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 Contact information in earlier issues could be outdated.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 6, ISSUE 3 |
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Yup'ik Region:Native Hawaiian Education Association Convention 2001 by Esther Ilutsik:Much to our surprise and delight the banquet was the Tenth Celebration of Ke Kukui Malamalama, Honoring Excellence in Hawaiian Education, sponsored by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs Board. "This celebration began in 1991 as a tribute to individuals, programs and groups who have furthered Native Hawaiians in achieving their educational aspirations. KeKukui Malamalama not only recognizes the academic achievements of Hawaiians in all fields of endeavors, but also applauds the incorporation of Native Hawaiian values, traditions and practices into the holistic education of our people. Ke Kukui Malamalama is a tribute to all those who make us, who encourage us, who teach us, who lead us to be the people we are and the people we can be" (taken from the Ke Kukui Malamalama Honoring Excellence in Hawaiian Education Program brochure, March 29, 2001.) The celebration began with the audience singing a beautiful Hawaiian song. Their voices were strong, pure, melodic and beautiful and it was apparent that the music reunited them with their Hawaiian beliefs and goals. We were again honored with leis and introduced to the audience (even my daughter, Michelle Snyder, was recognized and it tickled her that she was introduced as an educator and not as an eighth-grade student.) Following the buffet dinner we were honored to witness the achievements of four exceptional educators. They began with the Kapuna (Elder) educator, Wright Bowman, Sr., who is a master woodcarver and is retired from Kamehameha School; Pihana Na Mamo, a project coordinator in special education, DOE; Maggie Keola Hanohano, coordinator, Kako'o program and Kulia I Ka Nu'u program, Kailua High School, DOE; JoAnn Kaakua, community educator; and Moses Kim, Jr., retired teacher. On stage were four cloth-covered chairs (signifying honor status) and this part of the ceremony was co-chaired by two Kapunas (Elders). Kapuna Betty K. Jenkins and Kapuna Nalehua Knox began by giving some background information about these recognitions and recognizing past recipients, including Keiki Kawai'ae'a (she was one of the Native Hawaiian presenters at our 2001 Native Education Conference held in Anchorage.) The Kapunas took turns calling the distinguished educators on to the stage. As each of the honorees came forth they were greeted by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs Board of Trustees with leis and other gifts and then escorted to the chairs. When they were seated, the co-chairs took turns in sharing the honorees' accomplishments. It was obvious that it was an uncomfortable but honored situation for those being recognized. Following the acknowledgments, each of the honorees were given a chance to thank those who had given them this honor and recognition. I was especially taken with JoAnn Kaahuas' talk when she referenced Queen Liliuokalani who once said, "The way to lose an earthly kingdom is to be too inflexible, intolerant and prejudicial. Another way is to be too flexible, tolerant of too many ways and without judgment at all. It is a razor's edge-it is the width of a blade of pili grass." She used this quote in reference to their own 'opio (group) wanting structure and challenge and she shared an interesting personal physical challenge that she herself undertook during an excursion to Molokai as they hiked into Halawa Valley to Moa'ula falls. Queen Liliuokalani's quote made me realize that each of us have to look at our own cultural group and examine what has happened that we continue to "fight" for our self-identity-why has it been such a struggle? How can we strike the proper balance to sustain who we are in an ever-changing world? The evening came to a close with all participants holding hands and again a Hawaiian song was sung. Thus ended our evening leaving us with lasting impressions of indigenous people once again making the marks of their people. Beautiful! The next morning we were picked up and brought to the Native Hawaiian Education Association Convention held at the Kapi'olani Community College. As we registered, we were again honored with leis and were recognized at the general session. The theme of the conference was "KUPU A'E," which translates to "sprout forth" and is likened to growing things-it never ends. Last year's conference theme was "spring forth." Following the welcome and other formalities we listened to the keynote address by Dr. Manulani Aluli Meyer. According to the information found in the conference packet she was raised in Mokapu and Kailua on the island of O'ahu. Dr. Meyer has taught and coached for more than 20 years in alternative programs, from wilderness schools and Special Olympics to college-level athletic programs. She earned her doctorate from Harvard University with a focus on Hawaiian epistemology. She is dedicated to expanding the world's understanding of culture and philosophy and the way systems of knowledge and power work to impact what is constant in nature. She has written more than 15 articles on the subject and currently teaches in the Education Department at the University of Hawai'I-Hilo. The title of her address was "Ho'oulu'Ana-"The Time We Are In." Her message was dynamite! She enthralled the crowd with her knowledge and insight and emphasized "know where you are from so that you will know where you are going" and "our language teaches us who we are." She left us re-energized and in good spirits. Manu's presentation was followed with workshop sessions. Michelle and I participated in an I Wili'la session presented by Uilani Pualoa. This workshop focused on methods in which to determine personality strengths and limitations. Knowing the strengths and limitations of the people you work with will help in building a stronger collective group. We engaged ourselves in a little exercise by answering a series of questions. Each response was represented by a lower case alphabet letter which when totaled up would equal a certain type of personality strength. I was surprised at the accuracy of this little exercise (Michelle found this workshop delightful and began to point out different personality traits using the color code.) I was attracted to this session thinking it would identify Native Hawaiian colors and that I might compare them with the three main Yup'ik colors found on our clothing. It turned out that was not the purpose of the workshop, though it was quite interesting anyway. Following the lunch break we again assembled in the tent for the afternoon's keynote presentation by Carole Ann Heart, president of the National Indian Education Association. She spoke from the heart and experience. She emphasized that we need to teach our children their history from our own perspective. She shared a personal experience. When her daughter was a young girl she would drive her past Custer's house and she always told her that he was a bad man. Later when she started school she came home one day with a disturbed look. She asked her what was wrong and she told her mother that the school took a field trip to Custer's house and that he was a good man. She hugged her and proceeded to explain that there are people who believe he was a good man, but because of what he did to their people, he was not a good man to them, thus emphasizing her point that our history needs to be told from our perspective. She continued by indicating that history may have been different if Native people hadn't embraced and helped the foreigners who first came to our lands, suggesting that perhaps we should have had a stronger immigration policy (applause from the audience.) She then closed with a story of how outsiders like to study indigenous people. She shared a study by a German anthropologist who, after much observation, noted carefully in his notebook that the Native American women always walked behind their men. He concluded that the Native American women were inferior to the Native American men, but what he didn't know was that the women always made sure that the men kept two paces ahead-as a way to keep them in line. The keynote address was followed with workshop sessions. Lolly, Virginia and I presented our workshop titled "Indigenous Knowledge Documentation and Research Issues." We began our presentation with a traditional Yup'ik entrance song and dance (including Michelle). Our session was well received and ended with our group receiving a blessing and encouragement from Kapuna Edward Kaanana. He emphasized that we need to go forth and document correct information about our people-that accurate information needs to be published by our own people from our own perspective. Following the workshop there was an informal reception. It was fun to watch the Native Hawaiian educators at ease. Someone had brought a ukulele so they were singing and hula dancing (both sexes appeared to be in competitive sport.) It was fun to watch the sport in such a natural and fun-loving setting. This followed with the literary performance by OIWI: A Native Hawaiian Journal. I was so impressed with the readings. There were five to six assigned readings. They read their own work and works of other people. Some of the readings included indigenous musical instrument accompaniments. We were totally awestruck with the performance and the depth of feelings that accompanied many of the readings. Absolutely beautiful! The following morning the meetings began with a guest speaker, Makia Malo, who despite his lack of sight had been able to contribute to the education of the Indigenous Hawaiian children. He emphasized the importance of the word of mouth and the stories, and that educators need to be educated in the traditional methods of storytelling. The goal of educators is to excite the minds of the Hawaiian children. I was impressed with his goals and vision. This was followed with a keynote address by Dr. Jon Kamakawiwo'ole Osorio. According to the information in the conference guide he was born on the Big Island and spent most of his adult life as a resident of Honolulu. He is a Native Hawaiian with a wide range of interests and talents, including being a musician, author and scholar. He has a Ph.D. in history from the University of Hawaii-Manoa, and has made significant scholarly contributions towards advancing Hawaiian initiatives in education, leadership, music and publications. Dr. Osorio currently serves as an assistant professor at the Center for Hawaiian Studies, University of Hawaii-Manoa. His keynote address, titled "Speaking from the Piko," focused on the limitations of American education and how Native Hawaiians had much to offer to the education of their own people. He focused in on the "Piko," which I understood to be the spirituality of the Native Hawaiians and how this understanding and connectedness could provide the foundation that educators could work from. He encouraged us to look at what was being taught in the schools and especially to look at what is being taught about our culture. He stated that indigenous people need a sense of mission and belonging, and that the present school system is fragmented with specialized disciplines. He felt that the American educational system has too much of a focus on equality and separation of church and state. In his own experience, they "schooled out" his spirituality. People need that spirituality to be connected to the universe and to acknowledge that there is a higher being than we are. He closed by encouraging indigenous people to focus their attention on caring for our own people and that we continue the struggle to find a place for ourselves. He received a standing high status Native Hawaiian song (more respectful than a standing ovation.) This was followed with the last strand of workshops. Michelle and I participated in "Ola Na Mo'olelo: Living Stories" by Noelani Tachera, Chiya Hoapili, Miki'ala Ayau, Liko Hoe, Kanoe Wilson and Desoto Brown (Bishop Museum Staff). It was an excellent presentation on the tradition of living stories-using drama as a way to bring Native Hawaiian stories to life. They shared the story of Kalakaua. It was a very emotional time for some of the Native Hawaiians in the audience. Many of them had never seen this story unfold from a Native Hawaiian perspective. The emphasis at the Bishop Museum is to use the Native Hawaiian perspective in their materials and their live presentations. They shared A Teacher's Guide to Exhibits and Programs which described live presentations addressed to each grade level and standards that teacher's could use in planning their field trip to the museum. One of the activities that they shared was how adults and teachers can create lessons using everyday materials. For example they had a simple shell and questioned what kinds of traditional Hawaiian information can be sought from this basic shell. Does it trigger any stories or legends? What were the traditional uses and the process used for gathering the shells? What are the present uses and why have these remained the same or changed? I would have loved to partake in this exercise to see how it might be applicable to the work that I do. The workshops were followed with lunch and then the closing of the Native Hawaiian Education Association Conference 2001 with words from Dr. David Kekaulike Sing. People were invited to go up to the microphone to make closing comments. Our Elder delegate, Velma Schafer, expressed our thanks and honor for being able to partake in such a beautiful and wonderful gathering. We were so welcomed and felt like a part of this indigenous group who share our values and goals. Aloha and quyana. The conference was sponsored by many different organizations, including the Native Hawaiian Higher Education Program, Kamehameha Schools, Pacific Resources for Education and Learning, State of Hawaii Department of Education, Native Hawaiian Education Council, Native Hawaiian Community-Based Education Learning Centers, Queen Lili'uokalani Children's Center, Kamehameha Schools, Alu Like, Inc., Hawaiian Leadership Development Program, University of Hawaii, Hilo, Office of Hawaiian Affairs and 'Aha Punana Leo. | |
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VOLUME 6, ISSUE 4 |
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2001-01 Native Education Events:Here are some Alaska Native education events for the 2001-2002 school year that you should mark on your calendar. The Alaska Federation of Natives Elders and Youth Conference and Convention will take place in Anchorage the week of October 21, 2001, including the Alaska Native Education Council meeting on October 21-23 at the Westcoast International. The National Indian Education Association annual meeting will be held in Billings, Montana on October 27-31, 2001. Details can be obtained from the NIEA web site at http://www.niea.org. The annual Native Educators' Conference and Bilingual-Multicultural Education/Equity Conference is scheduled for the week of February 3, 2002 in Anchorage. Details for participation in these conferences will be posted on the ANKN web site in October. The First Alaskans Foundation is sponsoring a statewide Alaska Native Education Summit in Anchorage on November 30-December 1, 2001. Further information will be available on the Alaska Native Knowledge Network web site as it becomes available. The sixth tri-annual World Indigenous People's Conference on Education is scheduled for August 4-10, 2002 to be hosted by the First Nations Adult and Higher Education Consortium of Calgary, Alberta. Details about WIPCE 2002 can be obtained by sending an email to wipce@fnahec.org or by going to their web site at http://www.fnahec.org/wipce2002. The deadline for submission of proposals for presentations has been extended to October 31, 2001. Let's make sure there is a strong Alaskan presence at WIPCE 2002! | |
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Alaska RSI Regional Contacts:Andy Hope Southeast Regional Coordinator 8128 Pinewood Drive Juneau, Alaska 99801 907-790-4406 E-mail: fnah@uaf.edu Branson Tungiyan Iñupiaq Regional Coordinator PO Box 1796 Nome, AK 99762 907-443-4386 E-mail: branson@kawarak.org Velma Schafer Athabascan Regional Coordinator PO Box 410 Ester, Alaska 99725 907-474-4085 E-mail: vschafer@hotmail.com Teri Schneider Aleutians Regional Coordinator Kodiak Island Borough School District 722 Mill Bay Road, North Star Kodiak, Alaska 99615 907-486-9276 E-mail: tschneider@kodiak.k12.ak.us John Angaiak Yup'ik Regional Coordinator AVCP PO Box 219 Bethel, AK 99559 E-mail: john_angaiak@avcp.org 907-543 7423 907-543-2776 fax | |
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Alutiiq/Unangax Region: Celebrating Basket Weaving by Teri Schneider:Feodosia, the mother of George Inga, Sr., carried on the tradition of the "Kodiak-style" Aleut* basket, which tended to have a bit larger weave and was typically more heavily decorated, even when her eyesight failed. Grass basket weaving has been done by numerous indigenous cultures throughout the world as one adaptation to their environment. Aleut basket weaving is world renowned for its fine weave and tiny objects. The following is an edited version of an Elwani article (Volume 1, No. 2, May 1976) originally written by Sandy Parnell, Lisa Mellon and Cindy Wheeler. They interviewed Kodiak's Eunice Neseth at a time when Aleut basket weaving was seen as an art form that was, perhaps, dying. From the many efforts of Eunice, her teacher Anfesia Shapsnikoff and many others who took the time to learn and then teach to others, the beautiful art of Aleut basket weaving is alive and well. Recently, the Alutiiq Museum sponsored a traveling grass basket exhibit featuring the work of Arlene Skinner. Arlene traveled with the exhibit and taught Aleut basket weaving to children and adults. Today, basket weaving is not a dying art, but rather another form of art that has regenerated interest in the indigenous culture of the Kodiak archipelago. Many baskets are featured at the Baranov Museum, as well as at the Alutiiq Museum in Kodiak. In the words of Eunice Neseth: "I guess I've been basket weaving about 20 years. This is an Attu basket weaving which is also called twinning. You have to have the right kind of grass, which is beach rye. The weavers prefer Attu grass, which grows right on the island of Attu or Atka. They say it's a somewhat softer grass than the grass that grows anywhere else. It's the same kind of grass here but you just have to be careful when you pick it. If it's too close to the ocean it's kind of coarse. When the grass is picked at the wrong time of the year it has to be beaten. When it's just ready to flower, that is when it's ready to head, to make the top. "We use a paring knife to cut the straws. We take the straws single, those that have to be protected, we are very careful with them so as not to bruise them. You take them singly to the ground as close as you can. Then you move the pile with care from one cutting to the next. When you have your necessary amount, you wrap it in burlap. An amount for one basket is about the size of your waist, it's more than you can hold in your hands. It takes a lot of work to make one basket, you simply can't forget it, you must look after it or else it will spoil. It's not too much of a chore to get the grass and take care of it. You can go ahead and use it in the winter, no need for curing it, because it's already cured naturally. Although in the winter it's a lot coarser and it gets bruised by the weather. When it's bruised it breaks off easily. "We gather it then and cure it in a dark place for ten days. Taking it out of its wrappings of burlap or any loose weave material every day to aerate it and then rewrap it. After ten days is up, it's ready to be separated. The straws are to be separated from each other. The outer straws are to be discarded and only the inner two straws are to be used. They are taken out of the shaft and made into separate piles. The inner most piece of straw is what is used as the outer work. What you see in the baskets is the finest part . . . "There are very few people who carry on with basket weaving. They teach it in the schools along the Aleutian Chain. It's something we're trying to save. It's sadly disappearing and we're trying to keep it from being lost altogether. It takes a lot of concentration and effort, it's not one of those things you pick up now and again. It needs practice and improvement. "We are very anxious to get young children started. They can get used to it easily when they are young and keep on with it. We should try to get some of the women who took a basket-weaving class and liked it enough, to continue it. Then soon enough maybe they can teach it." *Aleut: The indigenous people of the Aleutian Chain, Alaska Peninsula and Kodiak archipelago. The name was introduced by the Russians and may still be used by many today. Though they have different indigenous languages, the Unangax of the Aleutian Chain and the Sugpiaq (or Alutiiq) of the Kodiak archipelago share a common history of the last 250 years and have adapted to similar environments. | |
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And the Beat Goes On . . . by Frank Hill:As we move into the second five years of the Alaska Rural Systemic Initiative (AKRSI), it is great to see our new partners take up the initiatives we have been developing and promoting the past six years, without missing a beat. The regional non-profits (Kawerak, AVCP, Tanana Chiefs and Central Council of Tlingit and Haida tribes) are well on their way toward becoming educational agents for positive change in their respective cultural regions. We are pleased, too, to see the initiatives continue to develop and broaden in the Alutiiq and Unangax regions. It was great to be a spectator in Kodiak during the "Awakening Bear" celebration this past spring, where nearly all of the regional agencies were participating in planning and demonstrating how their activities worked together. Some activities have become selfsustaining in their own right as well, like the Old Minto Camp. These are but a few of the examples available that demonstrate the continuing veracity of the AKRSI initiatives. We are thankful that the new AKRSI partners have stepped in and helped keep up the drumbeat for systemic change in rural Alaska's schools. | |
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Asking Tomorrow by Maricia Ahmasuk:something in me. Often tears of mixed feelings come forth with the sight or even thought of these wise ones. They possess something mysterious and rare with their strength one cannot find elsewhere. Elders are steady, facing their daily struggles- steady like the rivers so swift! The slightest movement of their hand spark the imagination of what was, what is, what if . . . Men and women of old are humble as can be, yet their noble qualities speak through their sparkling eyes with their chins held high. Careless worries and childish doubts dissipate almost instantaneously around the elderly, as their actions portray volumes of what actually counts us all as the beloved beings that we are. Belonging to the past that created them, the elderly have a way of looking back without closing their eyes as they are somehow taken away from the present, momentarily. When these delicate creatures are brought back Home we who are left behind are not really left alone, for these wondrous beings leave silently, yet not without an echo that rings true, filling the abyss of the soul with great signs and wonders. Elders across the globe share a great commonality. They take us to impossible places as if looking into the future, directing our paths somewhere to the past, where we each have a place. Often we hear Elders say that the youth are the future . . . interesting, coming from ancient voices who open the doors to tomorrow by looking back. What may we ask of tomorrow . . . today? | |
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Athabascan Region: Emphasis on Native Language at Fairbanks ANSES Camp 2001 by Nakukluk Virginia Ned:The Fairbanks Alaska Native Science and Engineering (ANSES) Camp created an ideal setting that sparked the students interest in learning the Central Koyukon Athabascan language. Velma Schafer and I had the opportunity to teach Central Koyukon language to the ANSES Camp participants this summer at the Gaalee'ya Spirit Camp. We worked with twelve students from Nulato, Newhalen, Ft. Yukon, Lime Village, Anchorage, Tanacross and three students from Beijing, China. The students were enthusiastic about learning the language and as a result, their acquisition of the language was exceptional. The students from Ft. Yukon and Beijing spoke fluently in their indigenous languages. Other students had taken indigenous language classes at school and all had prior knowledge of their indigenous languages. Velma's expertise, high expectations and the ideal camp setting made it possible for the students to become naturally immersed in the Native language. The students were taught Central Koyukon terms that enabled them to introduce themselves in the language stating their English name, their Koyukon name, their hometown and a short description of themselves. They were given a Central Koyukon name according to their personal characteristics, if they did not already have one. Names that were given included Hek'edeeonh (sunshine), Sotseeyh (happy all the time) and Tloo' (star). The students were also taught general terms for every day usage. They were required to create a display using a variety of media and written in the Koyukon language. We took pictures with a digital camera and the photos were printed for students to add to their poster. They also learned a song, "This Little Heart of Mine," translated into Koyukon by Lorna Vent of Huslia. The title of the song is "He'eeteghtldzaayh." They learned a game that teaches body parts in the Koyukon language. It is a Koyukon version of the Yup'ik game, "Essuukee," introduced to me by Lolly Carpluk of Mountain Village. Velma Schafer translated the words into the Koyukon language. The title of the game in Koyukon is "Kkaakene". After the potlatch the students introduced themselves in Koyukon, sang the song "He'eeteghtldzaayh", and gave a demonstration of the game "Kkaakene" for the audience. Learning the Native language unquestionably enhanced the science focus of the Fairbanks ANSES Camp program. The students did not just acquire a language, but they acquired a whole new perspective of themselves, their culture and traditions. Given the appropriate environment, they would do well if they were taught the language along with all of the basic requirements in order to acquire a well-rounded education. | |
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Camping on the Tanana River by Claudette Bradley:I served as the camp coordinator with support from Dixie Dayo as the staff assistant and Dawn Durtsche of the Gaalee'ya Board as the fiscal officer for the camp. Together we organized the camp held at Howard Luke's Gaalee'ya Spirit Camp which is also his home. The camp is designed to enhance students' Athabascan cultural knowledge and provide opportunity to do science research in a culturally-relevant setting. Virginia Ned (far right) and camp participants perform "He'eeteghtldzaayh" at the ANSES camp potlatch. The camp employed four Elders: Howard Luke, Elizabeth Fleagle, Margaret Tritt and Steven Toby. Howard Luke is well known for his many talks and the advice he gives the students. He welcomes our students every year and looks forward to helping young Native people grow into intelligent and respectful individuals. Elizabeth Fleagle is originally from Alatna and Manley Hot Springs. She taught the students how to sew beads on pouches and headbands using Athabascan designs. Margaret Tritt is from Arctic Village. She brought caribou hides and quills. The students learned to clean and tan caribou skins and make quill necklaces. Steven Toby, from Koyukuk, enjoyed taking students for walks in the wilderness. He told them about the animals, trees and survival in the forest. He had many old-time stories to share. This summer was the first time students had Koyukon Athabascan classes. Velma Schafer is a certified teacher from Allakaket and is a fluent speaker of Koyukon Athabascan. Virginia Ned is also a certified teacher from Allakaket. Virginia acknowledges that Velma is her Athabascan language mentor. Together they taught students to introduce themselves, sing a song and play a game using the Koyukon Athabascan language. IBM of Rochester, Minnesota, has been generous to our camp. Each year they have donated six laptops and one color printer which are operated by battery and generators since the camp has no electricity. In addition, they sent Todd Kelsey, an IBM education consultant to teach in our camp and help students with science projects. George Olanna is a certified teacher from Shishmaref and an Iñupiaq Elder-in-training. George is a veteran teacher in our camp. He teaches collaboratively with Todd in the computer classes and helps students with science projects. Both Todd and George have had a significant influence on our students. Our students have the natural environment to research, Elders to provide the cultural knowledge for the background of their project and a computer lab to create labels, narrative, charts, graphs, diagrams and photos for their projects. The certified teaching staff has extensive experience with middle school Alaska Native students. George Olanna, Todd Kelsey, Virginia Ned, Velma Schafer and myself comprised the teaching staff, who worked with the students in small groups on the many phases of their science projects. Jin Zhiyong is the deputy division chief of the China Science & Technology Exchange Center, Beijing, China. He presented an overview of China and its 56 minority groups. The boy, Yang Guang, developed a Powerpoint presentation of his school life in Beijing. The girls had yearbook photos of their high school and organized some Chinese games for the students to play. The three Chinese students study English in their Beijing high school. Song Huanran, their English teacher, was an enthusiastic participant in the camp. She especially enjoyed helping Howard split the salmon caught in his fish net. Elder Elizabeth Fleagle demonstrates beadwork to students at camp. Every year Howard gets an education permit from Fish and Game to use his fish wheel to catch salmon on the Tanana. This year Fish and Game banned all salmon fishing on the Tanana, though they wanted to have the fish tested for bacteria. Since Howard already had our camp operating, Fish and Game decided to send Paul Hershberger, a research biologist from the University of Washington to the camp. Paul wanted to test 60 fish, so they allowed Howard to use his fishnet to catch them. Cutting fish was a big event. The biologist took samples from the liver, heart and circulatory system. Howard, Dixie and Song were kept busy splitting and hanging fish on the fish rack, which looked very full with nearly 60 fish waving at the edge of the riverbank. Bradley Weyiounna, originally from Shishmaref, is a gold medal highkick champion of the World Eskimo-Indian Olympics. He is very knowledgeable about the WEIO athletic events and demonstrated the games one evening along with Josh Rutman, another WEIO athlete. They demonstrated the high kick, arm wrestling, leg wrestling, arm pulls and Eskimo dancing. The students thoroughly enjoyed trying to do these events with each other. Adeline Peter-Raboff is a Gwich'in Athabascan from Arctic Village who is going to Washington, D.C. to lobby on oil drilling in ANWR. She came to the camp one day to have dinner and talk with the students about the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) and the environmental issues involved in drilling for oil. Most of the students were uninformed about the issues and Adeline inspired great interest in oil drilling and ANWR. Zelma Axford is an expert on Alaska's indigenous plants. She had the students gather plants from the surrounding area and then draw them in their journals. She gave them the Alaska Native names of the plants and their medicinal uses, which they also wrote in their journals. Then the students were given a plant encyclopedia and they looked up the Latin name for each plant and copied the names in their journal. When the journal writing was done, she sang and drummed for the students as they danced to her music. Zelma is from Stevens Village and enjoyed teaching the students traditional Athabascan dancing. Rita O'Brien is a certified teacher and has worked in our camp for the past four years. She joined us for the weekend to work with students. She discussed mining and rocks in Alaska. She asked students to find rocks and then, using rock encyclopedias, they found the names and other features of each rock. Rita asked students to draw and write about their rocks in their journals. The grand finale of the camp was the potlatch which people from the community were invited to attend. Our students helped the cook and Elders prepare the meal and set up the tables. At the potlatch everyone was introduced to the audience and given a small gift to signify our appreciation for their contribution to the camp. The students demonstrated the Athabascan songs and games they learned in their language class. At the end of the event everyone entered the Elder's Hall where the science project posters were on display. The students stood by their posters to explain their science projects to the visitors. The visitors moved from poster to poster and viewed the display table of beaded pouches and the wall display of their photos and brief autobiographies written in Koyukon Athabascan. The following is a list of the science projects the students prepared: * Birch or Spruce? by Kimberly Rychnovsky * Which Tastes Better? by Britta Kellman * Beads by Adele Stickman * Will Pitch Kill More Bacteria Than Water? by Sommer Stickman * Do Frogs Croak Faster in Warm Weather? by Katrina Madros * What Chickadees do for a Living by Esther George? * Can Water Temperature Go Below Freezing? by Terry Bower * What do Salmon Eat After Leaving the Ocean? by Cynthia Agnes * How Many Different Athabascan Dialects are There in the Interior Of Alaska? by Stephanie Moe * The Speed of the River by Li Hanqiao * Why are There so Many Mosquitoes in and Around Camp? by Yang Guang * I Want to Know Some Mysteries About Hair by Yan Jinbo * How Can I Improve Lighting in a Trap Line Cabin? by Mathew Shewfelt * How to Reduce Mosquitoes in Fort Yukon by Kyle Joseph * Nets by Catherine Keane These students are expected to take their display boards to their classroom teacher this fall and then search the web and their school libraries for more background information on their project. They will have an opportunity to discuss their project with Elders, teachers and other experts in their villages or over the Internet, and then upgrade their project and enter it in the Fairbanks ANSES Science Fair 2001 in December. We look forward to seeing the students at the science fair. | |
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Fall Course Offerings for Educators in Rural Alaska by Ray Barnhardt:This fall rural teachers and aspiring teachers will have a variety of distance education courses to choose from as they seek ways to upgrade their skills, renew their teaching license, pursue graduate studies or meet the state's Alaska Studies and Multicultural Education requirements. All Alaskan teachers holding a provisional teaching license are required to complete a three-credit course in Alaska Studies and a three-credit course in Multicultural Education within the first two years of teaching to qualify for a standard Type A certificate. Following is a list of some of the courses available through the Center for Distance Education that may be of interest to rural educators: Alaska Studies ANTH 242, Native Cultures of Alaska GEOG 302, Geography of Alaska HIST 115, Alaska, Land and Its People HIST 461, History of Alaska. Cross-Cultural Studies CCS 601, Documenting Indigenous Knowledge Systems CCS 608, Indigenous Knowledge Systems. Enrollment in the above courses may be arranged through the nearest UAF rural campus or by contacting the Center for Distance Education at 907-474-5353 or distance@uaf.edu, or by going to the CDE web site at http://www.dist-ed.uaf.edu. Those rural residents who are interested in pursuing a program to earn a teaching credential or a B.A. should contact the rural education faculty member at the nearest rural campus or the Rural Educator Preparation Partnership office at 907-474-5589. Teacher education programs and courses are available for students with or without a baccalaureate degree. Anyone interested in pursuing a graduate degree by distance education should contact the Center for Cross-Cultural Studies at 907-474-1902 or ffrjb@uaf.edu. Welcome to the 2001-02 school year! | |
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Integrating Elders in Northern School Programs by Cathy McGregor:"Our Elders were the keepers of knowledge. Without them, each generation would have learned everything there was to know by discovering it themselves." -From Inuuqatigiit Curriculum, Department of Education, Government of the Northwest Territories, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, 1996, p. 46 Additional references and notes can be found on the Alaska Native Knowledge Network web site at http://www.ankn.uaf.edu/SOP/sopv6i4.html. It turned out that the question was very real. Thanks to the efforts of a territorial administrator and a federal official who wanted to make a difference and had program funds to support their ideas, this conversation began a five-year partnership with the Canadian federal government to support the hiring of Elders in Baffin schools. For the first several years the funding came directly from the federal government. When the federal and territorial governments, in partnership with the Inuit land claim organization, Nunavut Tunngavik, established the Nunavut Human Resource Development Strategy, funding came through their auspices (Working Group on Human Resources and Training, 1996) . The Baffin Divisional Board supported the project as well, so that for the five-year period of the federal funding, $200,000 was made available to schools each year. Elders as Cultural Inclusion or Cultural Integration? When Elders first started coming into schools in northern Canada in the 1970s, their work with students was often considered an add-on to the regular program. Lessons frequently took place on Friday afternoon when the teacher and students were tired of the weekly routine. Activities often involved a whole class of students in their regular classroom. Teachers did little preparation of the students or the Elders for their time together. Teachers sometimes viewed the lessons by Elders as "spares" for themselves and left the room. Viewed from the advantage of today, these "cultural inclusion" programs appear as token gestures by the school system to the teaching of traditional knowledge and skills. It is difficult to imagine that either the students or the Elders got much satisfaction from these encounters. Today, the work of Elders is seen as integral to the success of school programs. In most communities in the Baffin region, schools have a dual mandate from the Local Education Authority, as well as the territorial government, to teach both traditional Inuit knowledge and skills and contemporary Western knowledge and skills. A survey of all Baffin communities in 1986 and direction-setting work with individual communities from 1993-96 confirmed this dual agenda. Thus the work that Elders do is part of the regular school program today. In the late 80s and early 90s, the Baffin Piniaqtavut Program of Studies provided topics for teachers to use to connect the work of Elders with the rest of the school program. The Inuuqatigiit curriculum from K-12, mandated by the government in 1996, outlines traditional Inuit knowledge and skills students should learn within various school divisions (K-3, 4-6, 7-9, 10-12). This provides the basis for integrating culture and the work of Elders into the regular curriculum. It is within this context that the work of Elders with students should be viewed. Ways to Fund Elders For many years, the Baffin Board had requested that the government fund positions for Elders in schools similar to the way in which they funded positions for teachers and language specialists (para-professionals). At that time, this had not happened (nor has it yet). There were a number of ways in which schools obtained funds to hire Elders to teach traditional knowledge: * Each school received funds as part of their base budget to support cultural programming. A per pupil allocation determined the specific amount each school received. (This of course, gave an advantage to larger schools in terms of flexibility in using the funds.) Schools could use these funds to hire Elders and to purchase the materials (skins, gas, ammunition, etc.) required to carry out traditional activities. * If the Local Education Authority (the elected school council) who had authority to determine the budget chose to do so, they could also allocate funds from other parts of the school budget for this purpose. * The board had a regional Spring Camp Fund to which schools could submit a proposal to access additional funds for resource people such as Elders, as well as equipment and materials to hold this important annual event. * The board had a regional Orientation Fund to which schools could submit proposals to access additional funds to involve community members and Elders in annual orientation activities for new staff. * Schools could raise third party funds from foundations and other organizations. Often guidelines for grants for other purposes allowed schools to include funding for Elders as part of the budget for such projects. * Schools could access funds from regional Inuit organizations through the local settlement/village council, who controlled the funding for specific programs from other departments of the federal government. For example, the federal Healthy Children initiative allowed activities which involved Elders. * Schools could partner with community groups such as the Hunters and Trappers Organization to get in-kind support for land-based activities. * Schools could use full time staff positions intended for language specialists or teachers. While these options provided funding for Elder involvement in schools, the additional funding enabled schools to increase the numbers of Elders present, extend the length of time they were involved with students and/or add new activities. Ways to Involve Elders The Baffin Board made funds available to schools through a grant system. The total money available was divided into school allocations, which each school could apply to access. Individual school allocations were determined by setting a base amount for all schools and then adding a per-pupil amount to achieve the total allocation available. Schools had to submit a brief proposal outlining how the Elders would be involved with students. The Local Education Authority chairperson, the principal and the staff member coordinating the project had to sign the proposal. For the first several years, the grants focused just on Elder involvement with students. In 1996, with the implementation of the government-mandated Inuuqatigiit curriculum, which outlined the traditional knowledge, skills and attitudes from an Inuit perspective that students should learn in school, the focus of the grants shifted somewhat to involving Elders in implementing the new curriculum (see appendix). In fact, this shift did not really change the nature of Elder involvement-they still taught traditional knowledge and skills. It did provide school staff with a guide of topics, an outline of what students should learn and a description of key experiences they might ask Elders to organize. In other words, it provided an organizational framework for traditional knowledge instruction. Using a combination of funds available, schools hired Elders in a number of different ways, to do a variety of things: * As full time cultural instructors-regular staff members along with teachers and language specialists-usually with scheduled times each week for work with different classes or groups of students. The topics and skills they taught varied depending on the age and interests of the students and the interests of the Elder. * As part-time instructors who came in several days or afternoons a week during the year to do a variety of activities with different groups of students, depending on the class and Elder's interests. As with full time instructors, these activities could include storytelling, teaching string and other Inuit games, skin preparation, sewing, cooking, tool construction, specific skills instruction, carving, drum dancing, researching specific topics, helping with community histories, telling their life stories, etc. * As part-time instructors who taught a "unit" or specific topic or activity every day to the same students for several weeks at a time. * As part-time instructors who were involved in specific activities such as Spring Camp or, for example, once-a-week on-the-land programs with at-risk students for the duration of the program. * As part-time research sources to narrate information on a specific topic to be developed into a teaching unit or a learning resource. * As part-time program developers to assist teachers and language specialists with creating materials which teach aspects of traditional knowledge. For example: iglu building, small tool construction, sewing with caribou skins, how to make igunaaq (fermented seal or whale meat), how to read the weather, etc. * As full or part-time Inuktitut language instructors in addition to, or instead of, language specialists. * As part-time counselors, mainly for students, but also sometimes for staff members. Some staffs have found it particularly helpful to have Elders in the school after difficult or tragic community events. * As an Elders' council for the principal (in addition to the Local Education Authority) to assist with solving particularly thorny problems, community liaison, planning cultural programs and hosting special events and activities. Ensuring Success with Elders There are many reasons to involve Elders in schools: * To meet goals set by Local Education Authorities (and the government) which identify traditional knowledge and skills as a major component of school programs. * To maintain, strengthen and enhance Inuit language and culture. * To create links between the past and the present. * To build links between the school and the community. * To encourage links between students and their parents and grandparents. * To build positive relationships between Elders and younger generations. * To help students learn to respect Elders, the lives they have lived and the knowledge and skills they have to share. * To acknowledge and provide opportunities for Elders to share the wisdom, skills and experiences they have accumulated with younger generations. * To reflect, promote and teach Inuit values and beliefs. * To foster student and staff pride in their Inuit identity and enhance self-esteem and personal identity. * To promote respect for animals and other elements of the natural environment which are intimately linked with Inuit culture. * To ensure younger generations are knowledgeable about and can practice traditional/contemporary survival skills. To achieve these goals, both Elders and students need to enjoy their experiences together. To enable this to happen, careful thought needs to be given to how and where the Elders work with students. We have found the following suggestions to be helpful in ensuring positive experiences: * It is an unfortunate aspect of modern life that Elders may be requested in some districts to have criminal record checks completed prior to working in the school. If so, the school needs to expedite the process in any way possible. * It is usually helpful if there is one staff member in the school who coordinates the Elder resource program. Ideally it should be someone from the community who speaks the language and knows community members well. Ideally this should be a responsibility that is part of the staff member's normal workload, not added to a full time teaching job. Having such a person minimizes potential communication and cross-cultural misunderstandings. * It is important to clarify ahead of time what the Elder would like to do with the students and what materials and equipment will be needed. Will the Elder provide these (at the school's expense if there is any cost) or will the school provide them? * Elders may require transportation to and from the school. The school should arrange this and cover any costs involved. * Elders should be made aware of how much the school pays them (by the hour or the day or whatever is normal practice). There should be a standard fee for Elders' work. They should know how and when they will receive their money. If possible, it is preferable to pay them the same day. This is not always possible, but it usually is much appreciated if it can be arranged. (It is also important to note that Elders may lose social security benefits if they earn a certain amount of other income, so this needs to be taken into consideration in the remuneration arrangements.) * Many Elders prefer to work with students in the afternoon, but it is important to check with each individual to determine the best time for them. * The school needs to be flexible in scheduling Elders. They may not feel well on the particular day they are scheduled or something else may prevent them from coming. It is important to be sensitive to and adapt to their needs rather than to ask them to fit within the rigid timetable of many school programs. * Students should be prepared for working with Elders. What kind of behaviour is expected of students? Why should they respect the Elder? What will the Elder expect of the students? What should students expect from the Elder? How is working with Elders different from formal school instruction? * Ask Elders to work with small groups of students or in one-on-one situations. Requiring Elders to take a whole class of 25 students to do an activity is not usually conducive to the Elder teaching or the students learning. * Provide a specific space for the Elder to work with students if the activity is done in the school. Depending on the nature of the activity, they could work in the school shop or the home economics room. Some schools have special skin rooms for processing animal furs. Some schools have provided an Elders' room in which small group activities such as sewing, story telling, researching topics, or playing Inuit games can take place. These rooms are usually equipped with comfortable seating and some means to make tea and have bannock-for both Elders and students. They are more like a living room than a classroom. * Some Elders might prefer to take a few students to work in their own home or in the community Elders' centre. (You may want to provide additional supervision assistance in these contexts.) * If the school has a qammaq (traditional sod house) or tents nearby, depending on the season, these often provide the best environment from both the Elder's and the students' perspective. They provide an appropriate context for teaching traditional skills. We have found that students who are restless and aggressive in the classroom often calm down in the presence of the Elder in this setting. * If the activity involves a land trip, nature provides the "environment" for the activity. As much as possible, it is preferable to take the students out of the school setting for work with Elders. Teaching and learning traditional knowledge is most effective when it takes place within the environmental context in which it is needed and used. * Whenever possible, teachers should participate in activities with Elders and students. This is not always possible, especially when Elders take small groups of students, as the teacher may need to stay with the other students. What this does mean is that Elders should not be used to give teachers a "spare" period. Paying attention to these details will ensure that both students and Elders have a meaningful experience working together. This will encourage Elders to continue to want to work with students and will help students give Elders the respect they deserve. This is essential if teaching traditional knowledge and skills is to be an integral part of the northern school program. | |
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Iñupiaq Region: Tough Love by Dolly Caffin:For Martha Foster and Louise Clark of Selawik, they experienced this kind of love first hand. Traveling by snowmachine to a basketball game in Noorvik, the two became lost in a snowstorm. They spent hours trying to see through the blinding snow and make their way along the trail. Eventually they made a wrong turn and found themselves with a machine that was out of gas and in snow that was knee deep. They were lost in the vast wilderness of the NANA region of Northwest Arctic. Throughout the time that they were trying to make their way back to Selawik, they experienced every possible emotion. Every emotion except one-the willingness to give up. Somehow these two kept their focus on being found by Search and Rescue. They sang church songs, they prayed, they pulled together and kept each other going. They worked together and they never gave up. Martha and Louise were lost for seven days before they were located. Their experience was life changing. To spend seven days in the wilderness is certainly tough love. Through their ordeal they found that they had the courage and strength to survive. They developed a bond of friendship that will never be broken. Individually they each found a will to live-an inner yearning that kept them going day after day. It seems they were sent into the wilderness for more than one reason: to "find" not only themselves, but each other. They used basic survival skills they had learned from Elders, during Iñupiaq activities held at their school. Their story was the inspiration for this year's Iñupiaq Days theme, "Arctic Survival." Elders, community members and villagers from around the NANA region came to the Selawik Davis-Ramoth School for the week-long event. They presented the students with a series of discussions and demonstrations about snowmachine safety, orienteering, cold weather clothing and snow shelters. Many other survival skills were also taught. A community feast was held one evening, in honor of the two girls and all of the people who helped with the search and rescue, both locally and regionally. Special awards were also given to the people who volunteered their time to come and share information with the students during the week. Many lives were touched because of the tough love these girls experienced while being lost in the wilderness. Their ordeal brought together the school, the community and various Native organizations for an event that celebrated life in the Northwest Arctic. For more information and to view photos of the Iñupiaq activities, visit the following website: http://community.webtv.net/nd_caffin/ ARCTICWINTERSURVIVAL. | |
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Ka Lamaku Hawaiian Academy by Kamaileula Halualani-Hee:Ka Lamaku means "upright torch, standing beacon,"-a name chosen to signify a strong guiding light that pierces the darkness, bringing wanderers to safety. Ka Lamaku is also an ancient Hawaiian symbol of knowledge. Ka Lamaku Hawaiian Academy is an action research pilot program aimed at meeting Hawaii's educational needs of school-disabled children grades 7-12 on the island of Oahu in the Ko'olau poko and Ko'olau Loa communities. A school-disabled child is one whose maturational and learning differences have been misunderstood and underserved and, consequently, whose personal, social and familial functioning have been so impaired as to render that child unable to perform successfully in a school environment. The students we serve are, because of a myriad of circumstances beyond their control, disadvantaged in many ways. Their academic achievements as well as other skills that create social competencies had, as a result, been seriously and negatively affected. Most of these student's were exhibiting signs of social distress such as flat affect, anti-social attitudes and behaviors, disrespect for authority, irresponsible actions, truancy, school failure and substance abuse. Some were school disabled while others had developed pre-delinquent behaviors and were known to local policemen. They had been described as "throw away kids". Ka Lamaku Hawaiian Academy does not accept such evaluations for these youth. We believe in a new kind of "three Rs": Rescue, Restore and Re-educate. Through deep and constant use of Hawaiian cultural values, Ka Lamaku has impacted the lives of twenty youngsters of mixed Hawaiian ancestry. The program has been open to whomever applied, but those it attracted were all children of part-Hawaiian ancestry who had been struggling unsuccessfully in the state D.O.E. programs. Ka Lamaku is a community-based effort, creating pedagogy that proves effective for children with learning differences. The staff has been involving the children, their parents, kupuna (elder) and other talented members in designing and implementing curriculum modules. Thus the students are in many ways teaching us how to teach them, showing us what works by their enthusiastic response to learning opportunities. They also show us what doesn't work and participate in discussions about how to improve those areas and teaching methods. Several volunteer teachers have come and gone. They proved to be steeped in the Western, textbook pedagogy and when they were unsuccessful and became discouraged, they tended to blame the children for failing to learn when it was they who failed to teach. At present we are applying for federal New Century Public Charter status, however our goal is to one day be Hawaii's first sovereign school. Request for admission is made on a daily basis but, because of severe financial and space restraints, we are unable to accommodate more students at this time. If you or your organization would like to assist Ka Lamaku Hawaiian Academy or would like more information please contact Kamaileula Halualani- Hee at (808) 293-1121 or email kamaileula@aol.com. Our mailing address is PO BOX 693, Hauula, Hawaii 96717. | |
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Now Available!:Iñuksuk: Northern Koyukon, Gwich'in and Lower Tanana 1800-1901 by Adeline Peter Raboff The history of the Northern Koyukon, Western Gwich'in and Lower Tanana people. 196 pages, $10.00 Guidelines for Strengthening Indigenous Languages This booklet offers suggestions for Elders, parents, children and educators to use in strengthing their heritage language with support from the Native community, schools, linguists and education agencies. 28 pages, free. For more information on obtaining copies of these publications, call Dixie Dayo at 907-474-5086 or e-mail dixie.dayo@uaf.edu. | |
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Southeast Region: Southeast Alaska Tribal College is Launched by Andy Hope:In early 1999, interim trustees were appointed by the Southeast Alaska Native Rural Education Consortium; the interim trustees formally incorporated SEATC in late 1999. In the last two years a number of organizations have endorsed the tribal college planning project. It is now time for the SEATC to establish itself as a formal, independent education institution. An overview of the Kellogg project, "Kellogg Cluster Evaluation: Alaska Native Effort to Develop Tribal Colleges" by Dr. Michael Pavel, is available on the ANKN/CANHE web site to those interested in more background. Another information resource on tribal colleges is the recent report "Building Strong Communities: Tribal Colleges as Engaged Institutions" published by the American Indian Higher Education Consortium and the Institute for Higher Education Policy. Copies of this report can be ordered from the IHEP website at www.ihep.com. The report can also be downloaded from the same website, though it is a rather large document. Additional background information on the Consortium for Alaska Native Higher Education can be found on the Alaska Native Knowledge Network website at www.ankn.uaf.edu. The American Indian Higher Education Consortium website at www.aihec.org is also a valuable information resource. The following individuals have served as volunteer, unpaid interim trustees for SEATC since the spring of 1999: Andy Hope, Marie Olson, Nora Dauenhauer, Roxanne Houston, Joe Hotch, Ed Warren, Ron Dick, Isabella Brady, Jim Walton, Bernice Tetpon, Joyce Shales, Arnold Booth, Charles Natkong, Dennis Demmert and Sue Stevens. The late John Hope served as an interim trustee from May 1999 until his death in October 1999. The SEATC interim trustees are asking that a group of federally-recognized tribes in southeast Alaska ratify the SEATC charter and bylaws at the September meeting. The following organizations, groups and individuals have adopted resolutions endorsing the planning efforts of the SEATC: Chilkat Indian Village, Douglas Indian Association, Sitka Tribe of Alaska, Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska, Wrangell Cooperative Association, Wrangell ANB/ANS Camps, Sitka ANB/ANS Camps, Alaska Intertribal Council, Grand Camp ANB/ANS, National Congress of American Indians and approximately 200 clan and clan house leaders that attended the Kiks.ádi Pole Raising Ceremonies in Sitka in September 1999. The SEATC interim trustees have appointed a nominations committee to solicit nominations for the 11 member board of trustees. Committee members are Nora Dauenhauer, Dr. Ronald Dick, Andy Hope, Roxanne Houston and Dr. Ted Wright. The first annual SEATC meeting will take place on September 13, 2001 in Juneau at which time the Board of Trustees will be officially appointed. Please contact Andy Hope for information on the nomination process or to submit a nomination. There are two other, related meetings scheduled for the week of September 10 in Juneau. A Tribal Watershed/GIS/Cultural Atlas workshop will take place in Juneau from September 10-12. The workshop will include presentations on Arc/View GIS, the Aboriginal Mapping Network, the Angoon, Kake, Sitka and Klukwan-Haines cultural atlases, the ANKN website resources, the I Am Salmon curriculum, the SE Alaska Native Place Names project and the Herman Kitka traditional ecological knowledge CD-ROMs. The Southeast Alaska Native Rural Education Consortium will meet on September 14 to plan the next round of regional activities for the Alaska Rural Systemic Initiative. We hope that each tribe can send representatives to this important meeting. If you have any questions regarding the SEATC bylaws, annual meeting or any of the related meetings, you can contact me at fnah@uasf.edu or call me at 907-790-4406. It is now time for the SEATC to establish itself as a formal, independent education institution. | |
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Teacher Leadership Development Project:The underlying purpose of the Alaska Rural Systemic Initiative is to implement a set of initiatives to systematically document the indigenous knowledge systems of Alaska Native people and develop pedagogical practices and school curricula that appropriately incorporate indigenous knowledge and ways of knowing into the formal education systems. Having successfully demonstrated the efficacy of this strategy in strengthening rural schools and teachers and improving student achievement, the challenge for AKRSI now is to help infuse the initiatives into the curricular and instructional practices on a sustainable basis. The high turnover rate of teaching staff (80% of whom are recruited from out-of-state) necessitates a targeted approach to leadership development that focuses on those teachers most likely to put these resources to effective use and bring their cumulative insights to bear over time, i.e., teachers for whom the community/region/state is their home. To that end, the AKRSI has requested supplemental funds from the National Science Foundation to implement a Teacher Leadership Development Project (TLDP). The structures through which the TLDP will be implemented are those associated with regional and statewide Native educator associations. Following is a current list of the associations that have emerged in response to AKRSI initiatives over the past six years: * Ciulistet Education Association * Association of Interior Native Educators * Southeast Native Educators Association * North Slope Iñupiaq Educators Association * Association of Native Educators of the Lower Kuskokwim * Association of Northwest Native Educators * Native Educators of the Alutiiq Region * Association of Unangan/Unangas Educators * Alaska Native Education Student Association * Alaska Native Education Council * Alaska First Nations Research Network * Alaska Indigenous Literary Review Board * Consortium for Alaska Native Higher Education * Native Education Association of Anchorage Implementation of the AKRSI TLDP The main function of the AKRSI Teacher Leadership Development Project will be to strengthen and make sustainable the role of the Native Educator Associations and their members in implementing the math/science educational reform initiatives promoted by the AKRSI. This will require the development of leadership capacity in each region and the establishment of formal mechanisms to sustain the implementation of these initiatives independent of the AKRSI resources by 2005. Following are the steps that will be taken to implement this strategy: * The Alaska Native Education Advisory Council to the Commissioner of Education, made up of representatives from each of the Native Educator Associations, will be designated as the governing body to provide direction for the implementation of the Teacher Leadership Development Project. * The Alaska Native Education Advisory Council and the AKRSI Co-PIs will recruit and select a fulltime project director to coordinate and oversee the initiatives sponsored by the Teacher Leadership Development Project. * At least one Native educator association in each of the five major cultural regions will be assisted in obtaining 501(c)3 non-profit status, so as to be eligible to obtain and implement grants and contracts under their own authority. * The Native educator associations from each of the five cultural regions will be invited to prepare and submit a work plan outlining the steps they would propose to take to implement the Teacher Leadership Development Project in their region, including the identification of a lead/master teacher for the region (with up to half release time from their employing district) and the activities to be implemented in conjunction with the AKRSI initiative emphasis for each year (e.g., science camps/fairs, Academy of Elders, cultural atlas, curriculum alignment, parent/community involvement, etc.) The lead/master teachers will be selected at the regional level with criteria comparable to those for the project director, but with responsibilities directed toward regional implementation of the AKRSI/TLDP math/science educational reform initiatives. The selection committee will consist of regional Native educator association members, the TLDP project director and the AKRSI co-directors. * Once selected, the lead/master teachers will work with the AKRSI staff to develop the wherewithal to assist teachers and schools in the implementation of the initiatives associated with the Teacher Leadership Development Project in alignment with the AKRSI regional initiatives and the Alaska Standards for Culturally Responsive Schools. * The Native educator associations will convene regional and statewide meetings to review the action plans for preparing culturally-responsive teachers from the 2000 Native Education Summit and the recommendations from the 2001 Forum on Culturally-Responsive Curriculum and to develop action plans for regional implementation of those recommendations. The regional action plans will take into account the Guidelines for Preparing Culturally-Responsive Teachers and the Guidelines for Nurturing Culturally-Healthy Youth. * The Native educator associations will work with local districts and the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development to sponsor a cross-cultural orientation program, including an immersion camp component, for all teachers new to the district/region. * The Native educator associations will work with local school districts to provide career ladder incentives that encourage all teachers and teacher aides to pursue training for a cross-cultural specialist endorsement, Type A license with math/science emphasis and/or graduate studies oriented toward implementing culturally responsive, standards-based science and math instruction. * The Native educator associations will encourage their members to participate in the Native Administrators for Rural Alaska program in pursuit of a Type B principals credential with a distributed leadership orientation. * The Native educator associations, in collaboration with the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development, will host an annual statewide conference to showcase the instructional and curricular strategies and initiatives that demonstrate the greatest promise toward implementing culturally-responsive, standards-based science and math instruction. These initiatives are intended to begin with the 2001-02 school year, with the process for selection of the project director and lead/master teachers to occur by the end of September. Funding for the TLDP will be administered through the Alaska Federation of Natives with support for the activities of the lead/master teachers provided through memoranda of agreement with the employing school districts. The project director and the lead/master teachers will be included as core staff and will participate in all planning activities associated with the Alaska Rural Systemic Initiative. Upon completion of the three-year cycle of initiatives associated with the Teacher Leadership Development Project, all teachers in the AKRSI partner schools will have received support to incorporate the math/science curricular and instructional strategies in their educational practice, with on-going support provided through an established statewide network of Native educator associations. | |
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Yup'ik Region: Elders' and Youth Conference Explores Yup'ik Culture by Esther Ilutsik:I have to treat them as I would my own brothers and sisters (meaning respecting them and helping them out when they are in need; I have to call them my brothers and sisters using the proper terms for older brother, an'ngaq, or oldest sister, alqaq, or younger brothers and sisters, kinguqliq. As the parallel aunt, I would call my sister's and brother's children nurr'aq (and this is only from the female point of view.) Logically, within the Western worldview (that many of us were raised in), we assumed that we would also call our parallel nieces and nephews our children but that is not so. Those are just some of the complexities of the Yup'ik kinship system which was the focal point of the Elders' and Youth Conference that was held in Dillingham, May 4-6, 2001. Representatives included Elders, teachers and students from New Stuyahok, Ekwok, Portage Creek, Aleknagik, Manokotak, Twin Hills and Togiak. We also had representatives from here in Dillingham. About 60 people participated at the Dillingham Elementary School gym. The conference began with a potluck dinner and a warm welcome from Dewayne Johnson, Curyung, Tribal Council Chief and from Dillingham City Council member and mayor, Chris Napoli. Mr. Johnson introduced himself and identifed his parents, siblings and other relatives-what a great way to begin the conference! This presentation was followed with Yup'ik oral stories presented by Ina Bouker, a certified teacher currently on leave from the Dillingham City Schools and a member of the Ciulistet Research Association. These stories weaved in dances; Bouker's five-year-old son, Nicky, was the drummer and her daughters, Nia (nine) and Atkiq (four) were dancers. The audience was enthralled as Ina used both the Yup'ik and English language. This was followed with the local Aruvak dancers, the New Stuyahok dancers and Manokotak student dancers sharing and exciting the audience with dances of the past. The evening concluded with Elder Slim Yako, formerly of Aleknagik and currently residing at the Maarulut Eniit Assisted Living Center, drumming and singing songs of his youth. The following day began with linguist Marie Meade helping to facilitate the discussion and investigation of traditional Yup'ik kinship and proper protocol used in interacting. After an exhausting day, we wrapped up with a special evening youth dance that was planned especially for all the student representatives coming in from the villages. On the final day we had the Elders each present an oral genealogy that was fascinating to listen to. The students followed, presenting their own genealogies. The teachers then shared how they were going to implement this information within their own communities and classrooms. It was such a wonderful way to end a conference-the Elders knowing that as educators we are attempting to bring back some of our own values that have fallen by the wayside. | |
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VOLUME 6, ISSUE 5 |
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Alaska Native Education Summit 2001:Alaska Natives will soon have an opportunity to share their views on how to improve education for our children. The first Alaska Native Education Summit takes place November 30 and December 1 in Anchorage. It's being sponsored by the ANCSA Education Consortium and the First Alaskans Foundation. This gathering of Alaska Native voices is the first step in looking for new ways to teach our young people the values and knowledge they must have to do well in their lives. Unlike other meetings in the past, this one will focus on Alaska Native issues and begin the process to find Alaska Native solutions. We're looking for new people at the table who bring important Native perspectives and are willing to work hard to come up with fresh ideas that meet the needs of our children. This summit will draw together Native communities to develop plans that fit their situation and draw on their experience of what works and what does not. It will truly be a "grass roots" approach to providing quality education. The summit is open to the public and we encourage all who care about this important issue to come and express their thoughts and perspectives. For more information contact Joan McCoy at 907-272-0839 or email nes@nexusnw.com. | |
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Alaska RSI Regional Contacts:Andy Hope Southeast Regional Coordinator 8128 Pinewood Drive Juneau, Alaska 99801 907-790-4406 E-mail: fnah@uaf.edu John Angaiak Yup'ik Regional Coordinator AVCP PO Box 219 Bethel, AK 99559 E-mail: john_angaiak@avcp.org 907-543 7423 907-543-2776 fax Branson Tungiyan Iñupiaq Regional Coordinator PO Box 1796 Nome, AK 99762 907-443-4386 E-mail: branson@kawarak.org Teri Schneider Aleutians Regional Coordinator Kodiak Island Borough School District 722 Mill Bay Road, North Star Kodiak, Alaska 99615 907-486-9276 E-mail: tschneider@kodiak.k12.ak.us | |
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Alutiiq/Unangax Region: Re-establishing Illuani by Teri Schneider:A few years ago people began to ask me, "What ever happened to Elwani? How come we don't see those around anymore?" As background information was gathered about the first effort, it became more and more apparent that we could re-establish the project with a few minor changes. Illuani could become a wonderfully relevant learning tool while fulfilling the need to document people's knowledge and experience in our region of the world so that we could continue to communicate and celebrate the ingenuity and lives of each other. Like the magazine of the 70s and 80s, the school district is printing it, but the new one will be done primarily by rural students with some contributions by interested students in Kodiak. The night of the first interviews, held at the Alutiiq Museum in Kodiak, was a marvelous event. The students were nervous and the invited guests that were to be interviewed were unsure of their role and of what they might contribute. When the students went to their designated areas with their tape recorders, note pads and interviewees, magic happened. The project became a reality and took on a life of its own. Nobody needed prompting and nobody needed interventions by teachers. Giggles came from every corner as each group became engaged in conversation, often times sprinkled with humor to create a level of comfort for both the students and adults. When we gather together with open ears, minds and hearts we allow ourselves to learn from one another. Perhaps we learn the value of taking care of your neighbor when we hear someone tell their story of the '64 earthquake or tidal wave. Maybe we learn to become more resourceful after hearing a story of how people used to bake bread on a beach in an oven made of rocks. Or, perhaps we learn that we never stop learning when we watch an Elder learn a new skill from a student. When we take the time to visit and listen we learn that each one of us has something to contribute to our community. Illuani is an example of students and community members contributing to each other's lives and in turn sharing that gift with all of us. If you are interested in purchasing the new Illuani magazine you may contact the staff at the KIBSD Central Office (486-9210). All proceeds will go to supporting the continuation of the project. Pronunciation key for article: Sugtestun (Soog'-ts-toon): the Sugpiaq/Alutiiq way Elwani (el-wan'-ee): inside it Illuani (il-lwhan'-ee): inside it | |
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Athabascan Region: Moose Hunting and More: the Annual Field Trip for the Minto Flats Cultural Atlas by Kathryn Swartz:The sun was very warm and the sky was clear on the top of COD Hill on Saturday afternoon, September 22, 2001. A group of Elders and youth from Minto relaxed on the hill and looked for moose out in the Minto Flats. From this hill, one could see Denali in the distance and the ridges where the Nenana and Tolovana Rivers meet the Tanana River. "Shhhhh . . ." the Elders kept saying, "the animals will hear you up here." At one point, a raven stalked a juvenile bald eagle in the air below us. After looking for hours, Susie Charlie noticed a bull moose off to the east over by a little lake. A small group went down the hill and up the creek to walk into the area where the moose had been seen. We heard shots fired-the hunt was successful! This event was the high point of the annual cultural atlas field trip with Minto Elders and youth. This year, the field trip employed seven Elders: Elsie Titus, Lige and Susie Charlie, Virgil and Vernell Titus, Luke Titus and Gabe Nollner. There were eleven students from the Minto School (Clinton Watson, Preston Alexander, Mitchel Alexander, Ezra Gibson, Amber Jimmie, Alanna Gibson, Carleen Charlie, Janis Frank, Lynnessa Titus, Dolly James and Justeena Silas), with their teachers Kraig Berg and Ruth Folger and the participation of Bill Pfisterer (education specialist) and Kathryn Swartz of the Cultural Heritage and Education Institute. The Elders were the most important people on the field trip. They decided where we were going, where we would stay and coordinated boat space for all the participants and supplies. They openly shared stories and tales of hunting, fishing, trapping and growing up in the Minto Flats. The Minto School played a valuable role in organizing the students, telling them what they needed to take with them and also supporting the participation of two teachers. The information gathered on the trip will be incorporated into the school curriculum as students work on the development of a cultural atlas for the Minto Flats area (a preliminary version of the atlas can be viewed online at www.ankn.uaf.edu/menhti.) The field trip was held over a weekend and the group left Minto after school on Friday, September 21, 2001. The group went in five boats to Virgil Titus' fall camp along Washington Creek about an hour and a half from Minto. This camp faces to the east and south and is positioned above the creek in a nice wooded area. There is a spotting tree and good cranberry patch back in the woods. The first night everyone gathered around the fire and the reason for the field trip and the mapping work was explained. The Elders said they wanted to bring the kids out to learn the Athabascan way, to learn what they should bring on this kind of trip and to learn about the good places to hunt. The Elders shared some stories and memories about growing up in these areas. After some coaxing, all the kids finally went to bed. At night, the light from the radar station on Murphy Dome was visible from the camp and the Northern Lights shimmered. Elders, teachers, students and CHEI staff pose for a picture by the campfire. The next morning, after breakfast, Bill Pfisterer showed the kids how to use two cameras to document the places we would visit-one was a digital camera, the other a standard film camera. The group set off in boats to go down Washington Creek and up the Tatalina to begin the hike up COD Hill. The climb was tough, particularly for the Elders, but everyone made it. Rope was tied off on certain trees so you could get extra support and pull yourself up the hillside. The climb down was even worse with a slippery and dusty trail, but we were on our way to see the moose so no one seemed to mind the difficult descent. The moose was taken several bends up COD creek, back through willows and small birch trees in an open, grassy, swampy area. The participants witnessed field dressing the moose. Willows were laid down to hold the best cuts of meat, other parts were strung over the trees to dry while the work continued. The Elders shared traditional practices and techniques with the students and then the meat was packed out either with sticks or people put on raincoats and slung parts over their shoulders. The meat was left overnight near the river bank braced up with sticks or slung between trees. (In case anyone noticed the date, the Cultural Heritage and Education Institute had arranged for a cultural education permit to take a moose out of season.) Saturday night was a beautiful evening with good food, more stories from the Elders and good laughs around the campfire. One of the students made cranberry sauce from freshly picked berries. That night, the temperature dropped and on Sunday morning as always, the first ones up, Virgil and Vernell Titus, started the fire and got warm water and coffee going. After breakfast several Elders including Lige Charlie and Luke Titus thanked everyone for attending and for the organization of the field trip. We headed back to retrieve the moose meat and then made our way back up the winding sloughs, creeks and rivers to Minto. Ducks gathering for migration were scared up at every turn. The air was colder than it had been on Friday and it seemed that winter was now on its way. This field trip was made possible thanks to support from the Rural School and Community Trust (Alaska Rural Systemic Initiative), the Minto School, the Alaska Humanities Forum, the New Voices Fellowship Program and the Skaggs Foundation. Above: Elder Susie Charlie spots for moose on the flats. Below: The hunt is successful! | |
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