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 Contact information in earlier issues could be outdated.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 4, ISSUE 1 |
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Now Available! : | |
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Preparing Teachers for Rural Alaska by Ray Barnhardt:Based on a review of topographic maps of the area and some old photographs of the trading post, this small logging company had put their savvy as backcountry loggers in Washington to work in devising a bid that would bring them a reasonable return for their summer's effort. Their successful bid called for them to haul all of their supplies and equipment, including a large landing-craft style boat and two Honda "Big Red" three-wheelers, up the highway from Washington to Circle by truck, and then load everything in the boat for the trip down the Yukon and up the Porcupine to the border. Their first hint that conditions in the North may not be the same as they were used to back in Washington came when they ran aground four times before they got around the first bend in the Yukon River below Circle. The cost of a local river guide to get them to Ft. Yukon didn't hurt their budget or pride too much, but the two extra days and the three spare props needed to get up the Porcupine began to worry them. By the time my friend and I arrived on the scene, their anxiety level had reached the point where their behavior was not unlike that of a first-year bush teacher in mid-January, and here it was mid-June. The circumstance that had driven them to the brink was when they realized their Honda three-wheelers were no match for the hummocks and muskeg on the northern tundra. To get out to their work sites each day from their river base they had to charter a helicopter, which was very quickly consuming their summer profits. To cut costs, the men were sleeping out on the line with a pistol for a pillow, mosquitoes and grizzlies for company, and granola bars and freeze-dried food for sustenance. Their expectations of an exciting summer in Alaska were being realized, but not quite in the manner they had anticipated. By the time we left, things were getting pretty tense and the whole outfit was in general despair. What had brought this otherwise hearty and savvy group of people to this unfortunate state of affairs? They knew their trade. They had done a good job of planning, based on their perception of the situation. But, they hadn't taken into account that in the North, conditions aren't always what they seem to be from an outside perspective. The same is true for the field of education. We can't always do things here the way they are done elsewhere. When we try, those things that are unique to the North, especially in rural Alaska, end up being viewed as impediments rather than as opportunities. How do we know that teaching in rural Alaska is different than teaching elsewhere? The first hint should come when we look at the fact that of the 2,368 teachers in rural schools this year, nearly one-third are new to their positions. That compares with about 12% in the urban schools (including 104 brand new positions in Anchorage.) While rural schools employ only one-third of all the teachers in the state, they typically hire over two-thirds of the new teachers each year, most of whom originate from outside the state. That means that at the present time, the potential for improving the quality of education in rural schools has an upper limit that is established by the average three-year cycle of staff turnover. How do we break out of this cycle? First of all, by identifying the factors that contribute to it. Some of these have already been touched upon-most importantly the stress teachers experience when working in a physically and culturally foreign environment for which they are ill prepared by either training or experience. While an orientation program such as that offered at Old Minto each summer, along with improved living conditions, can help extend teachers' longevity a year or two, in the long run, the problem of teacher stability, curriculum continuity and quality education in rural schools can be addressed only through the preparation of more teachers and administrators who are from rural communities. Only then can those communities begin to assert the degree of local professional control needed to go along with the political control they obtained with the decentralization of rural schools in 1976. The number of degreed and licensed Alaska Natives in the field of education at the present time is just a little over 350, nearly half of whom came up through the field-based Cross-Cultural Education and Development (X-CED) program. While some rural districts have a higher proportion of Native staff than others (a couple are in the 30% range), we clearly have a long way to go before rural Native communities can experience the degree of local representation in their schools that other communities take for granted. This is all the more critical today, in that many of the most promising rural school reform initiatives are dependent on the professional involvement of people knowledgeable about the local culture and environment. Unfortunately, the university programs designed to address these needs have been reduced to less than half of what they were five years ago, and their future remains uncertain. Responsibility for addressing this issue falls on all of us - school districts through career ladders and staff development plans; Department of Education (DOE) through licensing regulations and teacher education standards; the universities through appropriate teacher preparation programs such as X-CED/Rural Education Preparation Partnership (REPP); and rural communities through their commitment to locally controlled education. But a renewed commitment to preparing homegrown teachers is not in itself going to bring the schools of Alaska to the level of excellence that we are seeking over the next few years-it is a necessary, but not sufficient step. At the present time, we are importing over three-fourths of the teachers in our state. That means that no matter how much we upgrade our own pre-service programs, we are still going to be touching only a small percentage of the teachers working in Alaska. To get at this issue, we need to address the problem at another more fundamental level-that being at the level of in-depth cross-cultural orientation and mentoring programs for all teachers new to rural Alaska. New teachers, whether from in-state or out-of-state, while on a provisional certificate could be encouraged to participate in a teaching internship program provided jointly by the local school district and the university. In districts where cultural disparities are an issue, the internship period could include training in cross-cultural teaching practices based on activities such as the following: * New teachers could be encouraged to participate in a district-sponsored cultural orientation program during their first year or two, which could include participation in a week-long camp with local Elders as the instructors sometime during the fall term (similar to the Kodiak camp prior to school last year or the Alakanuk camp that took place throughout the first three weeks of school this year.) * New teachers could be paired with an Elder in the community and a respected experienced teacher in the school (or an experienced Native teacher) to serve as mentors throughout the first year of teaching. * A program of study based on the Alaska Standards for Culturally Responsive Schools could be made available to guide the teachers in the translation of their new insights into culturally-appropriate curriculum and teaching practice (the Alaska Staff Development Network has already prepared materials for such a program of study.) * For those teachers who are interested, a two-year field-based course of study could be made available leading to a possible specialty endorsement in "cross-cultural education," and/or a graduate degree in cross-cultural studies. All of the above could also fulfill the current state "multicultural education" and "Alaska studies" requirements. Such an internship experience would benefit teachers coming out of the university programs in the state as well as those coming with training and experience from outside the state, just as the Washington state loggers would have benefited from a little grounded experience on the Porcupine River before they committed themselves to the border-clearing contract. Finally, I'd like to say that all of the issues that have been raised here suffer from an inadequate Alaskan data base of information on which to make informed decisions. Recognizing that some problems are unique to Alaska, and that if we don't address them, no one will, I would urge the legislature and the DOE to consider setting aside funds in the amount of one-half of one percent of the annual appropriation for education, to be made available on a grants and contracts basis for the purpose of soliciting and stimulating research and evaluation efforts related to Alaskan education issues. We would then be in a position to build programs with a knowledge base that takes Alaskan conditions into account, instead of adopting programs and practices from elsewhere and finding out after expensive investments that they don't fit. Let's be better prepared than the transplanted brushwackers on the Porcupine River. | |
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Southeast Region by Andy Hope:The participants in the language meeting divided into working groups and drafted recommendations for community level programs. A priority for many of the groups was publication (in many cases re-publication) of materials for use in classrooms. The recommendations of the meeting will be utilized by Tlingit and Haida in drafting a proposal to the Administration for Native Americans to follow up on the language planning grant that they are in the process of closing out now. SEANREC participants reviewed 1998 initiatives: Elders and Cultural camps, Reclaiming Tribal Histories, the Axe Handle Academy, the Tribal College Initiative and the Southeast Alaska Native Educators Association. Paula Dybdahl of Juneau-Douglas High School reported on her participation in the Alaska RSI Leadership Institute that took place in Fairbanks in July 1998. Elders' Council members offered comments and recommendations throughout the meetings. A presentation on the Camp Water Science Camp project by student participants was special. Participants then reviewed 1999 initiatives: Village Science Applications, Living in Place, the Axe Handle Academy, the Tribal College Initiative and AISES Camps/Science Fairs. It is my hope that a central activity in 1999 will be an effort to involve more teachers in science camp activities. I believe that getting more classroom teachers (Native and non-Native) involved in our project is the key to long term impact. I am proposing that our partners co-sponsor a Native language and curriculum development institute in Sitka in the summer. The institute would take place at Dog Point Fish Camp and in traditional classroom settings. The Southeast Alaska Native Educators Association would hold organizational meetings in conjunction with the institute. | |
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Village Science: Alaska Clipart by Alan Dick:My collection currently has over 300 images scanned at 150 dpi and saved as TIFF files. These include images of animals, tools, plants, clothing and more. I used low resolution so files won't be too large. They are ready to insert into applications such as Microsoft Word, PageMaker, PowerPoint, etc. Most are line drawings and only a few images are over 200k. The booklet that accompanies the images was created in PageMaker 6.0 (available in many school districts) and should be easy to expand and revise on the local level. The goal is to make the development of relevant curriculum easy for school districts, teachers and students. Technology makes local publishing of materials a reality. The collection will be available on the ANKN web site to download as a package or as individual graphics (www.ankn.uaf.edu/clipart.html.) As we progress, we hope to make the collection available on CD. Great care has been taken to use only images that are copyright free. Please be respectful of other people's work when you develop your own. I thank Time Frame of Anchorage for starting an Alaska clipart collection and making it available to the public for free. I used many of their images. I also thank Nine Star Enterprises in Anchorage for permitting the use of images from the ALL Project, artist Kathleen Lynch. I also thank UA Press for making images available from Alaska Trees and Shrubs. Suggestions for images to add are: * Local maps with place names * Traditional tools * Traditional activities * Student work * Local animals As you develop local clipart collections, please share them with us so we can distribute them statewide. Hoping that my past frustration has led to your future enjoyment ... | |
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Yup'ik Region by Barbara Liu:This is how Atsaruaq describes the beginning of Ingulaq: "During Ingulaq, a handmade seagull (made out of grass and skin) is hung with a rope (made of seal) from the window to the entry. When a father brought in a gift with his daughter, he would hang their gift on the seagull and daughter would begin to dance. While she dances, the gift that is on the seagull is lifted up to the window and lowered back down. Then, the father unties it and brings to the back of the qasgi while the daughter stops dancing and enters. The gifts were of skin or fur, (seal, fox, wolf, etc). More fathers would bring in gifts with their daughters during this ceremony. The gifts were for the dancers (daughters). As we got ready to go to the qasgi, our mothers taught us the simple movement of our entry dance. After Ingulaq, Nakaciuq began. This ceremony involved seal bladders that were processed from the previous spring seal hunt. The seal bladders were blown up, tied and hung to dry. Then, untied to let the air out, folded and put away for the summer until winter. Before dancing, the wives put on their seal gut raincoats and some used their husband's raincoat. Carrying their husband's folded seal bladder catch in a woven grass , they entered the qasgi, and threw the bladders in a stream towards their husbands and danced. I don't know the dances because I didn't get to dance. Later, the bladders were dampened in water, blown back into shape, and hung apart at the back roof of the qasgi. During the hot baths, the hanging bladder ornaments were put in the outer entry then afterwards hung inside attached in the woven sea grass. Once I remember, my mother said to me, "two are gathering tall celery plants". They were two young men pushing a sled to gather a bundle of celery that were strung onto a carved wooden stick . In the qasgi, the boys who gathered the plants, lit up the plant tops and went out. The men followed them, holding their bladder ornaments and went out with everyone else. All the fathers went out first and then us. My mother was toting a child on her back holding my hand. We went and gathered around something I couldn't see. So, I crawled in between all the fathers' legs. My mother did the same. I reached the center and in the midst, I saw an ice opening, square shaped, with each corner carved hollow . So, that is where the men pushed the bladders under the ice. After that, we headed towards home. My mother held my hand again, telling me, "Hurry, before the water man meets us; walk faster." So it was, on our way home, when one man went to the square opening to deliver water in a seal stomach water bag then poured its contents into the ice opening. My mother took me home and finally when we were inside the house, she took my boots off. There was only one time when everyone caught colds in the spring, and this event was done to prevent colds during the fall, winter and throughout the summer. After the bladders are thrown, colds stopped for a year. This was our cold medicine and we didn't catch colds anytime only in the spring." "Ingulaq, canek qasgiraameggnun qasgimun itrulluteng kiavet. Kanavet pugyaramun naruyaq agalria tapruarmeng piliameng pinevkarameng nayirmeng. Kan'a-llu makliim aqsain pinevkain tamakunek cagtengqerrluteng usguquurluku naruuyaruameng-llu pilirluku. Aklumek itrutaqami aataq paniini yurallrani tuavet qillrutnauraa naruyaruamun. Naruyaruam taugken mayuulluku pikavet egalermun. Egalermeng-llu atraan augarluku, yuralriall tuan taqluni. Tuam-tall alla yurarngan atii taum tuatlu caneng piciatun pikangqerutaciramitun tauna naruyaruaq qillervikluku mayuucilluku pikavet. Atraan-llu angilluku kiavet qasgim egkuanun elliluku. Piciatun amirkanek nayirneng piciatun pikangqerutacirameggcetun kaviarnek, white fox-aanek, qegglunernek tamakuneng caneng wagg'uq ciamtaliluki nauga maai cat cikiraqkait caalqunek qasgimi tamakut yuralriit. Aataita tuaten pinaurait. Qasgimun agqataraqamta aanamta elicaarnauraitkut waten yuraasqelluta kiiran tawa yuraasqelluta waten qasgimun agqataqapigtaqamta. Tuamtall tauna taqngan Nakacugnek egciluteng. Upnerkarpak seal-at nayiit makliit issuriit nakacuit qerrurluki kinerciraarluki paingit-llu ikirluki ellcelluki. Imegluki qemaggluki qemangqalukill kiagpak. Nutaan-llu tavani yuraqataat imgulluku naqtanun. Qalinek all'uteng nulirita tamakut nakacuut itrulluki qasgimiun. Taumunllu pitaqestiitun kayimlerluki tunluki. Yurarluteng canek taugaam yuvarutengqerruciitanka yuraqallrunrilama. Yurarluteng arnat qalinek atkugturluteng uimeng qaliitnek. Tuaten-llu tuai piraarcelluki qasgimi kenilluki keniqaarlukill qerrurluki qavavet qasgim egkuanun caggluki agarluki. Maqiqataraqameng amigmun an'artaqluki maqilriit taq'aqaata qavavet agaucirluki taprualugmeng qilqetaaraulluki nakacuteng pinaurait. Ataucirqumek wii tuaten nakacugmek egcilriamek aanama qanrullua ikiitugcurnilukek. Ikiitugculriik taukuk kasmuraurlutek ikiitugneng qugtarlutek. Tawaill paugaarmun qillrulluki kangratnun. Qillruqaarluki-llu elegluki qasgimek anulluki kenurpagaraqtaraarluteng qasgiq. Anucatkii-llu ayiigneng nakacugnek tegumiarluteng tamalkurmeng angutet nakacut tamakut pitarameng nakacuit tegumiaqluku angutek kingunratgun ayagluteng. Yugyakapiarluteng aatarugaat anluteng wangkuta-llu kingumek. Aanama wii tass'uquurlua Cimiarmek ikum Charlie Friday tunumigturluni. Ayaulluta quyurrluteng-llu avatairluku ca camna cauluku quyurrluteng yugyakaapiar-luteng qaillun-llu tangerrsunaunani. Uitaqanritua miktellruamall tamaani aatat iruita akuliitgun pulaarlua camna caumakngaat paqeskilaku aatat iruita akulaitgun pullua iruita akulaitgun pulaaqlua. Tua-i camna tekitaqa. !Maaten anluartangqelliniluni elakartangqelliniluni cikuq yaassiigenqeggluni iquuk taugken kangirain nallait tuavnengqerrluteng kelutmun tevaumaluteng tangerqeraarluku. Tuamtall aanaka cali iruitgun akuliitgun. Cunaug tauna tuavet nakacuteng kenegqelluki kicelluki eggluki nakacuteng-gguq. Egcimariamegteki uterqaqluteng Aanama wii tassuquurlua kiikirturlua, 'Kiiki, melgilriim nakacugnek melgilriim tumkeciqakuk, uqilacarluten'. Cunaug tuai uterqaqaqamta angun atauciq tuavet !ayatulliuq wagg'uq melgir, mermeng payuggluki qilumeng imiqerluku qiluq tauna tawavet maqcarturluku elakaliallratnun. Aanama utrullua nutaan-llu nemtenun itrucamia kamilaqluta. Qusermeng qusraarluteng nunat qusermun yungcautekluku tuai tauna. Qusenermek taqluteng qusyuunateng uksurpak kiagpak allrakum iluani upnerkarmi taugaam qusernaurtukut Nakacugnek-llu egciata qusnermek taqluta. Tawaten tuai taugaam pituluta. Nakacugnek tuai egcilria qusrircautekluku qusernanrirnaurtukut qusyuunatall allragnirpak uksurpak kiagpak nutaan-llu uksunrian quserluta. Qusrem tut'etuluta tawani quserpeknatall maani piciatun kiiran tuai quseryaraqluku. I wish everyone a healthy and a prosperous year. Tua-ingunrituq, Mak | |
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VOLUME 4, ISSUE 2 |
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AISES CORNER by Claudette Bradley-Kawagley:& Engineering Society Dietrich Nikolai with his project "Marten Sets" at the Interior AISES Science Fair. Feona Sawden from Port Graham helps students prepare urritaq at last summer's Academy of Elders/AISES Science Camp on Afognak Island outside of Kodiak. Camps help prepare students for regional science fairs. by Claudette Bradley-Kawagley In November of '98, the Alaska Rural Systemic Initiative sponsored science fairs in Kotzebue, Fairbanks and Old Harbor. A fourth science fair was held February 17, 1999 in St. Paul Island. Each science fair establishes the values of the Elders in that region as the measuring device for determining if a project is acceptable. Each fair employs Elders as judges to determine the value of projects to the cultural ways of the Native people in that region. Likewise, each fair begins and ends with a blessing offered by an Elder and everyone participates in Native dancing and singing. It is not surprising that these fairs are becoming known as "Native Science Fairs". Each fair has two sets of judges. The teacher/scientist judges review projects looking at the research design and scientific method. The Elders judge projects looking at their value to village life and the regional culture. After awarding first, second and third place prizes, the judges come together to select two grand prize winning projects. The students of the grand prize winning projects will travel to Albuquerque, New Mexico, to enter their projects in the AISES National Science Fair, March 5-6, 1999. The AISES National Fair has 400 or more science projects done by American Indian and Alaska Native students (5th-12th grade) from the lower forty-eight states and Alaska. The Alaska Rural Systemic Initiative is sending the following grand prize winners to AISES National Science Fair: Kelsey Peterson Kelsey is a fifth-grader in Kodiak. She wanted to know "How Did the Skin Parkas Stay Waterproof?" She tested three types of stitches with water. The regular cotton stitches leak and are not waterproof. Gut-skin stitches had less leakage. Ryegrass stitches did not leak. The wet grass expanded and did not allow any water to leak. Traditional skin parkas are stitched with rye grass. Tasha Price and Jonyssa Ignatin Tasha and Jonyssa are sixth graders in Old Harbor. They are proud of the village of Old Harbor and the Alutiiq culture. Their science project explores pumice stone and how their ancestors used it. Dietrich Nikolai Dietrich is an eighth grader in Nikolai, which has a population of 90 people. Nikolai is the first village dog mushers encounter after passing through the "burn" on the trail of the Iditarod. Dietrich wanted to learn which set-poleset or cubbie-is more effective for subsistence trapping for marten. Marten fur hats are desirable to keep warm in extreme cold weather. Dietrich interviewed local trappers and set his own traps for his science project. Kristopher John Kristopher is in eighth grade in Fort Yukon. After exploring the behavior of tornadoes he discovered river eddies swirled with similar behavior. Kristopher interviewed Elders and learned: there are more fish in the eddies than elsewhere in the river and Native fisherman place their nets in eddies to catch the most fish. He experimented with placing a log in the river to make a good eddy and a bad eddy. He learned the water flows out of good eddies, allowing fish to continue swimming up the river. Puyuk Joule and Thomas Tirrell Puyuk and Thomas, who are sixth graders in Kotzebue, entitled their project "Kinakina Atquin", which means "What's your name?" They wanted to know if the Iñupiaq cultural names were being lost and forgotten. Puyuk and Thomas wrote a questionnaire seeking knowledge of the respondents family tree. They each interviewed four friends, four family members, four Elders, and four relatives. Puyuk and Thomas expected 16 out of 32 respondents would know their Iñupiaq cultural names, but instead the found 30 out of 32 respondents knew their Iñupiaq names both in the present and past generations. Heather Outwater Heather is 15 years old and lives in Noorvik. She's president of the student council and captain of the cheerleading squad. Her project tested plants and inorganic materials to preserve and restore the river and stream banks. The Kobuk river has been eroding the banks causing some people in Noorvik to lose their homes into the river. This project will be shown to the Noorvik City Council and the Elders' Committee. Heather hopes they will consider bioengineering techniques such as the ones used in her project to stop the river and stream bank erosion. The Alaska Rural Systemic Initiative extends its congratulations to these bright young scientists and is very proud to send them to the AISES National Science Fair in Albuquerque, March 5-6, 1999. | |
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AKRSI/AMC/ASC:Institute on Integrating Science, Math, and Cultural Standards in Rural Schools University of Alaska Fairbanks June 14-27, 1999 (with one-week fall implementation) The Alaska Rural Systemic Initiative (AKRSI), the Alaska Math Consortium (AMC) and the Alaska Science Consortium (ASC) are sponsoring a two-week summer institute focused on addressing math, science and cultural standards in rural classrooms. We are especially eager to receive applications from the 20 school districts currently partnering with the AKRSI and will review applications with a goal of selecting at least one team from each region. For an application packet or more information contact: Sidney Stephens, ASC/AKRSI c/o ANKN PO Box 756480 Fairbanks, AK 99775-6480 ffss1@uaf.edu Institute supported by AKRSI through a grant from the National Science Foundation and by the ASC and the AMC. | |
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Alaska RSI Regional Contacts:Elmer Jackson Iñupiaq Regional Coordinator PO Box 134 Kiana, Alaska 99749 (907) 475-2257 e-mail: fnej@uaf.edu Barbara Liu Yup'ik Regional Coordinator Box 2262 Bethel, Alaska 99559 (907) 543-3467 e-mail: fnbl@uaf.edu Amy Van Hatten Athabascan Regional Coordinator 5230 Fairchild Avenue Fairbanks, Alaska 99709-4525 (907) 474-0275 e-mail: fyav@uaf.edu Andy Hope Southeast Regional Coordinator University of Alaska Southeast School of Business/PR 11120 Glacier Highway Juneau, Alaska 99801 (907) 465-8776 e-mail: fnah@uaf.edu Teri Schneider Aleutians Regional Coordinator Kodiak Island Borough School District 722 Mill Bay Road, North Star Kodiak, Alaska 99615 (907) 486-9031 e-mail: tschneider@kodiak.alaska.edu | |
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Aleut/Alutiiq Region by Teri Schneider:From the beginning of this project I have considered myself a partner, working toward similar goals in my own corner of Alaska. Thank goodness for partners! Now, through the Alaska Rural Systemic Initiative, efforts of individuals can add fuel to the fire of systemic change within our public school system. Together we can accomplish more! I am a life long resident of Kodiak Island. My family is a reflection of the history of Kodiak Island and the surrounding Alutiiq region. My mother's family, originally from West Virginia, was brought to the island by the United States Coast Guard in 1958. My father was born in the town of Kodiak. His father was born in Kodiak, the son of a Norwegian immigrant and a woman of Russian, Irish and Aleut descent, also born in Kodiak. My father's mother was Aleut, born in the village of Afognak in 1898. My two older brothers and I were brought up knowing that we were the descendents of the Aleut people of the island and were taught our heritage through the stories and actions of my dad and his family. We learned that our ancestors were strong people, surviving because of their adaptability over time, their Aleut ingenuity and their love for the place in which they inhabited. I continue to live among these strong, adaptable, ingenious people-my family of Kodiak Island. I graduated from Kodiak High School in 1983. After one year at Western Oregon State College, I decided to pursue my teaching degree through the University of Alaska Fairbanks which is a little closer to home. Knowing that I wanted to eventually teach for the Kodiak Island Borough School District (KIBSD), I chose to do my student teaching in Port Lions, a village just west of town. Not only was Port Lions close to home, it also felt like home. Many of the families living there at the time knew me as a "local kid." The Elders of Port Lions spoke fondly of my grandmother, originally from Afognak, the village that was later relocated to Port Lions. Soon after my student teaching I married my husband, Eric Schneider, and was hired as a fifth-grade teacher for KIBSD. I taught for three years until the birth of our son in 1991. After almost two years of being home with Patrick, I went back to the classroom. After seven and a half years in the classroom, and an additional child at home (Tatiana, named for my grandmother) I saw an opportunity that I could not pass up. Though it would mean not working directly with a classroom of children, I took a position that was created to support the Native and Rural Education Programs within our district. Just recently this position has been reconstructed to meet the needs of the Alaska Rural Systemic Initiative. Much of my time is still spent exploring and developing culturally and environmentally relevant learning opportunities for our students in my own district, but I now have additional duties as the Aleut/Alutiiq regional coordinator. Looking ahead at the remaining two years of this project, I hope to continue the efforts that have been initiated here on our island; the development of the Academy of Elders and AISES Science Camp, AISES Science Fair and the Native Educators of the Alutiiq Region. A number of partnerships have been created, formally and informally, as we explore other possibilities, as well. Individual Elders have spent countless hours discussing issues and providing the necessary leadership. Board members and staff of the Afognak Native Corporation have been invaluable partners in the development of the camp and in exploring ways to sustain it over time. The Alutiiq Museum, including board members and staff, have provided resources, time and their expertise as projects and curriculum are being developed. The KIBSD Superintendent, Betty Walters, and the Kodiak Island Borough School Board have provided the opportunity to explore the possibilities for those whom they serve. Extending beyond my own school district, I would like to continue to invite others to become involved in the process of this reform effort. Though funding is limited to the current MOA partners, your participation is always encouraged. If you have projects and opportunities going on in your school and/or community within this region that you would like others to know about, contact me. We no longer have to "work within a vacuum." There are others who believe in and value our local Elders for their knowledge and wisdom, and in the local language and environment as powerful teaching "tools." Let's be partners! | |
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Athabascan Region: How to be Practical With Water by Amy Van Hatten:Water is an important element for daily life. As a youth growing up in the village, fish camp and winter camp, I had to learn how to gather it in solid and liquid forms. This included chopping or sawing ice blocks from the frozen river, gathering snow crystals closest to the ground and from underneath deep snow banks, drawing gas cans filled from the water hole and hauling water from a river, creek, rain barrels or from a water pump down near the riverbank. For all practical purposes, certain measures had to be considered in order to preserve different forms of energy, such as physical energy and water energy, especially if a lot of chores had to done in one day. Take Mom's role for example. Her first round in using a tub of water was to wash my hair and my brother's hair and then give us a bath. Next, with the same water, she would wash some of our clothing, mop the cabin floor and then carry the water out to the outhouse to scrub it down with added cleansers. She finished by pouring the recycled water down the toilet hole. Now, how many times did the same water get used? We glance at learning science so differently from one locality to another and sometimes without viewing it as science base or indigenous knowledge but just a way of life. With what little I shared here, a sample assessment can be formulated on how to integrate Alaska Content Standards for Science D2 with Alaska Standards for Culturally-Responsive Schools for Students D2. Get out your dog-eared standards booklet and try one of your own. You can do it! Happy Trails, Negalt denlebedze A Closer Look at the Standards Alaska Content Standards for Science D2 . . . A student who meets the content standard should: understand that scientific innovations may affect our economy, safety, environment, health and society and that these effects may be long or short term, positive or negative and expected or unexpected. Alaska Standards for Culturally-Responsive Schools for Students D2* . . . Students who meet this cultural standard are able to: participate in and make constructive contributions to the learning activities associated with a traditional camp environment. * For a complete copy of the Alaska Standards for Culturally-Response Schools, write or call the Alaska Native Knowledge Network. | |
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Elders In the Classroom by Roby Littlefield:All students can benefit from inter-generational contacts. In Alaska Native cultures, grandparents were held in high regard as they contributed to the community by passing on knowledge and skills. Children learned by listening to and watching Elders and often didn't realize they were in training. Bringing grandparents in to share personal knowledge when studying subjects like nutrition, customs, plants, biology and history can benefit the entire class. To begin, first look to your class members. Send home a note or survey expressing your desire to include parents, grandparents and Elders in your lessons. Get referrals for possible speakers from organizations that work with Natives and/or the elderly. The way to ask Native American Elders for help is different from Western customs. Initial and subsequent contact should be subtle. Visit with them, allowing time for the conversation to wander. Allow for extended pauses, giving them time to think and decide. If their hearing is poor, sit on the side of their better ear and make sure your lips can be seen. Direct eye contact should be limited. Standing or sitting at an angle can increase an Elders comfort level. Keep your questions basic and specific. Begin the request by telling a little about your class and how the Elder could help. If you are not sure if the Elder is interested, hint strongly that you would like to have their help and ask if she/he knows of someone who might be willing to participate. Custom teaches that it is rude to give someone a frank "no" to a request for help, so you need to recognize that a noncommittal response might mean "no", or it might mean that the request is being considered. If at some point the Elder changes the subject more than once while you are explaining your request, you should be aware that she/he might be trying to say "no". Don't force a response; if it is clearly not a "yes" let it go, or suggest they can contact you after they've thought about it. It is important to ask before a meeting for permission to make audio or video recordings. Don't show up with the equipment because you may force consent and cause bad feelings. Permission to listen to or tape a story or lecture does not give you any right to re-broadcast or write the story with you as author. Elders Concerns & Expectations * How can I find the room? (transportation, personal guide) * Will I be respected and appreciated by the students? * Will I be able to hear the students questions? (background and noise level) * Can I speak within the attention span and understanding of the age I am speaking to? If an Elder has agreed to participate in a classroom activity, provide them with optional dates and the logistics. It would be helpful to explain the routine, consequences for students misbehavior, and possible options if problems come up during the lesson. It is your responsibility to ensure discipline is maintained. Be aware, however, that Elders generally do not support strict discipline in a public setting. Discuss how to make a smooth transition to help the Elder leave the class. Agree on some visual signals and ground rules. When the Elder arrives introduce her/him so the Elder sees your respect for them. The teacher should be alert for visual cues from the Elder during the visit as well as be prepared to give unspoken signals back. The teacher should stay in the room. Give the Elder a chance to use traditional discipline. Be prepared to move a child to sit by an adult who can role model how to listen respectfully. If you have problems with students degrading or ignoring an Elder, have a teacher's aide or adult Native quietly intervene. Most traditional stories are like a round, crocheted pot holder. The storyteller goes round and round the subject until it all comes together and finally comes to the lesson or point. Be patient, allow the Elders to share their culture in their own way. Your students are learning how to listen. Students should refrain from interrupting to ask questions. There will be a proper time to ask questions. As a thank you, Elders usually appreciate student and teacher letters, pictures and story booklets which are treasured and shown to friends and relatives. This may also encourage other Elders to participate in classroom projects. Sometimes you will find a resource person who will be available for a wide variety of subjects and projects. If you use an Elder more than once, the school should provide some type of stipend in appreciation of the energy and knowledge the Elder is contributing. Be careful not to burn out your Elders. Whenever you make a request be sure the Elder understands she is not obligated. Keep your lessons flexible in case the Elder can't come at the last minute. Once an Elder has agreed on a time to come into your classroom, avoid changing or postponing the visit. From The Tlingit Moon and Tide Resource Book (K-4), editor Dolly Garza. To be published by Alaska Sea Grant early 1999. | |
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Iñupiaq Region: Elder Highlight by Elmer Jackson:By Elmer Jackson Minnie is one of the most well-known and beloved Elders in the NANA region. She has been actively involved with the Alaska Rural Systemic Initiative since the first consortium meetings began. At that time, she was one of the main advisors for the Northwest Arctic Borough School District's Iñupiaq Language and Culture Curriculum Committee. In addition she was active in teaching traditional skin-sewing skills to the young people in the village of Ambler. Minnie has been a advocate for Iñupiaq language and culture training for as many years as she has lived the culture. She was born in 1924 in Kobuk, Alaska. She was one of three surviving children of the late Robert and Flora Cleveland. She is the widow of the late Friends Church pastor, Arthur Gray. Minnie attended school for six years as a child in the village of Shungnak. After being a pastor with her husband in two villages, she became a bilingual teacher in August, 1973 and retired in 1994. She helped to produce many books to help teach the Iñupiaq language and culture. One of the early books published by Maniilaq Association was Timimun Mamirrutit, which is a book about Iñupiaq medicine. Minnie contributed to this publication because of her knowledge of traditional ways of healing, especially in the use of plants and herbs. She later worked at the National Bilingual Materials Development Center to work on other publications. One of the most extensive books she worked on was titled Black River Stories-a book of stories told by her late father, Robert Cleveland. She also written two books titled Birch bark Basket Making and Net Making. Other contributions included the Kobuk River Junior Dictionary, How Stories, More How Stories, Atuugaurat (translated children's songs) and Taimmaknaqtat, a book about traditional Iñupiaq Eskimo beliefs. There are more publications; I have listed a few. Minnie's beautiful looks, traditional clothing, wonderful friendly smile and graceful stature have been photographed by friends she has made over the years. Her photograph is on the cover jacket of A Place Beyond by Nick Jans. He wrote a wonderful story of Minnie and her friend, Sarah Tickett, seining for whitefish. Minnie is known for her hospitality; she has been a hostess to visitors and friends who have graced her home over the years. Whenever Minnie travels to AKRSI meetings, she shares her knowledge of the Iñupiat Culture, through hands-on demonstrations and songs. At curriculum meetings, she taught how to make snares using salmon skin and gave demonstrations of various traditional tools. She told the mudshark bone story, using actual bones, to Iñupiaq immersion students at Barrow. They enjoyed this story demonstration very much. Here are some of her own thoughts about bilingual education. She voiced them in Iñupiaq and they were translated into English: Iñupiaq should be taught at an early age. I have seen that the younger students are responsive, the more they learn. It is fun to teach these young people. As an Iñupiaq language instructor, I realize that children need motivation to learn. I motivated my students by offering them a variety of ways of learning. They cannot learn by only writing, so I took them out for field trips and taught them about the plants that grow. In the spring, when they got tired of writing, I took them outside and taught them the name of the many different birds that migrate north. This motivated them tremendously. I had projects for them such as skin sewing and making other crafts like birch bark baskets. I allowed them to play Iñupiaq games when they became restless. Sometimes, I even took them home and taught them how to prepare an Iñupiaq dish, such as cranberry or blueberry pudding. Other times I taught them how to make akutuq, Eskimo ice cream. I also boiled the head of the mudshark, which have many bones; I told them the individual names of the bones. This is an interesting project and the students think it is fun. For added variety, I sang songs and told them Iñupiaq stories and legends. Students should learn about life in school. They should learn practical skills such as skin sewing and cooking. Many students need these basic skills. They should know the names of our Native foods and know how to prepare them. It is practical to learn theses skills because our environment is going to be the same in spite of the changes in our lifestyles. We still need warm clothing and we will need to gather food. Students should know about the weather because we cannot predict what the coming seasons' weather will be. They should also know their regional geography. They should know their local subsistence areas, their trails and place names of creeks, rivers and other landmarks. They should be able to know where they are and be able to communicate exactly where they are as they travel out in the country for it is a matter of survival. Last summer, Minnie taught and instructed students at the Ilisagvik Camp, a camp between Ambler and Shungnak. They were taught about camping and fishing, everything about the Iñupiat Illitqusrait, the way of life of the Iñupiat. Minnie continues to share her knowledge of the Iñupiat culture. Those who have been taught by her have been blessed, her love for her people is immense. Thank you, Minnie, for being a great role model for us all. Taikuu. | |
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Rural Education Looks to a Bright Future in the New Millennium:A Report on the Alaska Rural Education Leadership Retreat On January 25-27, over 60 leaders in rural education from across the state gathered in Wasilla for an Alaska Rural Education Leadership Retreat sponsored by the Alaska Rural Systemic Initiative in cooperation with the Alaska Department of Education and the Alaska Federation of Natives. Along with Commissioner Shirley Holloway, AFN President Julie Kitka and UA President Mark Hamilton, a group of superintendents, Elders, Native educators and others actively involved in rural education initiatives associated with the Alaska RSI, spent three days reviewing current issues impacting schools in rural Alaska. Given the many new state mandates, school reform initiatives and ongoing challenges that rural school districts are grappling with as we enter the final year of this millennium, it seemed an opportune time to step back and reflect on where we are and where we want to go with rural education. The focus of the retreat was to take a look at how education programs and services can best be positioned to address the long-term needs of rural communities in this time of limited resources. We were particularly interested in examining ways in which the Alaska Department of Education, the University of Alaska, rural communities and school districts can work more closely together in the provision of basic education services, as well as in staff development, curriculum enhancement, collaborative research and technical assistance. Reports and discussions focused on the following current programs and initiatives: * Alaska Quality Schools Initiative/Legislative Mandates-Shirley Holloway * Alaska Native Student Learning Action Plan-Bernice Tetpon * Alaska Federation of Natives Education Initiatives-Frank Hill * Alaska Rural Systemic Initiative/Alaska Rural Challenge-Frank Hill/Oscar Kawagley * Alaska Standards for Culturally Responsive Schools-Ray Barnhardt * Alaska Onward to Excellence-Bob Blum/Jim Kushman, NWREL * Rural School Access to Telecommunications-Martin Cary, GCI * Rural Educator Preparation Partnership-John Weise * Native Administrators for Rural Alaska-John Monahan * Consortium for Alaska Native Higher Education-Edna MacLean * UA Rural Education Initiatives-Mark Hamilton/Nanne Myers * Citizens for the Educational Advancement of Alaska's Children-Ed Gonion * Survey of Alaska High School Students-Carole Seyfrit Following status reports on the various initiatives, the participants turned their attention to developing draft "action plans" around three focal areas. Following is a summary of the recommendations put forward for follow-up actions in each of the focal areas: Develop an Alaska Rural Education Action Plan for the Next Millennium This group addressed issues raised in the earlier discussions and developed a preliminary outline of where we would like to be with rural education in Alaska by the year 2020, and some of the steps that will need to be taken to get us there. Recommendations of this group included: 1. Encourage all educational organizations in the state to adopt and implement the Alaska Standards for Culturally Responsive Schools. 2. Develop a clear definition of "local control" and identify the bureaucratic roadblocks that need to be eliminated and the support systems that need to be in place to achieve it. 3. Develop a clearinghouse to network and synergize all the reform initiatives impacting rural Alaska. 4. Encourage interagency cooperation in addressing the unique needs of rural Alaska. 5. Foster partnerships with colleges to insure the quality of the high school diploma and what it means. 6. Engage Elders, families, parents, homes and communities as critical components in the educational future of rural Alaska. 7. Stabilize the work force with a viable economic base in rural Alaska, with support from private business, corporations, government, etc. 8. Keep the villages alive by keeping the schools open through multiple forms of educational delivery, regardless of size. 9. Develop a strong, well-articulated vision and definition of community, education, schooling and local control as they relate to rural community health and well-being. 10. Insure equity and adequacy in the future of education for rural Alaska, so as to provide equal lifetime opportunities for all Alaskan children and communities. 11. Build on the successes of what we are doing well and continue those efforts. 12. Continue ongoing review and revision of the content standards to insure they address the needs of all students and communities in Alaska. Develop a Rural Teacher Preparation Action Plan for HEA, Title II Funds This group addressed issues associated with the preparation of teachers for schools in rural Alaska and developed a preliminary outline of components for a cooperative proposal for funding a comprehensive statewide rural teacher preparation initiative for rural Alaska. Recommendations of this group included: 1. Designate the regional Native Educators Associations as key players in shaping and governing rural teacher education initiatives, including those of the DOE and the university. 2. Take all steps necessary to increase the number of Alaska Native teachers and administrators in rural schools, including increased support for the Rural Educator Preparation Partnership and Native Administrators for Rural Alaska. 3. Establish school district career ladders to provide incentives and support for aides and associate teachers who are aspiring to be licensed teachers. 4. Provide an option for school districts to employ teacher interns at a partial salary to serve as classroom teachers during their internship year under the supervision of a nearby mentor teacher. 5. Provide incentives for school districts to implement cultural orientation programs (including an extended camp experience) for new teachers as part of their annual inservice plan submitted to DOE. 6. Make available a "cross-cultural specialist" endorsement for teachers, built around the criteria outlined in the Alaska Standards for Culturally Responsive Schools. 7. Allocate .5% of the annual appropriation for education to be made available for research, evaluation and data tracking regarding issues critical to education in Alaska. 8. Develop and disseminate a set of "Guidelines for Preparing Culturally Responsive Teachers" aimed at the preparation of teachers qualified to implement the Alaska Cultural Standards. 9. Implement "Future Teacher Clubs" in all schools in Alaska. Develop an Agenda for a Statewide Conference on Rural Education in 2000 This group reviewed the current status of school and curricular reform initiatives in rural Alaska and mapped out the parameters for a statewide conference on rural education in 2000 that showcases the most promising curriculum models/materials and teaching/schooling practices leading us into the new millennium. Recommendations of this group included: 1. Purposes of conference: review status of school and current reform initiatives in rural Alaska, showcasing promising models based on school curriculum reform; provide participants with strategies to apply/adapt practices in their schools; and develop support network to continue work on conference tasks. 2. Who participates: representative team from regions, communities, districts/schools-all stakeholders, including parents (PTA, IEA Comm), students (FTA), policy makers (AASB, legislature, tribal councils, IRA), practitioners (teachers/associate teachers, aides), Elders/young Elders, Native Educator Associations, higher education (teacher educators, REPP, NARA), administrators (ACSA) and media. 3. Substance: extend learning beyond classroom walls; partnership theme-open access to education; assessment-practices for success; consolidation/closure; technology & distance education; transition beyond high school; adapting curriculum to cultural and physical regions-place; healthy community and family; barriers to achievement; role models; and student, parent and community involvement in school change. 4. When and where: January-March 2000, early spring, possibly in place of BMEEC & NEC, or regionally in 1999 and Anchorage in 2000. 5. Outcomes: edit and broadcast one-hour video; document and distribute "proceedings"; send participants back with DVD for immediate use with students; and incorporate teacher/student produced products for dissemination. The recommendations outlined above are preliminary ideas for developing more detailed action plans in each of the three focal areas listed. We wish to express appreciation to all the participants in the Alaska Rural Education Leadership Retreat for contributing their valuable time and insights to this effort. We invite everyone with an interest in these issues to offer additional ideas and suggestions for how the action plans can be further strengthened so that we can move into the next millennium with a bright future for education in rural Alaska. | |
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Southeast Region: Southeast Partnerships by Andy Hope:Since the program started in late 1995, many individuals, institutions and organizations have participated in our various initiatives. The following listing constitutes the Southeast Alaska Native/Rural Education Consortium: Southeast Regional Elders Council Arnold Booth, Metlakatla (chair) Charles Natkong, Hydaburg Lydia George, Angoon Gil Truitt, Sitka Isabella Brady, Sitka Marie Olson, Juneau Joe Hotch, Klukwan Jim Walton, Haines Junction School Districts (with year district joined the AKRSI/ARC listed in parentheses) Chatham School District (1996) Sitka School District (1996) Hoonah City Schools (1997) Juneau School District (1998) Education Organizations Discovery Foundation Southeast Alaska Native Educators Association Alaska Science Consortium Sitka Native Education Program Southeast Alaska Guidance Association Dog Point Fish Camp Sealaska Heritage Foundation Writers Block Alaska Staff Development Network The Axe Handle Academy (Nora & Richard Dauenhauer) Alaska Native History Textbook Project (Dennis Demmert and Mike Gaffney) Higher Education Institutions University of Alaska Southeast Sheldon Jackson College University of Alaska (Sea Grant) Publication Consultants Tom Thornton Sue Kraft Peter Metcalfe State and Federal Agencies National Park Service-Glacier Bay National Park USDA Forest Service Alaska Department of Education (Peggy Cowan, Science Specialist) Tribes Sitka Tribe of Alaska Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska Angoon Community Association Hydaburg Cooperative Association (Haida Nation) Radio Stations KCAW-FM, Sitka Other Conference of Tlingit Tribes and Clans Tlingit Language Consortium Southeast Alaska Native Language Consortium | |
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The Cry of the Loon: Mysterious, Mournful, Remembering Place by Angayuqaq Oscar Kawagley:Wherever the loon exists, there are Native people, and you will have many loon stories that are mystical and magical in their content. Among them is the story of the blind boy who is made to see by the loon diving into the water with the boy on its back. This is repeated three times. In each dive and emergence, the boy could see a little clearer, and on its third emergence, the boy could see clearly. The loon helped the boy to see, likewise, it can help us to understand ourselves and see our connection to Mother Earth today. Listen to the call of the loon. Its call is God-given through nature. It is its own language and understood by others of its kind and other creatures. Only we, with our ability to think and rationalize, do not understand because we listen only with the mind, not with mind and heart well sprinkled with intuition. To some it is eery, as if some bad thing is about to happen. Maybe an alangguk, an apparition or ghost of some kind is about to appear. It conjures up many thoughts that are not based on "what is" but on "what if." This is the fear that most of us face as a Native people, especially when thinking about changing education. "What if" the educators, legislators and powers that be do not believe and think that this could be done. But regardless, we must take those steps necessary to change education so that it takes into consideration, in fact, makes an educational system based on our own tribal worldviews. When thought of in that context, then it includes our Native languages, ways of generating knowledge, research, ways of making things and ways for using them respectfully. Our Alaska Native languages come from the land, are derived from the land. It is the language of the land that makes our Native people live in harmony with Nature. According to the Muskogee Cree, Bear Heart, harmony is a tolerance, a forgiving, a blending. This is what our Native languages allow us to do. Our Native words come from the creatures and things of Mother Earth naming themselves, defining themselves through action words-that's reality! Nature is our teacher. Information and rationality are a small segment of knowing and learning. In the use of our Native languages, we come to live life intimately because we are enmeshed in it rather than looking at it from a distance through a microscope or telescope. It then behooves that we relearn our languages and learn to live close to nature to regain our health as a Native people. When we have that vision and goal, and work toward it, then we will have harmony; we will have tolerance; we will forgive; and we will again blend into our world. We will be using our five senses and intuition to learn about our place. The loon never lost its spiritual vision. It has a love for life, its environment and its creator. Its education was from Mother Earth for the heart, for it to become creative and to know how to live in its community, its habitat. The loon still gets messages from its unconscious on new thoughts or solutions to problems. We, as human beings, have cluttered up our conscious minds with information and rational thinking, so that our world of dreams is no longer sought through meditation, vision questing, fasting and looking deep into the silence within us for direction. Not only have we become socio-politco-economic dependents, but we depend on outside sources to take care of our problems whether it's individual, family or community. You see, the loon looks into its inner ecology knowing that no one else can do that for it. It knows that it is incumbent upon itself. In order for us to receive guidance and direction for our lives, we must relearn what the loon does naturally. We must look into ourselves where power and strength lie and tap into it to begin to address our own problems. Another strength of the loon, is that it teaches and nurtures its young to live as a loon. It does not require that someone else do the educating. The loon develops the loon worldview of its young closely connected to others and its place. As it migrates from place to place, it remembers and appreciates the diversity and beauty of Nature. It nurtures its offspring to become independent yet knowing its dependence on the abundance of Nature to succor its needs. It teaches its young to "do unto others as you would have them do unto you." This is true love; this is unconditional love that we need in this world. A love for self, a love for others and a love for place giving one a sense of responsibility to take care of oneself, to care for others and the environment that one lives in. The loon's cry is remembering a place that was harmonious, full of beauty and diversity that Nature so loves. This is heart talk! This is science-knowing place. Very much like our Native people, the loon's life is not all roses and peace. The loon has a few problems, such as taking off. It is very much like the Wright brothers in their early experiments. The little homemade engine revs up, but has just enough power for it to barely to get off the ground. Just as the under-powered plane, the loon frantically flaps its wings and seemingly runs across the water's surface. Once in a while, the loon will crash onto the tundra. But, it crawls back into the lake somehow and tries again. We, as a Native people, are testing our wings and power! If we find that some of our ideas do not work, we need to go back and try again, maybe with a different approach and tools. We must not be overly ambitious by overplaying our knowledge and abilities, but recognize our limitations as human beings. We must do that which we know we can succeed at first, then progress to more difficult tasks. And, if we fail, we must NEVER GIVE UP! The sad fact about this precious bird is that it is losing ground in its efforts to survive. Our Canadian friends look upon it with great respect, so much so, that it is on their one- and two-dollar coins. They are called the "loonie" and "twoonie". It is a known fact that the loon's numbers are growing smaller at a fast rate in Canada. There is a problem that is so ominous and insidious that it is overwhelming the loon. It is not of its own making. It is human-made pollution consisting of chemical, biological, nuclear and noise which is destroying its habitat. It is we, humans, who are destroying its habitat and, unfortunately, as we destroy its habitat we are destroying ourselves in the process. The loon may well ask, "What was the question that makes technology the answer in the first place? Who asked it and when?" Technology is inherently good and is the product of human rationality. But, unfortunately, it has laid aside morality and ethics. Take for example, the computer. Many think it's the answer for all our needs. It is speedy and answers questions with facts the human has fed into it. I say use it sparingly as a tool. It encourages individualism often to the point of isolationism. The excessive user wants to be alone with a stupid machine. If you feed it garbage, you get garbage in return. It takes away clear thinking, problem-solving skills and above all, removes common sense. Modern technology wants to take and take, to make things without giving back. It wants to cut into Mother Earth to remove its natural resources. It wants to make people want more of its products. In so doing, indigenous people, creatures, plants and landforms are sometimes no barrier to the Eurocentric concepts of progress and development. They are merely removed as detritus and, in the process, destroy a people and their place. The loon's mournful cry is in recognition of this needless destruction that is taking place by bigger and better technological machines of devastation. The mournful cry of the loon is much aware of its dwindling food sources, the inability of some of its eggs to hatch and its members succumbing to poisons and new diseases. It recognizes that to not have children, to not have family, to not have a community, is to be scattered, to be falling apart. Many of our Native families are falling apart. I recognize that there are healthy Native families in the villages. I would say that these healthy families are surrounded by and witness to a holocaust of pain and misery. Our villages are, in essence, communities in name only. They are often not working together for the common good as in the old days. The unhealthy and dysfunctional families have youngsters seven, eight or nine years old who are raising and taking care of their younger siblings. Why should I worry about these young children acting as parents? Because these youngsters are missing an important aspect of their young lives-that of being a child! A child to be loved by parents, to be nurtured and taken care of by parents, to play as a child, to talk as a child, to imagine as a child. Oh, the yearning of the child just to be a child! Many children miss this growing up phase. As if this was not enough, we allow video games, movies and television to become the babysitters while we go out and party, play bingo, gamble and do things that make us sicker. While the children are viewing and doing these things, they are seeing killing, cheating, lying, men beating women and children, all kinds of sex, adult language and all other undesirable aspects of life. The mournful cry of the loon is reminding us of the time when there were secrets from children, things that were not to be known by them until they were considered ready. Today, there are no secrets in the modern media. Go out on the playground, a school party, or anywhere youngsters are gathered. Listen to their language! You will hear a lot of foul language. The language that the youngsters use is an indicator of how bad the situation has become. There is no respect for the parents, teachers, elders and most certainly of other young people. We see children having children, children killing children, children killing elders, children committing suicide, children dropping out of school, children without hope-sad children. What a sad state for us to be in! These states of affairs contribute to the loss of childhood. We must gain control of what the children learn, see and do. We do this by regaining control of our own lives. We control this by turning off the television during dinner time so that heart talk can take place. Heart talk is kind, gentle talk that makes one want to be polite to everyone and everything around them. This talk allows members to know each other, what their likes and dislikes are, to know of problems they are having with friends, siblings and school. It allows the family to find out what they would like to see change in the home and why. This is where a family that loves and talks together becomes stronger because they know each other, love and care for one another. This is family. The loon does not blame anyone even though its environment is rife with problems and pollution is beyond its control. Its mournful call reminds us that we, as humans, must do our part to regenerate and reciprocate to Nature. We, the Native people, must quit blaming others for our problems. When we blame others, we are saying that someone else should take care of the problem and deal with our feelings about the situation. We don't like what has been happening in the schools, so we blame the state, district and teachers. We are saying to them "take care of the problem" and also "take care of my hurt and confused feelings about my own education. Please, heal me." Why should we continue to do this? Why should we continue to say how confused and mixed up we are by the new civilization that has come to our villages? So now we have frame houses that are poorly insulated, built on stilts and expensive to maintain. But we are "educated" because we no longer live in sod houses. We have snowmobiles instead of dog teams that can often save our lives. We have flush toilets with Lysol cleaners that empty into an unhealthy lagoon, thereby making it unnecessary for us to go outdoors in all kinds of weather, where Nature can take care of natural wastes in a natural way. But, we are educated. We have antibiotics and hormone-laced hamburgers instead of smoked dry fish which is more healthful. We use toilet paper which kills trees instead of sphagnum moss which prevents rash and spread of germs. Boy, are we educated! So well educated to think our Native languages and cultures are no longer useful. This is what the loon is mourning. Why have you, the Native people, given up so easily? Giving up has been a very costly venture to us as a Native people. But, we are educated. (to be continued in the next issue of Sharing Our Pathways) | |
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U of A Wants Top High School Grads to Stay Here for College by Mark R. Hamilton:* of A Wants Top High School Grads to Stay Here for College by Mark R. Hamilton, President, University of Alaska Beginning this year, the University of Alaska Scholars Program will give the top 10 percent of each high school graduating class a four-year scholarship award to the University of Alaska campus of their choice. What we're trying to do with this program is reduce the number of Alaska's top high school graduates who leave the state for education and jobs elsewhere. Almost 60 percent of Alaska's graduates who go on to higher education, leave Alaska to attend college in the Lower 48 each fall, and most of them never return. Alaska is dead last in the United States in attracting our college-bound students to attend college in the state. We aren't even in the game! The national average is that 81.7 percent of college-bound students go to a college in their home state. Here we have only 42 percent. At the University of Alaska, we're determined to do our part to turn the situation around. The scholars program will help us solve the problem. Recipients of these scholarship awards will also become good ambassadors for the University of Alaska in communities all across the state, so they'll help reverse the trend of declining enrollments. And, because they are most likely to stay in Alaska after graduating, they will help build the state's future. The scholarship award amount for the graduating classes of 1999 and 2000 will be $10,800 per recipient, redeemable in the amount of $1,350 per semester, for a total of eight semesters. To be eligible, students must be in the top 10 percent of their class at an Alaska public high school or other high school accredited by the Northwest Association of School and Colleges. If you are one of those students who is convinced that the grass is greener on a campus somewhere in the Lower 48, and you qualify for one of the scholarship awards to the University of Alaska, tell us to hold your scholarship for a year. Go down there, at your own expense. When you find, as many of you will, that you left behind the best programs and best education opportunity and value, come back to Alaska and register for the Fall Semester 2000 for your second year. Your scholarship will still be good at the University of Alaska campus of your choice. I hope to see you on one of our campuses soon. For more information, visit the web site: http://www.alaska.edu/ua/scholars/ or e-mail us at scholars@alaska.edu or call the toll free number: 1-877-AKSCHOL (257-2465). | |
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Village Science: The Year of D2 by Alan Dick:Science Content Standard D2: A student who meets the content standard should understand that scientific innovations may affect our economy, safety, environment, health and society, and that these effects may be short term or long term, positive or negative, and expected or unexpected. I have asked educators, computer folks and economists the same question, "Y2K . . . speed bump or brick wall? Flea or T-Rex?" The folks that seem to know what is happening admit they really don't know. Neither do I. But I do know opportunity when I see it. This is not a fad. It is a current reality. No history book can prepare us for this coming year. Public schools, as we now know them, have never seen the change of a century, much less the change of a millennium. In the history of man, there have never been questions like those posed by the two-digit millennium bug. Will we have school as usual in the year 1999-2000? We deserve a millennium of drudgery if we do. For educators, this can be the year of State Science Standard D2. Regardless of our personal views on schools and curriculum, this coming year presents itself like a bull moose standing broadside on a sandbar in mid-September: large, obvious, valuable and present tense. As we turn the corner into the new millennium with exciting and staggering technological changes and challenges, why should we have school as usual? As we prepare for possible Y2K disruptions in communications and the flow of goods and services, can we not draw upon the experience of the Elders for insight on how to live without modern conveniences? As scientists, can we hypothesize what will happen to our electronics and machinery? As social studies teachers, can we not develop multiple lessons on economic and social interrelationships? As math teachers can we not find a multitude of problems on percentages, ratio/proportion and statistics? We certainly do not want to communicate fear or paranoia, but neither should we promote denial. Will Y2K be a speed bump or brick wall? I don't know. No one does. Will school year 1999-2000 be school as usual or a tremendous opportunity? That question only you can answer for yourself. If we are alert enough to seize the moment, we can enter into the year of State Science Standard D2. Schools can be relevant, local, current, real, suspenseful and fascinating. For once we have a potential curriculum that no one knows the outcome from the beginning. | |
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Yup'ik Region by Barbara Liu:The Yup'ik Eskimo Dictionary (ANLC, 1984) contains two charts of Yup'ik kinship terms. (see a derivation of the charts on the opposite page.) During the two-day workshop last September, Elsie Mather, originally from Kwigillingok and now living in Bethel, explained the kinship terms. The Yup'ik book, Aatama Aanama-llu Anelgutai: My Mom and Dad's Siblings, written by Rosalie Lincoln of Toksook Bay, was distributed to participants from Yupiit School District, LKSD, St. Mary's School District and Lower Yukon School District. Rosalie, who works for LKSD as a teacher, attended the training and demonstrated how to use the book with small children and young adults who are learning some of these terms. Names and kinship terms are passed on within the range of great-grandparents and great-grandchildren. If an individual has a great-great-grandchild, he/she has no kinship term to address such offspring. Training participant Mildred Evan's (Akiachak) family tree has a living great-grandparent and a great-great grandchild who confirmed it. Today, as in generations past, naming is important in Y/Cup'ik culture. Older children in the region use these terms comfortably. However, the younger generation speakers, as old as those in their 40s, are using more English terms, losing formal kinship knowledge. Teaching the vocabulary is essential and requires study and practice. Presenting the concepts to children is meaningful and helps in understanding family. Children, especially teenagers, can learn who is too close to date or marry-your cousins could be as close as your own siblings. The old way's of forbidding intimate relationships involved an understanding of genetics and your family tree. The terms I outline for the rest of this article were compiled by the Alaska Native Language Center staff. The terms are not limited to this list, dialectal differences apply and it is not a complete list. There are other many postbase or ending to terms that can distinguish position and age. Try using a similar chart to teach family tree substituting terms with your local preference. Begin your research of family names branching out from yourself to your great-grandparents (amauq), to great-grandchildren (iluperaq). Your grandfather and grandmother are apaurluq and maurluq respectively. Your father, aata, and mother, aana. As parents, your son is qetunraq and daughter is panik. An older sibling is amaqliq and with gender, older sister is alqaq and older brother is anngaq. Your younger siblings, male or female, are your kinguqliq or uyuraq. Nayagaq is also a younger sister term but only addressed by an older brother to a younger sister. These same brother and sister terms can carry on to the children of siblings of the same sex such as sister to sister and brother to brother children. Cousins are children of siblings that are brother to sister or sister to brother. The terms are by gender of both sibling parents and children. Ilungaq and nuliacungaq are female cousins. Iluraq and Uicungaq are male cousins. Aunt and Uncle terms depend on how they are related to your parents. There are four terms to distinguish them: An uncle who is your father's brother is your ataata, but an uncle who is your mother's brother is your angak. An aunt who is your mother's sister is your anaana, and your father's sister is your acak. From an aunt's or uncle's perspective, there are also four terms to address nephews and nieces: As a female (anaana) you address your sister's child nurr'aq. As a female (acak), you address your brother's child, an'garraq. As a male (angak), you address your sister's child, usruq. As a male (ataata), you address your brother's child, qangiar. Lastly, your grandchild is tutgaq. Nephew and niece offspring of anaana and ataata address a grand nephew/niece as tutgaq and they in turn are addressed as grandparents. So, I am a grandmother of two to my sister's children's offspring. I hope by elaborating on such a topic, it brings to readers an idea of the depth of our system as well as motivate parents and teachers to teach them to our children. I would like to acknowledge Rosalie Lincoln and her father, Phillip Moses of Toksook Bay, for clarifying and proofing some of the terminology. In closing, 1999 brings a new exciting initiative for the Y/Cup'ik region involving Elder Academy camps. There are seven school districts involved with this process following the example of other regions who have finished with it. Although previous camps have been held in the summer, they are not limited to this season. Each district will initiate camps inviting Elders and district staff to work together. There are many details and I plan to be in touch with district organizers as soon as MOAs are distributed. Quyana. Yup'ik Kinship Terms The area above highlighted in white reflects the female point of view. The white area below reflects the male point of view. Male Female Key: male female marriage = The above chart is not all inclusive and dialectical differences may apply. | |
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VOLUME 4, ISSUE 3 |
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Alaska RSI Regional Contacts:Iñupiaq Regional Coordinator PO Box 134 Kiana, Alaska 99749 (907) 475-2257 e-mail: fnej@uaf.edu Barbara Liu Yup'ik Regional Coordinator Box 2262 Bethel, Alaska 99559 (907) 543-3467 e-mail: fnbl@uaf.edu Amy Van Hatten Athabascan Regional Coordinator 5230 Fairchild Avenue Fairbanks, Alaska 99709-4525 (907) 474-0275 e-mail: fyav@uaf.edu Andy Hope Southeast Regional Coordinator University of Alaska Southeast School of Business/PR 11120 Glacier Highway Juneau, Alaska 99801 (907) 465-8776 e-mail: fnah@uaf.edu Teri Schneider Aleutians Regional Coordinator Kodiak Island Borough School District 722 Mill Bay Road, North Star Kodiak, Alaska 99615 (907) 486-9031 e-mail: tschneider@kodiak.alaska.edu | |
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Aleut/Alutiiq Region by Teri Schneider:AISES Camps The American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) is a professional organization of American Indians and Alaskan Natives. For over nine years AISES has sponsored summer programs throughout the United States that have empowered indigenous students to increase their academic abilities, preparing them for careers in science, mathematics and technology. Last year AISES expanded its efforts to our students in Kodiak and combined resources with the Alaska Rural Systemic Initiative, Kodiak Island Borough School District, Kodiak Area Native Association and Afognak Native Corporation to provide a fantastic, academically challenging and culturally enriching experience for students, teachers, community members and Elders. Once again, this opportunity is being offered this summer during two week-long camps. When? Camp #1, July 18-24 Camp #2, July 25-31 Where? "Dig Afognak" site on Katenai, Afognak Island Who? This opportunity is open to all students, grades 2-12 (young students may be considered if they are successful applicants and are accompanied by a participating adult family member.) The primary focus is on Alaska Native students currently living among the Kodiak Archipelago with an interest in Alutiiq Native culture, language and ways of knowing, as well as science, math and/or technology. Also invited are the Alutiiq Academy of Elders, educators of the Kodiak Island Borough School District, members of the Native Educators of the Alutiiq region and other interested community members as space allows. Why? * Acknowledge the Alutiiq Elders as the first teachers of their culture. * Learn first hand from Alutiiq Elders and community members with hands-on projects relative to rural survival, lifestyles and indigenous ingenuity. * Learn more about the rich history of our island communities and explore the culture of the Alutiiq people, past and present. * Bring together Elders and teachers outside of the formal school setting. * Give participants the opportunity to live with and learn from people of another culture. * Develop curriculum resources that integrate indigenous knowledge in the current curriculum that can be used in classrooms across the district at all levels. * Orient new teachers to the cultural and environmental uniqueness of our island community. * Stimulate interest in math, science and engineering fields among Alaska Native students * Increase students' confidence and knowledge in math, science and technolgy * Incorporate indigenous values and perspectives with Western math, science and technology * Encourage parents to support the academic pursuits of their children * Integrate academic learning with cultural enrichment As a teacher participant, you would be asked to bring your "science teaching tools" so that you can participate directly with Elders and students as they explore the cultural and environmental aspects of life on the Kodiak Archeopeligo and apply those to creating a science project or experiment. You may also sign up to utilize this experience as part of a requirement for a course being offered through UAF. If you have any questions call Teri Schneider at (907) 486-9031 or leave a message at (907) 486-9000. Kodiak Area Native Association (KANA) Spirit Camp When? Camp #1, July 11-15 Camp #2, July 15-20 Where? The site is on Sitkalidak Island on the southeast end of Kodiak Island, near the village of Old Harbor. Who? The camp is offered to youth between the ages of 10 years and 18 years old. Activities * subsistence restoration * traditional arts * Native dance * archeology * storytelling * kayaking * archery The youth also learn useful tools for today's world such as wilderness survival; environmental conservation; and first aide techniques. Counselors attend camp and help with activities such as talking circles that are used to bring the group closer together and provide a safe environment to talk about sensitive issues. All those involved with Spirit Camp are committed to conveying to the youth how to benefit from making positive choices. Registration forms will be available in April. For more information contact: Val Pillans or Gwen Kwachka at KANA (Kodiak Area Native Association) (907) 486-9800 or 1-800-478-5721. St. Paul Stewardship Science Camp When? August 9-20 Who? 7-12th graders, St. Paul and St. George students Sponsors * Pribilof School District * Pribilof Islands Stewardship Program * US Fish and Wildlife Service * National Marine Fisheries Service * local tribal councils * village corporations * city governments. Contact School, Mike Kurth, (907) 546-2222, ext 1 Stewardship, Karin Holser, (907) 546-3190 Unangan Cultural Camp The second annual Qungaayux Culture Camp will apply Western Science to Native ways of knowing. Organizers hope to establish more participation from other Unangan communities. Topics include plant lore, hunting, fishing, geographical place names and storytelling. When? Third week in August Sponsors * Fish and Wildlife Service * APIA * Qawalangin Tribe of Unalaska * Unalaska City Schools Contact Moses Dirks, (907) 581-1222 Harriet Berikoff, (907) 581-2920 | |
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