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 Contact information in earlier issues could be outdated.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 5 |
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Iñupiaq Education Conference Coming in November:The North Slope Iñupiat Educators' Association announces the Iñupiaq Education Conference November 18-19, 1998 in the North Slope Iñupiat Heritage Center in Barrow, Alaska. The theme of the conference is "Realizing the Vision for Iñupiaq Education," focusing on the vision set forth by the North Slope Borough's first mayor, the late Honorable Eben Hopson, Sr. The conference is sponsored by NSIEA, Ilisagvik College, NSBSD, and the NSB IHLC Commission. Workshops and presentations will be on culturally responsive schools, teacher preparation, recruitment efforts for prospective teachers, Iñupiaq language immersion, curriculum development, technology and the Iñupiaq language, and Iñupiat language initiatives. For information contact: Kathy Ahgeak Ilisagvik College P.O. Box 749 Barrow, Alaska 99723 Phone: (907) 852-1720 Internet: kahgeak@co.northslope.ak.us | |
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Keynote Address: To the North Slope Iñupiat Educators' Association Quarterly Membership Meeting, April 24, 1998 by Martha Aiken:Keynote Address: To the North Slope Iñupiat Educators' Association Quarterly Membership Meeting, April 24, 1998 by Martha Aiken On behalf of the North Slope Iñupiat Education Association, welcome everyone. I would address what I say to everyone who is with the educational system of today, and that means everyone! First, I would like to greet all the Iñupiaq language teachers wherever they may be, and encourage them to keep it up. You are very important to us to be leaders of our classrooms. Natives of today are experiencing difficulties concerning our Iñupiaq language, it being the very essence of our Iñupiaq cultural heritage. We claim it as our own and it needs to be utilized at home, school, churches, and at play. We have learned from experience 60 years ago that the Native students were intelligent enough to learn the hardest language in the world to master. But can you imagine how much better it would have been for everyone if those students were allowed to speak their language at home? One thing for sure is the fact that we need to support our present Iñupiaq language teachers. I know we do, but we all need more action to help them to press on more, and replace anyone retiring as soon as they are out. We need to make a combined effort for our leaders and support our bilingual programs within the North Slope Borough School District. As parents, school boards, school advisory committee members and English language teachers, all of us need to have one voice to protect our language at all costs. Today almost all of us, here and there, are involved to make education better for our students and we acknowledge the fact that a child's intelligence is not limited to one language. Parents are learning back their mother tongue with their children. Anyone can become literate in their own language as well as in English, if they are really determined to do so; we've seen proof here in Barrow. We may think it's too late for some-maybe so-but it sure does not hurt to try and try again and again. We should encourage our students to be fluent in two languages. Would it not be wonderful to start speaking in Iñupiaq with that beloved grandmother, who is making every effort to speak to you in her sometimes misunderstood conversations with her grandchildren? The North Slope Borough School District (NSBSD) finally found a way to improve the bilingualism through immersion, but we are watching it teetering because others do not feel our Native language is that important. If we do not do anything and just lay around and watch, what will happen? If we do not fight the never-ending battle, in fact, we may be too late to protect the birthright that our forefathers passed on to us. We have to seek help from all sources and even from our other Alaska Native speakers. We have to seek help from our degreed teachers, lawyers, governments and churches to help us. We also have to educate the outside world on how crucial it is to keep alive our way of life. This is the time to forgive and forget the wrongs of others so they may help us in this important effort, because not everyone is perfect and we will need their wisdom. The language we have been trying to revive for the last 20 years or so is having problems as it is. It scares me like heck when legislative bills start appearing concerning our language, especially about having only the English language to teach in schools. There are other legislative bills that we need the public to understand, because even our own Alaskan neighbors are hinting that bilingualism is just a waste of money. And here it is the very heartbeat of most Alaska Natives. The language we are trying hard to revive for the last 20 years or so will start crumbling unless we make every effort to protect it. But the most important fact we seriously need to ask our school board to do is to employ more fluent speakers to be teacher aides and become Iñupiat teachers. Entice the speakers to join Iñupiat teachers because they sure need help. The school district has to attract more bilingual teachers and aides even if they have to pay them a little more than most employees. We know for a fact that the teacher's aides can take over a certified teacher's classroom, but an Iñupiaq teacher's classroom cannot be taken over by a degreed doctor, unless an Iñupiaq aide helps him or her. Again I encourage everyone to become involved in encouraging young people to keep on keeping on. There are young adults out there. We know we need them desperately to teach our eager-to-learn bilingual students. How many times have your young ones begged you to speak to them only in Iñupiaq? We need to help them learn back their language, and not get mad when some laugh at them. Do not let them forget it was difficult to try to start speaking English too. We, the little Eskimos back 60 years ago, had problems too, as I recall. But we laughed about each other and helped each other to resolve the important situation at that time. Even our peers told on us so we had to suffer the consequences, but we never gave up. English educators say that the English language is the hardest to master, but not for the little Iñupiat. I say there were smart ones and dummies like me-I barely made it to the game activity parties held for the students that did not say ten Iñupiaq words. That was hard for me but my determination pulled me through as did others. Today tables are turned and I want to encourage all the little Iñupiat or Tanik: you can learn to speak our language if you really want to. Lastly, I want to thank the present efforts the school teachers have done for our North Slope Borough School District. Your love for teaching is more valuable than any effort in life. Sometimes you feel "Is it worth it?" It is; you will see enough in just a few years from now when you retire. But right now you have to evaluate the way you teach your students because they are not all little angels. They will remember how you had been when you were their teacher. Seek help from parents when your students are getting out of hand. Don't just listen one-sided ways; recognize those little tykes who are having a difficult time understanding that certain little problem. Once they learn to do it, their appreciation will have a great impact between you and that not-so-smart student. This last comment includes everyone from the certified teachers and aides, to the principals, school board and parents. If you feel you have to leave our schools, do it with pride for all your contributions and involvement with the students, difficult as they may be. Help us help our bilingual programs of today. Share with us what you feel instead of keeping it in yourself. We may be able to help you if you come halfway to meet us. Thank you and may God bless! I leave you with a poem given to me by a friend: Prayer for Teachers Lord, thank you for teachers that have: WISDOM To teach principles as well as facts; COURAGE To stand firm when challenged by parent or child; PERSISTENCE To teach again and again, then again; VISION To know what results will show far down the years; LOVE For the unlovable as well as the lovely child; PATIENCE Lord, patience, forever and unending. -Author Unknown | |
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Linking Indigenous and Western Knowledge Systems in Education by Ray Barnhardt:We began the colloquium with presentations and discussion regarding the experiences gained from several of the Elders' academies and science camps that were held around the state this past summer and fall. Reports were presented on the Old Minto Cultural Camp, the AINE Academy of Elders, the ANSWER Camp in Galena, the AISES Science Camps in Fairbanks and Afognak, Camp WATER in Southeast Alaska, Camp Qungaayux in Unalaska, and the Alakanuk Cultural Camp that had just been completed the previous week. All of these camps and academies brought together Elders, students, and teachers in various camp settings to focus on learning aspects of both Indigenous and Western knowledge. The presentations set the stage for a more extensive discussion the next day around the reactions of the participants to various issues raised by the camp experiences, with the intent being to develop guidelines for schools on how to get the most educational value out of traditional camps as learning environments. Alan Dick is now preparing a draft Science Camp Handbook, which will be distributed in draft form for review and feedback, and then published for general distribution to schools throughout the state. A copy will also be posted for access on the Alaska Native Knowledge Network website at: http://www.ankn.uaf.edu. We also invited those colloquium participants who could stay on for another day to join an on-going working group that Peggy Cowan has been convening to develop culturally-appropriate measures for determining how well students at various levels have learned the knowledge and skills associated with the Alaska Science Content Standards. The results of this work will be made available to schools by the Alaska Department of Education as part of the state's Quality Schools Initiative. We wish to express our appreciation to all the people who helped organize and participated in the colloquium. It was a mind-stretching exercise from which we will all benefit. | |
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Recognizing Our Elders by Frank Hill:We appreciate their patience as we attempt to learn what they are teaching us and allowing their knowledge to be shared with others. A common trait all Native Elders share is their good humor. With their humor they teach us not to take ourselves too seriously and not let our egos get in the way of what we should be doing. Native Elders continually remind us that we cannot separate the understanding of natural phenomena from the deeper knowledge that we are all spiritually connected to the earth and earth's creatures. Western knowledge systems validate their work by relying upon the study of behaviors and phenomena by experts with long experience in research and practice. Most of these experts are recognized by the Western system of awarding advanced academic degrees such as doctorates in science and philosophy. Alaska Native Elders represent the same level of expertise for the Native Knowledge System-they are our "doctors" of science and philosophy. As the project progresses through the next few years, we must ensure that Native Elders continue to be the base of knowledge upon which we continue our work. Elders at an AKRSI meeting, l to r: Clarence Irrigoo, St. Lawrence Island Yup'ik; Rachel Craig, Iñupiaq; and Effie Kokrine, Koyukon Athabascan. | |
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Southeast Region: Reading Poles by Andy Hope:The following article originally appeared in Raven's Bones Journal, Vol. 5, No. 1, Nov. 1996. by Andy Hope The Tlingit occupy the northeastern Pacific coast of Alaska, the northern part of a region commonly referred to as the Northwest Coast (of the North American continent), which reaches from Yakutat, Alaska to the mouth of the Columbia River. Because many of the tribes that inhabit this culture area are related in one way or another, I refer to the Northwest Coast as the Raven Creator Bioregion. The Tlingit are one of many aboriginal groups in this bioregion that continue the tradition of pole carving. To appreciate Tlingit pole art, one must understand Tlingit social organization: what Frederica de Laguna refers to as ". . . the fundamental principles of . . . clan organization, . . . the values on which Native societies are based," that is, the names and histories of the respective Tlingit tribes, clans, and clan houses. The seventy-plus Tlingit clans are separated into moieties or two equal sides-the Wolf and the Raven. Tlingit custom provides for matrilineal descent (one follows the clan of the mother) and requires one to marry one of the opposite moiety. The clans are further subdivided into some 250 clan houses. To underscore the duality of Tlingit law, Wolf moiety clans generally claim predator crests, whereas Raven moiety clans generally claim non-predator crests. For example, the Kaagwaantaan, a Wolf moiety clan, claim Brown Bear, the Killer Whale, the Shark and the Wolf as crests. The Kiks.áàdi, a Raven moiety clan, claim the Frog, the Sculpin, the Dog Salmon and the Raven as crests. Tlingit totem art is utilitarian as opposed to decorative art. Tlingit pole art depicts clan crests and histories. With the introduction of steel and iron implements among the tribes of the Northwest Coast, totem poles became numerous. Numbers of them could be seen in the more southern villages. But before modern tools, it is said, Totem poles were rare, not only on account of the difficulty in making-as stone and wood were used for tools-but the desire to keep them strictly distinctive as a reason for the scarcity. One often hears it said by the older people that originally totem poles were used inside of houses only, to support the huge roof beams. The carvings and painting on them were usually those of family crests. Those posts were regarded with respect very much as a flag is by a nation. Even when the Chilkats had acquired modern tools with which to make totem poles they did not fill their villages with tall poles like some other tribes, chiefly because they wanted to keep to the original idea. The figures seen on a totem pole are the principle subjects taken from traditional treating of the family's rise to prominence or of the heroic exploits of one of its members. From such subjects crests are derived. In some houses, in the rear between the two carved posts, a screen is fitted, forming a kind of partition which is always carved and painted. Behind this screen is the chief's sleeping place. -Louis Shotridge The Museum Journal, 1913 Archaeological field work has shown that the Northwest Coast decorative art form originated approximately 3,000 to 3,500 years before present, with appearance of decorated tools. In early seventies, a bentwood burial box was illegally taken from a cave at the west arm of Port Malmesbury on the west central part of Kiuiu Island in central southeast Alaska. The US Forest Service eventually recovered the box and turned it over to the Alaska State Museum in the early 80s. The box is of sacred significance, since it is associated with a burial. It is decorated on all four sides, with a killer whale form on one side and a half human, half bird (with a humanoid head) figure on two sides. The box was radio carbon dated in 1992 at 780 years before present, plus or minus 80 years, which makes it the oldest example of true northwest coast formline art. The Port Malmesbury burial box discovery establishes that northwest coast formline existed well before contact with Europeans and was established well before metal tools were available. Some anthropologists had theorized that northwest coast formline was only established after exposure to metal tools brought by Europeans. What is significant in terms of art that the cultural pattern appears to be coalescing during this initial period. Symbolic modes of graphic expression have not emerged. Certainly to judge from available archaeological evidence, a distinctive coastal style did not begin to crystallize until about 1500 BC. We can only infer that the accumulation of historical and mythological traditions by the corporate lineages of northern coast villages was approaching the threshold where graphic symbols of corporate identity became meaningful. Implicit here is the assumption that graphic symbolism expressed in art works, requires a base of shared cognitive modes, belief systems, etc., which must develop to a certain point, perhaps over several millennia, before it can be meaningfully expressed in art works. -George MacDonald Indian Art Traditions of the Northwest Coast Types of Poles Mortuary These poles usually depict one figure, the main clan crest of the deceased. The ashes of the deceased clan member being memorialized by the pole are traditionally placed at the base of the back of the pole. The Raven Mortuary pole comes from the Prince of Wales Island in southern southeast Alaska. It was moved to the Sitka National Historical Park at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries . Crest or history of poles These poles have multiple figures, representing clan crests and symbols depicting clan history. This type of pole is prevalent in southern southeast Alaska southward along the British Colombian coast to Puget Sound, where the Douglas Fir and Red Cedar trees necessary for carving large poles are more accessible. Raven Memorial Pole These poles are read from the top figure down. The Kiks.ádi clan of the Raven moiety. A replica of the pole stands in Totem Park in downtown Wrangell, Alaska. House Poles House poles are usually six to eight feet tall and usually have one clan crest figure, and are placed in the corners of the clan house. Screens House screens depict clan crest symbols. They are usually wall size and are placed at the back wall of clan houses, though in some cases a smaller screen is placed at the front entrance of the clan house. The Kiks.ádi Naas Shagi Yéil (Raven Creator) pole from Wrangell, Alaska "The topmost figure is that of Naas Shagi Yéil and the highest of the Tlingit mythological beings that lives on a mountain about the headwaters of the Nass River. He is seated on the day box containing the sun, moon and stars in the front of which is carved and painted to represent the mythical sea spirit, Gunakadeit. Below this is Yéil, the Raven creator, who changed himself into a hemlock needle and was swallowed by the daughter of the guardian of light, which resulted in the rebirth of the raven child who stole the sun, moon and stars to prepare the earth for man, whom he later created. The female figure, indicated by the labret in the lower lip, is the mother who was carried up to the sky to escape the flood caused by the jealous uncle, to be pierced with his bill to sustain him until the waters subsided. The next figure below, which in the form of a raven, was named by informer as Ch'eet (murrelet) on the back of which the Raven tell, when dropping from the sky, and which carried him and the mother safely ashore. The female figure with the large labret through the lower lip at the base is "Old woman underneath," who, seated on a post, supports the earth. In her hands she carries a club for protection against the enemies of mankind who would drag her away, thus destroying the world. In the dualistic creed of the Tlingit, all nature has two existing and opposing forces which beset one on every hand." -George Emmons The History of Tlingit Tribes and Clans, n.d. Illustration by Joanne George This pole is on display at the Sitka National Historical Park. Raven is portrayed on this memorial column, distinguished by his rather large, slightly hooked beak. The carving is in the style and is believed to have come from the village of the Takjikaan on Prince of Wales Island. In Sitka, the Tlingit placed their memorial poles on the ridge behind their village (along present-day Katlian Street) overlooking the channel. Memorial poles, along with house posts, are among the oldest forms of totem poles. Illustration by Mike Jackson Kiks.ádi Naas Shagi Yéil (Raven Creator) pole from Wrangell, Alaska Illustration by Joanne George The house poles illustrated above right come from the SheeAtiká Kwáan Tlingit Tribe. They are owned by the Kaagwaantann clan of the Wolf moiety. They come from Gooch Hít. The poles are housed at the Sitka National Park in Sitka, Alaska. Illustration drawn by Harold Jacobs The screen above is from the Huna Kaawu Kwáan Tlingit tribe. It is owned by T'akdeintaan, clan of the Raven moiety. It comes from Yéil Koot Hít (Raven's Nest House). It is said to represent the man who guided boats into the entrance of Lituya Bay. The screen is housed at Sheldon Jackson Museum in Sitka, Alaska. | |
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Transforming the Culture of Schools: Yup'ik Eskimo Examples by Jerry Lipka, Gerald Mohatt, and the Ciulistet Group:The book presents the results of over 15 years of collaborative research effort in looking at classroom instructional practices and experimenting with new forms of curriculum that are grounded in Yup'ik cultural beliefs and practices. In addition to attracting a general readership among practicing educators, it is a book that should become a valuable reference for teacher preparation programs throughout Alaska and beyond. It may be ordered from Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 10 Industrial Avenue, Mahwah, New Jersey 07430 (ISBN 0-8058-2821-4). | |
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Village Science: Science Unavoidable by Alan Dick:Most good river pilots have noticed the outboard motor increases in pitch when the boat goes from deeper to shallower water. There is more lift due to "ground effect," and the boat travels higher, thus going faster. That is easy to understand. But why does the outboard motor seem to go faster after the sun has gone down? It is easy to say it is the result of an optical illusion, but the pitch of the engine also sounds higher, indicating greater speed, and the wake of the boat flattens out indicating faster travel. Does the boat really go faster and if so, why? I have pondered that for some time. Perhaps the air is denser, giving better combustion. Last spring, my father-in-law asked me, "Have you seen the morning star lately?" I admitted that I never missed it. For months he had looked out the window early in the morning before sunrise, looking for the morning star without success. He was so concerned that he looked with binoculars. Finally it appeared again. He was relieved. I thought, "He and I live on the same planet, but not in the same world." It was a great concern to him and I hadn't given it a thought. I always thought of him as a good hunter and traveler, never as an astronomer. Many weather concerns are obvious. Willow grouse, high in the willows at dusk, fly away quickly when we approach unless a storm is coming and they know they won't eat until the storm passes. If they aren't wild, we know bad weather is coming. Most people in this part of Alaska know that. Yet I wonder, how do sun dogs indicate that cold weather is coming? When the loon calls loud and long on the lake in the summer, a strong wind is soon to follow. How do the loons know this? What are the answers to these weather questions? I have thought a lot about steambaths and the science involved in their operation. Recently, someone explained something to me that was so obvious I was embarrassed. I always wondered why pouring water on the hot rocks made the steambath seem so much hotter. I was thinking about the density of the air and other influences. Strategically placed thermometers didn't help me much. The answer is simple. It takes heat to evaporate water. When water condenses, heat is given off. When water is poured on the rocks, it evaporates into steam. When the steam condenses on our body, the heat required to evaporate the water is released. It is more than a matter of hot water droplets touching us. The latent heat of the steam is released on our skin as we lunge for the floor where the air is a little cooler. The word "science" can be avoided, but the practice of it is a part of every day. The questions seem to mount faster than the answers. | |
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VOLUME 4, ISSUE 1 |
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AISES Corner by Claudette Bradley-Kawagley:by Claudette Bradley-Kawagley Congratulations to the University of Alaska Fairbanks AISES Chapter for their runner-up AISES award for the "Most Outstanding Chapter of 1998." This is the fourth year that the UAF chapter has been recognized by AISES. Among its members is Ricardo Lopez, a 22-year-old senior, majoring in biology. Ricardo is of Yup'ik and Aleut descent, who was born in Anchorage and grew up in Eagle River. He says growing up in Alaska lends itself to an appreciation of biology. He started his studies at Clark College in Oregon then transferred to the University of Alaska Fairbanks. While at UAF, Ricardo joined the UAF AISES chapter. In his junior year, he applied to the undergraduate research program at Washington State University which was one of the many programs advertised to the AISES student members. In the spring of 1997, Ricardo entered the Minorities in Marine Science Undergraduate Research Program at Washington State University that was sponsored by National Science Foundation and Washington State University. Ricardo was one of seven minority students from around the country, who attended the program for six months. In the Washington State Marine Science program, Ricardo researched ultra violet radiation and how it effects the development of Pacific herring embryos. This was his first research project ever completed where he developed the research design. Dr. Brian Bingham, who was program coordinator, and Dan Pentilla of Washington State Department of Fisheries, were mentors for Ricardo and provided helpful suggestions throughout his research. As a result of his research, Ricardo developed a poster and slide show titled Ultra Violet Radiation and How it Effects the Development of Pacific Herring Embryos. He was invited to present at a scientific conference in Paris, France. He said the Paris experience was an eye opener to see how far science could take him: "One day at home in Eagle River and the next day in Paris." In his wildest dreams, he never expected to go to Paris, it was a nice surprise in his career. Two hundred people attended the Paris conference held at the United Nations UNESCO headquarters, which was five minutes from the Eiffel Tower. The participants were mostly international scientists and with very few students. Each day they would gather in one room and listen to a series of talks. Ricardo was among the young scientists who displayed their posters. They stood by their posters to be available to answer questions. The participants seemed to have high interest in Ricardo's work. His abstract was listed in the conference program along with all other abstracts and papers written by international scientists. Ricardo is deeply appreciative of the encouragement from Dr. John Kelley, director of Polar Ice Coring at UAF. Dr. Kelley has a strong interest in AISES and Native students in science. The Oceanographic Society sponsored the trip and he feels that Dr. Kelley's efforts and encouragement also made the Paris trip possible. In the summer of 1998, Ricardo had another stellar opportunity. He attended the number one rated marine science program in the nation at Scripps Institute of Oceanography at University of California in San Diego. Twenty-five students conducted their own research projects with mentors who were Ph.D. candidates. Ricardo said he learned more about graduate school at the Scripps Institute. He is very grateful for the guidance he received as he formed the next phase of his career, which is doing a master's degree and possibly a Ph.D. Ricardo says he is not sure about getting a Ph.D., so he may take a year off from his studies. He would like to work for the Alaska Sea Life Center in Seward for a year before going to graduate school. He is interested in maintaining ties with the biological community and working at the Alaska Sea Life Center is a good way to remain connected. Ricardo says that Sue McHenry of Rural Student Services has laid some very valuable groundwork for the UAF AISES chapter, that will help maintain it as a strong chapter on campus. She is a great source of inspiration and has a superb sense of timing in helping the AISES students maintain the chapter and receive the many benefits of AISES. She makes the operation of running AISES seem very smooth and easy. Ricardo credits AISES with starting a chain reaction of opportunity for him; the benefits of AISES build on each other like a snowball. Many students feel AISES is for engineering students, but Ricardo wants to encourage students who are not engineering majors to become aware of AISES and its benefits. He hopes to encourage high school students to get involved with science and AISES. He was interested in science for a long time, but AISES made a difference and provided valuable opportunities and support. AISES provides academic and professional support; students in science and engineering share ideas and feelings of motivation and enthusiasm that encourages others. The AISES community continually inspires Ricardo to develop his research and studies in biology. He is certain new students will discover how life in AISES will surprise them. | |
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Alaska RSI Regional Contacts:Amy Van Hatten Athabascan Regional Coordinator (907) 474-0275 email: fyav@uaf.edu Andy Hope Southeast Regional Coordinator (907) 465-8776 email: fnah@uaf.edu Elmer Jackson Iñupiaq Regional Coordinator (907) 475-2257 email: fnej@uaf.edu Barbara Liu Yup'ik Regional Coordinator (907) 543-3467 email: fnbl@uaf.edu Leona Kitchens Aleutians Regional Coordinator (907) 581-5472 email: snowbank@arctic.net | |
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Aleut Region by Leona Kitchens:I learned what our students are expected to be able to do in science and how to assess them, but more importantly I feel that I've gained a better picture of what education looks like in rural Alaska. At times the picture that I found is, more often than not, quite disheartening. Often I heard stories of young people that have no hope for the future let alone today. I am surer than ever that the Alaska Rural Systemic Initiative project's philosophy is the right path for education: Education must come from within the culture. Cultural values and the local heritage language make up the foundations for transmitting cultural traditions. Cultural values are the foundation by which children make sense of the world and with language, the means to express themselves. If the community that you live in has not drafted up a set of traditional values by which students can learn, lead the drive to get those written down, approved by the Elders and then out to the public. Young people need to know how to speak their local heritage language. There are so many diverse aspects of our culture that are imbedded in the language and cannot be translated. If the local heritage language is not spoken at community events, then begin to speak that language at all gatherings, translating to English secondly. I would make a plea to you today, get out and support those people who are educating our young people. If you are a community member, go to the school board meetings, call the school and offer your help and expertise, talk to a teacher about helping in the classroom or offer to help write more culturally-based lessons and become an active community model. If you are a teacher or administrator, ask Elders into the classroom, support teachers who are integrating the local heritage culture in their lessons and keep an open mind about what is valued. We, as a community, need to start thinking about our responsibilities and where we can start making a difference. The AKRSI cultural standards booklet is a good place to begin looking at how well we are attending to the cultural and educational needs of the children of our community. If you need a copy of the booklet, contact the ANKN office in Fairbanks, (907) 474-5086 or email fndmd1@uaf.edu. | |
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An Alliance Between Humans and Creatures, Part II by Oscar Kawagley:The Alaska Native needed to take lives of animals to live. To give honor, respect, dignity and reciprocation to the animals whose lives were taken, the Native people conceived and put into practice many rituals and ceremonies to communicate with the animal and spiritual beings. These are corroborated through the Alaska Native mythology which are "manifestations of fundamental organizing principles that exist within the cosmos, affecting all our lives" (Grof, 1993). It behooves the Alaska Native person to leave something behind, such as a piece of dry fish when getting mouse food from the tundra. The mouse food is gathered in the early fall so that the mouse and its family will have an opportunity to collect more food for the winter. The seal when caught is given a drink of water so that its spirit will not be thirsty when it travels to the animal spiritual kingdom. This is done to show respect to the animal for having shared and given its life to the hunter. Medicinal plants are gathered respectfully knowing full well their power to heal and recognizing that they were given freely by Nature, thus requiring that we share these freely. The Alaska Native person is aware that if we do not use these gifts of Nature regularly, mindfully and respectfully, they will begin to diminish through disuse or misuse. The essential elements of earth, air, water, fire and spirit must always be in balance, as each has an important niche to play in the ecological system. With this concept in mind, we must carefully examine the lifestyles and technology that is extant in this world. Our lifestyles have become materialistic and we are given to technological devices and gadgets galore that are not always geared to sustainability. Our modern cities with their complex network of buildings, transportation structures, communications systems, and commodity distribution centers are often disjointed and given to fragmentation. Likewise, the studies of natural resources are often approached in a fragmentary way, where an expert in harbor seals may not know what the expert in herring fish has discovered in the same ecosystem. Such research has the effect of objectifying the species studied, often for commercial purposes, and contributes little to sustaining Mother Earth. However, in the Western world of science and technology there also exists many alternative approaches that are nature-friendly and sustainable. They await the time when the global societies evolve from consumerism and materialism to an orientation toward conservation and regeneration. Perhaps, now might be a proper time to begin to use the traditional ecological knowledge of indigenous people as a "strange attractor" that can serve as a catalyst to bring meaning and understanding to the mountains of data on phenomena across a vast spectrum of possible knowledge. We need to pay heed to the warnings and recognize the consequences of the over-manipulation of Nature: wonder drugs of a generation ago are producing new resistant forms of bacteria; our aseptic hospitals are generating iatrogenic diseases; we are losing agricultural lands at a terrific pace; deforestation is accelerating; and global warming is a fact of life today. I, as a Yupiaq, taught in a traditional and Western way, worry about my seven, grandchildren and the legacy that I will leave behind for them. Will they be able to enjoy the biological diversity and freedom that I had growing up in a traditional Yupiaq household and village? Will they experience starvation and want because the carrying capacity of the lands has been atrociously outpaced? This behooves all of us to rethink whether our objectification and commodification of natural resources has led to the verge of catastrophe. We must strive to have the various ways of teaching and learning converge to give new direction for living, regeneration, cooperation and sharing, and thus forging a new pathway to a vision of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Thank you. | |
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Athabascan Region by Amy VanHatten:So, just what is curriculum? As I see it, curriculum is the formal master plan for student education throughout a school district that: * Ensures consistent procedures for planning and evaluation in subject areas. * Guides teachers in developing lesson plans. * Utilizes relevant textbooks, traditional stories, etc. and respects cultural beliefs and values. * Integrates "Alaska Standards for Culturally Responsive Schools" and "Alaska Content Standards." * Is an ongoing process involving community, teaching staff, students and the school board. * Expands student academic needs, expectations and opportunities to excel and develop individual intelligence. I am not the only one who experiences complex challenges in working on curriculum. One reality I found helpful is to keep asking myself this question: What is an appropriate way to invite Elders into the schools that is respectful and valuable while staying focused within the framework of the curriculum? I saw a good example of this recently in the Iditarod Area School District's work on creating culturally-based units and holding curriculum workshops for their staff, including the presence of their own regional Elders. In addition, an eighth grade student of Nikolai, Dietrich Nikolai, won a trip to the National AISES science fair for his martin set science project at the Second Annual Native Science Fair at the Howard Luke Academy in Fairbanks. I had the opportunity of being in the Nikolai School when he returned from Fairbanks. The whole village is very proud of his accomplishment and the representation of their culture. I can still envision the smiling faces and rounds of applause from all of us there. I am sure the Iditarod Area School District newsletter will soon highlight him with honors. A total of 677 years of distinguished Athabascan Elders' life experiences was present at the Notaaleedinh Nets'edaat meeting in Galena November 16-19, 1998 (Third Annual Athabascan Regional Consortium and Elders Council Meeting.) Notaaleedinh Nets'edaal meeting in Galena, November, 1998. L-R back row: Fred Alexander, Johnson Moses, Sidney Huntington. L-R front row: Rita Alexander, Lillian Olin, Catherine Attla, Bertha Moses and Eliza Jones. Absent from the photo is Trimble Gilbert. Photo taken by Amy VanHatten. I have had the good fortune to be able to work with some dedicated Elders who have identified the following topics as areas in which they feel school curriculum needs to be focused (this is not an exclusive list): * Family values * Family clan/family tree * Place names curriculum * Native spirituality parallel to Christianity * Use common sense * Discipline * Work hard 5 * Proper protocol * Language: learn both sides * Student/cultural exchange * Respect "period of time" * Indian name is powerful * Respect private details in stories * CAUTION * Gifts for life * Cultural identity Cultural identity is best described as an identity that gives the individual a sense of a common past and of a shared destiny. What is Athabascan culture? How can we increase our traditional knowledge base, provide immersion programs, and work more closely in the future with Elders, teachers, curriculum specialists and language instructors? In search of answers to those questions, I would like to share what Sidney Huntington advised-we need to be careful of what we are trying to do and to use common sense before implementing the next round of rotating initiatives. He is concerned about education. First off, he says, we should ask ourselves "Where are we? Where have we been? Where are we going?" During the evenings the Elders got together with the Galena Charter School students for talking circles, a block and pulley exercise with Dan Solie, fiddling and Indian singing and dancing. The best summary of the regional meetings is this: the Athabascan Region just keeps on getting better and better. I wish to thank Galena City School for hosting our meeting, along with all the fantastic people who contributed: the local musicians and Elder musicians, the Project Education Charter School (PECS) and students, the Galena City School student general assembly, the Interior Campus Center, the Louden Tribal Council and all the other people in Galena who gave us a big warm reception. L-R Bart Mwarey, Project Education Charter School (PECS) principal; Aaron Tickett, tenth grade; Melanie Shockley, ninth grade; and Elder/author Howard Luke presenting his book to the PECS student representatives at the Galena City School general assembly. This is my own advice to myself: At times I feel overwhelmed by all that has taken place and the things that still need to take place. That's when I remind myself I am only one person and can only do a certain amount at any given time. So, I make my own incentives and try to avoid overload and not make all the decisions. Delegate! Be thankful, thankful, thankful and enjoy life while making a living for yourself. | |
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Bilingual Multicultural Education and Equity Conference:February 3-5, 1999 Anchorage, Alaska Contact Helen Merckens at (907) 465-8730. | |
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Challenges Facing Alaska RSI/RC by Frank Hill:However, we need to look ahead to the time when NSF and Annenberg funding lapses. Who will continue this valuable and relevant initiative? Perhaps AFN and its partners will request continued funding from the same organizations. It is not certain that our project would be eligible for the same funding again. Those of us working for the project need to address the challenge as to what will happen in two more years. Is it conceivable or even possible that the Alaska Department of Education and or the University of Alaska would carry on the project initiatives without the funding we have now? Of the 20 rural school districts we work with directly, how many would elect on their own to continue the initiatives with their own funds that may be budgeted for staff development and curriculum improvement? The value of the knowledge we have gained from our Native Elders should compel us to work as hard as we can to make sure that their contributions will continue to be utilized in local schools. As we communicate with all of our MOA partners, we need to encourage them to make plans to continue Alaska RSI/RC initiatives, and to assist them in doing so when possible. During this past year, we have made numerous contacts with all levels of education policy makers and administrators, as well as with teacher-practitioners. Now we need to redouble our efforts to encourage MOA partners and others to continue the work of the project on their own. | |
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Collaboration in Education by Ayaprun Loddie Jones:The following was a keynote speech given to the Alaska Native Education Council Conference, October 9, 1998. My parents were my first teachers who taught and made me very knowledgeable of my Yup'ik culture. They collaborated in my educational upbringing, each one knowing their specific roles. My father was the head of the household-sheltering, feeding and loving all the thirteen children in the family. My mother's role was to raise the family, take care of my dad's catch and model what a mother should be. They taught me in my first language: Yup'ik. They taught me using the traditional methods where my mother was the only one who talked to us every morning about what to do and what not to do. She used the traditional discipline method but never raised her voice and my father never intruded but gave his support. What are the discipline policies in the schools doing to our children? Those of us who were raised by our elderly parents know that the Western schools are doing the opposite. Our children don't show a lot of respect, one reason is because we, the working mothers, had them raised by a line-up of babysitters. To follow up on the roles my parents had, I told a story about the time that my family and I came back from a long, tiring day of berry-picking. Just before we had dinner, my mother said, "Kitak tauna neqliurru," meaning get your husband's plate ready. Without thinking I responded, "Atam ellminek piyumauq," "Oh, he gets his own food!" My mother got up and said, "Takumni pingaituq," "Not while I'm around," and she gave a plate of food to my husband. My husband said, "See!" and he looked like he had just made the winning touchdown of a super bowl game! In this day and age now, most women have jobs and the roles seem to be reversed. For my teacher preparation I was trained in a field-based teacher preparation program called the Alaska Rural Teacher Training Corp. There are a lot of professionals, principals, etc. from the other culture who gave me the confidence and belief that I can be a good teacher and who believed in me. They also helped raise my self-esteem and helped me seek to improve myself. We, the Native speakers, were trained in the Western school system. Why can't there be collaboration and have the teachers be trained in our culture and language? When the missionaries had to reach and convert their Native followers, a lot of them learned our languages. We have to have pride in what was given to us by our parents. I once wrote that every year we are losing our most precious and important resources-our Elders. What a fine gift it would be to give the gift of our Native tongue back through our Yup'ik-speaking young people. I feel proud to be involved in the Yup'ik Immersion Program. At least this community knows the importance of retaining our language and culture. In this day and age there are too many controversial issues facing our lives, both in our communities and schools. We must get self-esteem and pride back into our children or else we'll keep losing them to drugs, alcohol and finally suicide. Let's work together and aim for one goal-the happiness of our young people. [Author's note: I ended the speech with the following story:] There were two people who had bought a new outboard motor and were out hunting. All of a sudden the outboard motor fell into the water because it wasn't securely fastened to the boat. The two waited a while, hopeful that more hunters would pass by and help them, but no one came by. Finally one of them said, "I'm going down to check on the motor. So he took off his clothes and dove under. After a while the second person was wondering why the his partner never surfaced and finally looked down. He saw the his partner trying to start the motor under water. He hollered down to the him, "Why don't you choke it first!" No matter how much we seem to be drowning in our jobs as educators, let's work for the well-being, success and future of our children! | |
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Comparative Ethnopedagogy by Lydia Fyodorova:Ethnopedagogy is a science of folk pedagogy which consists of the study of cultural traditions, customs, sayings, games, etc. I am exploring the similarities in folk pedagogy of the Native people of Alaska and the Sakha Republic. Traditional Native peoples of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia) and Alaska are closely connected with nature. They have tried to live in harmony with the world around them for ages. The most important values for them are respect for yourself (if you don't respect yourself, your language and your culture, you can't respect other people, other cultures, etc.), respect for others and respect for the environment. For example, the Sakha philosophy of "Kut-syur" contains notions of the three elements of the soul: 1. "Ye-kut"-an element from the mother that makes a person intelligent and capable of thinking; 2. "Byor-kut"-an element from the land that makes a person healthy, strong and supports his physical life; and 3. "Salgyn-kut"-an element from the air that creates informational contacts with the environment, providing receptivity and harmony with the environment. All the elements of the soul are united in the "Sur"-a notion of the vital strength of a person. To injure the "Sur" leads to the person's loss of spiritual and emotional strength. So a person should keep all these elements of the soul in balance in order not to die. To support our "Sur" (elements of a soul), the Sakha people honor folk traditions and customs through ceremonies of respect and honor of the Supreme Spirits (protectors of people's life). This includes "Ysyeh"-which is a variety of the national feast with prayers of gratitude and supplication of well-being. Sakha folk life is reflected in tales, stories, myths, legends and poems; I have found many similar stories and tales here in Alaska. The folk pedagogy is our roots. For child-rearing, the folk pedagogy emphasizes labor, feasts, nature, plants, songs, tales, epics and legends which demonstrate that Native people of the North are correct and tender to their children. We don't shout, beat or mock them. The lessons to our children are accurate, simple and accessible. Children of the tundra are wise and reasonable and with few words, they can do much. The Northern/Sakha people don't like to explain morals to their children. Instead, the parents model and influence the children by their hard work, honesty, respect, love and patience. These examples appear to be similar in the life of the Northern people of Alaska. I know these practices very well because after graduating from the Yakut State University in Yakutsk, I started my career in Zhigansk secondary school in 1972 in the north of the Republic. At that time the school was large and comprised of about 1,300 students of different ethnic groups: Evens, Evenks, Sakha, Russians and Ukrainians. Evens and Evenks students came from Native villages. The main occupation of their parents was reindeer breeding, hunting and fishing. The students stayed in a boarding school for two years during their ninth- and tenth-grade years. When the holidays began, the Even and Evenk children returned to their communities and helped their families who were involved in traditional occupations. Several times I traveled to Native communities and stayed there for some time, so I could see my pupils in their natural environment. I saw them putting traps in the taiga or chasing and lassoing reindeer. I saw them making a campfire and cooking traditional meals. I understood what nature was for them, how deep their attachment was to their settlement and their families and their traditional way of life. They were a part of nature. I have observed the same picture in Olenegarsk, a village in the Chyukurdah region, and in the Sakha village of Kachikatsy in the Ordzeykydzevsky region, where I worked as a vice-director of the schools up to 1991. But in the Sakha villages the main occupation was cattle breeding, hunting, fishing and maintaining vegetable gardens. The students everywhere worked hard and lived in boarding schools during the school year. I wondered why those who lived in boarding schools were behind in their studies when they came back from their homes, and why they were so difficult to be controlled. What were the reasons? The reason was that the life in school was quite different from the life in the village or tundra or taiga. The children who were used to moving around a lot, had to sit for long hours of school lessons. The content of the school program also was not close to their Native culture. This was a standard program similar to that of many other schools in Russia. There was no connection with the Native culture or with the traditions of their forefathers. The children were put into a rigid frame of standards. The need for language reform, widening of the schools functions, developing of local cultures, and life-mode preservation require change in the system of education and training in schools. The conception of school reform and development in Yakutia takes into account the Yakut, Russian, Evenks, Even, Ukagyr and Chukchi Dolgan cultures and folk traditions and acts for the Yakutia peoples interests now. It was adopted at the state level in 1991. The basic ideas of the concept of Native school revival and development in the Sakha Republic are guided by: (a) provisions for the right to education and upbringing in a Native language; (b) incorporating the younger generation into the Native culture and spirituality and enriching it with the cultures of neighboring nations, thus initiating the youth into the values of world culture; (c) the idea of teaching on the principle "from the near to the far"-from the Native home to the world of all human knowledge; (d) training for life and work with regard to the traditional life style and labor traditions while simultaneously regarding the demands of new economic relations in the transnational world; and (e) a special approach to the definition of content and form of teaching in schools for the Northern minorities. The methodological approach is connected with the treatment of the Native school as a phenomenon of its own dialectics of development, having deep traditional roots in ethnopedagogy, and internal ties with the historical roots of the culture. A lot of programs and curriculum are implemented in schools based on the traditional culture. The Sakha, Even and Evenks people in the Sakha Republic (Yakutia), as with the Native people of Alaska, had to overcome a lot of difficulties. They had to survive in a harsh environment but nevertheless created on the eternal permafrost their own economy, art, folklore, literature, and their culture. Their culture consists of survival, material values, beliefs and mother tongues-all of which people created for the ages. There is no culture without a mother tongue. People all over the world understand this idea and the fact that without our roots and cultural heritage, we cannot survive. If we drop out one link in the cycle of life, everything else will drop out too. Thank you for the opportunity to study and learn about the experiences of the Native people in Alaska. We have much to learn and share from one another. I have enjoyed my visit very much. | |
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Iñupiaq Region: Process Of Interviewing by Rachel Craig:Opening Exercises 1. Cordial greeting of the elders. Inquire if they had a good night's sleep. Inquire if they have anything of importance to communicate right then. Reasons for Interviewing 2. Give reason(s) for meeting. "This is what we would like to do with you (give subject of discussion). We need this information for our students so they can ____________(reasons)___________ in school and in life. We can't put this information on paper without your help. We will work closely with you. We will listen to you. We will tape record the session so we don't miss anything. But we want to be sure we understand what you are trying to tell us." Process 3. "We want you to be thinking of signing a release form while you are here so we could use the information in the classrooms." Explain the purpose of a release form. Be up front with the elders on the purposes of your work; they usually are willing to assist in any way possible. Just don't surprise them with additional details and obligations afterwards. Spell them all out at the beginning before you begin to work with them. Remember that this is a partnership; you are willing to work and open doors, and they have the information and knowledge that you need to make your work effective. 4. As you interview, keep working toward getting the deeper, more meaningful stuff. Students need to know the whys of what they are studying. Try to approach the subject from all angles. Remember that most of our students don't know much about Native stuff, but they love it when they hear it. It doesn't hurt to get the detailed stuff. Our students are trained to read. They can often read a lot better than they can write; but they can also learn to write. 5. Take breaks at appropriate times. Concentrating on a subject that you are wanting takes a lot of energy out of your partner. As the elders get older, their strength is used up more quickly. Be considerate of them. Have some juices (apple, grape, cranberry-something with not too much acid), water, tea, coffee or whatever the elders need for their breaks. Make them feel good. They love to feel that they are making a contribution to someone else's well-being, especially their grandchildren or great-grandchildren. 6. Some things to consider when contemplating getting releases from the elders: * Are the materials mainly for educational purposes? We have had no problem getting releases for educational purposes. * Are the materials gathered for commercial purposes? If money is expected to be made, a realistic percentage should be earmarked for the information source. In that case, it might also be wise to identify one of the heirs. The elders should hear your proposal and your consideration of them; you should also ask them if they have any questions or counter-proposals. Keep the discussion friendly. What are you getting out of the whole deal? What do you envision are some of the outcomes of the interviews? Elders are entitled to know what's going on. 7. Enjoy your work with the elders. Your attitude helps them to feel that they have been involved in a worthwhile project. | |
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JOIN A TWO-WEEK TOUR OF MAORI : | |
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Native Educators' Conference:Anchorage, Alaska Held in Anchorage, NEC will provide the opportunity for people engaged in education that impacts Native people to come together and learn from each other's work and to explore ways to strengthen the links between education and the cultural well-being of Indigenous people. Contact Lolly Carpluk at (907) 474-5086. Or email ftlmc@uaf.edu | |
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New Course for Educators:The Alaska Rural Systemic Initiative worked with the Alaska Staff Development Network (ASDN) to develop a new, multimedia, state-of-the-art distance education course for educators entitled "Creating Culturally Responsive Schools." ASDN has received national recognition for its distance learning programs for educators. This three-credit course, which meets Alaska Department of Education multicultural education recertification requirements, is offered statewide through Alaska Pacific University. GCI School Access Program is providing technical assistance and support with Internet course activities. Ronalda Cadiente, highly respected Tlingit educator, is the course instructor. Implementing the new Alaska cultural standards in schools, classrooms and communities provides the major focus for the course. Participants can begin the course at any time. It will take approximately 50 hours to complete all course activities. More than 80 educators have enrolled in this brand new course during the past two weeks. Tuition and fees are $275. Course video and print materials cost $85. To enroll or request further information, please contact: Alaska Staff Development Network 2204 Douglas Hwy, Suite 100 Douglas, Alaska 99824 Phone: 907-364-3809 Fax: 907-364-3805 E-mail: asdn@ptialaska.net | |
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