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 Contact information in earlier issues could be outdated.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 8, ISSUE 5 |
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Cross-Cultural Teacher Orientation at Shaktoolik, Alaska by Yaayuk Bernadette Alvanna Stimpfle:Saturday was a full day of keynote speeches, an Elders' panel and workshops. Rich Toymil, the local principal, along with various community members welcomed everyone to Shaktoolik. Dr. Ray Barnhardt was introduced as the keynote speaker. He set the tone for the day with an overview of Native education and the work of the Alaska Rural Systemic Initiative. When he was finished there was panel of Elders: Clarence Katchatag, Mary Katchatag, Lucy Savetelik, Dina Sagoonick, Clara Sookiayak and Ernest Sagoonick. They related their experiences as students the first time they entered school. They talked about how things are changing so fast now. When they went to school for example, they did not speak English, they spoke only in Inupiaq. Now, the children do not speak Inupiaq, only English. One Elder talked about how when she was in school, she was punished for speaking in Inupiaq. She decided when she had children, she would not let them speak Inupiaq so they would never be punished in school. Now her grown children do not speak the Inupiaq language but her grandchildren are learning in school. The teacher had opportunities to ask questions throughout the session. One teacher asked, "What would you like us to teach your children? What do you want your children to learn?" An immediate answer was, "We want our children to learn Inupiaq!" Some of the King Island Ugiumangmiut Dancers. The panel continued with some of the history of the area, the first time they saw airplanes, healthcare aboard the BIA North Star ship and stories from the village members. Ernest Sagoonick told about practicing writing by sending "free letters" to their relatives and friends at the next village. As young children, they would plop themselves under the plane and write a message in the dirt on the fuselage. Sure enough, when the plane returned there would be a message back! After eating lunch, we held our first workshop sessions. There were three concurrent workshop sessions: Alaska Standards for Culturally Responsive Schools with Ray Barnhardt; Integrating Culturally-Responsive School Standards in Education with Yaayuk Alvanna-Stimpfle; and Shaktoolik IRA, City and Native Corporation members shared how the village agencies work and ways to integrate the school into the community. Simon Bekoalok speaking to the new BSSD teachers. Of particular interest a second year BSSD teacher, Lynda Lee Proctor at Shaktoolik, shared how she began using a set of Native storybooks from the Kawereak Eskimo Heritage Program. She included the storybooks as part of her SFA (Success for All) reading program and the student interest for reading increased. Linda was part of the new teacher meeting in Nome last school year. In the evening, there was a big potluck dinner in the gymnasium. The local residents brought in delicious traditional Native and contemporary foods. When everyone was done eating and cleaning up, the much-awaited King Island Ugiumangmiut Dancers performance began. It was the first time in over seventy years that Native dancing had taken place in Shaktoolik, since Western religions had abolished dancing in some Native communities. The people were awed and gave a warm and welcoming response and the young dancers danced even harder the next time. At the end of the performance, the audience gave a standing ovation-a first for the King Island Ugiumangmiut Dancers! Sunday morning we held our third workshop and by the afternoon the new teachers, speakers and workshop presenters flew back to their homes. The meeting organizers, Rich and Sue Toymil, did a wonderful job of taking care of everyone and making sure things happened when they were supposed to happen. Simon Bekoalok and I helped with workshop presentations. For me, the dancing was quite an experience. I am part of the King Island Ugiumangmiut Dancers. There were twenty of us all together that performed at Shaktoolik. The youngest dancer was eighteen months old and our Elder was Cecelia Muktoyuk. Our president is nineteen-year-old Asaaluk Irelan. I emceed the dancing and noticed how the audience was so receptive. Our young men wanted to dance more because they felt how much the audience enjoyed watching them! Overall, the BSSD cultural orientation program for new teachers was a success. It will be followed with more activities for the new teachers as the year goes along. | |
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Cup'ik Region: The Mapping Project Names Ancestral Sites by John Angaiak:You can visualize Elders in their younger days traveling the rivers by kayak and seal skin boats, often for days. They camped for months at a time gathering food to see themselves through harsh winters. Out there were hundreds of sites they could choose to subsist on, knowing every site by heart and how far away it was. It was the land Cup'iks knew so well. They had to know it, and take care of it. It was everything-food, shelter and preservation of their distinct culture. These people left us a lasting imprint that we have always had land that will last beyond the future of generations to come. If we could read their minds and hear their voices now, this story would read like no other. Qissunamiut and Hooper Bay, Alaska are taking a step back in time to preserve their future. They are working on their mapping project. It is a painstaking process. The terrain has hundreds of lakes, rivers, rolling mountains and tributaries to name-all according to their living Elders. This project is a defining moment for both villages as teacher John Pingayaq put it, "This is a way to revive and preserve the heritage and the culture of the people." Similarly, Mr. Bosco Olson of Hooper Bay echoed, "To preserve and record the original names and locations of rivers . . . areas of fish, berries, plants, etc., camping . . . a lot of poignant memories for the Elders returned." He went on to say that "The Elders despair at the loss of knowledge of our lands . . . especially our hunting areas." The application of the mapping project seems broad. For instance, search and rescue teams can use the information in winter and summer in the vicinity of the two villages. Mr. Olson points out, "In some winters, there is a rash of lost snowmachine riders. If they know or recognize an area, if equipment breaks down, stops, etc., then the traveler(s) can and will be able to relay their location or stop and remain till rescue arrives." Mr. Pingayaq credits private sources of funding for making this project possible, such as Ford Foundation, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, The Wallace Alexander Gerbode Foundation, Tides Foundation and Lannan Foundation. This mapping project is one of the few that were funded in 1999, along with other tribes across the country and in Hawaii. Through the mapping project come the voices of ancestors. They beckon their children to know their land by names. They want them to know that their land is not a vast empty spread. The map comes alive. Mr. Pingayaq went on to say that "Our vision and purpose in undertaking this project is to document the traditional knowledge and subsistence lifestyle of the Qissunaq people, to create new linkages between the Elders and the youth through the transmission of traditional ecological and cultural knowledge of our homeland, to inspire other communities in the Yukon-Kuskokwim region to undertake Native mapping projects and to convey to the outside world some of our traditional ways of knowing." Throughout the mapping project, Hooper and Qissunamiut involved Elders as advisors who are knowledgeable about the area. Students are involved. The students from the Cultural Heritage Program at Qissunamiut School interview Elders as part of their Social Studies and History courses about the land that surrounds them. It is about the study of their origins. When asked about how the mapping project would be used in the schools, Bosco Olson summarized, "To be able to have curriculum at the school and even at home, sitting down with your parents-especially grandparents-and going through the maps could be a way of telling traditional camping, hunting, fishing areas that they or others may have utilized . . . with a little more probing, the Elders would name the area where they had been . . . Elders despair at the loss of knowledge of our own lands . . ." Through the mapping project come the voices of ancestors. They beckon their children to know their land by names. They want them to know that their land is not a vast empty spread. The map comes alive. When you look under the microscope, it is dotted with hundreds of their remains spread across the horizon to let their grandchildren know that the land had been claimed already on their behalf. We can imagine those people that lived before them, too. They walked and lived on the same land. There is no such thing as an empty or unclaimed land. The remains of their ancestors cannot be counted because they are too numerous. There are too many out there that will stay there forever so that their grandchildren will have land upon which to subsist. The mapping project has taken on a new meaning as well. It is going to be part of the school curriculum very soon. No politics, period. It is going to be taught. All it takes now is to put the finishing touches on a little more before it is ready. Finally, as a Yup'ik/Cup'ik coordinator for AKRSI program, I am very privileged to work with Qissunamiut and Hooper Bay planners on the mapping project that will make a big difference for their students. This project complies with our internal mission between their office and mine that says, "Our mission is to be leaders in recreating our timeless Yup'ik/Cup'ik past through innovation." | |
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Fellowships Awarded by Beth Leonard:The Denaqenage' Career Ladder Program, a grant-funded partnership between the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF), Alaska Native Language Center, the Interior Athabascan Tribal College (IATC) and the Gateway and Lake and Peninsula School Districts, is pleased to announce that the following participants have been awarded competitive fellowships for the 2003-2004 academic year: _ Lily Larose Luke, Tanacross _ Michelle Ravenmoon, Dena'ina _ Shauna Sagmoen, Dena'ina _ Amy VanHatten, Koyukon _ Verna Wagner, Tanacross In order to be eligible for a fellowship, candidates must be accepted into the Denaqenage' Career Ladder Program and enrolled in a UAF M.Ed. or B.A. program with a major focus on Athabascan language study and teaching. Preference is given to students studying or intending to study Tanacross, Upper Tanana or Dena'ina. However, consideration is given to applicants studying other Alaska Athabascan languages as well. Applications for the 2004-2005 competition will be sent out in March, 2004. If you have any questions about the fellowship application process or would like to be included on our application mailing list, please call Beth Leonard, IATC Language Coordinator at 1-800-478-6822, ext.3287 or e-mail bleonard@tananachiefs.org. | |
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In the Presence of Stories by Vivian Martindale:-N. Scott Momaday According to Kiowa author and poet, N. Scott Momaday, the Native person lives "in the presence of stories." He claims the storyteller is many things: magician, artist and creator as well as a holy man. "He is sacred business" (Circle of Stories). Stories are meant to be told. They enrich our lives and for educators they can enrich our classrooms as well. We are humbled and gracious in the presence of storytellers, yet how do we incorporate that knowledge into education, especially higher education? Most students come to the college classroom expecting the standard lecture and the required readings. Long forgotten is the Socratic method, which promotes listening by the students and gentle facilitating by the instructor. This method is similar to many Native American methods of teaching by example. Elders often engage the observer or learner in what they are doing. For example, if a carver is teaching an apprentice, the Elder often sits and carves while telling a story. To the untrained listener the story may not relate to what the apprentice should be learning, but usually the storyteller/carver gets around to bringing the meaning into what they are doing. Eventually the apprentice, when he is ready, picks up the piece of wood provided for him and begins to carve. Also, in Native cultures it is common to give the child or student the tools to learn and let them experiment with their learning. One example is when a child is learning to fillet fish. He may be given a small fish and a small knife and allowed to slice the fish without instruction because the child has observed the women slicing fish at the fish camp. As well, the child learning to carve will be given a piece of wood and the tools to carve without being instructed by reading a book, or a "lecture." Children are allowed to experience life, they are allowed to just "be." We are humbled and gracious in the presence of storytellers ... These methods, translated to learning in the classroom, allow the student to listen to the stories, read the poems or other literature, and then interpret that knowledge without being "wrong" or told how to think. Interpretation and the variations of interpretation of knowledge are viewed according to one's culture, therefore the cultures of individual students must be appreciated. There are similarities between the Socratic method and the methods of teaching in Native American traditions. The Socrates method of teaching, according to the Catholic Encyclopedia, is divided into two stages: negative and positive: In the negative stage Socrates, approaching his intended pupil in an attitude of assumed ignorance, would begin to ask a question, apparently for his own information. He would follow this by other questions, until his interlocutor would at last be obliged to confess ignorance of the subject discussed. Because of the pretended deference, which Socrates played to the superior intelligence of his pupil, this stage of the method was called "Socratic Irony". In the positive stage of the method, once the pupil had acknowledged his ignorance, Socrates would proceed to another series of questions, each of which would bring out some phase or aspect of the subject, so that at the end, when all the answers were summed up in a general statement, that statement expressed the concept of the subject, or the definition. Therefore, knowledge through concepts, or knowledge by definition, is the aim of the Socratic method. (Catholic Encyclopedia) Although I would not categorize the two steps into the terms "negative" and "positive" because all learning can be applied to our lives in a positive way. I would re-word the term "negative" to "exploring". In the exploring stage we examine new concepts and learn new things. Often we make mistakes and are very aware of our ignorance. But this is not "negative" so-to-speak, but learning by doing. The Socratic method can bring out concepts and ideas by the questioning of the instructor and allow for the students to explore what they have learned and what that knowledge means to them. It is not enough just to lecture on how the facts are interpreted in the mainstream society, which is usually with a Euro-American twist, but learning in a multi-cultural environment must allow for the students to see through another's worldview whether they are Native or from another ethnic background. . . . in Native American cultures many concepts within those cultures can only be taught through the original native languages, which is why it is important to bring those languages into the classroom through stories, songs, dances and other customs. However, in Native American cultures many concepts within those cultures can only be taught through the original native languages, which is why it is important to bring those languages into the classroom through stories, songs, dances and other customs. The instructor and students can view videos, such as the ones on the "Circle of Stories" website produced by the Public Broadcast System, and use the Socratic method to bring out any ideas or questions that the students may have. "Circle of Stories" is just one such site, among many available on the internet, that promotes listening and interaction by the educator and or student. According to the PBS site, they use documentary film, photography, artwork and music to honor and explore Native American storytelling. The website is divided into five parts: Storytellers, Many Voices, We Are Here, Community and For Educators. As a learning tool, this site can broaden instructional techniques and allow for an increase in listening skills as well as bringing Native culture into the classroom. Because literature is not limited to the written form, in many Native American communities such as those in Alaska, oral traditions are considered literature. This makes sense because poetry is considered literature; short stories are considered literature, yet both are best enjoyed when read aloud. Stories and poetry are meant to be read aloud therefore incorporating the storytelling process into the classroom can be a rewarding experience for both students and teachers. Even if a student doesn't particularly enjoy nor want to tell a story, he or she can participate by listening. Because listening is a valuable part of Native American society it should be honored. Part of the benefit of incorporating storytelling into the curriculum is that some students haven't been taught to listen properly or respect the listener as many people in Native American communities have been. Television, internet, video games and many technologies are geared for the "viewer" and not the "listener." A good website such as "Circle of Stories" can be enjoyed by a listener as well as being used as an interactive visual aid. According to the website: In the basket of Native stories, we find legends and history, maps and poems, the teachings of spirit mentors, instructions for ceremony and ritual, observations of worlds and storehouses of ethno-ecological knowledge. Stories often live in many dimensions, with meanings that reach from the everyday to the divine. Stories imbue places with the power to teach, heal and reflect. Stories are possessed with such power that they have survived for generations despite attempts at repression and assimilation. (Circle of Stories) In Native American communities songs, dances and music are all considered stories. They tell something. There are consistent themes in the stories. Stories tell us about the culture in which they were created and are an excellent way to learn about a particular culture. Students can listen to a story from a specific period in time, comparing an old story to a modern one, or a hero story to one that is intended to teach a lesson. One can also compare stories that are similar or different from region to region. Understanding rituals and ceremonies within the context of a culture is another way of learning about a Native community. The Mojave Creation song is just one example, "Some Native songs are sung in great cycles, containing over 100 songs for a specific ritual. The Mojave Creation songs, which describe cremation rituals in detail, are a collection of 525 songs and must be performed for the deceased to journey to the next world." Stories can be symbolic, teach a lesson, teach how to conduct ceremonies, promote understanding of the natural world, how to survive in the environment, oral maps for travel, transformation stories and stories about love and romance. (Circle of Stories) In "Circle of Stories," the section for educators consists of lessons designed to enable students to examine Native American storytelling, as well as create their own stories. The lessons are also intended to explore indigenous and Native American cultures and the issues within those cultures. Students are encouraged to research and explore their own cultural heritage by recording family stories and heritage. Although these lesson plans are designed for grades 6-12, one could incorporate them into the college curriculum. The section for educators is divided into three lessons. The first, entitled "It's All Part of the Story," is about instructing students on the rich cultural and religious heritage of the generations before us, and it leads us to understand how our past has influenced our present. Use this plan to help students learn to share their story while learning to appreciate stories from others. The second section titled, "Our Small World" examines the contributions of Native cultures to our modern society as well as how to keep the cultures alive and the role of storytelling in that process. The third lesson, "Record and Preserve Your Family Heritage," is about learning how to record stories and the proper protocols involved with gathering stories. (Circle of Stories) Featured under the heading "Storytellers" in the main menu, are three or four storytellers and their stories. Included is a biography of the storyteller, something about their culture and then a story told by that person (Real Player is the software used to listen to the downloaded audio.) Also some of the stories are told in the original language of the storyteller. One featured storyteller is Hoskie Benally, a Dinè (Navajo) spiritual leader, from Shiprock, New Mexico. He tells the story of the Five Sacred Medicines, which is the story of how the Navajo acquired their medicines: sage, tobacco, cedar, yucca and eagle feathers. Another storyteller featured on this site is Tchin from the Narragansett people, who inhabited the area now known as Rhode Island for 30,000 years. Tchin is also part Siksika, more commonly known as the Blackfeet people. Like many Native American cultures, the Narragansett were nearly wiped out by settlers who brought disease and violence. According to Tchin, "In 1880, the state of Rhode Island illegally detribalized the Narragansett, terminating the tribe on paper. The Narragansett lost their remaining 3200 acres of land, leaving them with only a church on a scarce two acres" (Circle of Stories). Eventually with the introduction of the Indian Reorganization Act in 1934, the government recognized the Narragansett as a distinct people, but fell short of federal recognition and unfortunately they were unable to acquire back their land. But in 1978, tribal members filed a lawsuit, which resulted in the government returning 2000 acres to their possession. Federal recognition eventually came about in 1983. Tchin uses these facts and his knowledge of storytelling to bring the listener into his story of why rabbit looks like he does today. The stories and information on this site are excellent tools for instruction. Adapting the site to individual instructors need only take a bit of imagination. Whether we are in a grade school, high school or the college classroom, our educational experiences are enhanced by stories. In the presence of stories our knowledge can increase, especially our knowledge of the cultures around us. Many Euro-Americans grow up in regions without knowing the richness of their Native neighbors. Stories are just one way to incorporate knowledge, language and culture within the classroom. In our classrooms as well as our lives, we are enriched by the presence of stories. Works Cited Rogerson, Hand and Jilian Spitzmiller Producers. Electric Shadows Project. Circle of Stories. Public Broadcasting Service, 2002. Philomath Films. http://www.pbs.org/circleofstories. 16 June 2003. Knight, Kevin. Editor. Socrates. Catholic Encyclopedia. Updated April 20, 2003. http://www.newadvent.org. 17 June, 2003. | |
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Reflections by Mike Hull:Max brought down this moose. The students butchered it and packed it back to camp. Pauline shows Solomon and Oxenia how to pluck geese. Richard teaches Charlotte and Maxine how to handle rifles. The village seemed a distant life and all the students wanted to stay in the wild -so did I- but the cold was chasing us out of our camps and said it is time to begin the in-between time as we wait for winter. the canoes were frozen to the grass at the shore line on the morning of our departure and as we moved quietly down the stream the ripple of our passing hissed and crackled-disturbing the fragile ice shelf that had formed along the shore beavers had been out at this time on other days but not today . . . as we turned from the stream into Mountain Creek the sun rose over our shoulder lighting gold and yellow the autumn hillside before us and gold and pink the glassy calm waters of the creek Water slurped into the vortex formed by the motion of each paddle occasionally there was the thud of a paddle against the canoe but mostly . . . we were silent. As the sun climbed it seemed to lift the stillness from around us and the young eagle that we had seen frequently but always close to his nest . . . flew toward us from the west- and, when certain that we had seen him-and he us 5 he circled and soared effortlessly-climbing above the trees . . . into a brightening sky glanced once more our way and drifted south out of sight. this season we had watched him grow-gain confidence in the strength and expanse of his wings he too set out on this morning to measure his stamina on distances unknown three days later, on the final stage of our journey homeward now back on the Yukon we lashed nine canoes together with birch poles to form a raft one boy was growing more impressed as he saw this raft coming together . . . You are about to do something none of your parents have done . . .I said. he replied, "but our ancestors did . . ." At the end of a long day on the river we had to cut across the Yukon across the north wind to land at the beach in front of the village. Groups of six had rotated on the paddles to keep us in the current throughout the day's journey now all eighteen took places along the edge of the raft and grabbed at the Yukon with their paddles pulling their way across the river. Wind whipped the water from raised paddles and sprayed across the lashed canoes waves splashed over the sides soaking everyone one boy, perched at the back of the raft studied the distant bluff-a smile on his face as he deftly pointed the raft where it needed to go. All day long I had pushed from my kayak now I felt the raft lift and pull away from me as these young Yup'iks moved out on their own in harmony with the river, the wind and their ancestors . . . We dare great things when we commit ourselves to sharing in the growth of young people We are sometimes rewarded with great moments. The students from all three camps gathered to begin the last stage of the trip down Tucker Slough. | |
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Alaska RSI Regional Contacts:Andy Hope-Southeast fnah@uaf.edu Teri Schneier, Olga Pestrikoff, Moses Dirks-Alutiiq/Unangaxˆ tschneider@kodiak.k12.ak.us John Angaiak-Yup'ik/Cup'ik john_angaiak@avcp.org Katie Bourdon, Iñupiaq Region ehp.pd@kawerak.org Athabascan Region pending at TCC Lead Teachers: Angela Lunda-Southeast lundag@gci.net Teri Schneider/Olga Pestrikoff/ Moses Dirks-Alutiiq/Unangaxˆ tschneider@kodiak.k12.ak.us Esther Ilutsik-Yup'ik/Cup'ik fneai@uaf.edu Bernadette Yaayuk Alvanna-Stimpfle- Iñupiaq yalvanna@netscape.net Linda Green-Interior/Athabascan linda@mail.ankn.uaf.edu | |
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Education and Cultural Self-Determination by Paul Ongtooguk:Presentation to the 2003 AFN Youth and Elders Convention Thank you for the privilege of sharing in this meeting in which we have all been gathered to consider the great challenges facing us as Alaska Natives. The issue of this conference of the Alaska Federation of Natives is central to the future success of Alaska Native peoples. Tommy Ongtooguk Our very existence as distinct peoples within Alaska-the very existence of our communities-rest on how we answer the challenge of this conference: education and cultural self-determination. For the last thirty years we have avoided the heart of the dilemma about being Alaska Natives in this world at this time. Our political leaders in the 1960s were caught up in the conflicts and threats resulting from federal and state governments and many other people taking Alaska Native lands - lands and waters we had been living on for countless generations. We accepted our life on these lands and waters as blessings with enough hard challenges to press the very best efforts from us as people. Many of the Elders here today are offering to share with us all the lessons of our ancestors and what the land, the waters and the animals have to share with us. The world is more than money and there are lessons we can best learn as a part of the world our cultures have grown up within. Our schools were originally intended to break the connection we had to our lands and waters and to break the spirit within us that keeps us nurtured as Alaska Native peoples. Schools tried to cut out of our minds our distinct understanding of the world and our place within it. Schools tried to erase Alaska Native cultures from the world. Most tragically, schools tried to erase being Alaska Native from the hearts of our young people. Fortunately for us and for the world, the heart of being Alaska Native could not be erased. In many places our Elders and some very tough parents ignored the falsehoods put forward in schools about Alaska Natives being primitive or savage. Our young people learned very different lessons at home, at fish camps, at hunting camps, at pot-latches, around traditional feasts and during ceremonies. Some of our young learned from the lessons of traditional dances and even from within the folds of some culturally friendly churches. Most of all our young people learned through the lives of Elders who demonstrated the importance of giving to the community as more important than gathering for oneself. The best Elders taught with their lives the value of sharing as more important than taking. The Elders also taught there was more to life than others would have us learn. The lesson of developing what one Elder, William Oquilluk, called the power of imagination (www.alaskool.org) has been essential in allowing us to exist and grow as Alaska Native peoples. We must learn again to imagine more than what is taught in our schools and on TV. We must again reject the lesson of ignorance about being Alaska Native. The challenge of cultural self-determination will not be won by the Native corporation with the biggest bank account. A good future for the next generation of Alaska Natives will not be established on winning some lawsuit. A political win will not produce cultural victory. Success in business, in politics and in the courts is important for Alaska Native people to exist with dignity in this world today, but while these are necessary they are not sufficient. With the creation of Regional Education Attendance Areas (REAAs) Alaska Native peoples won the promise of some measure of self-determination and control over the education of rural Alaska Native young people. This was a new and uncertain task 27 years ago as Alaska Native communities began to take over our schools. We, as Alaska Native communities, were so happy that our young people might not have to leave anymore to acquire an education, we just wanted our young people to be as happy as we were at simply being together. For years many of our Alaska Native communities had not experienced having young people living within our lives all year round. In some ways we seem to have forgotten how to help young people learn about their responsibility in contributing to the community. I think some of us expected the expert teachers to raise our young people as boarding home schools had raised us. We live in the midst of this challenge today. It's been 27 years since the REAAs were formed and 37 years since the Alaska Federation of Natives was formed, and finally the issue has been raised about Alaska Native education and cultural self-determination. I think we can put this issue into some direct questions for our communities, our schools, our teachers and most importantly ourselves. By the time our young people graduate from school what will they be expected to know about our cultures? What will Alaska Native young people learn about us? What should Alaska Native young people learn about us? For schools and teachers and communities that think they are doing pretty well on this issue consider these questions: How many of our Alaska Native high school graduates will have read any-ANY-Alaska Native author? Most current Alaska Native graduates will not have had a single essay, speech, novel, short story, legend, oral history, piece of poetry or anything written by an Alaska Native during their 12 years of schooling. How many Alaska Native young people can name an Alaska Native leader and what that leader fought for on our behalf? How many Alaska Native young people know their Alaska Native organizations and why they were created? Too many of our young people are not being given the chance to learn about us. The shame is not theirs-it belongs to all of us. As youth and Elder delegates you can stand up and say this is wrong. We must reverse the direction of schools. Schools and communities must come together and ensure the opportunity to learn about our own history, Alaska Native leaders and oral traditions that, in some cases, Alaska Native organizations have spent millions of dollars preserving and yet the lessons of our Elders still remain silent in most of our schools. I think the Youth and Elders Convention should ask the business and tribal delegates to address the theme of this year's convention first before they get lost for another year in the politics and money issues that so often preoccupy them. We need commitment to change. I suggest a new resolution asking the other delegates to begin answering the questions: "What should Alaska Native young people learn about us? What organizations, leaders, legends, poetry, stories, oral history, political and social issues should we learn about as young people? No professional educators can answer these questions for us, nor should they. We, as Alaska Natives, together should begin to ask and then answer the questions ourselves. We have young people in Bethel who do not know who Jackson Lomack or Chief Eddie Hoffman was. We have young people from the Interior who do not know who Morris Thompson or Rosemarie Maher were. We have young people from Southeast Alaska who do not know who Elizabeth Peratrovitch was. We need a resolution to ensure that education does not come up every ten years or so but sits at the core as a central focus of the Alaska Federation of Natives. In this regard I recommend a resolution calling for a vice-president of education within the Alaska Federation of Natives. We need a resolution asking AFN to seek funding to coordinate the learning opportunities of the Youth and Elder Convention in ways similar to what Close-Up has done for learning about federal and state issues. We need a resolution coordinating what is taught at cultural camps and after-school programs, changing what is taught in schools and changing what teachers learn about Alaska Natives. There are many other parts of this issue that must be addressed. We should have a resolution that supports web sites as places to learn and share about our regional and statewide cultures, organizations and issues. We need a resolution to support Alaska Native young people who live outside the state to learn about us. These young people who live outside the state now number in the thousands. While they may be living out-of-state, they have not left our hearts nor have they left the purpose of the AFN Youth and Elders Convention. We have too many young Alaska Natives who do not feel nor do they learn any sense of connection to our Alaska Native communities. We must ensure that our young people learn key ideas about being Alaska Native, about our communities, about our issues, about our challenges, about our leaders, about heroes, about the tragic parts of our histories and about things for which we can all be rightfully proud. This is not happening. This must change. Our Alaska Native young people must know that we want them to learn about our rightful place in this world, about the challenges we have faced as peoples and the opportunities they will share. Most of all, our young people must know we care about who they are as well as what they know. We must love and respect our young people enough to share our greatest riches with each one of them. We must share our heritage so they can contribute to it, as well as to each other's and the world beyond. Education and cultural self-determination are one and the same. | |
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Iñupiaq Region: Discovery, Native Science After-School Activites by Katie Bourdon:Paula Herzner and Katie Bourdon, EHP staff, have been using Alan Dick's Village Science and the Alaska Native Knowledge Network website as resources for class ideas. Barbara Pungowiyi, Nome Public Schools Native Programs Director, has provided Native science fair exhibits from her junior high and high school students. These exhibits have served as examples for the young students in the Discovery class. Elder Esther Bourdon joined the group on the first day to talk about harvesting salmon and the various ways to preserve it. The students were willing and eager to begin cutting fish for hanging, smoking and salting. An experiment was done on frozen fish, dry fish and fish left out at room temperature for a few days. The youth learned about bacteria, the importance of weather and keeping blow flies away and about surface area. Elder Esther Bourdon sitting on the right and Zachary Bourdon cutting fish to hang. Watching from left to right are Maggie Ahkvaluk, Cody Sherman and Rachel Pomrenke in the front. * to R: Maggie Ahkvaluk, Darla Swann, Emma Outwater; teachers Josie Bourdon, Joel Bachelder, and Jenny Bachelder. Teachers Miss Bourdon and Mrs. Bachelder both picked the campfire coffee. Recently, the kids did an experiment with coffee. Local Elder Frank Okleasik regularly gets his tea water from Glacier Creek and donated the creek water for an experiment. The kids made percolated "campfire" coffee using the Glacier Creek water. Filtered coffee was also made using regular tap water. The students went around to 6 different teachers to find out which coffee was preferred. "Old-timers say that campfire coffee is the best" (Alan Dick's Village Science). Students hypothesized about the outcome of the experiment; most guessed that three out of six would know the difference. Zachary Bourdon's hy-pothesis was correct: five out of six preferred the campfire coffee. The students had fun making the coffee, presenting their experiment to the teachers and documenting their results. Darla Swann packs tomcod with baking soda to begin the mummifying process. Another fun (and in the kids' words, "cool") activity was mummifying tomcods. Paula Herzner's family had fished for the tomcods prior to class so the students were able to gut them in class, weigh them and document their observations of the fish before the mummifying process. Loads of baking soda filled and en-capsulated the tomcods. The following week, the students again weighed and documented their findings. They cleaned out the old baking soda and repacked the tomcods with enthusiasm. After two weeks of dehydrating, the results were mummified tomcods! We want to share our experience to encourage other communities to have their own after-school Native science class. The resources are available, as long as there are volunteers in your community who are willing to plan and work with the youth. Please contact Kawerak Eskimo Heritage Program at (907) 443-4386 or at ehp.pd@kawerak.org for more in-formation about having your own Native Science after-school activities. Visit the Alaska Native Knowledge Network at www.ankn.uaf.edu for class ideas and activities and to find Alan Dick's Village Science. Go Native Science! Editors Note: Village Science by Alan Dick, is available online at www.ankn.uaf.edu/VS. An interactive version for the computer is also available online or on CD free-of-charge from the ANKN offices. | |
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Learning Styles Grant Summary by Bob Maguire:National research on the effect of learning styles-based teaching has demonstrated that this style of teaching can produce a dramatic increase in student achievement and learning. The training of classroom teachers in how to assess individual students learning styles and, more importantly, how to set up classroom learning environments and develop teaching strategies based on learning styles is very exciting for Interior Alaska school districts. In the AINE Learning Styles grant there will be three "partner teachers" hired to serve as trainers and mentors for other teachers within the two districts. The FNSBSD will have two partner teachers and the YKSD will have one. During the first year of the grant, AINE will advertise and hire one position within YKSD and one position within the FNSBSD. The timeline for hire is second semester of the 2003-04 school year (January-May). These partner teachers will reside in Fairbanks and receive Learning Styles training as well as observing and working in a model Learning Styles classroom in Fairbanks. They will also be extensively involved in the planning of the 2004 Summer Institute on Learning Styles for teachers. Beginning with the second year of the grant, the partner teachers will mentor and work with both the YKSD and FNSBSD teaching staffs on site in their various classroom locations. In addition, the AINE Learning Styles Center grant will contain a curriculum development strand. This will allow for the continuation of culturally-relevant curriculum through the Project AIPA model based on the concept of an Elders academy bringing together certified Native teachers and selected Elders in a camp setting. The certified teachers then develop curriculum units based on their experiences. The potential for educational change throughout these two Interior school districts through the Learning Styles concept is extremely exciting. Anyone wishing further information regarding this new grant can contact Sheila Vent, Learning Styles Center project secretary at (907) 459-2141 or by e-mail: vents@doyon.com. | |
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Native American Songs as Literature by Vivian Martindale:Classrooms don't have to be boring. Literature classes especially can be enhanced through the medium of song. In David Leedom Shaul's article "A Hopi Song-Poem in Context", he claims that the listener is similar to an audience during storytelling, in that the listener is also interacting with the music. The listener, as a participant, is not passive; the listener is hearing rhythms, words, patterns and much more. The listener does not have to understand the Native language in order to appreciate the song. Shaul calls attention to the genre called "song poems." These songs are in a category by themselves, separate from poetry and prose. "The text of song-poems in Hopi culture, like much poetry, seemingly create their own context by virtue of minimalist language" (Shaul 1992:230-31). Therefore it would be interesting to include the concept of song poems or poetry as music into a curriculum. Poet, songwriter and saxophonist, Joy Harjo, is one such example of an artist/poet whose work could be shared in a class on Native American literature. Other than being a poet, Harjo is in her own band called Poetic Justice. Harjo is from Oklahoma and is an enrolled member of the Creek Tribe. Her work combines music with poetry. According to Harjo, "The term poetic justice is a term of grace, expressing how justice can appear in the world despite forces of confusion and destruction. The band takes its name from this term because all of us have worked for justice in our lives, through any means possible and through music." Harjo's lyrics to her songs are a reflection of her poetry, "a blending of rock, blues and prophecy" (Princeton 2003). I include here an excerpt from Poetic Justices' song "My House is the Red Earth," words and music by Joy Harjo and John L. Williams: My house is the red earth. It could be the center of the world. I've heard New York, Tokyo or Paris called the center of the world, but I say it is magnificently humble. You could drive by and miss it. Radio waves can obscure it. Words cannot construct it for there are some sounds left to sacred wordless form. For instance, that fool crow picking through trash near the corral, understands the center of the world as greasy scraps of fat. Just ask him. He doesn't have to say that the earth has turned scarlet through fierce belief, after centuries of heartbreak and laughter (Poetic Justice 2003). Poetic Justice is just one example of how contemporary musicians use poetry to express issues facing Native Americans today. Song poems, in themselves, hold a unique element of language and culture. In a more traditional manner, songs from around Native America could be included, not just for listening enjoyment, but also could include students' input on the lyrics; afterward asking how the students thought the poet/artist expressed themselves and how they felt when listening to the songs. Traditional singers could be invited into the classroom to perform. But of course permission to perform the songs and dances must be given by the owners of the song so educators need to be aware that there is an aspect of ownership as well as some songs and dances are only to be performed at certain times of the year and by specific persons. Usually dancing and other forms of expression accompany songs. Students could be encouraged to close their eyes briefly and afterward record what they heard as a participant compared to what they saw as a participant. Also ask the students if they felt as if they were participants on some other level or were simply an observer or listener. In many of the contexts, songs may not have to be translated if they are performed in their Native languages. One can simply enjoy the language, how it sounds, how it feels to the soul. For further studies on Native American song poems a good source is by author and editor Brian Swann called Song of the Sky: Native American Songpoems. Although adding music and song in a literary context may seem like a revolutionary idea, Native Americans have been using songs to educate since time immemorial. According to an article on the Alaska Native Knowledge Network, "Singing and dancing were very important to the Athabascan people. People often made up songs about events, love songs, war songs or about relatives who had died for the death potlatch. The children at potlatches and community events observed the adults as a means to learn how to dance and sing. Children learned to sing very early as it was very important to the Athabascan way to carry on their teachings through oral languages" (ANKN 2003). And yes, even college students enjoy learning through the medium of music and song, especially when it opens up the world of literature from other cultures. Another resource for educators comes from Canyon Records called Traditional Voices, which includes recordings made in the 1950s and 60s. These rare songs were recorded by "historically important singers from all over United States and Canada." This collection offers a glimpse into the rich and varied tribal cultures of twenty different Native American tribes. Samples from the works include songs such as the Navajo "Yei-Be-Chai Chant," Northern Chey-enne "Sun Dance Song," and the Tohono O'odham, "Song Of The Green Rainbow." Through traditional songs and dances this recording would be an excellent tool to introduce students to Native American literary forms. Songs or song poems, whether traditional or contemporary, can be one instrument for educators to utilize in order to explore various Native cultures. Involving local singers and dancers is also important as well as any students who are willing to share their songs and dances with their classmates. Dance and songs are a means to understanding Native American cultures. To appreciate other cultures, it is good to immerse ourselves in each other's songs. References Alaska Native Knowledge Network. 2003. Athabascan Winter Studies: The Dene' Indigenous Peoples of Interior Alaska. Electronic document, http://www.ankn.uaf.edu/ANEunit/aneindex.html, accessed July 14, 2003. Harjo, Joy. 2003. Joy Harjo. Electronic document http://www.princeton.edu/~naap/harjo.html, accessed July 14, 2003. Harjo, Joy. 2003. KACTV Publishing/Muskogee. Mekko Productions, Electronic document, http://www.joyharjo.com/index.html, accessed July 14. Shaul, David Leedom. 1992. "A Hopi Song Poem in Context" In On the Translation of Native American Literatures. Brian Swann ed. Washington: Smithsonian Institution. Traditional Voices. Electronic document, http://www.canyonrecords.com/cr7053.htm, accessed July 14, 2003. Phoenix: Canyon Records. | |
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Native Educator's Conference and BMEEC Merge for 2004:The annual Native Educator's Conference (NEC) and Bilingual-Multicultural Education and Equity Conference (BMEEC) will be held at the Anchorage Sheraton February 10-14, 2004. Registration information and a preliminary event schedule can be viewed at: www.ankn.uaf.edu/bmeec. NEC will be held concurrently with the BMEEC, with NEC workshops running as a special strand focusing on culturally-responsive strategies for education in Alaska. A strong set of panelists and workshop presenters from throughout Alaska will provide a stimulating look at what schools and communities are doing to implement the Alaska Standards for Culturally Responsive Schools. The first day of activities will consist of pre-conference work sessions where all are invited to join in. The morning session will focus on finalizing plans for the re-establishment of a statewide Alaska Native Education Association to assist with the efforts of the regional Native educator associations that have been formed over the past ten years. In addition to adopting a set of by-laws and electing officers, discussions will be held regarding potential projects for which the new ANEA can seek funding, including support for sponsoring regional cultural orientation programs. The afternoon session will address performance criteria for the establishment of a cross-cultural specialist endorsement that will be presented to the State Board of Education for approval to be implemented in a manner similar to the current reading and special education endorsements associated with a state teaching certificate. We encourage everyone to attend the work sessions and participate in shaping these initiatives. In the evening of February 10, we will host the annual Honoring Alaska's Indigenous Literature awards ceremony and reception at Josephine's on the top floor of the Sheraton. Everyone is invited to join in this event recognizing people from each region who have contributed to the rich literary traditions of Alaska Natives. | |
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The Williwaw Way by Matthew Dunckel:Every fall, just before school begins, the teachers at Williwaw Elementary School spend an afternoon visiting each of their new students at home. It is amazing what a home visit by a teacher can do for the life of a student and their parents. Welcoming a student and their family into the educational community allows for a sense of belonging. A stronger bond exists between children, their parents and a school community when all feel involved and committed to the students' education. Some parents view school as a place that people go to loose their culture and language, but these home visits allow the Williwaw staff to show parents that their childrens' culture and first language will be embraced while at school. Home visits have become a standard practice at Williwaw Elementary for the last four years. Bonnie Goen, the principal at Williwaw, believes these visits are becoming a tradition for the staff and the students. "The more we know about our students and where they come from, the better educators we become." Ms. Goen feels so strongly about the home visits that she requires them during the in-service days, prior to the first day of school. She hopes that teachers will get a sense of their students outside of the classroom and that the students will see their teachers outside of the school setting. A teacher needs to be understood as an educator and as a person, just as students need to be seen as both students and individuals. "We gain empowerment through cultural bonds." Ms. Goen adds, "... getting out there and seeing where these students come from allows us to see where we need to go as a class." To further the sense of community, Williwaw plans a barbecue later the following day for all students and their families. By embracing all languages and cultures, a tone is set for positive educational interaction. Williwaw notifies the parents the afternoon the teachers will be visiting, and the day takes on a festive quality with children running up and down sidewalks eager to see their new teacher arrive. Students stop former teachers and talk openly about what they are doing now and how they are enjoying their summer. Bonnie and her staff understand that because of the varied cultural backgrounds of the student body, a personal bond needs to emerge early with the children and their parents. Due to the cultural make up of the school community there are a large number of parents who do not speak English, so their children are in the unique position to act as translators. Even with this language barrier the home visits have created a sense of unity. These interactions between parents and educators foster an awareness that their childrens' cultural identity will be accepted and not become an obstacle. After the visits end the students of Williwaw are less apprehensive about the first day of school. They come to school ready to learn. Although home visits aren't standard in the Anchorage School District, they are valuable. With expanding class size and multiple ethnic groups represented, classrooms with the advantage of home visits benefit substantially. Trust isn't given freely-it must be earned-and home visits start that process before the students ever leave for school. | |
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Translations of Native American Literature by Vivian Martindale:From On the Translations of Native American Literature, ed. by Brian Swann). When offering translations of Native American texts in the classroom, an educator ought to be aware of the background of the translated material that is offered. The written text is simply not enough as discussions must include information about the author if available, background information about the culture and demographics, information about the translator and, most importantly, the implications of translation from oral traditions to the written form. Only then can an educator offer an honest examination of the Native American text. Brian Swann's On the Translation of Native American Literatures is one such resource for educators. Published in 1992 by the Smithsonian Institution, this book is divided into four sections. The book opens with a brief introduction by Swann, followed by a second section providing an overview of the translation of Native American literature. In section three, Swann organizes the contributing essays by language and geography. Finally, section four concerns itself with the translations of Central and South American Indian literature. When offering translated texts in the classroom an educator must consider a very important point: "The very problematic relationship between the academics who study this material and become its interpreters to American society at large, and the people who live in it" (Swann 1992). One should realize that the Western worldview provides a different context for interpreting material that is originally performed in a Native American context. The translator, considered the author (especially in older published texts), is often Euro-American. So therefore when reading poetry or songs from as far back as the early seventeenth century through the 1800s and early 1900s, no value was placed upon accurate translation of Native literature. In the essay "Tokens of Literary Faculty" by William M. Clements, he claims translating the songs, poems and oratory of Native Americans was done simply to control them and ultimately eliminate their culture. Clements strongly stresses the opinions of the times: "The songs, stories and orations of the Indians had so little literary merit that they deserved the same fate as the cultures in general. Since they could be consigned to oblivion with no esthetic loss, translating them served at most the purposes of those who sought to understand Native Americans for the sake of efficiently subjugating them." When translated, oral traditions were written to fit the popular forms of poetry and songs of the times. Euro-American translators thought there was an infancy in the language that would eventually mature with the Natives becoming civilized (Clements 1992:35-37). Therefore, offering students who study and appreciate Native American literature these thoughts could profoundly change how they interpret the material. These reasons could account for the stereotypes and prejudices about Native Americans that evolved into our American culture. For example, from books and other literature we read about the stoic Indian, the savage, the vanishing Indian, the child-like Indian and the drunken Indian. All are images that began with translators who came from a different worldview than the Native peoples themselves. This insight, however, should not dissuade the educator from offering older texts in the classroom or other valuable interpretations of Native literature by non-Natives, but the educator should definitely discuss with students the background of the translator and the views of the times. Also discussed should be how much time the translator spent in the community and what, if any, knowledge the translator had about the community or people. The question should also be asked "Does the translator have a reliable person from the Native community who they consulted on the translated material?" For many Euro-American translators the goal is to be aesthetically pleasing to the market for which the translator is working. In regions where the languages are non-existent and the translator only has anthropologist's and ethnologist's documents to work from, with no local speakers available, the translator is in danger of taking excessive creative license. Fortunately in Alaska there are Native language speakers still available for consultation. The culture and demographics of the material being examined is also important. Since reading literature from a particular culture is an excellent way to learn about that culture, it would be valuable if students looked up terms they didn't understand and were presented with an overview of the culture. Items to consider are the location of the community and a bit of historical perspective about the region from which the literature comes. For example, if one would be studying Velma Wallis' Two Old Women, it would enhance the readers experience if they knew where Velma lived and where the story took place. In Wallis' case, she is an Alaska Native and she herself is the translator of the story from the oral tradition to the written form. Wallis also used some creative license to re-tell the story for publication with editing help from others. In this case, Wallis' book is probably a more accurate style of the retelling of an oral tradition than many earlier works in Alaska that were done by non-Natives (Wallis 1993). Lastly, the implications of translating an oral tradition into the written form must be considered when exploring Native American literature in the classroom. Many older literary works from the 1800s aren't up to modern standards of translative criteria (Clements 1992). A good technique to introduce into the classroom would be to invite a Native American orator to tell a story using the oral traditions prior to the students reading a written version and then, at another time, have them read the story first prior to hearing and watching it performed. Knowing the difference and identifying the possible places where interpretation could differ is a valuable lesson when reading material that is based upon oral traditions. An educator must be aware when offering material that are translations from oral traditions that not all translators come from the same worldview as the Native peoples they are writing about. But despite this, Native American literature, whether a translation or by the original author, offers wonderful ways to explore the beauty and uniqueness of America's numerous Native American cultures. References Swann, Brian, ed. 1992 On the Translation of Native American Literatures Washington: Smithsonian Institution. Wallis, Velma. 1993 Two Old Women: An Alaskan Legend of Betrayal, Courage and Survival. New York: Harper Collins. Clements, William. 1992 "Tokens of Literary Faculty," In On the Translation of Native American Literatures. Washing-ton: Smithsonian Institution. | |
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Unangax Language and Culture:The Unangan Language and Culture students in Unalaska have been working on reproducing traditional Unangan artifacts. As part of the program the students had the opportunity to do hands-on type of projects. One of the first projects the students worked on was carving of an Aleut mask. All mask carvings were based on what was found in historical texts and pictures. Once the students started carving they did a good job in portraying what an Unangan mask might look like. Here are some of the students' work and what they had to say: Maqulaasigˆulux by Garrett Pletnikoff This mask is Maqulaasi}ulux which means "no reason to be an idol." It is made out of basswood, which isn't traditional material. If it were a traditional mask it would have different facial expressions, it would have a hat and it would not have such white teeth. Way back, a long time ago, the Unangan would use driftwood such as yellow cedar. They used this wood because it has less knots so it is a lot easier to work with. The Unangan used stone adzes and bones to make the masks, well, a thousand years ago the Unangan did this. The paint I used was a red ochre and flat white. The red ochre was used in the time of war so it is basically war-paint, but I just got a can of red paint; do you know how they got red a thousand years ago? First they would collect ochre rocks and they would grind the red ochre into fine dust, and then oil was mixed and red paint was made. I used the white paint for the teeth. I also have an untraditional "labret," which means he is a man. The bigger the labret the higher the person's social-class in the village. Chugudaxˆ by Jon Nichols After I bent my hat I then painted it. I got most of my designs for my hat from Glory Remembered, a book on the wooden headgear of Alaska sea hunters. The main Aleut traditional design on my hat is a design created by Andrew Gronholdt. The sea lion whiskers tied to the top of the visor represented how successful the hunter was, and the longer the whiskers the better the hunter. To paint the hat, I used acrylic paint so that it would last a long time. I used only traditional Aleut colors to keep it in line with the culture. The colors are turquoise, black, and red ochre. After all the painting was done I then layered the hat with a clear varnish to preserve it even longer and make the paintings on it stand out more. Then I tied duck feathers to the sea lion whiskers with sinew for decoration and also to show that the person who wore it was a duck hunter. Ayagam Tayagˆuu by Alberto Oropeza This mask is named Ayagam Taya}uu, which means, ladies man in Unangax. The mask is made out of basswood. All of the decorations are painted on with acrylic paint and have some sort of meaning. For example, on the Ayagam Tayu}uu mask there is an item on the chin called the iqlu{, which determined where an Unanga{ came from and what their status was in the village. Also, the colors used to paint this mask are very common in other things, like bent wood hats, spears and spear throwers. Masks where used by the Unangan for ceremonial and feasting purposes, but after Christianity was introduced by the Russian Orthodox church priests, they did not want the Unangan to have masks because they believed that they attracted evil or bad things. The Unangan decided that masks where bad based on the newly formed religion, and that is when masks were abolished. Presently masks are being brought back by the Unangan people and replicas are being made of what we think they may have looked like in the past, but that is a long ways to the real intent of the Unangam Sagimaaqluu. | |
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