NOTE: Issues range from 1996–2006. Contact information in earlier issues could be outdated. For current information, please contact the Alaska Native Knowledge Network, 907-474-1902.
Browse the glossary using this index
Special | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O
P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | ALL
I |
|---|
Iñupiaq Region: ARCTIC Immersion by B. Yaayuk Alvanna-Stimpfle:Twenty teachers from throughout Alaska were immersed in the use of technology in the classroom. The ARCTIC project I produced is on a "Weather Forecasting Unit". The project teaches upper elementary students how to predict weather in various ways. They learn to compare weather forecasting using traditional Iñupiaq ways and modern equipment used by the weather stations. I chose this theme since it has made a positive impact both with students and parents. In the past, students were assigned to observe the moon and stars as homework. Parents were involved by helping their child. Both were involved in the learning process. The web site I developed for my students shares how the Iñupiat have learned to predict weather by observing the moon, stars, sun, wind and clouds. The web site includes Iñupiaq terms the students will be studying. While the students are studying and observing these items, they form a data chart comparing their findings. The web site address can be found at www.nomeschools.com. From there, go to Nome Elementary School, then to Fifth Grade and finally go to Mrs. Alvanna-Stimpfle's teacher page. There you will find the Traditional Weather Prediction unit. | |
|
Iñupiaq Region: Discovery, Native Science After-School Activites by Katie Bourdon:Paula Herzner and Katie Bourdon, EHP staff, have been using Alan Dick's Village Science and the Alaska Native Knowledge Network website as resources for class ideas. Barbara Pungowiyi, Nome Public Schools Native Programs Director, has provided Native science fair exhibits from her junior high and high school students. These exhibits have served as examples for the young students in the Discovery class. Elder Esther Bourdon joined the group on the first day to talk about harvesting salmon and the various ways to preserve it. The students were willing and eager to begin cutting fish for hanging, smoking and salting. An experiment was done on frozen fish, dry fish and fish left out at room temperature for a few days. The youth learned about bacteria, the importance of weather and keeping blow flies away and about surface area. Elder Esther Bourdon sitting on the right and Zachary Bourdon cutting fish to hang. Watching from left to right are Maggie Ahkvaluk, Cody Sherman and Rachel Pomrenke in the front. * to R: Maggie Ahkvaluk, Darla Swann, Emma Outwater; teachers Josie Bourdon, Joel Bachelder, and Jenny Bachelder. Teachers Miss Bourdon and Mrs. Bachelder both picked the campfire coffee. Recently, the kids did an experiment with coffee. Local Elder Frank Okleasik regularly gets his tea water from Glacier Creek and donated the creek water for an experiment. The kids made percolated "campfire" coffee using the Glacier Creek water. Filtered coffee was also made using regular tap water. The students went around to 6 different teachers to find out which coffee was preferred. "Old-timers say that campfire coffee is the best" (Alan Dick's Village Science). Students hypothesized about the outcome of the experiment; most guessed that three out of six would know the difference. Zachary Bourdon's hy-pothesis was correct: five out of six preferred the campfire coffee. The students had fun making the coffee, presenting their experiment to the teachers and documenting their results. Darla Swann packs tomcod with baking soda to begin the mummifying process. Another fun (and in the kids' words, "cool") activity was mummifying tomcods. Paula Herzner's family had fished for the tomcods prior to class so the students were able to gut them in class, weigh them and document their observations of the fish before the mummifying process. Loads of baking soda filled and en-capsulated the tomcods. The following week, the students again weighed and documented their findings. They cleaned out the old baking soda and repacked the tomcods with enthusiasm. After two weeks of dehydrating, the results were mummified tomcods! We want to share our experience to encourage other communities to have their own after-school Native science class. The resources are available, as long as there are volunteers in your community who are willing to plan and work with the youth. Please contact Kawerak Eskimo Heritage Program at (907) 443-4386 or at ehp.pd@kawerak.org for more in-formation about having your own Native Science after-school activities. Visit the Alaska Native Knowledge Network at www.ankn.uaf.edu for class ideas and activities and to find Alan Dick's Village Science. Go Native Science! Editors Note: Village Science by Alan Dick, is available online at www.ankn.uaf.edu/VS. An interactive version for the computer is also available online or on CD free-of-charge from the ANKN offices. | |
|
Iñupiaq Region: Elder Highlight by Elmer Jackson:By Elmer Jackson Minnie is one of the most well-known and beloved Elders in the NANA region. She has been actively involved with the Alaska Rural Systemic Initiative since the first consortium meetings began. At that time, she was one of the main advisors for the Northwest Arctic Borough School District's Iñupiaq Language and Culture Curriculum Committee. In addition she was active in teaching traditional skin-sewing skills to the young people in the village of Ambler. Minnie has been a advocate for Iñupiaq language and culture training for as many years as she has lived the culture. She was born in 1924 in Kobuk, Alaska. She was one of three surviving children of the late Robert and Flora Cleveland. She is the widow of the late Friends Church pastor, Arthur Gray. Minnie attended school for six years as a child in the village of Shungnak. After being a pastor with her husband in two villages, she became a bilingual teacher in August, 1973 and retired in 1994. She helped to produce many books to help teach the Iñupiaq language and culture. One of the early books published by Maniilaq Association was Timimun Mamirrutit, which is a book about Iñupiaq medicine. Minnie contributed to this publication because of her knowledge of traditional ways of healing, especially in the use of plants and herbs. She later worked at the National Bilingual Materials Development Center to work on other publications. One of the most extensive books she worked on was titled Black River Stories-a book of stories told by her late father, Robert Cleveland. She also written two books titled Birch bark Basket Making and Net Making. Other contributions included the Kobuk River Junior Dictionary, How Stories, More How Stories, Atuugaurat (translated children's songs) and Taimmaknaqtat, a book about traditional Iñupiaq Eskimo beliefs. There are more publications; I have listed a few. Minnie's beautiful looks, traditional clothing, wonderful friendly smile and graceful stature have been photographed by friends she has made over the years. Her photograph is on the cover jacket of A Place Beyond by Nick Jans. He wrote a wonderful story of Minnie and her friend, Sarah Tickett, seining for whitefish. Minnie is known for her hospitality; she has been a hostess to visitors and friends who have graced her home over the years. Whenever Minnie travels to AKRSI meetings, she shares her knowledge of the Iñupiat Culture, through hands-on demonstrations and songs. At curriculum meetings, she taught how to make snares using salmon skin and gave demonstrations of various traditional tools. She told the mudshark bone story, using actual bones, to Iñupiaq immersion students at Barrow. They enjoyed this story demonstration very much. Here are some of her own thoughts about bilingual education. She voiced them in Iñupiaq and they were translated into English: Iñupiaq should be taught at an early age. I have seen that the younger students are responsive, the more they learn. It is fun to teach these young people. As an Iñupiaq language instructor, I realize that children need motivation to learn. I motivated my students by offering them a variety of ways of learning. They cannot learn by only writing, so I took them out for field trips and taught them about the plants that grow. In the spring, when they got tired of writing, I took them outside and taught them the name of the many different birds that migrate north. This motivated them tremendously. I had projects for them such as skin sewing and making other crafts like birch bark baskets. I allowed them to play Iñupiaq games when they became restless. Sometimes, I even took them home and taught them how to prepare an Iñupiaq dish, such as cranberry or blueberry pudding. Other times I taught them how to make akutuq, Eskimo ice cream. I also boiled the head of the mudshark, which have many bones; I told them the individual names of the bones. This is an interesting project and the students think it is fun. For added variety, I sang songs and told them Iñupiaq stories and legends. Students should learn about life in school. They should learn practical skills such as skin sewing and cooking. Many students need these basic skills. They should know the names of our Native foods and know how to prepare them. It is practical to learn theses skills because our environment is going to be the same in spite of the changes in our lifestyles. We still need warm clothing and we will need to gather food. Students should know about the weather because we cannot predict what the coming seasons' weather will be. They should also know their regional geography. They should know their local subsistence areas, their trails and place names of creeks, rivers and other landmarks. They should be able to know where they are and be able to communicate exactly where they are as they travel out in the country for it is a matter of survival. Last summer, Minnie taught and instructed students at the Ilisagvik Camp, a camp between Ambler and Shungnak. They were taught about camping and fishing, everything about the Iñupiat Illitqusrait, the way of life of the Iñupiat. Minnie continues to share her knowledge of the Iñupiat culture. Those who have been taught by her have been blessed, her love for her people is immense. Thank you, Minnie, for being a great role model for us all. Taikuu. | |
|
Iñupiaq Region: Eskimo Heritage Program: Kawerak Board Report, March 2001 by Branson Tungiyan:Much has been happening at the Eskimo Heritage Program since the beginning of the New Year. Topping off the list is the new memorandum of agreement that was signed between Kawerak, Inc. and the Alaska Federation of Natives (AFN) on December 1, 2000 by Julie Kitka of AFN and Loretta Bullard of Kawerak. This MOA is to implement Phase II of the Alaska Rural Systemic Initiative (AKRSI). Both Kawerak, Inc. and AFN agree to "collaborate for the purposes of implementing the Alaska Rural Systemic Initiative" funded by the National Science Foundation. Through this agreement, AFN and Kawerak, Inc. affirm their commitment to work together on behalf of improving the quality of education in Alaska. In furtherance of this commitment, Kawerak, Inc. agrees to perform the following tasks between November 1, 2000 and February 28, 2002: 1. Focusing on the Iñupiaq Region, Kawerak, Inc. will participate in the Consortium for Alaska Native Higher Education (CANHE) to pursue the continued development of a tribal college system in Alaska. 2. Kawerak, Inc. will continue to develop the institutional infrastructure for the Iñupiaq region that will serve as the basis for establishing a tribal college with the capacity to address the educational needs and cultural well being of the Native people in the region. I have been selected, through the Eskimo Heritage Program, to be the regional coordinator for the Iñupiaq region. This is going to be very challenging because it requires overseeing many different initiatives in our region. Some of the specific responsibilities include: * Encourage collaboration of educational partnerships on a regional and statewide basis, including support and assistance for the regional tribal college initiative. * Coordinate and organize at least one regional Elders' council meeting each year. * Coordinate activities of memoranda-of-agreement partners both for regional and local village/school initiatives. * Travel to and/or meet personally with MOA partners at least two times annually in partner's location. * Additional and training workshops on AKRSI resources and activities. * Identify, research and complete individual cultural curriculum projects. * Participate in statewide activities relative to promotion and development of AKRSI initiatives as a representative of the specific cultural region. Another important thing that happened was that we had a retreat for the Eskimo Heritage Program on January 4, 2001. The purpose of the retreat was to review and assess where the program is on its long-range plan, what the accomplishments have been, set goals, establish a plan of action and determine who will be responsible in making sure the goals are achieved. We went through the following: Accomplishments * EHP office still in existence. * Supplemental funds from AKRSI to move forward with goals. * Iñupiaq (except for King Island and St. Lawrence Island) and Yup'ik collection digitized. * 92% of individual Elder interview audio tapes complete. * Hosting of successful Elders conferences. * Development of K-3 and 4-6 readers. * Through the EHP, Elder advisory committees started at the village level. Trends Affecting the EHP Program * Acknowledgment nationwide by Native Americans. * More funds available (both government and private). * Bigger voice. * "Professionals" put credibility on Native cultural knowledge. * Revival of Native dancing and singing in the region. * Roles of Elders in the community disappearing. The next step in the process is to identify what challenges (gaps) exist in accomplishing the mission statement of the EHP Program and what needs to be done in order to overcome those challenges. We turned the challenges into two-year goals and what needs to be done into the action plan. From there, we established who would be responsible in making sure the goals are met. I have also been working with the Kawerak Elders Advisory Committee (KEAC). One of the activities of the KEAC is attending the Bering Sea Coalition Conference in Anchorage with the Council of Elders. Clarence Irrigoo and Charles Saccheus, Sr. of Elim had attended the last two conferences held in Anchorage. The KEAC decided that the same two individuals should attend the conference and be the representatives from the Bering Strait region for the next two years. Two different Elders can be selected for the following two years, and so forth. Jacob Ahwinona and Anders Apassingok attended the first Bering Sea Coalition conference. I have been attending a series of meetings and conferences since becoming involved with AKRSI. The first one-week trip was to meet with the AKRSI staff and attend the Association of Interior Natives Education Summit with the Athabascan educators. This trip was very beneficial as it gave me a better picture of my role as the Iñupiaq regional coordinator for AKRSI. I will be working closely with our MOA partners: Nome Public Schools, Bering Strait School District, Northwest Arctic Borough School District and North Slope Borough School District. The second one-week trip was to attend a meeting in Anchorage with representatives from the Pueblo and Navajo tribes of New Mexico and Lumbee of North Carolina in connection with the Rural Schools & Community Trust project. Alaska is currently one of the states that have Native groups in the project. This meeting was concurrent with the Native Educator's Conference (NEC) and the Bilingual Multicultural Education & Equity Conference (BMEEC). The Native educators adopted two new sets of guidelines: Guidelines for Nurturing Culturally-Healthy Youth and Guidelines for Strengthening Indigenous Languages. The purpose of these guidelines is to offer assistance to educational personnel and others who are seeking to incorporate the Alaska Standards for Culturally-Responsive Schools in their work. Using these guidelines will expand the knowledge base and range of insights and expertise available to help schools and communities nurture and pass on their cultural heritage with respect and integrity. A highlight of the Eskimo Heritage Program has been in regards to establishing the Eskimo Cultural Center as one of the priorities. It has gathered enough support that it is being presented in the state/federal issues packet. This is something that has been identified as a need for the Bering Strait region. With the long cultural histories in the Bering Strait region, there is no place for the representation of the strong cultural heritage we have as Native groups. We definitely need to have a cultural center to put on display the region's wealth of cultural heritage. All in all, I feel that the program is heading in the right direction, with goals set in place. It makes me feel more comfortable to have goals to follow with an agenda. There are other activities happening on a daily basis. An interesting trip is coming up in early May where I will be following the Unalakleet group to Washington, D.C. They are going there to review objects at the Smithsonian Institution and the American Museum of Natural History. There are 90 objects in all at the two places from the Norton Sound region. I have been invited to attend as an observer, with the opportunity to bring a contingent from Nome and the surrounding villages at a later date. The Kawerak Elders Advisory Committee will also be inviting Dan Karmun, Sr. to their next meeting to explain about the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority's upcoming trip to Nome and onto the villages in the region. A group of 30-plus people will come up from Anchorage and travel to six villages to conduct meetings and return the next day and assess their village trips. Norton Sound Health Corporation is assisting the group with their studies of the villages' social problems. I will be contacting the village Elders' advisory committees to get input and suggestions in regards to AKRSI. Phase II of AKRSI will concentrate on initiatives that were successful in Phase I and develop them at a higher level. There are five sets of initiatives being rotated in the five cultural regions. Each region will have an opportunity to implement each initiative. These initiatives are: * Elders & Cultural Camps-Academy of Elders * Indigenous Science Knowledge Base-Cultural Atlas * Culturally Aligned Curriculum-Cultural Standards * Native Ways of Knowing/Teaching-Parent Involvement * Village Science Applications-AISES/ANSES Camps The Alaska Federation of Natives will continue as a sponsor of the project. We look forward to working with the communities and Elders to help continue its success. Thank You. | |
|
Iñupiaq Region: Heritage, Love and Science by Wilma Osborne:When I walked into the Eskimo Heritage office in Nome, it felt like I had come home. In the recordings stored in this office live voices, letters, words, ideas, knowledge, advice, struggle, tragedy-so many lives captured by the technology. Memories surround me as though I am reviewing my life before I die. I felt loved. People before me wanted me to know things from how to hunt and take care of game to old wives' tales. And another group of people took the time and care to document, transcribe and store this information. That is love indeed. It allows me to understand my place in the world as a woman raised in the Arctic. It gives me security. It allows me to know what is expected of me in the context of this land and people and carry myself forward with intention. There is a question that Western science has of humanity in relation to the rest of the universe. Where do we fit in? What separates us? Such is the task of a scientist. It is people's blazing imaginations that send probes thousands of miles out of our atmosphere and into other planetary orbits-the same questions drive individuals, even groups of people on quests. So let us ask the question, how is heritage scientific? Heritage is something handed down-the rights, freedoms and burdens as a result of being in a certain place and time. It is intellectual property, knowledge and imagination. People have applied themselves here for a very long time; they know how to deal with stress specific to the North and have passed along lifelong, scientific information about weather, animals, land and sea, as well as how to form lasting, meaningful relationships with each other and everything around them, including the past and future. Native people thrive because they ask these questions of their place in the universe, but heritage is an equal partner which gives those queries beautiful, intense meaning. Western science is in its infancy and has tended to separate humans from the universe. This is beginning to change. Indigenous people all over the world have immense understanding and wisdom to contribute to the spiritual "coming of age" of Western science and allow it to blossom into something we see merely as a ray today. Heritage is the imagination we give to science that makes life more than worthwhile. It is through our heritage that love is given to scientific knowledge and makes life worth living, worth sharing, worth protecting, worth giving. | |
|
Iñupiaq Region: Integrating Culturally-Responsive School Standards in Education by Yaayuq Bernadette Alvanna-Stimpfle:Last fall, the Bering Strait School District held their Third Annual Educational Conference from October 21-24. There were many workshops and meetings offered for all the participants from the fifteen sites within the region. It was exciting to see so many teachers coming together from the Bering Strait region. On Tuesday, October 22 during the breakout sessions I facilitated two sessions on "Integrating Culturally-Responsive Standards." At both sessions I guided the participants in brainstorming on subsistence activities throughout each season. In the first group, there were enough participants to break up into smaller groups to help each other in preparing lessons. In each of the groups, it was suggested that we create a circular calendar listing the seasonal activities. Teachers can brainstorm with students and have them create a subsistence calendar. The illustration shows activities both groups came up with. Suggested Activities for Implementation of Subsistence-based Curriculum * Have students brainstorm what activities are happening in the community. * Create a circular seasonal calendar to record and display traditional activities with these labels: Early spring Summer Early fall Late fall Winter * If possible, include the Native names of each season. * Have students illustrate the calendar. * Have students research and interview Elders or local experts. * Compare and contrast traditional and modern subsistence activities. * Create a website on the activities. * Participate and get involved in the community activities. * Invite guests for storytelling. * Create and display student work. * Hold a science fair on the research done by the students. Assessment and Rubrics * Teachers can create an assessment and a scoring guide for the projects. Performance Assessment * Hold a community night to display student work. I know there are many activities I have left out from this list. Teachers can add them with their students. Both sessions I worked with were very good about sharing their activities and lessons. Quyaana to all the participants who were part of the workshop during the BSSD Education Conference! Related winter activities include trapping, hunting, dog sledding, Native dancing and potluck celebrations, storytelling, sewing parkas, mukluks, mittens, slippers, ruffs and carving with ivory, wood or baleen. Sports-related activities include basketball, volleyball and wrestling. Native games include the World Eskimo Indian Olympics games such as the High Kick and Finger Pull. Related fall activities include ivory carving, hunting, skin sewing, knitting, weaving grass baskets, ice fishing and preparing for the winter holidays. Some communities can practice Native dancing and children can do different sports related to the curriculum (Native games). Related spring activities include bear hunting, hunting out in the sea ice, drying meat, making seal oil and preparing for summer fish camp. Many hours are spent preparing and putting away dried foods. Related summer activities include fishing, going to fish camps to prepare dried salmon, picking various greens, picnics, put away dried fish and meat, store edible greens and seal oil, freeze berries for the winter. Communities have their own techniques to prepare salmon and greens-have students research that in their communities. | |
|
Iñupiaq Region: Keviq in Stebbins by Katie Bourdon:Once the giveaway is completed, the song leader begins by singing solo the family's selected song. The band of drummers join in once it's sung through by the leader and the awaited performance of the first dancer begins. Yupik style of dance is one of repeated encores. Guests can request pumyua or "tale again" and dancers are obligated respectfully to dance the tale again. It's common for dancers to continue the same dance 10, 15 times or more to the pleasure of the crowd. It's beautiful to watch-as the dancers tire, their intensity does not and with this intensity, the dancers and drummers become one. The palpable drummers' beat rings out and the dancers glisten with sweat. The flow of the strong beat and the rhythmic dancers motion all in unison engages everyone who watches. Sixteen new dancers performed their "first dance" on Friday, February 21 to the honored guests who traveled from Kotlik and to their fellow community members in Stebbins. Dancing and giving away graced the community well into the next day and didn't stop until 3:00 AM on Saturday. Later in the afternoon on Saturday there was another giveaway from the community of Stebbins to the Elders of Kotlik of gathered Native foods that were harvested by Stebbins people. In the evening, communities gathered again for dancing. Now the new dancers are no longer first dancers and could join any dance. The dances that were performed on Saturday evening were requested by the Elders from Kotlik. Following the Stebbins dancers, Kotlik was invited to perform. Elders Joe and Martina Apazeruk, who are in their 80s, gave a performance with grace, dignity, love, respect and humor that blessed all who witnessed. We could have watched those two all night! Dancing by Kotlik was enjoyed by everyone until midnight on Saturday. The Keviq was a weekend of nurturing between two communities that cultivates and strengthens all through cultural traditions that have thrived for generations and are still going strong in Stebbins. PUMYUA! In the center April Marie Merlin, who is 4 years old, is performing her "first dance" with her great-grandmother, Christine Steve, on the left and her adoptive mother, Margaret Merlin, on the right. Pumyua! Elder Rose Anne Waghiyi dancing. Rose Anne has been an instrumental Elder in Stebbins in reviving the Kevig and traditional dancing. | |
|
Iñupiaq Region: Kingikmiut Dance Festival by Katie Bourdon:Pete Sereadlook recalls when the dancing used to take place in the kagzhi. The dome-shaped Native store now sits in its place and dancing now takes place in the Kingikmiut school. Pete Sereadlook and Faye Ongtowasruk, both Wales' Elders, have been devoted to rejuvenating traditional Eskimo dancing and drumming. To their credit, the youth and young people of Wales have become a large and strong group of dancers eager to learn more. What was remarkable to me during the festival was the young age of the Brevig Mission dancers and drummers. Their drummers were young men who sang out with conviction and confidence while the dancers gladly danced their songs. The festival was honored by the presence and performances of the Tikiguaq (Point Hope) Dancers and Drummers. They were the evident connection to our ancestors, as their drums have never stopped (due to outside forces). Not only did they capture the crowd's attention with powerful performances, but they also shared old songs and dances that were from Wales and Shishmaref with the young Wales and Shishmaref dance groups. Teaching was done right there on the spot. Dancers were welcomed to join in and learn. A small, young but vibrant dance group from Shishmaref participated as well and did so through dedicated efforts by Mary (Stansenko) Huntington. Traditional songs were performed as well as modern songs created by Mary. Crowd favorites were the "Cheerleader" song and "My Savior." The Diomede Dancers and Drummers made it to Wales by the second night of dancing with a warm welcome. Bench dances were performed that made us all feel like we were back in the kaghzi. The Nome Native Youth Leadership members were present with the King Island Drummers and performed crowd favorites, as well as closed the festival with the Wolf Dance. Gabe Muktoyuk, King Island Elders, shared that they enjoyed their time in Wales and will say goodbye until they meet again. The dance has the men sway to the beat back and forth with their arms moving in motion. Each dancer must run through this human arm path without getting caught. The crowd enjoyed the playfulness of the dancing. There was an excitement and energy during the dance and the crowd responded with laughter and applause. It was a joy to be part of this cultural event and I would like to encourage as many folks and dance groups to attend the next Kingikmiut Dance Festival. You will come away inspired, revived and renewed! The Wales Kingikmiut Dancers and Drummers. Left to right: Cynthia Crisci, Alicia Crisci, Angela Crisci. Mary Huntington with the Shishmaref Dancers and Drummers. She is performing the "Cheerleader" song. King Island Drummers sing the "Wolf Dance" to say goodbye. Michael Ahkinga (Diomede Dancers on the left) helps perform with Bryan Muktoyuk (King Island Dancers on the right) while Francis Muktoyuk scoots through them and Agatha Fords waits her turn. | |
|
Iñupiaq Region: Nalukatagvik-A Gathering for Celebration and Blanket Toss for a Successful Whaling Season by Elmer Jackson:The whaling captains and the crews host their Nalukataq in June. Prior to the celebration, they prepare mikigaq and maktak. The strips of whale meat and maktak are aged and served at the feast. The maktak, flippers and tail are stored in the sigluaq, where they are preserved by freezing. The whale meat is frozen as quaq. Fresh frozen tongue and meat are cooked by boiling and then served. Other parts of the whale that are edible are also prepared for the feast. The celebration is opened with a prayer of thanksgiving. The whaling crew and servers hold hands to give thanks to the Creator. The gathering of people are warmly welcomed. The first course is a delicious soup, bread, crackers and doughnuts. A complete course is served. Elementary school-age children serve coffee, tea, sugar and cream. After the meal, the Nalukataq begins. Many young people and adults take turns on the blanket toss. Many hold bags of candy, furs, cloth (material), and when they are suspended in the air they toss them to the crowd. After the Nalukataq, another part of the whale is shared. Whenever a course is served, those who are not present at the celebration are also given food. For instance, maktak, avatraq or cut parts of the flippers are shared with everyone. Many return home with gifts from the celebration including its delicacies. After a whole day of feasting and blanket tossing, the celebration ends in the evening with Iñupiaq dancing. "When the whaling captains and the crews are successful in harvesting whales, their labor of love and giving is celebrated. " Living the subsistence way of life, incorporating the Iñupiat values of sharing and respect of others and respect for animals and the environment are elements of the culture-these are sacred to the Iñupiat. Iñupiat in other coastal communities also celebrate and give thanks after a successful whaling season. Many land and sea mammals, fowl, fish, berries and edible and medicinal plants are harvested from the land and waters. A successful harvest of food ensures the survival of the Iñupiat heritage. Subsistence is the Iñupiat indigenous right. Our forefathers protected the land and waters-that is why we are still able to gather and harvest the fruits of the land. "Living the subsistence way of life, incorporating the Iñupiat values of sharing and respect of others and respect for animals and the environment are elements of the culture-these are sacred to the Iñupiat." | |
|
Iñupiaq Region: NANA Science Fair by D'Anne Hamilton:Northwest Arctic Recognizes Traditional Knowledge in Regional Science Fair The annual American Indian Science and Engineering Society's Science Fair encourages Native students across the country to become scientists and engineers; the Northwest Arctic Borough School District regional AISES Science Fair on March 7, 2003 reflected the unique life experience of students in the arctic. At June Nelson Elementary School in Kotzebue, students from outlying villages sat waiting quietly as judges moved from display to display, questioning the students about their hypotheses, research and conclusions on projects ranging from traditional Iñupiaq diapers to healing practices of tribal doctors in the region. The handful of students spoke confidently as they greeted visitors to their demonstration boards, explaining the specifics of their projects. If affinity is what helps light a fire in the hearts of these fledgling scientists, Kathleen Skin of Selawik should go on to do great things. The Iñupiaq/Mescalero Apache traced the onset of diabetes through her ancestors, beginning with first contact with Europeans on down to her own mother who suffers from diabetes. Skin said she feared for her own health, "Doing this project . . . I started eating healthier and exercising more." Skin demonstrates the traditional measurement of how many vegetables to eat, cupping both hands together. She then makes a fist to show how many carbohydrates to eat, and so on. Drawing on the traditional knowledge of the Elders is one of the criteria for judging the projects. One student who descended from a line of tribal doctors detailed the manipulation of the digestive system and its benefits, while another displayed the various types of moss that were used for insulation, fire and baby diapers. Lexy Staheli of Kiana said it wasn't easy researching projects like the diapers. With tears in her eyes, Staheli said "We usually talk with the Elders about this kind of knowledge. But the ones who are left didn't always have the specific information we needed, so some of that information is just gone now." The grand prize winner was Ely Cyrus of Kiana, whose display included a PowerPoint presentation of a local Elder on video who detailed traditional weather forecasting. Cyrus has won national awards for the project, which included a comparison of the accuracy of traditional versus contemporary forecasting. The Northwest Arctic Borough School District's bilingual/bicultural coordinator, Ruth Sampson, organized the science fair and has been involved with the AISES event for many years. Although the entries this year were not as numerous as in previous years, with less than a dozen entries, Sampson believes the program has made a difference in encouraging Native youth to pursue science careers. "It really opens their eyes to the world around them and helps them to see the value in the knowledge the Elders have . . . and a side benefit has been the preservation of some important traditional knowledge that might not have been documented." Students who win their regional science fairs are eligible to go on to state competition, which in Alaska is called the Alaska Native Science and Engineering Society Science Fair. Top winners in that event are eligible for the National AISES Science Fair, which is usually held in the spring. For more information about AISES science fairs go to www.aises.org and for the ANSES Science Fair go to www.ankn.uaf.edu/anses/Overallstateinfo.html. NWABSD AISES science fair coordinator Ruth Sampson (left) presents students with awards for their projects. "We usually talk with the Elders about this kind of knowledge. But the ones who are left didn't always have the specific information we needed, so some of that information is just gone now." | |
|
Iñupiaq Region: Natural Products made from the Tuttu, Part III by Elmer Jackson:With winter being the longest season, warm clothing is necessary for survival. Hard and soft bottom kammak (boots) are sewn from the winter skin which has thick fur. Hard bottom kammak are made from the bearded seal skin which has been crimped. Waterproof kammak are coated with fat and oil making them waterproof. These boots are used during the spring and summer. Parkas for the young are sewn from the fawn skin, which is soft and pliable and the fur makes a warm parka. Mittens, socks, pants and other items are sewn from the tanned winter skin of the tuttu. One of the traditional Iñupiat ropes is made from the skin of the tuttu and the seal. The skin is soaked in water until the hair is removed easily. While the skin is still wet, it is cut into one long strip. It is then stretched and tied from post to post and dried. These strips can be used for making snowshoes or for tying a basket sled. There are many other uses. A tent of six caribou skins is used for a survival shelter. The floor is covered with spruce boughs and skins of the tuttu. The skin is also an excellent mattress. Caribou are the only members of the deer family where both the male and female grow antlers. The antlers can be used as sinkers for a gill or seine net. Each family had a mark on the sinkers. Grandfather Frank Jackson's mark is that of the footprint of the Sandhill crane-three marks. If a sinker was found they would know who it belonged to and would return it to the owner. The sharpest points of the antlers are used as piercing tools for dry white fish. Dry fish are pierced for the purpose of making a string of fish. The antler and bones are utilized for creating tools, spear heads, arrow heads and other implements. A useful fish scaler is made from the shoulder blade. This tool is called a kavisiiqsin. Many parts of the tuttu are used for arts and crafts and in sewing clothing. Upper Kobuk and the Nunamiut artists create face masks, molding the skin into a carved wood shaped like a face of a person. A miniature model of a sled is created using the lower jaw bones, wood, baleen and twine or traditional rawhide. Every part of the tuttu is saved. The hooves are saved for survival food. Once they are dried they will remain as they are. When food is scarce, they can be soaked in water until they soften and then cooked into a soup broth. The cooked muscle tendons on the hooves are eaten also. Generations ago, the Iñupiat endured starvation. The quest to find food was difficult, especially during the winter. The men and their pack dogs would qaqi or travel north towards Noatak and the North Slope to find caribou. The women and the young remained home, fishing and berrypicking. Food gathering kept them busy most of the day and night. To respect the animals and the environment was law-traditional law. Indigenous people passed, from generation to generation, the practice of having respect for the animals and the environment. They took only what was needed, subsisting from season to season. They shared with other people in the community. When a family did not have a hunter or provider, they were given food, wood and skins. Sharing brought a sense of contentedness to the community. People took care of each other, even in times of hardship. | |
|
Iñupiaq Region: Process Of Interviewing by Rachel Craig:Opening Exercises 1. Cordial greeting of the elders. Inquire if they had a good night's sleep. Inquire if they have anything of importance to communicate right then. Reasons for Interviewing 2. Give reason(s) for meeting. "This is what we would like to do with you (give subject of discussion). We need this information for our students so they can ____________(reasons)___________ in school and in life. We can't put this information on paper without your help. We will work closely with you. We will listen to you. We will tape record the session so we don't miss anything. But we want to be sure we understand what you are trying to tell us." Process 3. "We want you to be thinking of signing a release form while you are here so we could use the information in the classrooms." Explain the purpose of a release form. Be up front with the elders on the purposes of your work; they usually are willing to assist in any way possible. Just don't surprise them with additional details and obligations afterwards. Spell them all out at the beginning before you begin to work with them. Remember that this is a partnership; you are willing to work and open doors, and they have the information and knowledge that you need to make your work effective. 4. As you interview, keep working toward getting the deeper, more meaningful stuff. Students need to know the whys of what they are studying. Try to approach the subject from all angles. Remember that most of our students don't know much about Native stuff, but they love it when they hear it. It doesn't hurt to get the detailed stuff. Our students are trained to read. They can often read a lot better than they can write; but they can also learn to write. 5. Take breaks at appropriate times. Concentrating on a subject that you are wanting takes a lot of energy out of your partner. As the elders get older, their strength is used up more quickly. Be considerate of them. Have some juices (apple, grape, cranberry-something with not too much acid), water, tea, coffee or whatever the elders need for their breaks. Make them feel good. They love to feel that they are making a contribution to someone else's well-being, especially their grandchildren or great-grandchildren. 6. Some things to consider when contemplating getting releases from the elders: * Are the materials mainly for educational purposes? We have had no problem getting releases for educational purposes. * Are the materials gathered for commercial purposes? If money is expected to be made, a realistic percentage should be earmarked for the information source. In that case, it might also be wise to identify one of the heirs. The elders should hear your proposal and your consideration of them; you should also ask them if they have any questions or counter-proposals. Keep the discussion friendly. What are you getting out of the whole deal? What do you envision are some of the outcomes of the interviews? Elders are entitled to know what's going on. 7. Enjoy your work with the elders. Your attitude helps them to feel that they have been involved in a worthwhile project. | |
|
Iñupiaq Region: Quyaanna (thank you) AKRSI from the Northwest Arctic Borough School District:The Alaska rural systemic initiatives that have been undertaken by the NWABSD under the memorandum of agreement with AFN have affected the school district in a positive way. Initiatives were designed in a way to begin systemic changes for school improvements. In the beginning the pace was slow because the school district was looking for ways to initiate the projects into existing plans. An example has been the AISES science fairs. The school science fair is held in March but the AISES science fair had to be held in the fall in order to plan for the national AISES science fair. AISES science fairs are interesting because the students come up with projects such as the study of caribou lifecycles, uses of caribou antlers, using willow bark to make dyes, comparison of furs in cold weather, under-ice fishing with a net, the Aurora Borealis, population density of shrews and voles, bio-engineering to prevent erosion and other interesting projects. AKRSI-sponsored Elders and educators came together to plan for subsistence curriculum. Although a curriculum was not written, much needed information was shared among the participants. In traditional times, education was provided one-on-one with parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents and other extended family members teaching the younger ones. Today we try to simulate that experience in a classroom setting but it is difficult. However, traditional methods such as observation and hands-on experience are still reliable methods of teaching and learning. Using concrete examples in teaching concepts is a practice that must continue for maximum learning to take place. Character building is also important to the Iñupiat because it affects survival in the Arctic. For example, hard work, endurance and patience were attributes that were developed in children. This was balanced by humor, enjoyment of the outdoors, hospitality and an attitude of gratitude. The Elders at the subsistence curriculum development workshops gave the following advice to be shared with students: "If you see Elders doing work, stop and help them. Do not steal. Do not talk angrily back to anyone. Everyone should know his or her relatives. Respect other people's property. Give advice to younger people. Share your catch and bring food to your neighbors and others. Help others. Don't mimic or criticize others in a negative way. Don't expect to get paid for helping Elders. Don't waste food. Finish your work before playing. Don't stay up late. Respect other students and people." Obviously, these words of wisdom span across cultures, especially among Native people of Alaska. Cooperation was necessary for survival. We are thankful that AKRSI has worked hard to make education relevant and meaningful to students in rural Alaska. Although many parents and educators are concerned about the exit exam and teaching to the state standards, it does not mean that education about the local environment has to be excluded. There are ways to integrate information about the local animals, plants, geography, history and literature while still meeting state standards. For example, the Davis-Ramoth Memorial School at Selawik held their second Iñupiaq Week where they did cultural activities all week and then integrated their experiences into the regular classroom. Erdine Skin, an Apache teacher, was actively involved in the Iñupiaq subsistence curriculum workshops held under AKRSI; her students had very good AISES science projects last year. Debra Webber-Werle, a kindergarten teacher at the Napaaqtugmiut School at Noatak, has had many students working on dynamic science projects. A kindergarten teacher in Kotzebue recently requested assistance about integrating cultural activities into her curriculum. When the school district had their inservice on aligning state standards with the district curriculum, they were encouraged to use cultural standards to help them integrate local culture into their lesson plans. There are many ways AKRSI has affected the Northwest Arctic Borough School District and it will continue as a domino effect as time goes by, even when the project funding ends. We are grateful to all the AFN-AKRSI staff for all their hard work and contributions. We have only scratched the surface and will continue to search for the treasures we are yet to find in this whole arena of education. | |
|
Iñupiaq Region: The Iñupiaq Immersion Program in Barrow by Martha Stackhouse:The immersion program started in Barrow as a pilot program since there were not enough certified teachers to teach immersion classes. It started with the Early Childhood Education (ECE) students who were three- and four-year-old students. During this first year, the curriculum developers prepared materials for the kindergarten level, which was to start the following year. While the Kindergarten immersion curriculum was taught to the students, the curriculum developers prepared first-grade readers for the first-grade immersion class. As a result we now have many kindergarten and first-grade readers translated into Iñupiaq. However, there aren't many materials translated for the second-grade level on up yet, so the teachers decided that even though we may use English materials in the immersion classroom, we would talk in Iñupiaq as much as possible. The third-grade immersion class speaks about 75% Iñupiaq and 25% English. The fourth-grade immersion speaks about 50% Iñupiaq and 50% English. From early childhood on up to the second grade, we try to speak as much Iñupiaq as possible. However, some of our materials are not translated so we have to speak English sometimes, ranging at about 85-90% Iñupiaq and 10-15% English. The teachers are certified educators who are fluent Iñupiaq speakers, but most of us had not received any language training. We were certified in teaching English classes. Last school year we had language evaluators that came to observe our classes. They noted that the teachers were speaking 80-90% of the time and the students were speaking 10-20% of the time. As a result, our students were able to understand what the instructors were saying and they became fluent readers and writers-but not so fluent in speaking the Iñupiaq language. This school year all of the immersion classes are concentrating on having the students speak as much as possible. The immersion classes follow the state and district standards. We have many materials that are in English but we try to speak as much Iñupiaq as much as possible as we teach them. Whenever we have the time, we translate our own materials. The Iñupiaq language is a very phonetic, and as a result our students are able to become good readers. Most students keep daily journals and are able to write in Iñupiaq with ease. We teach the Iñupiaq number system invented by the Kaktovik students, therefore it is called the Kaktovik Math. We teach the Arabic numeral system as well. Most of our immersion students are very proficient in math. We usually dissect Arctic animals from the region: seals, ducks, geese and fish. We identify all of their internal organs and have the older students make diagrams of the digestive system. Perhaps the best part of dissecting fresh animals is the fact that we can cook and eat them in our classes! We usually receive a seal from the community members. We have all of our immersion classes gather around to watch. Some of our older students participate in butchering the seal. There is a cute story told by one the mothers of an immersion student. Her cousin had caught a seal one summer. Their aunt, who usually did the butchering, was out of town. She and her cousin had no idea how to butcher a seal. Her daughter, who is an immersion student, spoke up and said she knew how to do it. Step by step, she told her mom and her aunt how to butcher the seal until it was completed! She had learned by observing from the immersion classes on how to butcher a seal and was able to help her mother and her aunt! Our Arctic science is strong. Our fourth-grade immersion class completed a Sigluaq project which is the study of the ice cellar. They recreated the actual cross section of a sigluaq with paper mache', and made maktak, whale meat, seals, fish, geese and ducks out of paper. It is now a show case in our Cultural Heritage Center Museum. We usually pull together to practice singing for special occasions: Christmas program, Christmas caroling (which includes the Senior Center), spring programs, and many other occasions through out the year. Recently, we sang the Alaska State Flag song with the newly added second verse. People marveled at how quickly the immersion students had learned the second verse as it had just been adopted by the state and the fact that it had just been translated. Perhaps the greatest joy we see in our immersion students is the fact that they are proud to be Iñupiaq. They have self esteem. They are confident in meeting the challenges that they face in today's world. They know that they can be an Iñupiaq and also be able to combine what they learned in the Western world and live productive lives. We encourage them time and again that they can be whatever they want to be, that it is indeed possible to take the best of both worlds and live a productive life. | |
|
Iñupiaq Region: Thirteenth Inuit Studies Conference by Branson Tungiyan:Reconciliation". The conference kicked off with Dr. Gordon Pullar, the ISC Chair and Lucille Davis, a Sugpiaq Elder, lighting a traditional seal oil lamp and offering an opening prayer. The welcoming remarks were given by Chief Paul Theodore from the Knik tribe; Lee Stephen, the CEO of the Native Village of Ekutna; Chancellor Marshall Lind from UAF and Provost James Chapman from UAA. Aqqaluk Lynge, president of the Inuit Circumpolar Conference, gave the keynote address entitled "Science For and Together with Indigenous Peoples." Each of the three days had a keynote speaker who gave interesting presentations. Jose Kusagak, president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, Canada, was Friday's keynote speaker; George Ahmaogak, mayor of the North Slope Borough, Barrow was Saturday's speaker. We also had luncheon speakers. Thursday's speaker was Father Michael Oleksa, dean of St. Innocents Cathedral, Russian Orthodox Diocese of Alaska. He always gives the best presentations and made everyone laugh throughout his speech. Friday's luncheon speaker was Angayuqaq Oscar Kawagley of UAF. There were some very interesting sessions throughout the three day conference. I attended workshops on "Issues in the Arctic," "Traditional Knowledge," "Language Policy and Usage," "Memory and History" and "Inuit Spirituality, Values and Culture" as well as a roundtable discussion on "Comparative Inuit, Yup'ik and Aleut Linguistics." I also participated in an AKRSI session on "Integrating Indigenous Knowledge, Ways of Knowing and World Views into the Educational System." These were all interesting sessions in which issues and concerns were discussed on the international level and with an Inuit perspective. The facilitators and presenters did an outstanding job with their sessions. The conference reminded me of the Alaska Federation of Natives conventions that we have in Anchorage, but on the global Inuit level. Two Elder's, Lela Oman of Nome and Lucille Davis of Kodiak, were fabulous in giving their views of the conference sessions. I enjoyed the part where Lela Oman said that she knew how to say "thank you" in 12 languages, but the best one comes from St. Lawrence Island-Igamsiqanaghhalek! Thank you Lela, as I am from Gambell on St. Lawrence Island. The final Elder wrap-up was the most enjoyable as they gave their views in a wonderful fashion. My only wish is that there could have been more Elders from various places such as Greenland and Canada. To me, the interesting part of this conference was meeting the different Inuit and other indigenous people from Canada, Greenland, France, Germany and New Zealand. The issues discussed-whether it be education, language, health, environment, or organizational structures-were very well presented, though time was too short. We all seem to have so much in common with many of the same issues that we are concerned about. Finally, we couldn't complain about the weather. Those were the most beautiful days and helped make the conference that much more interesting and enjoyable. It was just GREAT! I appreciate the effort that was made in planning for the 13th Inuit Studies Conference. The organizers did an outstanding job of making it a success. I felt honored to have been with the group of Inuit who were in attendance. Thank You! [The staff of the Alaska Rural Systemic Initiative extends our sincere thank you and appreciation to Branson for his contributions as the Iñupiaq Regional Coordinator over the past two years. He has decided to move back to St. Lawrence Island this fall to work with his people, so we will miss his wit and wisdom at our meetings, but we wish him all the best as he takes on new challenges in his life. Igamsiqanaghhalek for your commitment to education Branson!] | |
|
Iñupiaq Region: Tough Love by Dolly Caffin:For Martha Foster and Louise Clark of Selawik, they experienced this kind of love first hand. Traveling by snowmachine to a basketball game in Noorvik, the two became lost in a snowstorm. They spent hours trying to see through the blinding snow and make their way along the trail. Eventually they made a wrong turn and found themselves with a machine that was out of gas and in snow that was knee deep. They were lost in the vast wilderness of the NANA region of Northwest Arctic. Throughout the time that they were trying to make their way back to Selawik, they experienced every possible emotion. Every emotion except one-the willingness to give up. Somehow these two kept their focus on being found by Search and Rescue. They sang church songs, they prayed, they pulled together and kept each other going. They worked together and they never gave up. Martha and Louise were lost for seven days before they were located. Their experience was life changing. To spend seven days in the wilderness is certainly tough love. Through their ordeal they found that they had the courage and strength to survive. They developed a bond of friendship that will never be broken. Individually they each found a will to live-an inner yearning that kept them going day after day. It seems they were sent into the wilderness for more than one reason: to "find" not only themselves, but each other. They used basic survival skills they had learned from Elders, during Iñupiaq activities held at their school. Their story was the inspiration for this year's Iñupiaq Days theme, "Arctic Survival." Elders, community members and villagers from around the NANA region came to the Selawik Davis-Ramoth School for the week-long event. They presented the students with a series of discussions and demonstrations about snowmachine safety, orienteering, cold weather clothing and snow shelters. Many other survival skills were also taught. A community feast was held one evening, in honor of the two girls and all of the people who helped with the search and rescue, both locally and regionally. Special awards were also given to the people who volunteered their time to come and share information with the students during the week. Many lives were touched because of the tough love these girls experienced while being lost in the wilderness. Their ordeal brought together the school, the community and various Native organizations for an event that celebrated life in the Northwest Arctic. For more information and to view photos of the Iñupiaq activities, visit the following website: http://community.webtv.net/nd_caffin/ ARCTICWINTERSURVIVAL. | |
|
Iñupiaq Region: Traditional Knowledge, Environmental Assessment, and the Clash of Two Cultures by Richard Glenn by Richard Glenn, Barrow, Alaska:The following paper was presented to the Minerals Management Service, Western Region Meeting, Park City, Utah, August 1999 Native American people have, since the time of the first European contact, struggled with the idea of sharing a storehouse of raw information, truisms, philosophies and ways of life with the outside world. This storehouse, wrapped in a big blanket and named by the outside world as "traditional knowledge", has been obtained (as in any culture) over time by observations of nature, trial and error, dogged persistence and flashes of inspiration. In cultures without a written history, such as North Slope Iñupiat culture in Alaska, knowledge is passed person to person through social organizations and individual training, as well as through stories and legends. The Iñupiat culture is based on knowledge of the natural environment and its resources. Our foundation is knowledge of the arctic tundra, rivers, lakes, lagoons, oceans and food resources. Knowledge of snow and ice conditions, ocean currents and weather patterns and their effects on natural systems are necessary for navigation, finding game and locating shelter and each other. This knowledge has value. First, to share with each other and pass on to our children and second, (if desired) to pass on to those outside of the Iñupiat culture. To someone unfamiliar with the Iñupiat culture or the Arctic environment (such as a youngster or an outsider), the storehouse of information must seem infinite and inaccessible. In addition, stereotypes abound among ourselves and in the eyes of outsiders. Legends of the "hundred different terms for snow or ice" perpetuate the mystery. Most importantly, those wishing to learn the Iñupiat culture or environment, there is a stigma: bad experiences too numerous to count begin by good-faith sharing of traditional knowledge with outsiders. These range from simple plagiarism to exploitation and thievery. Legends and stereotypes abound. Such experiences have led many Iñupiat people to first ask "Why share?" And, even if this challenge has been answered sufficiently, an equally difficult challenge remains for both sides: "How to share?" Why Share? Why do Iñupiat share traditional knowledge? Despite the stigma, our community is proud of a long history of productive, cooperative efforts with visiting researchers, hunters, travelers, scientists, map makers and others. We share when we consider others close enough to be part of Iñupiat culture and share when it is in the best interest of a greater cultural struggle. Experts Sharing With Each Other The question of "why" is always easy to answer when two individuals are sharing equally and the joy of discovery takes place on both sides. Examples of the Iñupiat hundred-year history of cooperation serve as good models: the wildlife biologist and the whaler, the nomadic traveler and geologist, the archeologist and the village Elders. This two-way exchange has often worked when a given researcher has been around long enough to be considered "one of us" or at least has displayed to the community that he possesses some common values. Sharing for the Greater Good For a more locally important reason, we share traditional knowledge when we believe it will lead to preserving the land, its resources or the Iñupiat way of life. This reason has prodded us to work hard with regulatory agencies and other organizations to develop policies, draft environmental impact statements or offer specific knowledge of the environment, wildlife or cultural practice. Sharing as a part of Education A third reason exists: pure instruction. Like a teacher to a student, our Elders and experts teach the rest of our community in all facets of traditional knowledge. We share to perpetuate our culture. How does one become involved in this kind of sharing? The answer is simple: become a student. However, this can take a lifetime-pairing with a given expert through years of learning. Chances are that the teacher is learning, too. This is the method most commonly used by Iñupiat people to transfer knowledge with each other. Iñupiat culture has many vehicles to allow this kind of instruction to take place. However, this method faces challenges due to changing culture, loss of language and other factors. How to Share? How can an outsider partake in vehicles of sharing traditional knowledge? Choose one or all of the criteria: an exchange among experts, become part of an effort that is of value to the Iñupiat or remain in the community and become a real student. Any other method risks lack of context, data gaps from abbreviated efforts and other problems. Funding exists in many agencies for programs that elicit traditional knowledge. These programs can be found from NSF, NOAA and MMS. Recently this has drawn praise from outside quarters, as it demonstrates that the government has validated traditional knowledge. Even so, we are still struggling with the very agencies that have given traditional knowledge some credibility. Why is this? In many instances the goal of eliciting traditional knowledge is a short-term project for an effort that might necessarily take a lifetime. A common problem many agencies face is they try to gather traditional knowledge in nontraditional ways. They hold public meetings, offer copies of documents for comment or rely on whatever political leadership happens to be in place. Another vehicle in vogue for government agencies is contracting with Native organizations. Native tribal organizations, profit and non-profit corporations and rural and local governments all represent some aspect of a Native constituency. So, because the groups have some legitimacy in attempting to be the bridge between traditional knowledge and the outside world, a contract is developed. The contractor must somehow assimilate, document and contribute traditional knowledge. Thus, what should take years of heart-to-heart collaboration between experts, a whole army of local energy focused on a single issue or years of tutelage under a suite of instructors must now be completed before the contract deadline (usually a period of weeks to months). Here, the government can wash its hands of the issue. It looks appropriate; it's in the Natives' hands. Consequently, the Native organization, hungry as it should be for grants and contracts from the "feds", offers to carry the obligation. Again, contract and project timelines become the targets, and we collect what we can while we can. Quality may suffer, content and context as well. Knowing that change happens slowly and that agencies can only do so much, it is reasonable to assume that what is presently occurring will continue. Meetings to assess traditional knowledge will undoubtedly go on. Knowing this, there are a few more cautions to those interested in documenting traditional knowledge, learning about the environment without reinventing the wheel and working with Native communities on regionally important issues. Choose the Forum with Care A meeting's attendees must be matched to the issue. When expertise is really needed, it should be stated. Stereotypes will allow any agency to assume the expertise is there. There is a scene from the movie On Deadly Ground where the leading actress (an Asian woman playing a Yup'ik) jumps on a horse to the surprise of Steven Seagal's character. He asks, "You can ride a horse?" to which she answers, "Of course, I'm Native American!" A comical analogy, but not far from the mark. Don 't put your Eggs in One Basket Check sources. Stated another way, the most talkative person may not be the most knowledgeable. Ours is a culture of consensus. Agreement is mandatory on nearly every item passed as traditional knowledge. If one person stands alone, he may be an expert or he may be wrong. Given the size of the task, it is easy to run away from documenting traditional knowledge for use by others, even for our own reasons. For many like me, it can be an intensely personal endeavor. Still, such documentation will continue-by Iñupiat as well as by outside groups. Our culture is changing and some day we may be learning traditional knowledge using the same techniques employed by those who are outside looking in. We may be learning of Iñupiat traditional knowledge as if it belonged to others. Just as today, in many places, we are learning Iñupiat language as if it were a foreign language. As long as we are pledged to the task, we should look past the requirements of this contract or that mandate and remember the quality of information-time-tested and true. With everything changing, it is a valuable reference plane. If it is not where we are going, at least it is where we are coming from. . . . we share traditional knowledge when we believe it will lead to preserving the land, its resources or the Iñupiat way of life. | |
|
Iñupiaq Region: Traditional Methods of Healing & Medicines for Science Fair Projects by Elmer Misrak Jackson:In the springtime, willow leaves (sura) are harvested and preserved in seal oil for food. Sura's high Vitamin * content hastens the healing process. Sura, mixed with seal or whale oil and a small amount of sugar, complements many Native foods. Crushed sura leaves are applied to wasp or hornet stings. This stops the swelling and removes the poison. Bear fat and other animal tallow help heal sores, boils and other infections. Eating a well-balanced diet of Native foods aids healing. These foods are meat, fish, berries, sour dock, wild rhubarb, sura seal and fish oil. The intestinal tract is saved from porcupine (iluqutaq). This long intestinal tract is stretched and hung to completely dry. Once dried it is ready to be used as a medicine. It is a cure for stomach ailments and diarrhea. The dried, digested food is crushed and water is added, then taken internally. This herbivore feeds on grasses, willow leaves in summer and tree bark during the winter. The iluqutaq is a subsistence food of the Iñupiat. Qaluum uqsrau is fish oil. Fishing for whitefish on calm days seems to make work easier. The fish are scaled, washed, cut and hung on poles to dry. The edible stomach organ and eggs are washed and boiled. The fish oil rises to the surface. The cooked contents are removed, leaving the oil on the surface. The oil is saved, cooled and then used to dip the fish, eggs and stomach before eating. Qaluum uqsrau can be used as medicine. When young children have a common cold with coughing, sore throat or the flu, they are given fish oil. The soothing oil moisturizes dry sore throats and hastens the healing process. The oils, rich in iron and protein, are essential for healthy living. You can also massage heated fish oil onto a child's chest when they have a chest cold and congestion. The cottonwood tree (ninrjuq) produces buds that can be used as cough syrup in early summer. These sticky buds are used for making cough syrup not only for sore throats, but also for colds and congestion. Like fish oil, cranberries have healing properties for the human body. Cranberries are rich in Vitamin * and can be used as medicine for sore throats, the common cold, congestion, chest colds and sores. They help the body's organs get rid of the body wastes. Cranberries cooked the traditional way are delicious. Another home remedy for sore throats is to mix pure honey, lemon juice and stinkweed leaves (sargiq). Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 10 to 20 minutes. Cool and store for preservation. Taking this internally will help heal sore throat and common cold ailments. The stinkweed plant (sargiq) is a common medicinal plant that grows in the Arctic. The 24-hour sunlight nourishes sargiq, along with other plants in the ecosystem. In midsummer, when the buds begin to appear, is the time to harvest sargiq. Harvest the entire plant: the stems, leaves and bulbs. This is when the plant is most potent. Bundles of sargiq are gathered and preserved. Fresh sargiq is prepared into medicinal salves or taken internally. Prepare salve for applying on the chest for chest colds, head cold and congestion. Another salve is made by frying cut onions or wild chives (paatitaat) and garlic using shortening or lard. Fry until the onion becomes transparent. Cool and preserve. Apply to the chest for congestion from chest and head colds. Add salve to hot water for steaming. Place the steaming hot salve on the floor. While holding a child on your padded legs, cover with a bed sheet and let the child breathe the medicinal steam. It will help the lungs and nasal passages get rid of the mucus and congestion. Cut and mince sargiq stems, leaves and bulbs. Pan fry with lard, shortening or bear fat. Reduce heat and cook until stems and leaves release their medicinal contents. The stems and leaves will resemble cooked spinach. Cool entire contents and preserve. When needed for colds or congestion apply on the chest and neck. For steaming, apply salve to boiling hot water and cover with a bed sheet-breathe the soothing moisturizing cure. Sargiq can be taken internally for most body ailments. Sargiq can also be made into a hot drink prepared like tea. A warm or hot bath with sargiq is healing to the skin and body. It helps heal sores and is used for a treatment for arthritis. Students should research other medicinal uses of sargiq and discover new medicines and remedies for healthful living. Crowberry (tullukam asrait) has medicine in the berry that benefits the urinary tract, intestines, liver and stomach. The berry is especially effective on urinary tract problems. Natural clay can soothe arthritis and bone ache. The heated clay relieves aches and helps the healing process. This natural resource also has other uses. For example, this material is put between the logs of the log cabin. The clay hardens, making the log cabin draft proof. Clay can be found at or just below the shoreline where there are large boulders of rocks and sand. Medicinal greens grow all year long near natural hot springs. Natural hot springs have been visited by the Iñupiat and the Athabascan people for generations. They knew about the medicinal greens and the soothing spring waters. Before submerging into the hot springs, one must drink spring water and consume medicinal plants. These two steps help people get their bodies ready for the hot spring water. The medicinal greens that grow near the springs are medicine for ulcers, stomach problems and sores. Water and greens are taken from the springs for home use. Every so often a tree swallow (tulugagÿnauraq) is taken for medicinal purposes. The feathered bird is split in half and dried completely. When it dries, it is preserved for future use. Tulugagÿnauraq is one of the most effective medicine for sores, cold sores and mouth sores. Part of the dried bird is soaked in pure water and applied to the sores. This application is repeated until the sores heal. The sores heal quickly with this method. Proper diet helps the body's immune system heal sores or body infections. Proper diet includes berries, sura, sour dock, wild rhubarb, fish oil and meat that are rich in Vitamin C, iron and protein. Teachers and students should plan to visit Elders and interview them about traditional healing and medicines. Before the interview it is important that the Elders understand what they are going to be asked to talk about. Get permission to record and to document the interview. They have much knowledge about the Iñupiat illitqusrait (way of life). Students can incorporate this information in their science fair projects through video, charts and samples of plants and animal products used in traditional medicine and healing. Tribal doctors are gifted people who have knowledge of human anatomy. They know about plants and other natural products that promote healing. Students can send samples of medicine plants to be analyzed. There are cures yet to be discovered. Find where medicinal plants and natural products can be analyzed through scientific research for possible new medicines. Make sure you follow the Guidelines for Respecting Cultural Knowledge when you do so (the guidelines are available on the ANKN website.) Finally, when you visit an Elder, bring them a fruit basket or gift to show your appreciation for sharing their indigenous knowledge. References Aana (Grandma) Clara Jackson. These traditional remedies are common knowledge and shared with each generation of Iñupiat since time immemorial. The stinkweed plant (sargiq), pictured above, is a common medicinal plant that grows in the Arctic. The 24-hour sunlight nourishes sargiq, along with other plants in the ecosystem. (Photo by Dixie Masak Dayo who is studying traditional healing and herbology.) | |
|
Iñupiaq Region:News from Northwest Alaska by Branson Tungiyan:I have been working at Kawerak, Inc. for the past two years as the program director for the Eskimo Heritage Program. The mission statement of the Eskimo Heritage Program is "to document and preserve the Bering Strait Region's culture, heritage and traditions of the three Native groups and to expand the Eskimo Heritage Program's collection to the people and the villages." I have been working on individual Elder interviews and putting them into a computerized database. This has been like attending a bilingual education class, as I go through the transcriptions of all the wonderful stories, legends and traditional knowledge that each Elder exemplifies in their interviews. To me, this is truly the "link from the past, to the present and to the future." Whether the interviews are from an Iñupiaq Elder, Central Yup'ik Elder or a St. Lawrence Island Yupik Elder, the cultural values spoken are the same. This brings me to the new position I am involved in with the AFN/Alaska Rural Systemic Initiative (AKRSI). Phase II of AKRSI is "bringing schools and communities together in rural Alaska." This will be done by implementing the ten initiatives on a region-by-region basis over the next five years. For example, the Iñupiaq Region will be working on the Village Science Applications and Alaska Native Science and Engineering Society (ANSES) this year. The Iñupiat have already gone through some of this by attending cultural camps and working on their science fair projects with the Elders in the communities and with the schools in the districts. The AKRSI is about education, working with the community, the schools and the children. This not only involves the children in the villages in the school districts, but also the youth in the tribal colleges. We will also be working with Native educators within each respective region. The focus of the AKRSI Phase II will build on the successes of the initiatives that were implemented in Phase I. Culture is the core of every Native group in this great state of Alaska. It brings the true meaning of being Alaska Native. The ability to have survived the harsh environment and climate over thousands of years proves that culture is the core of any Native group that sustains the life of its people. This gives the people heritage and tradition as an identity to continue and pass on to generation after generation for its survival as indigenous people. It gives me pleasure to be working as a part of this process with my fellow Alaska Natives. | |
|
Inupiaq Regional Report by Elmer Jackson: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. | |
|
