bethel, Alaska. He was the evening storyteller during the awards potluck sponsored by the conference. Both of these sessions were done in Yupiaq. Dorothy Larson The past few months have been extremely busy. We have a full compliment of staff, our regional coordinators positions have all been filled. Joining Barbara Liu, Andy Hope, Amy Van Hatten and Elmer Jackson is Moses Dirks as the Aleut Regional Coordinator. Recently Dr. Oscar Kawagley and I met with the board of directors for the Annenberg Rural Challenge Foundation to provide background on the ARSI project. We presented concepts and ideas of how we could mesh the ARSI and the Annenberg Rural Challenge (ARC) work to bring about systemic reform in a more holistic fashion in rural schools. Nationally, fourteen projects and organizations were invited to participate in the meeting with the ARC Board in Olive Branch, Mississippi. It was held in a very rural setting. While we were there an ice storm kept us captive for several days! It was more isolated than being in one of the villages where we are prepared for the elements. Otherwise, it was a positive experience to meet with others who are working in rural schools across the nation on many different projects. We look forward to the development and presentation of a proposal to the Annenberg Rural Challenge, which will not only provide a holistic approach in rural education, it will involve more of our village community members in schools. The Annenberg Rural Challenge can facilitate and round out the ARSI efforts beyond the math/science/technology focus in the integration and blending of indigenous knowledge and life ways to make education more relevant. We will keep you posted on this development. Our staff is busy in planning for the upcoming ARSI Alaska Native/Rural Education Consortium meeting in April. It will be exciting to return to Chena Hot Springs where this project was brought from the idea stage to recommendations for the basis of what we are now involved in-the Alaska Rural Systemic Initiative. The National Science Foundation provided the funding for the earlier colloquia and continues to be involved with our efforts in making positive changes in the education arena. On April 15, the National Native Science Advisory Council, a newly formed group under the auspices of the ARSI, will meet. This council will serve as a vehicle for facilitating the exchange of ideas on Native science education issues between the ARSI and other Native American people and NSF. In this effort, we will be focusing attention on indigenous perspectives in the generation and utilization of scientific knowledge and to initiate a national Native science education agenda that shifts the cultural focus in schools from teaching about culture to teaching in the culture. Our aim is to reorient schools to use the local cultural base as the foundation for teaching all subject matter (including the Western-derived curriculum) moving from the local to a global perspective. Since this has implications for many other areas of life in Native communities, we see this group as an important link between and across the local, state and national arenas. The council is made up of members from different parts of the United States and half from the Alaska Native community. We will have an opportunity to meet members of the council in Chena Hot Springs. The memorandums of agreement are in place and we are fully into the work of implementing the initiatives of our ARSI project in each region. A number of regional meetings, elders' council meetings and meetings with various staff and partners have been taking place in the last several months. You will be hearing from the regional coordinators and other project staff in their reports. Co-directors have been making site visits during the regional events which have demonstrated that there are many things going on in rural Alaska schools. We received expressions of interest from school districts, Native leaders and community members about the project. Through the good work of our staff and their availability, outreach work and the Sharing Our Pathways newsletter, we hope that we can provide meaningful information that will ultimately result in improving rural and Native education. Please use the Alaska Native Knowledge Network World Wide Web data. It is updated on an ongoing basis. This kind of information will be very helpful to teachers, community resource people, administrators, parents and, most importantly, to students. The data gathering and documentation is a key component of the ARSI. Technology can be one of the important tools for rural schools. In conclusion, I would like to ask you all to contact anyone of the co-directors for more information or if you have questions or comments.

Regional Coordinator Roles : o Work with Regional Elders Council * Conduct village cultural inventory * What do people want their children to learn? * What resources are available for this? * Coordinate all activities associated with regional activities * Participate in statewide planning * Assist in development of a regional atlas * Prepare monthly newsletter column * Represent region at statewide/regional meetings * Assist with ARSI data gathering * Implement an individual project * Bring fish strips to meetings

Southeast Regional Report by Andy Hope : I have been busy organizing a regional Elders' Council meeting and a regional Native curriculum planning meeting, both of which were held in conjunction with the Third Conference of Tlingit Tribes and Clans in Ketchikan and Saxman, March 28-30, 1996. The Elders' Council included the following members: Arnold Booth, Metlakatla; Chuck Natkong, Hydaburg; Gil Truitt, Sitka; Lydia George, Angoon; Joe Hotch, Klukwan. The Southeast Elders council elected Arnold Booth from its membership as a representative to the Alaska Native Rural Education Consortium. The Sitka School Board approved the MOA to participate in the ARSI project at their regular meeting on March 4. I traveled to Sitka for meetings on March 25 and 26, prior to the Tlingit Clan Conference. I encouraged the Sitka Tribe of Alaska, the Sitka Native Education Program, Dog Point Fish Camp, Sheldon Jackson College and the Sitka UAS campus to participate in the ARSI project with the Sitka School District. Each of these entities were represented at the Tlingit Clan Conference. The Southeast ARSI office will be providing assistance to Sealaska Heritage Foundation in the presentation of a multicultural education course, "Learning About Southeast Alaska Cultures Through Native Voices" during the 1996 Summer University of Alaska Southeast. The academy is scheduled for June 3-7, 1996 and will coincide with the biannual Sealaska Celebration dance festival. Will the Time Ever Come? A Tlingit Source Book will be published by this fall by Raven's Bones Press, with distribution by the University of Washington Press. The book will contain materials from the Tlingit Clan Conference and will also provide material for the Alaska Native Knowledge Network.

Sprouting New Ideas and Activities by Nastasia Wahlberg : In Quinhagak, a Kuingnerrarmiut Yugtaat Elitnaurarkait (Yup'ik Life Skills) curriculum has been developed where indigenous knowledge is integrated with ecology, biology and physical education courses. Lessons are offered in life webs, food chains and traditional fishing methods. The students dissect and identify external and internal parts both in Yup'ik and English. This develops proficiency in learning science using both Indigenous and Western lens. Then when they are done, the students, according to old customs, give the fish to people who need it, preferably the elders. In P.E., Yup'ik dancing is taught with the assistance of the elders and students receive two semester credits. According to David Charlie, who helped develop the curriculum, the elders and the students came together and brainstormed topic areas for the units to be offered over a four-year sequential cycle. What is interesting about this process is that the elders, along with classroom teachers, assessed the student's knowledge of the acquired skills that were achieved. Traditional means of visual assessment by elders could be held, while teachers fulfilled their assessment requirements using state standards. A similar effort has been underway in the Bristol Bay area. The Ciulistet Yup'ik math and science research project, now in its fourth year, gathers Yup'ik teachers together with the elders in remote villages. The elders use Yup'ik protocols whereby each individual shares their knowledge based on past elder's teachings and from their experiences. The collective knowledge is rendered until everyone has come to one mind. Weather predictions, moon and sun cycles, land and water passage routes, oral stories from mythical to historical, parka and storyknife symbols, and Yup'ik math, ecological and biological factors are all discussed. The Yup'ik teachers then apply this knowledge by developing curriculum ideas that are presented to the elders for their critique using the same approach.

The Ciulistet Group by Esther Ilutsik : The Ciulistet Research Group was established in 1986 under the direction of Esther Ilutsik and Dr. Jerry Lipka. Our initial efforts were primarily to address and support the needs of the Yup'ik certified Native teachers within the Bristol Bay area. In the process of validating their teaching style and seeking to include more local knowledge into the curriculum, we discovered the importance of including our elders in the process to get a unique Yup'ik/Western model of teaching. Thus, our research group, since 1991, includes elders within our region. The villages that have been active participants include: Dillingham, Aleknagik, Manokotak, Togiak, Koliganek and New Stuyahok. Ciulistet Research Workshops Available Fall 1996 We now have five units that have been developed and field tested in the classrooms. These units were established from knowledge that our elders shared with us at our meetings. The five units are: Yup'ik Counting, Yup'ik Patterns, Sonar Boards (based on traditional Yup'ik legends) and Weather and the Heartbeat. We also are establishing lessons for Yup'ik measurement. Many of these units can easily be adapted into themes. If you are interested in any of these sessions, let us know and we will send you a materials list for the session you are interested in. We can also offer college credit for those who are interested through the Bristol Bay campus. This class will most likely be a 300-level course (methods and curriculum development). You may contact Esther A. Ilutsik, UAF Bristol Bay Campus, (907) 842-5901 or write to her at: P.O. Box 188, Dillingham, Alaska 99576. You can also contact Dr. Jerry Lipka at UAF Fairbanks Campus, (907) 474-6439.

Village Science by Alan Dick : This is the time of year when students and teachers get involved in local and state science fairs. Many hours are invested in developing the projects for display. Through the years there have been many interesting projects presented in local fairs, but there needs to be a better process for the flow of ideas from one place to another so we can all learn from each others' efforts. Even project entries that do not succeed often have excellent ideas to illustrate. Scientists flock to Alaska for our unique situations. Our opportunities are enviable and our students can and should be taking awards in national competitions, or better yet, should be developing a sense of excitement as they look at their local environments with a fresh viewpoint and curiosity. We don't necessarily need more answers, but need to discover the appropriate questions. Most of all, we need to learn from each other, especially in such a rich and diverse state as ours. How about if we start making video tapes of the projects that students prepare for the local science fairs? While good quality videos would be nice, even a poor product is better than none. A narrative by the camera person would help to overcome questions that arise from less than professional camera technique. The flow of ideas is what we need to foster. If people are interested, I would be willing to gather tapes from anyone willing to share, and edit them and make a final collection that would be available for exchange. I am sure many exciting things are happening, but as usual they are occurring in isolation. If you (teacher or students) are able to put together a video of the science fair in your school and are willing to share the results, please send it to me at P.O. Box 162, McGrath, Alaska 99627. I will make sure you get a copy of the final collection in return.

Welcome, Moses! : Moses Dirks is originally from Atka in the Aleutians. He will be working out of Anchorage and can be reached through AFN at (907) 274-3611. His e-mail address is fhmd@aurora.alaska.edu. Moses was most recently with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service as Regional Subsistence Coordinator and has traveled extensively in the Aleut Region. Moses is one course away from his Master of Arts in Teaching. He has been involved in teaching Aleut language, culture and history in the schools in Anchorage, Unalaska, Aleutians East Borough, False Pass and Aleutian Region. During 1991-92, Moses developed a marine mammal biology kit for use in the science curriculum in rural Alaska schools under a Murdock Science Project graduate fellowship. Among other accomplishments, Moses served as co-editor with Dr. Knut Bergsland transcribing and translating tapes and legends for Aleut Tales and Narratives into English. He was a language specialist verifying the accuracy of words in the various sub-dialects of the Aleut language for the Aleut Dictionary Project. Besides being involved in education, Moses has done videotaping work and operated a closed-circuit television station; served as postmaster in Atka; and served as mayor for two years in Atka. In 1988, he received several awards including an Alaska Legislative Citation, the Alaska Bilingual Teacher of the Year and was a finalist for the National Bilingual Teacher of the Year. Moses rounds out our excellent team of regional coordinators who will be instrumental in the coordination and implementation of the Alaska Rural Systemic Initiative (ARSI) plan. Moses was involved in the Alaska Native Science Colloquia in Chena Hot Springs, so you will have an opportunity to become reacquainted with Moses and welcome him at our consortium meeting in April at Chena Hot Springs.

World Indigenous Peoples Conference on Education : The fourth tri-annual World Indigenous Peoples Conference on Education will be held in Albuquerque, New Mexico June 15-22, 1996. Alaska Native people are encouraged to attend and share ideas with indigenous people from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Russia, Norway, South America and other parts of the United States. Information can be obtained through the Alaska Native Knowledge Network or by writing to 1996 WIPC:E, Galles Building, 1601 Central Northeast, Albuquerque, NM 87131 (503-277-8249). E-mail to wipc_e@arc.unm.edu See you there!

Yup'ik Regional Report by Barbara Liu : Since the end of January, I have mailed all inquiry letters to different agencies. I have made contacts with just about all twelve school district superintendents, who were helpful in giving me individual names to contact on elders' documentation. These are the names of all the school districts I've contacted: Bering Straits, Lower Yukon, St. Mary's, Qissunamuit, Lower Kuskokwim, Yupiit, Kuspuk, Iditarod, Southwest, Dillingham City, Bristol Bay Borough and Lake and Peninsula. Lower Kuskokwim school district held their annual bilingual conference March 6-8, in Bethel. It was good to see representatives on a short notice from the following school districts: Bering Straits, Lower Yukon, Yupiit and Southwest. It was also good to be right at home with my co-directors and co-workers that attended. An activity that was the most memorable for me was with the elders and facilitated by the Ciulistet team from Dillingham. The topic set the stage for the two subregions to connect on the map sharing stories. Andy Sharp, an elder representative from Quinhagak, described traveling by foot through the mountain valleys. Yup'ik place names not on a topographical map of Alaska were located and terminology written down on chart paper. The facilitators emphasized the importance of recording everything because they use the content at a later time to study it with the elders or in making specific lessons from it. Some excellent mathematical and scientific inquiry began but ended all too soon due to time constraints. Jerry Lipka, with the Yup'ik Math and Science Project and UAF School of Education associate professor and Esther Ilutsik, Bristol Bay Research and Pedagogy coordinator and Ciulistet Yup'ik Teachers' group leader were present and mentioned as the inspirational leaders for starting the Ciulistet group. Team work was well displayed. I have shared only a small portion of the conference where I observed regional collaboration. The activity provided great ideas on how to work with regional elders. As spring approaches, I look forward to observing another Ciulistet field study at a camp site. During the month of March and April, regional activities included but were not limited to the following: Bethel Camai Dance Festival, Bethel Elders Conference and Yukon Kuskokwim Health Corporation Tribal and Medicine Conference, also held in Bethel. Community potlatches are being hosted in Marshall and St. Mary's inviting area villages. Kuspuk's Elders' Conference will be held in Sleetmute. I hope to actively participate in some. Until next time, thank you for your time. Best regards to our readers. Tuainguricugnarquq! Barbara "Makill" Liu

VOLUME 1, ISSUE 3

AISES Corner by Claudette Bradley-Kawagley : The spring semester has ended for University of Alaska Fairbanks. This brings another successful semester for the UAF AISES chapter to a close. The students have elected new officers for the coming academic year: President: Mark Blair, graduate student in anthropology, from Kotzebue/Detroit Vice President: Sasha Atuk, junior in mechanical engineering, from Fairbanks Secretary: Kim Ivie, junior in education, from Fairbanks Treasurer: Ambrose Towarak, junior in civil engineering, from Unalakleet AISES students ended the year with two interesting guest speakers. Pierre Deviche, Professor of Wildlife Biology at UAF, spoke on song birds and how they learn the songs through imitation and practice, much like humans learning songs. Dave Gilliam, Professor at University of Northern Colorado, spoke on risk factors with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. UAF AISES students are preparing a fall fundraiser (for travel money) to attend the AISES National Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, November 14-17, 1996. Region I includes AISES chapters in Montana, Idaho, Washington, Wyoming, Oregon, Canada and Alaska. Region I AISES Conference '96 occurred at the University of Washington, March 28-31. March 6, 7 and 8, 1997, Region I AISES Conference '97 will be at the University of Alaska Anchorage concurrently with the Alaska Native Foundation (ANF) Festival. During the first week of April Claudette Bradley-Kawagley traveled to Kotzebue, Nome and Unalakleet to talk with school district administrators, math and science teachers and students about AISES and the benefits for AISES chapters in schools K-12. Students are never too young to join AISES and learn about mathematics, science and their relationship to Native people and the future self-sufficiency of Native people. Oscar Kawagley attended the meetings and spoke of the importance of students developing village science application projects for an Inupiaq science fair to be held early winter 1996. The Alaska Rural Systemic Initiative will sponsor an Inupiaq science fair for the students of North Slope, Northwest Arctic, Bering Straits and Nome public school districts. Oscar and I want to thank Bernadette Alvanna-Stimpfle and Elmer Jackson as well as the school district administrators and teachers for arranging meetings and making it possible to achieve our goals. Fourteen students at Ilisagvik College, Barrow, Alaska, have started an AISES chapter. Students have elected officers: President: Daniel Lum Vice President: Aaron Cook Secretary: Felton Sarren Treasurer: Daniel Wright (American Indian Science & Engineering Society) Ten students attended the AISES Region I Conference '96 at the University of Washington. The conference gave students inspiration and ideas for operating the AISES chapter at Ilisagvik. Congratulations, Ilisagvik College, on your new AISES chapter!

Alaska RSI Hosts National Native Science Council by Dorothy M. Larson : The first meeting of those nominated to serve on the National Native Science Education Advisory Council (NNSEAC) was held at the Chena Hot Springs Resort on April 15. The council is sponsored by the National Science Foundation through the Alaska Rural Systemic Initiative, one of four rural systemic initiatives in the United States. The purpose of the NNSEAC will be to facilitate the exchange of ideas on Native science, math, engineering and technology education between the Alaska Rural Systemic Initiative and the other RSIs, tribal people, school and communities and the National Science Foundation (NSF). The council will attempt to ensure that: * indigenous components of school curricula illustrate knowledge and concepts that take into consideration standards-based science, math, engineering and technology education; * the cultural integrity of Native knowledge shared by traditional elders is respectfully maintained by the schools, faculty and students; * the science, math, engineering and technology curriculum and content is rigorous, while the level of teaching is appropriate for the grade and age level of the student; * appropriate alternative assessments are utilized to account for cultural differences in student learning styles, teaching methodologies and curricular materials; * the systemic initiatives promote and encourage opportunities for culturally appropriate community and technological development; and * the council membership serves as role models and career resources for teachers and students. The Alaska RSI is implementing a comprehensive and systemic approach to reform in indigenous settings. The emphasis is on the utilization of traditional knowledge, ways of knowing and world views in the educational process. This indigenous knowledge system is intended to complement the Western curriculum in a way that will reorient schools to build on the local cultural context, moving from a local to a global perspective. The council will assist in focusing attention on indigenous perspectives about scientific knowledge and formulating a Native science agenda which shifts the focus in schools from teaching about the culture to teaching in the culture. The council will provide an important link between local, state and national initiatives in the documentation and utilization of Native knowledge systems which will strengthen the experiences of Native students by demonstrating the applicability of traditional knowledge in understanding the contemporary world. The council is intended to serve in a review and advising capacity to assist NSF in the formulation of programs, research issues, standards and assessment systems that are sensitive and responsive to indigenous perspectives in the areas of math, science and technology. The council is expected to meet twice a year, once in Alaska and once outside the state. The Alaska RSI has submitted names for approval to NSF for the membership which includes members from the Alaska Native community, from Canada, other rural systemic initiatives and other organizations involved in indigenous education. The Alaska RSI is excited about working with those individuals and organizations on the council. AN/REC The Alaska Native/Rural Education Consortium (AN/REC) met at the Chena Hot Springs Resort in April. Prior to the consortium meeting, the co-directors, regional coordinators, staff, memorandum of agreement participants and other NSF-funded projects met to discuss the status and progress of the Alaska RSI's implementation program that began in mid-September. Alaska RSI staff held a day-long staff meeting to hear regional reports, co-directors reports and to receive computer training. Dr. Gerald Gipp, NSF program officer for the Alaska RSI, and Dr. Jane Stutsman, also of NSF, were in attendance for a portion of the consortium meeting. The NSF staff gave an overview of the work of NSF in the area of rural systemic reform. The meeting provided an opportunity to share the work of other RSIs and other NSF-funded projects occurring in the nation and the state. The members of the Alaska RSI staff and ANREC were very happy that the staff from NSF were able to attend our meeting. It provides a closer working relationship and personal knowledge of what is happening at the level where the initiatives are being implemented and for us to learn more about national perspectives. The consortium meeting highlighted the Athabascan region and featured some of the activities taking place in different locations and with the school districts who are participating with memorandum of agreements and the Interior-Aleutians Campus. It was exciting to hear from elders and educators of the positive things happening as they relate to the initiative taking place this year in the Interior-Elders and Cultural Camps. The attendance and participation of the consortium members, elders and participating MOAs plays a very key role in the success of the Alaska RSI. AN/REC participants (l to r) Alice Petrivelli, Walter Soboleff, Sally Kookesh and Clarence and Mildred Irrigoo. Ray Barnhardt gives computer pointers to regional coordinators Barbara Liu and Andy Hope.

Aleut Regional Report by Moses (Qagidax) Dirks : First of all I would like to thank the staff, Dorothy M. Larson, Oscar Kawagley, Ray Barnhardt and all the regional coordinators for welcoming me on board to the Alaska Rural Systemic Initiative project. Life is amazing at times. I was thinking back to the time when I first heard about this job. I wasn't aware that it was being advertised until I went to the Bilingual/Multicultural Conference in Anchorage in February of this year. I have been on the job full-time, since April 1. Since then I have made contacts with the school districts, tribal councils and village corporations familiarizing them with the program in rural Alaska villages. Most recently we had a staff and consortium meeting in Chena Hot Springs, April 12-14. This was a valuable experience for me since it gave me direction as to where to go from here. A lot of the questions that I had on the project were answered at that meeting. There have been a lot of activities going on in the Aleut Region this month. I followed up on the MOAs with interested organizations that I contacted. I am looking forward to working with this program and people involved. What I am really interested in doing this time around is the collection of Indigenous knowledge from elders in villages where that kind of information is still obtainable. I had a chance to attend one of the Federal Subsistence Board meetings on April 30, 1996. The board was meeting with chairs or representatives of all ten subsistence regional advisory councils in Anchorage. There they deliberated over proposed changes to the taking of the wildlife on federal public lands such as seasons and bag limits, customary and traditional determinations, etc. At this particular meeting the board, which relies on the Western biologists in making their determination, instead listened to one of the Chairs testify on behalf of his region and was successful in convincing the board to look at indigenous knowledge as well as local knowledge as an integral part of the process. As regional coordinators, I feel at this point we could have a big impact in the documentation of indigenous knowledge so that it can be integrated together with Western science. I am looking forward to working with each and every one of you. If you need anything please call or e-mail me.

ARSI Contacts : The ARSI Regional Coordinators are located in five regions within the state of Alaska. They are listed below to help you identify the correct contact. Amy Van Hatten Athabascan Regional Coordinator University of Alaska Fairbanks ARSI/ANKN PO Box 756730 Fairbanks, Alaska 99775-6730 (907) 474-5086 e-mail: fyav@aurora.alaska.edu Elmer Jackson Inupiaq Regional Coordinator PO Box 134 Kiana, Alaska 99749 e-mail: fnej@aurora.alaska.edu Andy Hope Southeast Regional Coordinator University of Alaska Southeast School of Business/PR 11120 Glacier Highway Juneau, Alaska 99801 (907) 465-6362 e-mail: fnah@aurora.alaska.edu Barbara Liu Yup'ik Regional Coordinator Box 2262 Bethel, Alaska 99559 (907) 543-3457 e-mail: fnbl@aurora.alaska.edu Moses Dirks Aleutians Regional Coordinator Alaska Federation of Natives 1577 * Street, Suite 201 Anchorage, Alaska 99501 (907) 274-3611 e-mail: fhmd@aurora.alaska.edu

Athabascan Region Summer Events by Amy Van Hatten : As warmer weather, longer days and the bugs arrive, it's time to think about outdoor activities for the whole family, summer students, community and other populations that enjoy the great outdoors. Whether it will be a one-, five- or ten-day outing. Put your dream of camping into a reality. Reach for that paper and pencil to make your list of things to bring out camping while you are keeping in mind how much room you will have in the boat, car or plane to carry all that stuff. First things first, ask who is planning to go. Okay, now second, think of the camping skills they would have to offer either as a good fish cutter, an operator of the net or fish wheel, a river navigator who could find a good "eddy" to use for the net, a crafts person who uses what nature has provided to use as tools, wood by-products, skin sewer, hunter and gatherer, user of medicinal plants or berries, a storyteller/historian who remembers the old days on how it use to be or how it became a popular campsite, who the ancestors were, one(s) who seem to "keep vigil over the site," the spirits of past generations, etc. Make a list of how much food will be needed and what is already provided by nature: fish, meat, ducks, etc. Check for what staples are in the house or at your neighbor's. (Leave behind the junk food, ear phones with CD players and the like.) The list is endless and each of us have different needs. After all, the goal is for everyone to have a relaxed and a very memorable time at camp. I know! Think of what you will need in terms of the ABCs of camping, for example, A is for ax, B is for boat, * is for cutting knives, D is for drying racks and F is for fun! Camping out in Alaska has a rich history. It was a way of survival. A way of life. It was our ancestor's traverse ways that made this country what it is today. Camping was born out of the traditions of the past. Enjoy that time together!

Congrats to Dolly Garza! : Congratulations to Dolores A. Garza who graduated May 25, 1996 from the University of Delaware with a Doctorate of Philosophy in Marine Policy. Dolly's dissertation topic was Policy Options for Managing Alaska's Herring Resources. Dolly was recently selected to serve on the National Native Science and Education Advisory Council. Good work Dolly!

Cross-Cultural Orientation at Old Minto Camp by Ray Barnhardt, Robert Charlie and Bill Pfisterer : For the past seven summers UAF Summer Sessions, in conjunction with the Cultural Heritage and Education Institute of the village of Minto, has been offering an opportunity for students in selected summer courses to spend a week at the Old Minto Cultural Camp on the Tanana River under the tutelage of the local Athabascan elders. The program is designed for teachers and others new to Alaska who enroll in the Cross-Cultural Orientation Program (X-COP) course, as well as for students entering the UAF graduate programs in cross-cultural education. This year, the camp will be extended and will include additional activities associated with the Alaska Rural Systemic Initiative. Participants in the Old Minto Cultural Camp are taken thirty miles down the Tanana River from Nenana by river boat to the site of the former village of Minto, which was vacated around 1970 when the new village of Minto was constructed near the Tolovana River on the north end of Minto Flats. The people from Minto set up the Cultural Heritage and Education Institute as a non-profit entity, with Robert Charlie as director, to help them regain control over the old site and put it to use for educational purposes. In addition to the UAF Cultural Camp, the site has been used by the Minto Elders to provide summer and winter cultural heritage programs for the young people of Minto as well as for other groups from as far away as New York. The Tanana Chiefs' Conference has been using Old Minto as the site for a very successful alcohol and drug recovery camp as well. Despite state restrictions on the use of the site, participants in the various Old Minto programs, including the UAF students, have been able to restore several of the old buildings, clean up the cemeteries, clear two campsites and construct a fishwheel, a smoke house, drying racks, outhouses, kitchen facilities, a well, etc. Participants in the X-COP program spend five days at the camp, arriving in time for lunch on Monday and then spending the remainder of the first day making camp, including collecting spruce boughs for the tents and eating area, bringing in water and firewood and helping with the many chores that go with living at a fish camp. Except for a few basic safety rules that are made explicit upon arrival, everything at the camp for the remainder of the week is learned through participation in the on-going life of the people serving as our hosts and teachers. Volunteer work crews are assembled for the various projects and activities that are always underway, with the elders providing guidance and teaching by example. Many small clusters of people-young and old, Native and non-Native, experts and novices-can be seen throughout the camp busily working, visiting, showing, doing, listening and learning. Teachers become students and students become teachers. At the end of the day, people gather to sing, dance, joke, tell stories and play games. The last evening, a potlatch is held with special foods prepared by the camp participants and served in a traditional format followed with speeches relating the events of the week, to life and history of the area and the people of Minto. By the time the boats head back upriver to Nenana on Friday, everyone has become a part of Old Minto and the people whose ancestors are buried there. It's an experience for which there is no textbook equivalent. What is learned cannot be internalized vicariously but is embedded in the learning experience itself, though not everyone comes away having learned the same thing. In fact, one of the strengths of the camp is that participants come away having learned something different and unique to (and about) themselves. The Old Minto Camp experience (which occurs during the middle week of a three-week course) contributes enormously to the level of learning that is achieved in a relatively short period of time. Part of the reason for this is that students come back to class during the third week with a common experience against which to bounce their ideas and build new levels of understanding. More significantly, however, students are able to immerse themselves in a new cultural environment in a non-threatening and guided fashion that allows them to set aside their own predispositions long enough to begin to see the world through other peoples' eyes. For this, most of the credit needs to go to the elders of Minto, who have mastered the art of making themselves accessible to others, and to Robert and Kathy Charlie, who make it all happen. The greatest challenge when we return to campus is to provide ways for students to carry over what they have learned at Old Minto to their future practice as educators, while at the same time helping them to recognize the limitations and dangers of over-extending their sense of expertise on the basis of the small bits of insights they may have acquired on the banks of the Tanana. By taking the teachers to a camp environment for an educational experience of their own, we hope to encourage them to consider ways to use cultural camps and elders' expertise in their own teaching. Teachers, school districts and communities throughout the state have sponsored camps for a wide variety of purposes (as the articles in this issue of the SOP newsletter illustrate), but in many instances the camps are treated as a supplementary experience, rather than as an integral part of the school curriculum. We hope that graduates of Old Minto will lead the way in making cultural camps and elders the classrooms and teachers of the future in rural Alaska, which is also why "Elders and Cultural Camps" is one of the five major initiatives that will be implemented through the Alaska Rural Systemic Initiative in each cultural region over the next five years. Additional Resources Along with the examples of cultural camps described in this newsletter, the following are additional resources that are available for anyone interested in implementing a camp or involving elders in their own school or community. Copies of these resource items can be requested from the Alaska Native Knowledge Network at the cost of reproduction. ANHRDP. (1980). "The Drum: Gaalee'ya 'Bear Child' Camp." Anchorage: Alaska Native Human Resource Development Program. Carter, P. (1995). "Camping for the Spirit: A Directory and Resource Guide for Camps that Teach Subsistence Skills and Values." Anchorage: Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Grubis, S., & Ommituk, C. (1992). "Elders in Residence: The Point Hope Partnership." Juneau: Alaska Staff Development Network Henley, T. (1989). "Rediscovery: Ancient Ways-New Directions." Vancouver, B.C.: Western Canada Wilderness Committee Waahyi, J., & George, M. (1994). "Knowing Something Different: The Savoonga Subsistence Science Project." Savoonga: Savoonga IRA Council. Drying fish show the elders' expertise in filleting salmon. Camp participants gather in a circle to listen to Robert Charlie on potlatch day.

Dog Point Fish Camp by Roby Littlefield : Dog Point Fish Camp is sponsored by North American Traditional Indian Values Enrichment (NATIVE), a non-profit 501(c)3 umbrella organization that also sponsors workshops and educational field trips for local children ages six to sixteen. The year round fish camp began in 1988 as a way to renew our Native Alaskan lifestyle, philosophy and to teach respect for our environment and each other. The staff are all volunteers. We don't want money to interfere with who, what and how we teach. Everyone is there because they care. Grandparents and elders make guest appearances to share language, old legends and personal experiences. Uncles and aunts teach hunting and gathering skills. Specialists are loaned from the Southeast Alaska Regional Health Corporation, Alaska Marine Safety Education Association and Sitka Sportsman's Association to teach water, boat and hunter safety. Parents are encouraged to participate as much as they can. Teachers become students and students become teachers. One of our goals is for the children to experience the everyday life of our elders of long ago. The children learn to eat Native foods, work hard, enjoy being outdoors in all weather, develop problem-solving skills and respect themselves, each other and elders. We serve twenty-five to thirty-five students at each of the three summer programs. Both Native and non-native children are welcome. There is no charge to the students but donations of any kind are greatly appreciated. For more information on Dog Point Fish Camp, contact Roby Littlefield at (907) 747-6866.