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 Contact information in earlier issues could be outdated.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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VOLUME 3, ISSUE 1 |
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Yup'ik Region by Barbara "Mak" Liu:Stephanie Hoag facilitated a unit building workshop in Bethel, October 14-15 for the Yup'ik/Cup'ik region. Teachers, a curriculum specialist and elders came together from the following school districts: Yupiit, Lower Kuskokwim (LKSD), Lower Yukon (LYSD), St. Mary's and Southwest Region (SWRSD). I observed teachers from different sites working on unit topics in fisheries, plants, camping and weather. Elders came from Akiachak, Toksook Bay, Hooper Bay and Manokotak to work with teams. Unit team members will be meeting again after the holidays with Stephanie Hoag and Peggy Cowan. The regional consortium held this fall following the curriculum workshop was also attended by school district MOA partners from Yupiit, Kashunamiut, LKSD, LYSD, St. Marys, and SWRSD. Elder participants were Olinka George, Joshua Phillip, Paul John, Martina John, Neva Rivers and Henry Alakayak. Recently, a talking circle workshop was held at the St. Mary's Conference Center, facilitated by John Pingayak. Four elders-Joe Tuluk, Helen Friday and Julia Cholok from Chevak and Nancy C. Morgan from Aniak-participated with teachers from the following school districts: LYSD, St. Mary's, Kashunamiut and Kuspuk. One activity I hope to actively participate in locally is the Alaska Onward To Excellence process being initiated under Lower Kuskokwim School District. I traveled to Juneau to attend the Axe Handle Academy and saw demonstrations of the Southeast Cultural Atlas project. I look forward to the AKRSI staff meeting in January 1998. As we move into new initiatives the next three years, Y/Cup'ik student and elder participation will be more evident in schools through academies and projects. Wishing everyone a safe and eventful year. Tua-ingunrituq | |
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VOLUME 3, ISSUE 2 |
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AISES Corner:The Village Science Initiative enters the Kodiak/Aleutians/Pribilof Region in 1998. Plans are to establish AISES precollege chapter/clubs in village schools, operate two summer camps (in Kodiak and St. Paul Island) and to have a regional science fair for students in Kodiak, the Aleutian Chain and the Pribilofs. Teachers in Kodiak will meet in Port Lions with AKRSI staff to develop plans for the chapter/clubs and the summer camp. Monthly audioconferences with teachers and educators will commence March 18, 1998, to continue the development of the chapter/clubs and recruitment of sixth, seventh and eighth grade students for the camp. The Annual AISES National Science Fair in Rapid City, South Dakota is scheduled for April 2-4, 1998. Debra Webber-Werle of Noatak, George Olanna of Shismaref, Rita O'Brien of Nenana and Eddie Gavin of Buckland will chaperone. The following students have been invited to attend with their projects: Sarah Monroe of Nenana. Project: A Comparison of Arctic Grayling and Burbot Anatomy and Fishing Practices Allison Huntington & Brianna Evans of Galena. Project: Which (Fur) is Warmer? Mary Burns of Noatak. Project: Alcohol and You Sheila Washington, Sherry Ballot of Buckland. Project: Storing Berries the Traditional Ways William Birsemeier, Tirrell Thomas of Kotzebue. Project: Furs that Keep Us Warm Katy Miller, Brandon Romane, Puyuk Joule of Kotzebue. Project: Alder Willow Bark Dye EJ Howarth of Noatak. Project: Caribou Antlers Brandon Olanna, Norman Kokeok, Donnie Pootoogooluk of Shishmaref. Project: Uses of Low Wattage Electric Bulb by Using an Inverter The Alaska State Science Fair will take place March 27-29, 1998 in Anchorage at the University of Alaska Anchorage. Casey Skinner of McGrath will present her project Spruce Bark Beetle Habitat. Casey's project received first place in both the Elders' Awards and the Teacher/Scientist Awards. The Alaska Federation of Natives and the AKRSI are proud of the hard work and efforts of these young scientists. We look forward to continued progress in the development of their research. AKRSI is seeking articles from Alaska rural students (K-12) for a student newsletter. If you have any essays, poems, short stories or reports on any scientific or cultural event in the village, please send them to Ursula Graham, UAF Interior-Aleutians Campus, PO Box 756720, Fairbanks, AK 99775 or fax to 907-474-5208. | |
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Alaska RSI Regional Contacts:Amy Van Hatten Athabascan Regional Coordinator 5230 Fairchild Avenue Fairbanks, Alaska 99709-4525 (907) 474-0275 email: fyav@uaf.edu Andy Hope Southeast Regional Coordinator University of Alaska Southeast School of Business/PR 11120 Glacier Highway Juneau, Alaska 99801 (907) 465-6362 email: fnah@uaf.edu Elmer Jackson Iñupiaq Regional Coordinator PO Box 134 Kiana, Alaska 99749 (907) 475-2257 email: fnej@uaf.edu Barbara Liu Yup'ik Regional Coordinator Box 2262 Bethel, Alaska 99559 (907) 543-3467 email: fnbl@uaf.edu Leona Kitchens Aleutians Regional Coordinator P.O. Box 921063 Dutch Harbor, Alaska 99692 (907) 581-5472 email: snowbank@arctic.net | |
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Aleut Region : | |
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Athabascan Region by Amy Van Hatten:Our unit-building team has been working on integrating "Native Ways of Knowing" in a curriculum unit on snowshoes for grades 5-12. We are now looking for teachers to field test it, so please let me know if you are interested. There is so much happening! Sometimes, to rejuvenate my excitement, I read over prior issues of "Sharing Our Pathways" to get a better grasp on the whole picture. It helps me to recognize where rural Alaskan's needs are with respect to education, the environment and the economy. There are many interested groups who might stand to gain directly or indirectly by supporting community-based curriculum. Additionally, as I assess my role as coordinator from time to time, I realize I have another responsibility and that is to see the difference between "what is" and "what can or should be." Watch for further developments on the 1998 Athabascan Regional initiatives Native Ways of Knowing and ANCSA and the Subsistence Economy. I look forward to networking with everyone of you. Just let me know where I can be of assistance. Happy Trails! | |
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Denakkanaaga and NAGPRA: : | |
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Education Specialist II Position Announcement:The Alaska Department of Education is recruiting an Education Specialist II, position ID number 05-1637, effective immediately. This is a fulltime, permanent, range 21 position. Starting bi-weekly salary $2,204.50 located in the TRS retirement system. Taken from the Workplace Alaska, Division of Personnel website, http://notes.state.ak.us/ Admin/DOP/WorkplaceAlaska/postApps.nsf, the position description follows: The incumbent is responsible for providing statewide leadership, program planning and implementation, evaluation of programs related to bilingual education and limited English proficient programs in Alaska. The incumbent works closely with staff in school districts involved with state-funded bilingual education programs. Additionally, the incumbent administers the department's federal Title VII Bilingual Education grant. This position will be connected to the federal Title I Disadvantaged and Migrant Education programs, specifically in the area serving limited English proficient (LEP) students. General duties for this position within the Bilingual and Title I/Migrant I LEP areas include, but are not limited to the following: * Review and approve school district bilingual education plans; * Provide technical assistance related to bilingual and LEP program implementation and instructional strategies; * Research and identify programs with evidence of effectiveness in serving these populations; * Provide or arrange for direct training and/or staff development for bilingual and LEP instructors and administrators; * Provide technical assistance on standards based instructional models and * Appropriate assessment systems and instruments. | |
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Ilisagvik College Receives Grant to Establish Tribal College Consortium:Ilisagvik College has been named recipient of a $510,000 Kellogg Grant for the establishment of a Tribal College Consortium in Alaska. The four-year project will serve to address the higher education needs of Alaska Natives through investigating the feasibility of developing a statewide network of tribal colleges. Although tribal colleges and college networks exist in other parts of the country, Alaska has not yet developed a tribal college network designed specifically to meet the higher education needs of Native students. Four other tribal organizations are collaborating with Ilisagvik College on the formation of the consortium. These include Kawarak, Inc., Sealaska Heritage Foundation, Association of Village Council Presidents and Tanana Chiefs Conference. The Alaska Tribal College Consortium is proposed as a means of lobbying for additional federal funding at a time when state funding for higher education is dwindling. Unlike other states, Alaska does not currently receive federal funding through the Tribally Controlled Community Colleges Act. The Kellogg grant award will facilitate development of the infrastrucure needed to secure this and other sources of funding. "We are honored to be in a position to be able to receive this grant," said Ilisagvik president, Dr. Edna Ahgeak MacLean. "We believe that through a tribal college consortium we will be able to better address the educational needs of Native people throughout the state. We foresee the development of a self-supporting college network working in coordination with other institutions to provide a full range of higher educational programs for Native communities statewide." Under the proposal, the consortium will form an inter-institutional planning committee with representatives from the University of Alaska, Sheldon Jackson College and Alaska Pacific University. The group will work together to prepare a comprehensive long-range plan for Alaska Native higher education, identifying current needs and deficiencies and developing the goals which will prepare Native students for the 21st century. The newly formed Alaska Tribal College Consortium met at the Alaska Federation of Natives convention in October 1997 and recently held a retreat in Anchorage. The W.K. Kellogg Foundation was established in 1930 to "help people help themselves through practical application of knowledge and resources to improve their quality of life and that of future generations." Its programming activities center around the common visions of a world in which each person has sense of worth, accepts responsibility for self, family, community and social well-being and has the capacity to be productive and to help create nurturing families, responsive institutions and healthy communities. | |
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Iñupiaq Region : | |
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Just How Safe is Subsistence Food? by Patricia Longley Cochran:Native scientists and communities will join with researchers in a statewide effort to identify the presence of abnormalities in Alaska's fish and wildlife and share knowledge about the safety of subsistence foods with Native tribes. Patricia Cochran, ANSC's executive director and co-principal investigator of the project, wants villages involved in the research process so they can be active participants in directing the research. Concerns that are a priority to Native communities will be identified at a series of regional meetings to be held throughout Alaska during the next year and at a meeting of Native scientists to be held in March 1998. Studies that document problems in plants or animals may relate issues from the researcher's viewpoint, but that discussion is often not carried through into other research disciplines to examine how these problems affect the health and safety of Native people. Often, the local and traditional knowledge of an area is not included in the discussion. In an Anchorage Daily News article, Cochran said, "Native people are very concerned. We have gotten back responses telling us about the kinds of things they are seeing, from lesions seen in fish livers to differences in the teas people have been picking. There are a lot of things that show some kind of trend. The problem is nobody can say why or what it means." A statewide database containing organic, heavy-metal and radioisotope contaminants data is being prepared from current studies and will be made available in a simple but useful computer database program. For additional information, please contact: Patricia Longley Cochran, Executive Director ANSC UAA-ISER 3211 Providence Drive Anchorage, Alaska 99508 Phone: (907)786-7704 Fax: (907)786-7739 Email: anpac1@uaa.alaska.edu | |
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Marshall Survival Skills Curriculum by Mike Stockburger:The main source of employment in this area is commercial fishing, with this and other occupations heavily supplemented by subsistence hunting and fishing activities. Keeping this in mind I tried to design a curriculum that was as hands-on and relevant as possible. Also at the heart of this design was a survey that asked parents and Elders questions about the type of education they would like their children to receive. Although many indicated they would like to see their children attend college; an equal number said they should learn skills that would help them survive wherever they chose to live. There was definitely a sense of disappointment among Elders that the school did not offer more courses that would prepare students for life in the village. We hope this curriculum will help fulfill these needs. The teaching of values is always one of the most important parts of a student's education. The goal we identified as most important to these particular students was to get them to feel good about themselves in a positive way. We felt the best way to do this was through a curriculum they would buy into and by emphasizing a number of important values. These were: * always respect yourself and others, * be a team player, * work hard and do your best, * be a productive member of your community and * respect the environment. Values, unlike some skills, cannot be taught in a lesson or two. What is required are countless reminders in the form of discussions, demonstrations, role models, expectations and acceptance on the part of the learner. Usually a particular value is best promoted by being reflected in the general attitude of those involved. The above five values were agreed upon by the students, school staff and community members of Marshall, a Yup'ik village on the Yukon River. Expectations during this class were that students, the teacher and any visitors would do their best to display these values at all times. The following is a description of the curriculum as presented to these students and their parents. Introduction This course of study is designed to offer students the skills needed for life in Marshall. This is a hands-on based curriculum in which we learn and practice the skills necessary for commercial and subsistence hunting and fishing in this area. Included are the communication skills necessary to interact with people and businesses in other parts of the world. Emphasis is placed on an atmosphere of cooperation and respect; everyone is expected to work together to produce a variety of products. We also concentrate on developing a good attitude about life and how to become a productive and responsible citizen of our community, our country and of the environment around us. Students taking this course meet with myself and other members of the community every day to learn skills in the following areas: * Commercial and Subsistence Fishing Methods * History of Commercial and Subsistence Fishing * Current Events of the Fishing Industry * Record Keeping and Taxes of Commercial Fishing * Fish and Meat Preservation * Boat Handling and Navigation * Boat Design and Construction * Welding * Outboard and Snowmachine Repair and Maintenance * History of Alaska * Language Arts and Reading * Math and Problem Solving * Fish and Animal Biology * Weather The fisheries portion of this course is based on the Lower Yukon School District fisheries and fisheries science curricula. The language arts, math, science and social studies portions have been designed to meet the district's objectives for each of these areas. The other vocational areas such as welding or wilderness survival, follow district or state-approved curricula as appropriate. Fisheries Activities 1. Fishing Students learn about the various methods of fishing used around Alaska. They hang, mend and use gill nets and fish traps. Preparation for work aboard a fishing vessel is emphasized. Topics of interest to the fishers of Alaska are explored including fish allocation, fish farming and hatcheries. 2. Biology Students investigate the biology of the five species of salmon and the freshwater fish found in this area. This includes the life cycles, anatomy, behavior and classification of these fish. 3. Equipment Students learn about various types of boats used in this area including hull design, construction methods and materials. They participate in the lofting, laying out and actual construction of an aluminum skiff. Propulsion methods are covered including outboard repair and maintenance. Electronics and electrical systems used in small boats are also studied. 4. Business Students learn the bookkeeping and tax records necessary for commercial fishing. Regulations covering commercial and subsistence activities are studied along with experience in filling out applications for the various loans and permits encountered in the fishing industry. 5. Fish Preservation and Preparation Students preserve the fish they have caught using a variety of methods including salting, drying, kippering, freezing, canning and pickling. They also prepare fish according to local recipes. 6. Fish Processing and Quality Students learn and practice proper techniques for handling and refrigeration of fish to ensure high quality. Commercial methods of processing fish are covered including the observation of an operational processing plant. 7. Navigation and Weather Basic navigation is covered including Maritime rules and Coast Guard regulations. Students learn to collect and analyze weather data. Language Arts Activities 1. Writing Project Students create and publish a collection of articles, pictures, drawings, short stories, poems, etc. illustrating the skills and knowledge acquired during this course (along the lines of Foxfire or Camai.) 2. Journal Students keep individual journals of daily activities and prepare a monthly report for the Marshall Advisory School Board. 3. Community Involvement Students start a biweekly community '"fisheries awareness" meeting. They meet with community members to discuss the state of the fishery in this area and to participate in promoting the Lower Yukon fish projects. Topics include: * Canadian Treaty Negotiations * False Pass Intercept Fisheries * Aquaculture * Value Added Product Development * Fish Marketing * Developing Fisheries for Other Species CDQ and IFQ Programs We also produce a newsletter to report on topic discussions and new developments. 4. Computer Skills Keyboarding word processing and desktop publishing skills are used to publish the various papers, articles, reports and newsletters required for this course. Students are also required to produce at least one multimedia project per semester to share their activities with the community. 5. Additional Reading In addition to the reading required for the above activities, students read and discuss at least two recreational reading books per month. Social Studies Activities 1. History of Alaska Students learn about the history of the state with an emphasis on the Alaska Native Lands Settlement Act, the formation of and responsibilities of the Native Corporations and the effects of these events on today's students. A class project involves the design and implementation of interactive web pages explaining this information for use at the elementary school level. 2. History of Commercial and Subsistence Fishing Students learn how fishing has evolved and how current policies and laws have come about. The controversy concerning subsistence hunting and fishing rights is explored in detail. 3. Geography of Alaska Students learn map reading and mapping skills. Maps of the village and river channels are produced. Students are expected to become familiar with all major geographic features of the state. Pen pal connections via regular and email are established with students in other towns in Alaska. 4. Current Events Topics Students become knowledgeable through readings, television programs and other media sources of current events especially those that relate to fishing. They are able to use the Internet as a resource for information for class projects. Students are expected to report to the class on one topic per quarter in a formal presentation before the class to help fulfill their public speaking credit. 5. Community Action Students are expected to design and carry out one project that provides the community with a service that is not being performed at this time. Examples are a village-wide recycling program, remodeling of the local teen center or addressing the problem of trash disposal in our village. Math Activities 1. Review of basic operations Students review addition, subtraction, multiplication and division and the rules and terminology of each. The Atari CCC program is used to reinforce skills in each of these areas. 2. Decals, Fractions and Percents Students use manipulatives and real life examples to learn computation in the four basic operations for each of these areas. They are expected to show fluency in conversions between these forms of expression. 3. Banking and Budgeting Students are paid for their time using simulated money. Their paychecks are based on the hours they work with increases for improved skills and attitudes according to the class pay schedule (see example this page). They are charged for room and board and fined for not following classroom rules. There are rewards such as movies, campouts, etc. that can be purchased with their savings. Students are responsible for applying for checking accounts, depositing money and balancing their checkbooks. Taxes are also computed for income and a school sales tax is levied on all purchases. 4. Consumer Skills Students learn to comparison shop and are expected to fill out orders for fishing equipment, sporting goods and groceries. They learn to read technical papers such as owners' and service manuals, assembly instructions and recipes. Students also learn to interpret charts and graphs. 5. Problem Solving Students learn to use the five-step problem solving plan and are expected to use this approach throughout the year. 6. Trip Planning Students are responsible for the planning of all trips including fuel and oil needed, menus, equipment costs and any other logistical problems. Fisheries Pay Schedule (Example) Deckhand Pay Step 1: $4.25 per hour Requirements This is an entry level position. If you were selected for this position, congratulations, you are now a deckhand! Able Bodied Seaman Pay Step 2: $6.00 per hour Requirements 1. Demonstrate the ability to tie ten basic knots and explain when to use each. 2. Know the names (common and scientific), the life cycles and identifying characteristics of each of the five Pacific salmon found in Alaska. 3. Demonstrate how to write a check and enter this information in a check register. 4. Read two articles on fishing related topics and describe these to the class. 5. Demonstrate how to cut and prepare fish for freezing (heading, gutting, filleting and glazing). Third Mate Pay Step 3: $7.50 per hour Requirements 1. Demonstrate how to hang and mend a salmon gill net. Show calculations for hanging ratio, distance and number of floats needed. 2. Demonstrate how to cut fish for smoking or drying and be able to describe how to preserve fish using each method. 3. Demonstrate how to read a topographical map and use a compass to follow a predetermined course. 4. Demonstrate how to calculate mileage and fuel needed for a boat trip from Marshall to Mt. Village round trip. 5. Write a letter requesting information from a company selling a product used in fishing or boating. | |
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Publications and Resources:A Yupiaq Worldview A. Oscar Kawagley 174 pp, $10.00 The Gospel According to Peter John Peter John w/ commentaries edited by David J. Krupa 120 pp, $5.00 Gwich'in Native Elders Shawn Wilson 70 pp, $6.00 Yuuyaraq: The Way of the Human Being Harold Napoleon 76 pp, $5.00 The Website of the Alaska Native Knowledge Network http://www.uaf.edu/ankn Our goal for the website is to make as many Native educational resources as possible available to the public. We provide links to other sites that we feel might offer valuable resources as well as offer an online search of our own curriculum resources database. Many of the materials on the database are available through ANKN. If they aren't, we provide information on where they can be located. We also offer back issues of Sharing Our Pathways. Stop by for visit! For information on ordering any of the above items, contact the Alaska Native Knowledge Network at (907) 474-5086. Conflicting Visions in Alaskan Education Richard L. Dauenhauer 48 pp, $3.00 | |
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Southeast Region : | |
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Standards for Culturally-Responsive Schools Adopted by Native Educators:One hundred fifty Alaska Native educators convened in Anchorage February 1-3 and formally adopted a set of "Alaska Standards for Culturally Responsive Schools." They are intended to serve as a complement to the state content standards, focusing on how schools can help students acquire what they need "to know and be able to do," while ensuring they become responsible, capable and whole human beings in the process. To provide guidance in this endeavor, standards have been adopted for students, educators, curriculum, schools and communities. Culturally responsive educators recognize the full educational potential of each student and provide the challenges necessary for them to achieve that potential . . . A culturally supportive community assists teachers in learning and utilizing local cultural traditions and practices . . . A culturally responsive school provides multiple avenues for students to access the learning that is offered, as well as multiple forms of assessment for students to demonstrate what they have learned . . . Culturally knowledgeable students are well grounded in the cultural heritage and traditions of their community . . . A culturally responsive curriculum recognizes cultural knowledge as part of a living and constantly adapting system that is grounded in the past, but continues to grow through the present and into the future . . . The cultural standards are predicated on the belief that a firm grounding in the heritage language and culture indigenous to a particular place is a fundamental prerequisite for the development of culturally-healthy students and communities associated with that place. Attention to the local language, culture and place are essential ingredients for identifying the appropriate qualities and practices associated with culturally responsive educators, curricula and schools. Though the emphasis is on rural schools serving Native communities, many of the standards are applicable to all students and communities because they focus curricular attention on in-depth study of the surrounding physical and cultural environment in which the school is situated. Such an emphasis acknowledges the unique contribution that indigenous people can make to such study as long-term inhabitants who have accumulated extensive specialized knowledge related to that environment. By shifting the focus in the curriculum from teaching/learning about cultural heritage as another subject, to teaching/learning in the local culture as a foundation for all education, it is intended that all forms of knowledge, ways of knowing and world views be recognized as equally valid, adaptable and complementary to one another in mutually beneficial ways. A draft version of the cultural standards for teachers, students, curriculum and schools has appeared in previous issues of Sharing Our Pathways. The following is the final set focusing on cultural standards for communities. A complete set of the newly-adopted cultural standards, as well as curriculum resources and technical support to implement the kind of learning experiences encouraged in culturally responsive schools, may be found through the Alaska Native Knowledge Network web site located at http://www.uaf.edu/ankn, or call (907) 474-5897. Cultural Standards for Communities A. A culturally supportive community incorporates the practice of local cultural traditions in its everyday affairs. A community that meets this cultural standard: 1. provides respected Elders with a place of honor in community functions; 2. models culturally appropriate behavior in the day-to-day life of the community; 3. utilizes traditional child-rearing and parenting practices that reinforce a sense of identity and belonging; 4. organizes and encourages participation of members from all ages in regular community-wide, family-oriented events; 5. incorporates and reinforces traditional cultural values and beliefs in all formal and informal community functions. B. A culturally supportive community nurtures the use of the local heritage language. A community that meets this cultural standard: 1. recognizes the role that language plays in conveying the deeper aspects of cultural knowledge and traditions; 2. sponsors local heritage language immersion opportunities for young children when they are at the critical age for language learning; 3. encourages the use of the local heritage language whenever possible in the everyday affairs of the community including meetings, cultural events, print materials and broadcast media; 4. assists in the preparation of curriculum resource material in the local heritage language for use in the school; 5. provides simultaneous translation services for public meetings where persons unfamiliar with the local heritage language are participants. C. A culturally supportive community takes an active role in the education of all its members. A community that meets this cultural standard: 1. encourages broad-based participation of parents in all aspects of their children's education, both in and out of school; 2. insures active participation by community members in reviewing all local, regional and state initiatives that have bearing on the education of their children; 3. encourages and supports members of the local community who wish to pursue further education to assume teaching and administrative roles in the school; 4. engages in subsistence activities, sponsors cultural camps and hosts community events that provide an opportunity for children to actively participate in and learn appropriate cultural values and behavior; 5. provides opportunities for all community members to acquire and practice the appropriate knowledge and skills associated with local cultural traditions. D. A culturally supportive community nurtures family responsibility, sense of belonging and cultural identity. A community that meets this cultural standard: 1. fosters cross-generational sharing of parenting and child-rearing practices; 2. creates a supportive environment for youth to participate in local affairs and acquire the skills to be contributing members of the community; 3. adopts the adage, "It takes the whole village to raise a child." E. A culturally supportive community assists teachers in learning and utilizing local cultural traditions and practices. A community that meets this cultural standard: 1. sponsors a cultural orientation camp and community mentoring program for new teachers to learn about and adjust to the cultural expectations and practices of the community; 2. encourages teachers to make use of facilities and expertise in the community to demonstrate that education is a community-wide process involving everyone as teachers; 3. sponsors regular community/school potlucks to celebrate the work of students and teachers and to promote on-going interaction and communication between teachers and parents; 4. attempts to articulate the cultural knowledge, values and beliefs that it wishes teachers to incorporate into the school curriculum; 5. establishes a program to insure the availability of Elders' expertise in all aspects of the educational program in the school. F. A culturally supportive community contributes to all aspects of curriculum design and implementation in the local school. A community that meets this cultural standard: 1. takes an active part in the development of the mission, goals and content of the local educational program; 2. promotes the active involvement of students with Elders in the documentation and preservation of traditional knowledge through a variety of print and multimedia formats; 3. facilitates teacher involvement in community activities and encourages the use of the local environment as a curricular resource; 4. promotes parental involvement in all aspects of their child's educational experience. | |
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Thank You Participants and Planners!:We would like to express our appreciation to all who helped put the 1998 Native Educators Conference together, whether you were a speaker, committee member, entertainment group, translator, panelist, or other. You helped make the conference an exciting and memorable event. As our daily work resumes and we continue to work to improve education in our communities, Alaska's Indigenous people are leading the way, along with the International Indigenous people, in the area of Indigenous language and culture becoming a basis for our children's schooling experience. Throughout this intense work, our Elders are a constant source of knowledge, support and guidance. They have woven a super sense of humor in their experiences to carry us all through the difficult and not-so difficult times in our work in education. Please thank each of your families for "sharing" you and your work with others. We look forward to another invigorating and exciting conference next year. Until then, God bless each of you as you continue your work. | |
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Village Science by Alan Dick:For years I wondered why, in landing an airplane, passing through a cloud layer causes such turbulence. I thought extensively about clouds, condensation, density, vapor and other factors. I couldn't think of anything about the nature of a cloud layer that could shake an airplane. Finally I realized that clouds and turbulence are the result of a third unseen factor. Clouds form when layers of warmer air and colder air interact. The clouds do not cause the turbulence. The interaction of the two distinct layers of air does. That sounds too simple now that I look back. However, the inability to identify the problem and ask the right questions has hindered many a solution. For years I have watched old timers in the villages. They are seldom stuck. They step back from the problem and look at the whole situation. Example The outboard motor needs a water pump. We might think we are stuck. If we get a bigger picture and think, "I need to pick berries. How can I get to the berry patch?" there are many solutions. The need to pick berries is the problem. Fixing the broken outboard is only one possible way of getting to the berry patch. Maybe someone else needs to pick berries. They have a boat and motor but no gas. Together we have a better answer. Maybe that is why the outboard was broken. We have a need to do something together. Old timers know how to step back from a problem and see the real matter at hand. They are seldom stuck because they believe there is always a solution. It must be uncovered. The solution is often in the broad overall picture, not in the narrow view. If there is a need of a flashlight to find the flashlight, then the perspective is too close. Village science involves being able to find solutions when none are apparent. Parts stores, specialty tools, libraries and diagrams are often not available. That is when the genius of village people intervenes and clever solutions are uncovered. Knowing how to think, ponder, view from all angles and how to avoid hasty decisions are all tolls in the process of problem solving. | |
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Yup'ik Region by Barbara "Mak" Liu:In other AKRSI related events, Sean Topkok and Scott Christian visited Kasigluk February 9-12. While there they helped the Akula students create web pages. In the fall, curriculum unit building began with area teachers and a few curriculum specialists at a workshop session with Stephanie Hoag, Scott Christian and Theresa John in Bethel. A followup session was held in Anchorage, February 13 and 14 with Peggy Cowan and other statewide unit-building teams. Sophie Kassayuli from Yupiit School District is working on a plant unit with the help of resources from her community using local plants that grow in the summer months. Natalia Luehman is from the Yup'ik community of St. Mary's and her unit-building topic is on weather. Much credit is given to the teachers and school personnel that are passing on culturally-appropriate lessons to the multitude of students in various grade levels and classes. As more gets done, parents and Elders' gratitude will multiply. Yup'ik/Cup'ik Elders are valuable resources in building oral language skills and content. I recently had the privilege of presenting Y/Cup'ik stories in a 90-minute session at the Bilingual Multicultural Education Equity Conference with Hooper Bay/Chevak Elder, Louise Tall. The session was well attended by many Yup'ik and Cup'ik speaking teachers. It is enlightening to know of the support we have in our region for stories that can be incorporated in lessons. Louise is in her mid-eighties born at a time when there was no calendars with numbers. She grew up in Qissuunaq (Chevak) area and moved to Naparyaaq (Hooper Bay) when she first married. She told three stories at the conference. Tuqutarayuli tells about sibling rivalry and how a poor unwanted girlis saved by a crab person (yungnguruulluku). Ciuliaqatuum Pania Neqnguarluku is about a man asking for a tiny fish from First Man's daughter at the headwaters of the Kuskokwim or Yukon, then a shortened version of Tekciugglugaat, and how this Sparrow family moves from place to place. As a small prelude, I read the story Quarruuk which is about two old women who were fooled by a needlefish. For a time-filler (giving Louise a short break between her stories) Zach Parks, student at Nunapitchuk High School, entertained, via video tape, with a short story called Kaviaq, Lagiq-llu which tells how Fox was truly embarrassed by Goose. Plans are underway for statewide MOA partners to meet the first week of April in St. Marys, Alaska. The dates for the meeting are April 5-7, 1998. One other activity that is being tentatively planned with Calista's Elder Council coordinator, Mark John, is an Elders and Youth Conference tentatively scheduled in September of 1998 in Kasigluk. Agenda for the spring consortium will be sent to all AKRSI/ARC MOA partners. The Fall conference agenda will be available to regional AKRSI/ARC MOA partners also. Tuai- ngunricugnarquq! Students at Akula work on their computer skills. Barbara Liu, Yup'ik Regional Coordinator, looks on. | |
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VOLUME 3, ISSUE 3 |
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AISES Corner by Claudette Bradley-Kawagley:We are proud to report 14 students with 7 projects and 6 chaperones attended the 11th Annual National AISES Science Fair in Rapid City, South Dakota, April 2-4, 1998. Students entered their science projects into the fair making it a total of 389 projects completed by American Indian and Alaskan Native students from around the country. The students who entered the fair are as follows: Elmer Taaqpak Howarth, Jr. Caribou Antlers Noatak (gr 8) Alison Huntington Which is Warmer? Galena (gr 5) Brianna Evans Which is Warmer? Galena (gr 5) Sarah Monroe Arctic Grayling and Burbot Nenana (gr 8) Brandon Olanna Uses of Low Wattage Electric Bulb Shishmaref (gr 6) by Using Inverter Norman Kokeok Uses of Low Wattage Electric Bulb Shishmaref (gr 6) by Using Inverter Donnie Pootoogooluk Uses of Low Wattage Electric Bulb Shishmaref (gr 6) by Using Inverter Brenda Thomas Storing Berries the Traditional Way Buckland (gr 11) Sherry Ballot Storing Berries the Traditional Way Buckland (gr 12) William Biesemeier Furs that Keep Us Warm Kotzebue (gr 5) Tirrell Thomas Furs that Keep Us Warm Kotzebue (gr 5) Katy Miller Alder Willow Bark Dye Kotzebue (gr 5) Brandon Romane Alder Willow Bark Dye Kotzebue (gr 6) Puyuk Joules Alder Willow Bark Dye Kotzebue (gr 5) Congratulations to these students for their hard work and perseverance that make a difference. The following three projects received awards. Elmer Taaqpak Howarth, Jr. of Noatak received the traditional award for his project "Caribou Antlers." For that award Elmer was given a traditional quilt. Alison Huntington and Brianna Evans of Galena received the second place (silver) award in physical science for their project "Which is Warmer?" Katy Miller, Brandon Romane, and Puyuk Joules of Kotzebue received a first place (gold) award in (5th grade) life science for their project "Alder Willow Bark Dye." Congratulations to these students. We are most proud of your success and recognition at the fair. Also, we would like to extend our congratulations to the six chaperones who supervised the students throughout the trip: Rita O'Brien, Nenana George Olanna, Shishmaref Deborah Webber-Werle, Noatak Elmer Jackson, Kiana Eddie Gavin, Buckland Polly Schaeffer, Kotzebue Students reported seeing lots of animals traveling along the highway to and from the hotel: buffalo, turkeys, horses, antelopes, and goats. They had fun swimming every day in the hotel pool. They loved Crazy Horse Memorial tour, which offered them free rocks to carry back to Alaska. Their visit to Mount Rushmore was fun too. Students enjoyed meeting Indians from many tribes and were surprised to learn that other tribes are not doing subsistence hunting and fishing. We are thrilled over the success of the Alaska AISES delegation's travel to the AISES National Science Fair. We are now preparing for another summer camp and more Native science fairs in the fall of 1998, so we may select students for the 12th Annual AISES National Science Fair. | |
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Alakanuk Culture Camp by Mike Hull:There was consensus among all of us-students included-that the way things were in the spring of '97 was not the kind of community or school environment we wanted. As it has in the past, the community of Alakanuk spent no time looking for someone to blame, rather it assumed responsibility for its problems and set out to create solutions. The school is the major change agent in the community and because its very purpose is the development of young people, it became the focal point for many of the strategies to bring about change. Elders and parents collaborated with teachers and students to provide goals for the high school program and a framework for behavioral and instructional expectations. Students were the main voice in developing guidelines for class structure and methods of presentation. As community members and students assumed more responsibility for what happened at school, the view of the school's role in the community began to expand. Rather than being perceived as an agency that creates a distance between young people and the way of their Elders it began to appear as an integral part of the process of bringing the two together. The school staff integrated subsistence activities into the curriculum. Seal hunting, fishing, and camping have become schooltime activities and involve the teachers. The positive response of Elders, parents, students, and teachers has provided an atmosphere of trust, mutual respect, and encouragement to create bold visions of what else we might accomplish. In the fall of 1997, all students from grades 6 through 12 spent one week at three different camps engaged in subsistence activities. They hunted and caught seal, fished, gathered berries, and prepared meals with the food they took from the sea and tundra. Community members provided transportation and guidance for these camps. The teachers, for the most part, became students in this setting. The successes and the failures of the fall camps lead to the generation of a more ambitious plan to better meet the unique educational needs of the children of Alakanuk. For the coming year the community and school of Alakanuk are planning to provide a culture camp for the students in grades six through eight. The purpose of the camp is to provide a setting in which students can learn subsistence skills and gain an appreciation for the values of a traditional lifestyle. It is also the intention of the school to have the students experience the complimentary nature of the wisdom of traditional practices and the insights that modern technology can provide in understanding and utilizing the resources of their environment. The school acknowledges that it must take a role in the skills learned in the subsistence setting because they are fundamental to maintaining a healthy lifestyle for anyone living in the village. Many children have not been involved in subsistence activities because they are in school when their families are gathering food from the river, sea and tundra. It is also apparent that even when school is not in session some families are no longer providing this training for their children. The Alakanuk Culture Camp will be made up of instructional teams that will spend one month with 36 middle school students at a location that has been traditionally used for gathering berries, plants, fish, and for hunting birds and seals. Elders and community members will provide the explanations of the use of different plants as they gather these with the students. They will guide students in the use of nets and the preparation of fish. They will also share methods for hunting and preparing game birds and seals. What is caught and gathered will be food for the camp. The teachers will involve the students in the collection of scientific data related to their subsistence environment. The tundra, skies, and waterways will be the laboratories providing information that students will gather, analyze, and document through computers and other diagnostic instruments. Hopefully this sharing of the school and community will continue to rebuild a bridge between the generations. And hopefully the school will continue to pursue becoming a resource that addresses the real survival needs of the community. Sometimes we measure ourselves in rural schools by what we cannot do because of our size and remoteness. This proud community views these as assets, as opportunities to truly fashion a school that best serves the needs of its children. | |
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Alaska RSI Regional Contacts:Amy Van Hatten Athabascan Regional Coordinator 5230 Fairchild Avenue Fairbanks, Alaska 99709-4525 (907) 474-0275 email: fyav@uaf.edu Andy Hope Southeast Regional Coordinator University of Alaska Southeast School of Business/PR 11120 Glacier Highway Juneau, Alaska 99801 (907) 465-6362 email: fnah@uaf.edu Elmer Jackson Iñupiaq Regional Coordinator PO Box 134 Kiana, Alaska 99749 (907) 475-2257 email: fnej@uaf.edu Barbara Liu Yup'ik Regional Coordinator Box 2262 Bethel, Alaska 99559 (907) 543-3467 email: fnbl@uaf.edu Leona Kitchens Aleutians Regional Coordinator P.O. Box 921063 Dutch Harbor, Alaska 99692 (907) 581-5472 email: snowbank@arctic.net | |
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