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 Contact information in earlier issues could be outdated.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.
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ANSES Corner (formerly AISES Corner) by Claudette Engblom Bradley:The Elders were Howard Luke, Elizabeth Fleagle, Margaret Tritt, Bertha Moses, Johnson Moses and Kenneth Frank (elder-in-training). The certified teachers were Judy Madros, eighth-grade teacher in Nulato; Caroline Tritt-Frank, (K-1) Immersion Program teacher in Arctic Village; Rita O'Brien, former science teacher in Ryan Middle School and Fort Yukon; Todd Kelsey, a former chemistry teacher and a current IBM employee and Claudette Engblom Bradley, UAF mathematics educator. The camp also had four resident advisors who lived with the students in their tents, helped them complete their daily chores and assisted them during recreational experiences and field trips. The resident advisors were David Palmer, Julie Parshall, Arlo Veetus and Crystal Frank. Elizabeth Fleagle from Alatna, Manley Hot Springs and Fairbanks taught the students values and how to sew beads. They made scissors holders and medicine bags with beaded neck chains. Elizabeth's class is very popular among the students and staff. Margaret Tritt from Arctic Village and Fairbanks helped the students clean caribou hides and make babiche. Babiche is sinew. The students used it to make rabbit snares and braid ties for their small dog packs. Margaret helped the students set their snares and sew their dog packs. Dog packs were used to carry essential camping equipment during long travels across the tundra. Bertha Moses and Caroline Tritt-Frank helped the student make fish nets with weights and floaters. The students carved the shuttle and measuring gauge in their session with Kenneth Frank and Johnson Moses. They carried their shuttle and measuring gauges to Bertha and Caroline's session. Johnson and Kenneth helped the students make the weights and floaters for their nets as well. The students also learned about carving wood from Johnson and Kenneth. They sewed small nets in the eight-day sessions and were able to take their work home when the camp was over. Kenneth and Johnson had the students make survival gear. They taught them how to start a fire without a match. The survival gear was made of caribou bones. The gear included a caribou bone knife, a caribou bone fish hook and a caribou bone arrowhead. Rita O'Brien helped the students make birch bark baskets. She showed them where and how to gather the birch bark and roots for the basket making. Todd Kelsey flew to Fairbanks to joins the camp for a week from IBM in Rochester, Minnesota. Todd made the arrangements with IBM to donate six laptop computers and one color printer to the camp. He stayed in the camp to insure the computers are used appropriately and provided the students with instruction on how to use the printer and computers along with some lessons in chemistry and mathematics. This year he co-taught his classes with Judy Madros from Nulato. The students will further develop their projects at their school and enter them in local science fairs this fall. We look forward to seeing them at the statewide ANSES fair in February. Elder Elizabeth Fleagle teaches traditional values and bead sewing to camp participants. Two camp participants work hard to create fire without matches! | |
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ANSES Corner by Claudette Bradley:by Claudette Bradley On July 11, 2000 thirteen middle school students from rural villages in the Interior and North Slope arrived for the two-week Fairbanks AISES Science Camp 2000. The staff included four Elders, four teachers, four resident advisors and a cook. Students developed science projects selecting subjects from the natural environment, discussing their project with Elders, receiving guidance from teachers for their experiments and discovering that science is all around them and that Elders have a lot of knowledge. Participating Elders were Howard Luke, Elizabeth Fleagle, Margaret Tritt and Kenneth Frank. They taught students to do beadwork, carve and file bone for an Athabascan spear throwing game and tan caribou skins. They organized fiddle dancing in the evenings and told stories passed down for generations. Their advice and confirmations were invaluable to the students. Teachers set up a computer lab of Thinkpads® operated by solar panel batteries. The Thinkpads® and printer were donated by IBM; Todd Kelsey of IBM in Rochester, Minnesota joined the camp for a week to work with students in the computer lab and to assist them in developing a weather station with a student-made rain gauge, wind socket and barometer. George Olanna of Shishmaref was a teacher in the computer lab and helped students develop their science projects and display boards. Rita O'Brien led the students in a medicinal plant and berry-picking adventure. Under Rita's direction students made cranberry leather which is like Fruit Rollups. Maria Reyes met with students in Rasmusen Library computer lab to help them search the Internet for information on their science project. She guided students through a web search and the development of their bibliography. I worked with the students, Elders and staff to help keep the camp afloat. Following the camp, I served as one of five educators nationally to chaperone 20 teenage scientists to the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Youth Science Festival 2000 in Singapore. These students were top science fair winners in state and national science fairs in the Lower Forty-Eight. I was the only person from Alaska among the US delegation sponsored by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Of the 800 people from 21 countries attending the conference, 600 were high school students and 200 were educators. The students and chaperones attended a very large science fair with 600 APEC Youth Science Festival (AYSF) 2000 students and nearly 2000 Singapore students. For two evenings the 21 delegations took turns presenting cultural performances for all ASYF participants. During the teacher/chaperone seminar, I reported on the AISES science camps and fairs sponsored by the Alaska Rural Systemic Initiative. The participants expressed interest in an exchange program between their students and AISES camp students. We had the opportunity to visit secondary schools in Singapore. Many of us were especially interested in the mathematics programs since Singapore students scored highest in mathematics in the international TIMSS study. The Singapore students and teachers were very well organized with lots of hands-on classroom activities. The K-12 AISES program in Alaska has been changed to Alaska Native Science and Engineering Society (ANSES). This year we are finishing the end of the first five years of the AKRSI program. Each of the five cultural regions are planning a science fair where they will select grand prize winners to attend the statewide ANSES science fair in Anchorage February 3-5, 2001. The second five-year round of AKRSI initiatives will emphasize mathematics learning for rural students. The AKRSI staff will include mathematical investigations for science projects as a category in the regional and statewide science fairs. We will discuss mathematical investigations as projects during the monthly audioconferences held in each region. For all science projects students should design data sheets for collecting data and attach the data sheet on their display board. We look forward to new adventures in science and mathematics during the next few years. We hope you will look at our website http://www.ankn.uaf.edu/aises where you will find the science fair handbooks and details on the statewide fair. Please contact Alan Dick at fnad@uaf.edu or call me at 474-5376 if you have any questions. | |
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ANSES State Fair Held at Camp Carlquist by Greg Danner:The Alaska Native Science and Engineering Society (ANSES) Statewide Native Science Fair was a success! The students came, presented their projects and even managed to see some of the Super Bowl. There was the unanimous sense that it was both time and effort very well spent. We had 8 sites, 37 students and 12 chaperones presenting 21 projects integrating science and local knowledge. The winning project, by an eighth- and ninth-grade pair from Circle (Yukon Flats School District) was entitled “Surviving with Snow.” The students explored the life-saving properties of an emergency shelter constructed from snow. They even braved a –54° day to gather data on the experiment. It was the clear winner and both the traditional and Western science judges gave it very high marks. They’ll be going off to the national AISES Fair in March. The Imaginarium in Anchorage provided logistical support for the event under contract with the AKRSI and ear-marked $1500 to support the winning project’s trip to the AISES Fair in New Mexico. The grand prize was awarded to the first place winners at the fair and the chaperones from Circle will be accompanying the students to the national fair. It was a very well received. Congratulations go to all the winners and their teachers for their prize-winning efforts. Thanks to all the students, teachers, chaparones and judges for their help in making the 2004 ANSES State Fair a resounding success. Tyler Ely and John Carroll (Circle) with their first place project. Second place winners Victoria Nathaniel and Ronald Mayo (Circle). Third place winners Ralph Christiansen and Ronnie Tunohun (third and fourth from left) pose with Elder judges. | |
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ANSES State Science Fair 2001:Feb 2-4, 2001 Birchwood Camp 15 miles west of Anchorage just off the Glenn Highway. This dovetails with the Native Educators Conference on Feb 4-5, giving student projects maximum exposure. Following the very successful American Indian Science & Engineering Society (AISES) State Fair of 2000, high-quality,culturally-based science projects will again come from all over the state of Alaska to compete and cooperate in ANSES State Science Fair 2001. For more information: ANSES website: http://www.ankn.uaf.edu/ANSES or contact: Alan Dick, ANSES Sciene Fair 2001 Coordinator E-mail: fnad@uaf.edu. 907-526-5335 (If no answer, leave a message.) Fourth Annual Interior ANSES Science Fair 2000 Grand Prize Winners Project Title Young Scientists Grade Village "Snow Shelters" Scott Asplund 9 Circle John Carroll 6 Circle "Use of Berries" Magan John 8 Circle Sheeena Tritt 9 Circle "Trapping & Tanning of Martin" Christopher Engler 7 Ft. Yukon Matthew Shewfelt 8 Ft. Yukon "Fewer Mosquitoes in Ft. Yukon" Kyke Joseph 6 Ft. Yukon Christopher Engler and Matthew Shewfelt present their science fair project to judges at the Fourth Annual Interior ANSES Science Fair 2000 held in Fairbanks December 7-9, 2000. Photo by Sean Topkok. | |
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ANSES State Science Fair Results by Claudette Bradley:Village Experiment/Demo Place Project Title Name Grade Kodiak Individual Experiment Best of Show Insulators Marjeena Griffin 10 Mekoryuk Team Experiment First Tanning Reindeer Hides Robert Bujan 8 Mekoryuk Team Experiment First Tanning Reindeer Hides Amanda Williams 8 Fort Yukon Team Demonstration Second Trapping & Tanning Marten Christopher Engler 7 Fort Yukon Team Demonstration Second Trapping & Tanning Marten Mattew Shewfelt 8 Crooked Creek Team Experiment Third A Cold Body Willaim Felker 8 Crooked Creek Team Experiment Third A Cold Body Elena John 12 McGrath Individual Experiment Fourth Buckskin Fringes Arianna Solie 6 Circle Team Experiment Fifth Snow Shelter Scott Asplund 9 Circle Team Experiment Fifth Snow Shelter John Carroll 6 | |
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Aotearoa (New Zealand) Language Tour by Moses L. Dirks:Aotearoa tour participants from Alaska and Canada gather for a photo overlooking Wellington Park in Wellington, New Zealand. Moses Dirks is in the second row, third from left. In Unalaska there are few Qawalangin who speak the language and the people here are very aware of the status of the language. They want something done so that it can be revived back to the way it was in the past. The number of speakers in Unalaska are very small; those who speak the Qawalangin dialect of Aleut are not young (65 and over). There are approximately ten fluent speakers in the town of Unalaska that speak Unangax. It is those speakers who will be vital in the revitalization of the Unangan language. The Maori are the leaders in language renewal among indigenous peoples of the world. In just sixteen years, the Maori of Aotearoa (New Zealand) have reversed the spiraling loss of language and turned it into one of renewal. The Maori have shown that it is possible to rescue a dying indigenous language if the will and determination of its remaining speakers is there. In July 1999 our group, several of whom were aboriginal Elders, from across Alaska and Canada spent two weeks visiting various Maori language programs to observe and interact with Maori people. In doing so, I developed a deep respect for the Maori for taking a big step in preserving their language. Every place we visited we heard Maori spoken and sung among the little children, the teachers, the parents and the Elders. It was a lesson in what can be achieved with programs of total immersion in language and culture. Dr. Verna Kirkness, our tour guide, has been following the Maori language renewal program for over ten years. She says that each time she returns she sees the progress that is being made. Back in 1981, the Maori started a program they called Te Kohanga Reo, meaning "Maori language nests", for children from birth to five years of age. In the Te Kohanga Reo the children are immersed in the Maori language and culture while in the care of Elders and other family members who are fluent speakers of the language. It is reported that as of 1991, Te Kohonga Reo was producing 3,000 young speakers per year. In addition, we visited several Kura Kaupapa Maori philosophy schools. As in the Te Kohanga Reo, these schools use Maori language for instruction and follow Maori tradition, protocol and customs in all aspects of their educational activities. During our visit to the schools, the Maori were generous in making us feel welcome and did all they could to help us understand their language programs. The Maori also have developed teacher training programs to help reinforce the teaching of Maori, because there is a strong commitment for the Maori to continue developing these language programs. As another means of increasing the number of Maori speaking teachers, Professor Timoti Karetu, the Maori Language Commissioner, told us of a plan that is in the works to take certified Maori teachers who are not fluent in Maori and provide them with a year of language immersion. The Maori Language Teacher Education Program was another place that was interesting to visit. The teachers were willing to take the time to talk to the group about their programs. In our visits to schools the Maori teachers took us into their classrooms and explained what type of approach worked with the students in teaching Maori. All communication is conducted in Maori. We also had a chance to interact with students and the ones we talked to enjoyed school and were willing to learn. One of the biggest challenges has been to develop quality teaching resources to accompany the Maori language curriculum. Initially, twenty-two percent of the Ministry's learning material budget went to the production of resources for Maori-medium education and the work in this area is on-going. The Maori acknowledge the wholeness of life in which there is an intangible presence-a God, a higher power, the Creator. They believe in the spiritual relationship of all things-human, animal and nature. They display many of the same beliefs and values that we do here in Alaska as indigenous people. Museums were another avenue that is used in teaching about the Maori culture and history. The museums were well equipped with resources and displays that were set up to convey various aspects of Maori history. What stood out most about this trip was the amount of resources that were available to the Maori. They have their own universities and teacher colleges that prepare teachers for classrooms. The number of speakers in Maori is phenomenal and they are fluent in their language. The schools are full of volunteers that help in classrooms to make sure that the students learn Maori. The support system for the language revitalization is working and is getting stronger every year. After the trip to New Zealand, I felt very encouraged about the possibilities of Unangan language development. The Maori people have worked very hard in reversing the language loss in their homeland and we, as Unangan people, need to do the same with what resources we have today. The Maori people have inspired not only the Unangan people but many indigenous peoples of world. They are the true leaders of language revitalization. Let us try to model after them in an effort to revitalize our own languages. The Unangan language has been used for generations in passing on knowledge in the region and that part of Unangan history and tradition should continue. The Unangan community should commit themselves to the revitalization of the Unangan language before it is too late. We have learned English and lived that lifestyle for sometime. It is time that we once again learn about Unangan culture through our own language. I have always believed that it is hard to convey a culture if it can't be described or defined in the host language. What better way to learn about ourselves than to re-learn our language? | |
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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 phone 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 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 | |
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ARSI Contacts: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 | |
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ARSI Staff Provide Strength and Support:As well as the three co-directors working on this new project, we have an extended staff working out of both the Alaska Federation of Natives' offices in Anchorage and the University of Alaska Fairbanks' Harper Building in Fairbanks. We'd like to introduce them to you: Gail Stelling Gail is the daughter of John and Shirley Stelling of Dillingham, Alaska. She graduated from Indiana University, with a bachelor of science degree in business administration, and a minor in finance. She completed an internship with KPMG Peat Marwick LLP, which was sponsored in part by Bristol Bay Economic Development Corporation As Gail states, she is very excited to be a part of ARSI and working with this project. She was a Native Youth Leadership awardee, and hopes that the Youth are involved with this project inasmuch as the elders, with all respect. Gail holds the administrative assistant position based in the AFN office in Anchorage. She is responsible for the reimbursements of funds, arranging travel for meetings, providing information and support for Regional Coordinators and ordering equipment and supplies. She is responsible for the accounting and budget control of the grant as well as other administrative tasks that arise. Lolly Carpluk Hello, my name is Lolly Carpluk. I am from Mountain Village along the Lower Yukon. My family (husband and three children) and I moved to Fairbanks three years ago, so that both my husband and I could attend the university. I recently began my job as a project assistant. My main responsibilities will be to gather articles for this newsletter that the ARSI project will be publishing (so far the plan is bi-monthly). I am excited about what people will be sharing with each other via the newsletter-especially in the area of rural and Native education. Hopefully, this newsletter will connect rural and Native educators on what each is doing in the area of incorporating indigenous knowledge into the school curriculum. Please feel free to contact our office on potential articles for the newsletter. I can be reached at the Fairbanks office at 474-5086. Quyana. Nastasia Wahlberg Hi, everyone! It's great to be working with highly motivated people who have the same interests in helping our people. My husband's name is Kevin and we have two children: Teresa and Flossie. We moved to Fairbanks so I could finish my B.A. in English, minor in Alaska Native Studies. In the past three years I have been fortunate to provide translation for the Ciulistet Yup'ik Math and Science project. I have previously worked in various capacities from clerical to professional positions in the health field, community college, native organizations, pipeline, federal government and, more importantly, as a subsistence gatherer and commerical fisherman/helper. Upon realizing the need for more hands-on workshops to supplement our training, Ray, Dorothy, Oscar, and I are styling our statewide meetings to have time for conducting both business and training. At our February ARSI staff meeting in Anchorage, we will spend the first day meeting and the second day in training. During the first half of the day, Rachel Craig will train us on property rights and gathering and documenting Elders' knowledge. The next half will be with Paula Elmes who will train us on the Internet and our computers. The Interior Campus will host our April 12-13 ARSI Staff Retreat/Consortium meeting with a focus on Interior Elders and camps. My responsibilities are to assist in the regional coordinators in their daily activities. A concern for the start-up phase of this project is to provide orientation and training for the RC's and that they begin to establish a rapport with the community members they will be working with. We hope to keep the projects small and manageable in order to accomplish our goals. The Regional Coordinators will be our eyes and ears. They will also coordinate with those holding Memorandum of Agreements with us as well as attempting to meet the needs of our people. Consequently, the rest of us need to pull for them and with them. Call me any time. Tua-i, Quyana. Paula Elmes Hello, my name is Paula Elmes. I will be working on this project as a graphic designer and production assistant. I live in Fairbanks with my husband and two children. We have lived here for the past seventeen years and are still in awe of the beauty and the wonder of this state. I am pleased and honored to be a part of this project. Over the course of the next five years I will be helping, in a visual way, to present the information gathered on this project. That information will become available to you in many different ways including newsletters, books, monographs, the World Wide Web, multimedia CDs, and other ways we haven't even thought of yet! I'll also provide computer support for our regional coordinators as they familiarize themselves with their computer systems. I'm currently working part-time with much of my time spent working on my computer at home. However, I do have an office located in the Harper Building (UAF) that I share with Lolly, Nastasia, Amy, and Ray. Please feel free to call me at 474-5086. I'll be happy to talk with you and share what's coming up in the future. | |
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Asking Tomorrow by Maricia Ahmasuk:something in me. Often tears of mixed feelings come forth with the sight or even thought of these wise ones. They possess something mysterious and rare with their strength one cannot find elsewhere. Elders are steady, facing their daily struggles- steady like the rivers so swift! The slightest movement of their hand spark the imagination of what was, what is, what if . . . Men and women of old are humble as can be, yet their noble qualities speak through their sparkling eyes with their chins held high. Careless worries and childish doubts dissipate almost instantaneously around the elderly, as their actions portray volumes of what actually counts us all as the beloved beings that we are. Belonging to the past that created them, the elderly have a way of looking back without closing their eyes as they are somehow taken away from the present, momentarily. When these delicate creatures are brought back Home we who are left behind are not really left alone, for these wondrous beings leave silently, yet not without an echo that rings true, filling the abyss of the soul with great signs and wonders. Elders across the globe share a great commonality. They take us to impossible places as if looking into the future, directing our paths somewhere to the past, where we each have a place. Often we hear Elders say that the youth are the future . . . interesting, coming from ancient voices who open the doors to tomorrow by looking back. What may we ask of tomorrow . . . today? | |
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Aspects of Traditional Iñupiat Education by Paul Ongtooguk:Traditional Alaska Natives are often thought of as a common, nomadic culture that moved almost randomly with little more than hope to guide decisions about where to seek the next meal and where to set up the next shelter. The Hollywood image of Alaska and Alaska Natives reinforces this stereotype, as the film image is one of fur-clad people living in blinding blizzards of constant snow. Imagine the camera, as it pans up to a thin line of specks on the horizon. The camera slowly closes in and the specks become visible as people walking into the blizzard. (I don't know why we always walk into the blizzards, but in films we always seem to.) Then, the narrator, in a low, serious tone announces "In a ceaseless quest for survival, the hearty Eskimo are in search of the caribou." The image is an important one, as it represents most people's only visual encounter with the traditional life of the Eskimo. It is also false, as it portrays the Eskimo as playing survival roulette, wandering about hoping to chance upon some caribou. Iñupiat Society: Some Realities It is true that most Alaska Native groups often moved, but it is also true that the locations and times of these moves were not in any way random. A culture would not long survive in the Arctic, much less develop over several thousand years, if it were dependent on such random luck. Rather the Iñupiat cycle of life developed through a careful consideration of the environment. Among traditional foods were caribou, marmot, seal, walrus, several variety of whale, many kinds of fish, bear, rabbit, ptarmigan and a variety of roots, eggs, seeds and berries. The Iñupiat also gathered resources, such as ivory, jade in some regions, copper in others, slate, driftwood, baleen and bones. Sometimes the materials sought included grasses for insulation and baskets or animals and birds for clothing and shelter. Hunting and fishing were planned based on the knowledge of where animals and fish had been found in the past, knowledge about weather conditions and the changing patterns of climate. Camps were carefully chosen locations. The camp, or living area, was selected, because it was perceived as the most likely location of a concentration of food. Adequate fresh water and relative safety were, and are today, carefully considered. There were also settled communities. Over a thousand people lived in the traditional communities now commonly called Pt. Hope and Wales. These communities were established long before the Roman era of Western Europe. Iñupiat societies developed unique equipment and tools that were relevant for the area in which that society lived. The invention and refinement over thousands of years of how to design and construct the right equipment was a crucial aspect of traditional life. As William Oquilluk, an Iñupiat author, pointed out in People of Kauwerak, the invention of tools and shelter for living in the Arctic was inspired through careful observation of the world: the spider web for the net, not only the fish net, but also nets for birds and seals; the leaf floating on the water for the first boats that were gradually refined into the qayaq-one of the more graceful and efficient boat designs. There are many others: the ulu, the harpoon, the reinforced bow, the throwing dart and the gutskin parka. The development of tools and equipment is one example that Iñupiat society was not static in traditional times and that change was not a consequence of contact with outsiders. Thus it was not mere hope and persistence that allowed Iñupiat society to develop in the North. Traditional Iñupiat society was, and is, about knowing the right time to be in the right place, with the right tools to take advantage of a temporary abundance of resources. Such a cycle of life was, and is, based on a foundation of knowledge about and insight into the natural world. Such a cycle of life was, and is, dependent upon a people's careful observations of the environment and their dynamic response to changes and circumstances. Developing this cycle of life was critical to the continuance of traditional Iñupiat society. Also critical was a system to share this knowledge and insight with the next generation. Traditional Education: a Myth Many educators today stereotype the traditional educational system of Alaska Natives in a manner that is reminiscent of the Hollywood blizzard portrayal of traditional Iñupiat society. A prevalent belief, for example, of many educators is that American indigenous people "learn by doing." In schools the application of this belief often results in activities where students are provided a minimum amount of information and a maximum amount of activities that allow for random experimentation and hands-on discovery. Such a simplified view of teaching and learning imposed on a diversified group of people is as foolish as the image of the northern Iñupiat randomly searching for food in the Arctic. Two common sense observations should immediately lead educators to question this belief. First, the traditional life of the Iñupiat demanded knowledge and perceptiveness about the world. Consider hunting. The successful hunter had to have knowledge about the particular area, the species being hunted and the appropriate technology. Further, he had to be skilled in the application of that knowledge. The Iñupiat were not successful hunters because they threw themselves into "learning by doing" situations. To learn about sea ice conditions and safe travel "by doing" alone would be suicidal. In fact "doing" is the back end of the educational experience in traditional life. Second, it is naive to think that any group of people can be categorized as preferring one learning style. Learning style inventories are popularly administered in schools today in order to determine student preferences and student patterns of insight. Teachers believe that the information revealed about individual students from learning style inventories is important. Teachers often intend to apply that information as they plan, deliver and evaluate lessons. Caucasian students are expected to exhibit a range of learning behavior. (By the way I often think this whole issue is confused in how much it ignores the demands of the subject being learned. Hands-on learning alone of chess? Ignoring the conceptual issues of small engines is partly to blame for all those so-called mechanics trading old parts for new ones without repairing vehicles.) Why would Alaska Natives be expected to perform any differently? Traditional Education: Some Realities Then how were people prepared to live in traditional times? Probably no one alive today can answer that question completely. Decades of changes in society coupled with the demands of compulsory education mean that traditional learning and ways of learning have been obscured and many pieces have been lost. While there are some obvious elements still in place, they tend to be fragmented and are seldom recognized as portions of an entire way of learning. While these fragments can be gathered from a variety of sources, one of the most credible is the personal story. The examples that follow are personal and illustrate how the role of the male hunter was learned by some of the boys in a contemporary Iñupiat community. Observation Observation is a critical element of the traditional educational system. The first knowledge about hunting comes from boys watching how hunters prepare their equipment, their clothing and themselves. Observation begins at a very early age and continues for years. At first the boy observes how relatively easy it seems to load a boat. Then, another year, the boy sees more than the work and starts to notice the balance of the load. He sees what will be readily needed, what must not be allowed to sit under the load, what knots should be used to properly tie things down in the various parts. What had appeared simple at the first observation gradually becomes extremely complicated as the issues are understood. The sophisticated observer finally extracts the principles that become the threads by which what has been "seen and done" is understood. The young boy, through observation, also learns about the value system associated with hunting. As hunters return from a successful trip, goods are shared. In Iñupiat society, it is through participation that a person becomes a part of the community. In contrast to the Robinson Crusoe drama, in the Arctic, if a person is alone, the odds of survival are undermined. In fact, in Iñupiat society higher status is acquired through sharing. Boys learn to prove themselves through helping others. Immersion in the Stories and Customs As the child is immersed in the stories and customs of the communities, he learns more about the traditions, values and beliefs associated with hunting in an Iñupiat community. Before his first hunt, he has listened to hunting stories for years. These were both entertaining and informative. As a result of these stories told by Elders and veteran hunters, the young child constructs a mental image of all that is required and some sense of the important aspects of preparing and engaging in the hunt. Many of the stories he listens to as a child were stories that emphasized the disposition-the attitude-of the hunter. In these stories bragging and pride in personal accomplishment would be condemned. In the stories, animals can read the mind of the hunter and either give themselves or not, in part based on an appreciation of the giving of the physical body. Even after the animal gives up the body, respect should be shown in definite ways according to the stories and traditions. This is why some hunters who are deacons and respected members of churches still pour fresh water in the mouth of a seal after it has been shot. The belief is that the seal likes fresh water and that the undying nature of the seal will remember the gesture and bring another body for the hunters later. The stories about animals giving themselves to hunters might not seem to make sense to outsiders, but it is difficult to imagine anything else if a person has hunted very long. There are times, when in spite of careful planning and preparation, cautious stalking and quiet approaches, no animal will allow a hunter to even remotely approach. At other times a person will be setting up camp and a caribou or moose will walk within a stone's throw and then patiently wait for the hunter to take advantage of their good fortune. How else to account for these turns of events that have so little to do with skill and more to do with the disposition of the animal? Today some Westerners might deride such practices and beliefs. But perhaps the stories are actually about protecting and helping the hunter. Respect for the animal being hunted may prevent the hunter from becoming overly confident or prideful. Pride often produces carelessness and may prevent learning and observation from occurring. In fact, pride and arrogance can be fatal in the Arctic where the best lesson to keep in mind is how little we actually know and how easily we can be swept from the world. Showing respect for the animals also ensures that better care will be taken of the physical remains of the animal. The importance of such a disposition for the Iñupiat hunter is obvious. Often the stories children hear will emphasize how clever, thoughtful and ingenious a person has been in becoming successful as a hunter and a provider to the community. Apprenticeship Apprenticeship is another aspect of traditional education. Often a young hunter is guided in the apprenticeship by an uncle. The uncle's role may be familiar to some parents in urban life who face the task of teaching their children to drive. For while the young person may be capable of learning to drive, the parents are often so deeply attached and concerned that it is difficult to keep the teaching role in mind. Parents can all too readily imagine that this future driver of over a ton of steel is the same child who broke objects and fumbled through life as a toddler. On the other hand an uncle is close enough in relationship to carry the burden of keeping a youngster alive, while at the same time distant enough to keep things in perspective. Hunting in the Arctic is difficult enough. Hunting while keeping an eye on a young person is just that much more so. The apprenticeship begins on the day that the uncle chooses to take the future hunter out. In contrast to Western systems of education there is no predetermined beginning and ending schedule for the apprenticeship. The age at which this happens depends upon the maturity of the youngster. The uncle has been watching the young hunter and one day, with almost a casual air, the uncle and his hunting partner agree to take the youngster out. The young hunter has been trying to show, in numerous ways, that he is ready for this. The youngster may have been hunting ptarmigan, usually with a bow and arrows that he and his friends have made. Why is this hunting so important to the young man? Observation has demonstrated to the boys that hunting is valued in many ways. As a child he has seen the appreciation and admiration shown to hunters returning to the community. As a child, when he got his first ptarmigan or rabbit, he was required to give it to his oldest female relative-grandmother, great-grandmother or an aunt. The female relative made a great deal of the event-praising the fine size of the catch and noting how long it had been since they had seen one as good as this. The boy was then instructed toxrun to the homes of many relatives and friends inviting them over for a feast. The women prepared a great many foods, but the center of the feast was a stew in which the little bird or rabbit was transformed into a meal for many people. All would eat and praise the stew and note how clever and hard working the young hunter had been in acquiring this meal for the community. All the conversation praising the hunter would take place as though he were invisible and yet he would feel a mixture of pride and embarrassment at all the attention. The lesson of the importance of hard work and persistence in hunting would not be lost. Apprentice hunters might not actually hunt the first time they go out to a hunting camp. The youngest person sets up the tent, hauls water, perhaps prepares sleeping bags, collects firewood, cooks and certainly cleans. But is this only dreary labor? First, keep in mind that these chores are being done out at camp and so everything is edged with excitement for the young apprentice. But, the real lesson, as a young person, is to learn to deal with the long and hard labor without giving in to fatigue. While out at camp, the young boy learns about good locations for certain animals, fish or materials during certain seasons. The boy also learns about how to select the location for the hunting camp, what equipment to bring for certain areas and for different kinds of hunting, fishing or trapping. A person would certainly be expected to learn about terrain, travel routes and hazards. A young hunter would also learn something about local weather and about basic weather prediction. Sometimes the significant event is learning about the location of good water and, always, hunting is about maintaining hunting equipment. From these early experiences a person begins a lifetime of learning about animals, fish, various other foods, habitats and animal behaviors. If the hunt went well a boy would also begin to observe the techniques and skills used by hunters in locating and stalking an animal. The apprentice hears the male hunters discuss the nature of the hunt and anything learned, anything unusual or notable. Often the discussion revolves around how and why things turned out the way they did. They may even tease about the lack of success. But if there is success, the young apprentice helps in packing and hauling the catch. He learns how to pack and store and how to move from one place to another, efficiently and intelligently. The room for error is very slim at times. The apprentice is taught to think about what he is going to do and to ask himself: What can go wrong? What are the dangers? Then he is taught to think again and not to take unnecessary risks, because the necessary ones are dangerous enough. The boy learns that taking risks is for people whose lives are very different than his. Caution and appreciation for life are the dispositions of the hunters who know that life cannot be taken for granted. The Community as a School In contrast to the system of modern Western education, in traditional Iñupiat society the community is a school. The observations that a young boy makes are not scheduled in classes or confined to a school building or other restricted environment. The immersion of the young hunter in the stories and customs of the community are likewise an integral part of the child's life. Older men tell stories about everything and the stories are the lessons. When, where and what lessons occur are dependent upon the time, the place and the season. The lessons are tied to the traditional cycle of life. The apprenticeship, while perhaps seemingly familiar as a model used in Western education, is best understood in traditional Iñupiat education, as one more piece of an educational system that is integral to the notion of the community as a school. Why a particular uncle steps forward to guide a young hunter is dependent upon complex family, social, psychological and community relationships. It is also within the context of a community of hunters that the apprenticeship occurs. Preservation of the communities and societies depends on the cooperation of its members and the apprenticeship occurs within this hunting community. While the apprentice might focus on a particular task, there is no separation of the task from the larger context. Traditional Iñupiat hunters must learn to do several things at the same time. For example, the hunters may discuss how exceptional circumstances in the hunt will be met while they are, at the same time, cleaning their equipment. For the apprentice there is no isolation from the realities of the hunting community. Within this context traditional education is a highly disciplined education. There is a need to pay attention to the stories that told about right and wrong attitudes and behavior. There is a need for the young hunter to develop both the physical and mental dispositions of a mature hunter, including understanding why something is being done in a particular way. When hunting in the Arctic, things often do not go as planned and skilled hunters must know how to solve problems. An educational goal of traditional Iñupiat society is a careful preparation of the young for the roles of adults. This goal is shared by the community and the children are both attended to and expected to be attentive. The values of traditional Iñupiat education include cooperation and intense effort. These values are rewarded in many ways, including the satisfaction that the hunter feels when people are fed and he knows that he has contributed to the effort that has provided some of the food. A Cautionary Tale This description is only a fraction of the traditional educational system. Hunting skills and conditioning were, and are, learned through traditional games and competition such as wrestling, weight lifting and the one- and two-foot high kick. In addition to hunting, traditional education has provided and is continuing to provide a way for children to learn and accept other adult roles that are essential to survival. Further, Iñupiat society has developed many art forms including sculpture, music, dance and story. Celebrations and ceremonies were a part of Iñupiat communities as were people who were philosophers and historians. Despite the challenge of the environment, the Iñupiat survived and developed a complex society. The traditional Iñupiat system of education worked well within the framework in which it developed. There are many factors that have contributed to the erosion of the traditional educational system. The relocation of Native people and the establishment of boarding schools had devastating effects, as children were separated from the traditional educational system that taught them how to participate in the community. As Western culture collided with Alaska Native cultures, some practices associated with traditional education, such as the telling of stories by the hunters, were condemned by some as "Satanic." As the Western educational system was imposed in Alaska Native communities, those arriving concluded that Native people were primitive and backward and thus no advice was sought in the kind and direction of the education system formed. When missions were established, the choice of location was often unfortunate. Bethel, Alaska was located at its present site simply because it was as far up the river as the boat could travel given the limited knowledge that the missionaries had about the river channels. If they had sought advice, they might have ended a bit farther up the river at the present day site of Aniak with a better source of water, some trees for construction and higher ground for a foundation. One story tells that when the missionaries arrived in Kivalina in the summer they set the school building on a sand spit, not considering that their school would be held primarily in the winter and that the winter locations for the Alaska Native people in that region would have been by fresh water, in the tree line across the lagoon. Today, teachers and other educators often ask, "Why don't Native parents care about the education of their kids?" This question demonstrates an ignorance that is pervasive in our educational system. Imagine an entire community of adults who do not care about the ability of their children to meet the future. This is so unlikely that it is ludicrous. Also, it seems obvious that any culture that has survived thousands of years must have had a successful system of education. But many people remain ignorant and unconcerned with the complex and successful aspects of traditional Native education. Why does this estrangement between school and community continue? Some parents may have questions about the goals of the school. The parents may not care about the school or they don't equate it with education. Many parents see lots of papers passed back and forth but do not see their children being prepared for anything that they value. Some parents believe that learning about traditional life is the most valuable knowledge that can be taught to their children. Many parents still participate in the more traditional Native educational system as they prepare their children to contribute to the community. Whatever the reasons for estrangement, the school does not have a monopoly on education in an Alaska Native community and is seen by some as a competing system of learning. The stories told here are repeated all over Alaska. In a sense they might be considered as cautionary tales. Tales about how good intentions may produce mixed results when they are not combined with thoughtful discussions with local people. A little advice from the people who were thought "too primitive or backward" might have resulted in communities that were located in more desirable geographic locations. Knowledge about the traditional educational system of Alaska Natives might, even today, result in schools that are more completely integrated into our communities. This essay is an attempt to break some of the stereotypes about the Iñupiat that persist in American society and by doing so to promote better opportunities for Alaska Native students. | |
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Association of Interior : | |
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Association of Interior Native Educators (AINE) by Rita O'Brien:The Second Annual Academy of Elders was held June 14-22, 1997 at the Dinyee camp outside of Stevens Village. The camp was sponsored by AINE and the Alaska Rural Systemic Initiative (AKRSI). Four elders shared their knowledge, experiences and skills with Interior Native teachers in a fish camp setting. David Salmon, TCC's second traditional chief, taught about traditional tools in addition to telling many stories. He spent much of his time being thankful to God while showing teachers how to make the toh (Indian walking stick) which they all had the opportunity to form out of birch trees. He was assisted by Kenneth Frank of Arctic Village who shared tools from his region along with humorous and amusing traditional games. Lina Demoski patiently taught the process of gathering materials and making spruce root/willow baskets. Lillian Pitka shared her life experiences as an elder of Stevens Village. Elsie Pitka demonstrated and encouraged teachers in the laborious process of tanning a moose skin. All of the teachers came away from the camp with the enthusiasm and resources they needed to prepare a culture-based unit of lesson plans in mathematics that meet the state's academic standards for students (PreK-12). Jerry Lipka was the University of Alaska Fairbanks instructor who stayed at Dinyee Camp and assisted teachers in exploring this type of curriculum development. Teachers were given the opportunity to receive college credit by taking ED 693, Ethnomathematics. Teachers who took the course and are currently developing and teaching culture-based mathematics in the places they live are Gertie Esmailka, Huslia; Caroline Frank, Arctic Village; Ruth Folger, Minto; Carole Hess, Fairbanks; Carol Lee Gho, Fairbanks; Rita O'Brien, Nenana; Linda Woods, Fairbanks; Michelle Amundson, Fairbanks; Virginia Ned, Hughes; Sharon Attla, Fairbanks and Eleanor Guthrie, Fairbanks. The Birch Tree Curriculum Institute was held July 31 through August 2, 1997 in Fairbanks. Several participants from the first Academy of Elders attended. Curriculum kits initiated by the institute are expected to be finished in December. The Fourth Annual AINE Conference was held August 5-7 at the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District board room. The theme was Toh: Dinjii zhuh toh haa tr'aswandai (Athabascan Walking Stick: Staff of Life). David Salmon from Chalkyitsik gave a wonderful description of the toh. It symbolizes a helper, friend and companion. It was used for thousands of years by the Athabascan people of Alaska. In one year's time, the toh is much shorter because of all of the traveling they did (using his hands, David shows about one foot of space). "The people came into this country with the help of a walking stick." The conference had many interesting sessions: The Soos Model/Traditional Medicine, Academy of Elders Camp, Navajo Physicist, Fred Begay on Navajo Model of Teaching, Fishnet Making With Willow Bark and Twine, American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) Summer Camp, Willow Root Basket Making, Gwich'in Math, Accessing the World Wide Web and Curriculum Resources and Graduate Opportunities. During the annual meeting the AINE board of directors elected two new persons to the board: Helen Huffman and Linda Woods. The chair is Eleanor Laughlin of Nulato/Fairbanks; the vice-chair is Linda Woods of Fairbanks; the secretary is Virginia Ned of Allakaket/Hughes and the treasurer is Helen Huffman of Huslia. The 1996-97 AINE coordinator, Virginia Ned, accepted a position as principal-teacher of Hughes School. Rita O'Brien-Marta is the present AINE coordinator and is looking forward to working with educators in the Interior of Alaska. If you want more information about AINE, please call Rita at 474-6041. | |
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Association of Native Educators of Lower Kuskokwim (ANELK) by Nita Rearden:The emphasis was to develop Yup'ik curriculum materials during the summer of 1997. The participants worked together to develop theme units to meet the state content standards with the focus on reading instruction. The information for guided reading program was provided by Marta Russell and Pam Yanccy, both teachers from Mikelnguut Elitnaurviat school. This was excellent instruction for those participants who are now in the Rural Educators Preparation Partnership Program (REPP). The participants received college credit that will apply toward certification in elementary education through REPP over the next few years with the support of the school district and the individuals' families. The participants also polished their Yup'ik writing skills through the instruction of the Yup'ik orthography instructors from some of our schools. The instructors of the beginning, intermediate and advanced Yup'ik classes were Walter Tirchick, James Berlin, Sophie Shields and Marie Meade. The LKSD bilingual department conducted the morning sessions in reading methods for four weeks with afternoon sessions for science, math and social studies. The instructors included LKSD's curriculum bilingual department employees Bev Williams, Kathy Gross, Nancy Brown, Willard Waite, Gerald Scarzella, Duane Magoon and Nita Rearden. The participants translated and leveled trade books appropriate for use in Yup'ik language, classroom instruction and cultural units. The Institute also provided the opportunity to have the participants work with computers to record the lessons, activities and translations according to the skills of the individuals. The teachers spent a great deal of time drawing and writing their own books as part of their homework. The finished products were reviewed by other teachers involved in the making of books with the Yup'ik orthography group. The books will be added to the other published Yup'ik story books of LKSD. Each afternoon throughout the Institute a group of Yup'ik language teachers reviewed and modified the 1996 prepared activities under the theme units that each Yup'ik teacher implemented during the year of 1996-97 school year. The activities were developed and modified with the assistance of Yup'ik elders. The elders who have participated since the first year include Elena Charles, Frank Andrew, Paul and Martina John, Theresa Moses, Bob Aloysius, David O. David, Carrie Pleasant, Nick Lupie, Mr. And Mrs. Brink, Henry Frank and James Guy, Sr. Thanks to many of our Yup'ik people who are eager to help us develop our own materials. The theme units worked on included self role and identity, gathering food & animals, getting materials ready, celebration with masks, weather, clothing, ceremonies, survival skills, family/extended family, traditional toys and games, storytelling and preparation for spring and fishing/fish camp. The kindergarten through third grade activities were organized under the direction of Helen Morris and Carol Lagano, both retired teachers. It is still in draft form and much work needs to be done. The language maintenance group worked under the same theme units for grades 5-12 under the direction of Walter Tirchick along with the teachers who work in those grade levels. The units are being developed in a spiral learning form, meaning that all students learn about the same topic at a developmental level in subject area by grade levels. In the 1997-98 school year, many of the Institute participants will take college classes for credit toward a degree program with the help of a mentor teacher. Hopefully, this partnership of the mentor teacher, student and the university personnel will allow the student to eventually complete a quality teacher certification program while working and living in the community. The 1997-98 ANELK board of directors are Walter Tirchick, president; Evon Azean, vice-president; Charles Kashatok, secretary-treasurer; Nita Rearden and Sophie Shields, members-at-large. | |
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Association of Native Educators of Lower Kuskokwim by Charles T. Kashatok:The business portion of the meeting included the review of association bylaws, Career Ladder program, Association Scholarship Fund, alternative certification requirements through Kuskokwim Campus, ANELK newsletter and elections. Election results for the association executive officers include the following: John O. Mark, president; Walter Tirchick, vice-president; Charles Kashatok, secretary/treasurer; and Levi Hoover and David Charlie, members. The association formed during a special meeting at a teacher inservice in the fall of 1987 at Quinhagak. The meeting, initiated by Tim Samson and other Native certified teachers from within the school district, brought concerns that include a need for a support system to increase the number of certified Native teachers within the district. Other concerns pertained to the performance of Native students within the local schools. The group decided to form an association to try to help each other as fellow workers and parents in improving the school curriculum, school performance of students and continued support and increase the number of Native teachers within the school district. At a later date, the association representative, Tim Samson, shared the concerns of the association members with the Board of Education of Lower Kuskokwim School District. The BOE approved the intent of the association as its impact will indirectly and positively impact the students' performance. Since that meeting, the LKSD board includes some money in the district budget to sponsor an education conference by and for the Native teachers of Lower Kuskokwim. The recent Fifth Annual LKSD Bilingual Conference, held for the first time in Bethel, brought nearly 150 participants that included twenty-four elders from Lower Kuskokwim and Southwest school districts. The previous conferences were held in the St. Mary's Conference Center as feasible facilities were hard to find in Bethel. The Yup'ik Cultural Center served its purpose very well. Future conferences may be expected to be held in Bethel. Bering Straits, Yupiit, Dillingham, Southwest Regional and Lower Yukon sent participants to this year's conference. The event memorable to most of the participants was the demonstration of the process of allowing the elders to share their knowledge to a group of teachers who wrote down all of the ideas spoken or suggested by the elders as a group. This activity fit the "Process of Developing Cultural Curriculum" taught by Anita Chisholm of the University of Oklahoma. The added features for this year's conference included the awards potluck in place of a catered banquet, invitation of first and second place winners of Yup'ik category of the recent high school speech contest and Yup'ik Immersion kindergarten class to perform Eskimo dances as well as having the principal and parents share about the program. The overall evaluations currently compiled indicate a need for more opportunities of input by our elders at the next LKSD bilingual conference. This conference will most likely be scheduled for the second week of March, 1997. We hope to continue to utilize our elders as resources and Native educators as professional people to develop a curriculum that includes our Native culture. See you at the conference in March, 1997. | |
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Athabascan Cultural Camp Gets a Facelift by Bernadette Chato:This summer is the sixteenth year that Robert Charlie, CHEI executive director, is hosting cultural camps for clients ranging from college students to disabled youth to at-risk populations. When Mr. Charlie began his program in 1988, no permanent structures for the CHEI camps existed and camp participants slept in tents. Making his vision of a cultural camp a reality was a multi-year undertaking. Mr. Charlie incorporated CHEI in 1984 as a non-profit organization to help preserve Athabascan culture and promote Native traditional knowledge. Campers enjoying the new facilities at Old Minto. While some Old Minto participants today prefer to sleep in tents, they have the option of calling a log-style cabin temporary home while they spend days learning traditional Athabascan ways from Minto Elders. Old Minto holds special meaning for the people of Minto, an Athabascan village 135 miles northwest of Fairbanks. Most Minto residents are Tanana Athabascans, speaking a dialect of Athabascan of Lower Tanana villages. Old Minto was the birthplace of many of today's Minto Elders. Because of floods, Old Minto was abandoned in 1971 and the Minto of today was established 20 miles north as the new village site. The Elders still call Old Minto home. It is where their ancestors are buried. It is where they learned how to survive in Interior Alaska's extreme conditions. It is where they lived a subsistence lifestyle, hunting and gathering food in the Minto Flats. It is where they found the materials they used to make beautiful Athabascan works of art that were functional and objects to be admired. Robert Charlie is a Minto Elder himself. He was born at his family's muskrat camp in the Minto Flats in the late spring of 1927. He grew up at Old Minto and enthusiastically remembers village life. His fond memories are fodder for his ideas today of how to expand his cultural camp. For instance, his inspiration and design for outdoor ovens enabled Fairbanks welder Jenny Bell-Jones to build the massive ovens. Mr. Charlie came up with the idea for the ovens to help with the preparation of food for the potlatches that are hosted by camp participants. The ovens were put to the test this summer and they were a success, roasting bountiful amounts of meat and fish. The potlatches are the highlight for the camps. Last year at the potlatch for the camp for University of Alaska Fairbanks education graduate students, attendance exceeded 150. Camp participants learn how to prepare traditional foods such as salmon, moose, beaver, duck, berries, wild rhubarb and fry bread. Then they learn how to serve the food traditionally. All aspects of how to host a potlatch are part of the curriculum. In order for his summer camps to thrive, Mr. Charlie spends the rest of the year looking for funding. Grants from foundations and businesses keep the Old Minto Cultural Heritage Camp alive and growing. Five years ago, SeaArk Boats of Arkansas donated a 24-foot boat to CHEI. The boat is essential to camp operations as Old Minto is only accessible by boat or plane. Funding for various camps and special projects has come from the generosity of the Alaska Rural Systemic Initiative, Alaska Humanities Forum, Rasmuson Foundation, Paul G. Allen Foundation, AMB Foundation, Murdoch Foundation and the Alaska Conservation Foundation. As Mr. Charlie continues the search for funding, he is never short of ideas. He is planning an inter-generational camp, where Elders will instruct Athabascan youth and help develop the skills of what Mr. Charlie calls "Elders-in-training"-people in their 40s and 50s. Another camp in the planning is a cultural-immersion camp for youth fighting substance abuse. Mr. Charlie and the Cultural Heritage and Education Institute will gladly design custom camps for groups, organization and schools. He also welcomes individuals. Cost varies, depending on the focus and number of participants. Costs include boat transportation from Nenana to Old Minto, as well as all camp meals and lodging (cabin or tent site). For more information, call CHEI at (907) 451-0923 or visit the CHEI website at http://www.ankn.uaf.edu/chei or write to chei@mosquitonet.com or PO Box 73030, Fairbanks, Alaska 99707. Ray Barnhardt and Robert Charlie take a break in front of the new meeting hall at Old Minto. Now available from ANKN: Guidelines for Cross-Cultural Orientation Programs | |
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Athabascan Curriculum Unit Building: Snowshoes by Susan Rogers:One team gathered by Project Learning Tree coordinator Susan Rogers included two outreach teachers with Tanana Chiefs/Alaska Cooperative Extension Zelma Joseph-Dick and Sarah McClellan, Alaska Bird Observatory biologist Sara McDaniel, Amy Van Hatten and elder Catherine Attla. After Catherine suggested that we use snowshoes as the topic for our unit, the rest of us listened hard to acquire information about traditional ways to measure materials for snowshoe construction, different uses of snowshoes and their designs. Alan Dick also contributed some Village Science information about choosing a good tree from which to make snowshoes. The unit will reference information which has already been written with the addition of lesson plans using Native traditional and Western measurement systems. Students will practice both types of skills in activity-based learning, data collection and graphing, making a survey of snowshoes in their community, constructing emergency snowshoes and using them and collecting information from knowledgeable elders in their village. Standards which are addressed are math, language arts and science. | |
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Athabascan Language:Undergraduate and Graduate Fellowships:$10,000 Date of Awards: September 2002 ($ 5,000) & January 2003 ($ 5,000) Deadline: Friday, March 29, 2002 The Alaska Native Language Center announces four competitive awards for students interested in focusing on Alaska Athabascan language study and teaching. Award recipients must be in good academic standing and accepted into the Denaqenage' Career Ladder Program* and admitted to a relevant UAF bachelor's degree program (for example, Linguistics, Education, Alaska Native Studies) or the UAF Master of Education program. Preference will be given to qualified candidates studying one of the following languages: Tanacross, Upper Tanana or Dena'ina. However, consideration will be given to all applicants studying or intending to study an Alaska Athabascan language. For more information and an application packet, please contact Patrick Marlow at 1-877-810-2534 or ffpem@uaf.edu. *The Denaqenage' Career Ladder Program is a DOE Title VII grant funded partnership between UAF's Alaska Native Language Center, the Interior Athabascan Tribal College and the Alaska Gateway, Lake and Peninsula, Iditarod Area, Yukon-Koyukuk and Yukon Flats School Districts and Galena City Schools. | |
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Athabascan Region by Amy Negalt Denlebedze Van Hatten:Where before the white man came the Native was extremely self-sufficient and had to rely wholly on the land and the resources that the land gave him, for a period the Native came to rely on the ways of the white man and unfortunately took on many of his bad characteristics. The past decade however has seen a fantastic change in the attitudes of the Native people throughout Alaska. At the same time that the Native people are learning more about the Western culture, they are taking an ever rising interest in the heritage and culture of their own people. Native people are demanding a voice in the education of their children, health of their families and the laws that govern their lives. As a strong part of this there is the desire to retain and learn their own language. It has been said that a people die when their language dies. The meaning of life and the world around us can be communicated truly only through our own language. From the knowledge of our own language we can continue to retain our pride in our culture and continue to grow as unique individuals. The observations expressed by Senator Sackett in 1973 are consistent with those reflected in the Alaska Standards for Culturally-Responsive Schools: "A culturally-responsive curriculum uses the local language and cultural knowledge as a foundation for the rest of the curriculum." That standard is also at the heart of the Alaska Rural Systemic Initiative. The current initiative in the Athabascan region is to support the development of cultural atlases in the schools. It is a technological tool for students and community members to bring together information related to the indigenous knowledge systems using multimedia applications such as CDs and the Internet. Communities and Elders decide how much of the information should be shared and what should stay within the community due to cultural and intellectual property rights considerations. Cultural atlases can help preserve cultural knowledge such as putting Native place names onto a map and incorporating information associated with each place. Themes such as weather prediction, edible and medicinal plants, geographic place names, flora and fauna, old villages, camps and burial sites can be incorporated with video and sound of language, oral stories and more from Elders. There are examples of what other regions have done with the cultural atlas initiative on the ANKN website. Watch for some exciting reports from the Athabascan region. | |
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Athabascan Region by Amy Van Hatten:You will read in other articles about spirituality, harmony, sharing, love for others, coordination for mutual benefits and many priceless efforts made by Alaskans. Your eyes will follow sentences that are written to tell a story with an unknown voice to you but well known by someone as they remembered it. To me, it isn't just the echo of my parents' and grandparents' voices, but I can certainly identify with a portrayal of a more serene, pleasant way of life. "Long before I wrote stories, I listened to stories. Listening for them is something more acute than listening to them. I suppose it's an early form of participation in what goes on. Listening children know stories are there. When their elders sit and begin, children are just waiting and hoping for one to come out, like a mouse from its hole." -Eudora Welty, One Writer's Beginning, 1983 This is a story I see as a mutual relationship between the beavers' lifestyle and the Alaska RSI people. Beavers are important both spiritually and economically to the Athabascan people. I wanted to list some comparisons. Read it like you would be looking at the flip side of a coin. Have you ever heard the expression "busy as a beaver"? It is a true aphorism especially for beaver mammals in late summer and early fall. That is when they get ready for winter. Beavers probably got that reputation because they can gnaw at a tree until its down and store it for future use without much delay. Their survival is dependent on it. Through the Alaska RSI program our future generation is dependent on our joint admirable interests and vision for integrating indigenous knowledge with western knowledge. By nature beavers play an important role in ecology. Their behavior influences the local environment as they change the streams and sloughs into ponds by building dams. Their dams create an important habitat for themselves and for other animals-invertebrates, birds, etc. Today, from diverse backgrounds, we are pooling resources and building on our goals and objectives for our approach to rural educational systems. While networking for a historical change, we should not ignore one system or cast one out, but integrate them, using oral traditions with textbooks, not just textbook to textbook. Beavers are admirably suited for their habitat. Our rural elders are best suited as our guides, mentors and councils since they have experienced living with nature which we lack, to a certain degree, at the moment. Beavers have sharp teeth, like chisels. Our elders have sharp minds and wisdom of the environment, animals and human nature. Beavers have extended family responsibilities and are family oriented. Like them, we recognize the importance of treating one another as equals, extending a helping hand, and providing additional environments for learning, laughing and living a productive life. Beavers are busy, busy, busy in late summer and early fall. Like them, we are gathering data, recording, and documenting elder cultural activities. Beavers use their tail for balance. Like them, we know who to lean on and who can support our efforts in breaking new ground until we are strong enough to stand on our own. Beaver tails are made up of fat. That storage can be used to sustain the beaver until food becomes available during scarce times. Like them, we store information that we gather so it can be used extensively beyond the year 2000. It is important information that will overlap from time to time, from one area to another. Young beavers, after several years, head up or down stream to find mates, build dams and a lodge of their own. As Alaska RSI participants, we adopt new partners through MOAs and other initiatives that reinforce synergistic processes as a whole. Beaver lodges usually include an older, mated pair, young from the previous year and young of the current year living and working together. We are closely connected to encourage trying our new ideas while relating to people from the outside. Beavers are interesting and unusual animals, like some people. Beavers start families all over again. Like us. Welcome to our big family! Thank you. | |
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