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 Contact information in earlier issues could be outdated.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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Welcome Dixie Dayo:Dixie Dayo was recently hired as a program assistant for the Alaska Native Knowledge Network. Dixie is originally from Manley Hot Springs and will be working in Fairbanks at the Harper Building. She can be contacted at 474-5086; her e-mail address is fndmd1@aurora.alaska.edu. Dixie has worked a number of years for Bean Ridge Corporation (the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act village corporation of Manley Hot Springs), the Manley Village Council and as an operating engineer dispatcher/equipment coordinator. Dixie Dayo has a B.A. in rural development from the University of Alaska Fairbanks but says that her most valuable education has been her Indian education taught to her by Aunt Sally Hudson; two Mom's, Judy Woods and Elizabeth Fleagle; older brothers, Robert and Darryl Thompson and many others who have taken the time to explain the traditional Native way of thinking, working and seeing. "It is exciting being employed with a project where I am able to fulfill my goal of learning about ALL the unique Native cultures in Alaska." | |
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Welcome Frank Hill, New Co-Director:Frank was born in Iliamna, Alaska to Katie Trefon (Denaina) and William Hill. He has spent most of his youth, adult and professional life in the Iliamna Lake and Bristol Bay region. Frank attended schools in rural Alaska and received his B.Ed from UAF majoring in high school math and science education. He taught those subjects in the Anchorage and Bristol Bay Borough schools for nine years. After receiving an Ed.M from Harvard Graduate School, he began his educational administration career with the Lake and Peninsula School District interspersed with a year of further graduate study at Montana State University. For the last ten years, Frank was the superintendent of the Lake and Peninsula School District retiring in June, 1997. Dottie and Frank have three children, and one grandson. Frank and his family have been and continue to be Bristol Bay commercial fishers. Frank hopes to utilize his education, professional and personal experiences and his dedication to improving education in rural Alaska in supporting AKRSI. He has been involved informally with the AKRSI since its inception, and has enthusiastically supported the project. "I am very pleased to become formally involved with AKRSI and will try to do as well as Dorothy M. Larson has done in supporting the efforts of the others working for the project." | |
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Welcome Jeannie O'Malley-Keyes!:Jeannie (Creamer) O'Malley-Keyes was born in Fairbanks and grew up with parents, grandparents and six brothers and sisters on a dairy farm outside of Fairbanks that is now a wildlife and migratory waterfowl refuge. Jeannie is currently a part-time student with the University of Alaska Fairbanks, working towards a degree in sociology and human services technology. She has one daughter, Kirsten O'Malley-Keyes, who graduated from UAF in 1994 and who is now happily teaching in a rural, mountainous area in Japan. Jeannie brings to the ANKN project many years of experience as an administrator for various Fairbanks organizations and UAF departments. Memorable projects include scheduling local and national visiting performing artists into the local schools and communities, working on Claire Fejes' manuscript, The Villagers, being one of the pioneer women to help build the Trans-Alaska Pipeline and initiating and helping bring about the Chena Athabascan culture and history exhibit at the Creamers' Refuge Visitors' Center. Jeannie's passions are drawing and painting, hiking, canoeing, cross country skiing, berry picking and gardening. "We have much to learn from the ways of the Alaska Native people who lived and survived (and continue to survive) in Alaska" says Jeannie. "If we had listened to them, we wouldn't have houses and buildings sinking into the permafrost, people getting lost, starving and freezing to death in the woods or a radioactive Amchitka. We would know and protect the plants that are good for food and medicines and know better how to survive physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually on this part of the earth. I am honored and happy to be a part of the Alaska Native Knowledge Network and am looking forward to learning more about Alaska Native cultures and doing whatever possible to be of assistance to those involved in promoting and preserving the Native ways of knowing. I feel the survival of humanity depends upon it." | |
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Welcome to Leona : | |
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Welcome to the New Regional Coordinators from Frank Hill, Oscar Kawagley and Ray Barnhardt:Co-Directors of Alaska RSI We would like to extend a warm welcome to the AKRSI family for Branson Tungiyan (Nome), John Angaiak (Bethel) and Velma Schafer (Fairbanks), as well as a welcome back for Andy Hope (Juneau) and Teri Schneider (Kodiak). These people have taken on the role of regional coordinator for their respective regions as we move into Phase II of the Alaska Rural Systemic Initiative. We also thank the regional non-profits for taking on the responsibility of coordinating the AKRSI activities across their cultural regions, along with the sponsorship of the regional tribal college initiatives. We look forward to a strong and continuing partnership with the Elders, communities and schools throughout rural Alaska. Contact information for each of the regional coordinators is provided on page nine of this newsletter. | |
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Welcome! Alaska First Nations Research Network Coordinator:Hi! My name is Beth Leonard. I am from Shageluk and have lived in Fairbanks since 1978. I was hired in May as a part-time coordinator for the Alaska First Nations Research Network (AFNRN). The AFNRN is the Alaska chapter of Mokakit, an educational research organization formed by the First Nations people in Canada. My responsibilities include working with the Alaska Native Knowledge Network (ANKN) and the Doyon Foundation in the development of curriculum guides and research materials to assist schools in implementing curriculum on the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) and the subsistence way of life. I am currently working on a database of ANCSA curriculum and resource materials which will be imported into the larger curriculum database by Sean Topkok, the project Indigenous curriculum specialist. Most current ANCSA curriculum materials are oriented toward high-school students. As this part of the project progresses, we will need to define what information students should know about ANCSA by grade level and also find culturally appropriate ways of integrating this information into the current curriculum. The goal is to build on students' knowledge of ANCSA and subsistence issues throughout their education. I am very pleased to be working with the ANKN and am looking forward to working with the regional coordinators, school districts and educators involved in the project. | |
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Welcome, Moses!:Moses Dirks is originally from Atka in the Aleutians. He will be working out of Anchorage and can be reached through AFN at (907) 274-3611. His e-mail address is fhmd@aurora.alaska.edu. Moses was most recently with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service as Regional Subsistence Coordinator and has traveled extensively in the Aleut Region. Moses is one course away from his Master of Arts in Teaching. He has been involved in teaching Aleut language, culture and history in the schools in Anchorage, Unalaska, Aleutians East Borough, False Pass and Aleutian Region. During 1991-92, Moses developed a marine mammal biology kit for use in the science curriculum in rural Alaska schools under a Murdock Science Project graduate fellowship. Among other accomplishments, Moses served as co-editor with Dr. Knut Bergsland transcribing and translating tapes and legends for Aleut Tales and Narratives into English. He was a language specialist verifying the accuracy of words in the various sub-dialects of the Aleut language for the Aleut Dictionary Project. Besides being involved in education, Moses has done videotaping work and operated a closed-circuit television station; served as postmaster in Atka; and served as mayor for two years in Atka. In 1988, he received several awards including an Alaska Legislative Citation, the Alaska Bilingual Teacher of the Year and was a finalist for the National Bilingual Teacher of the Year. Moses rounds out our excellent team of regional coordinators who will be instrumental in the coordination and implementation of the Alaska Rural Systemic Initiative (ARSI) plan. Moses was involved in the Alaska Native Science Colloquia in Chena Hot Springs, so you will have an opportunity to become reacquainted with Moses and welcome him at our consortium meeting in April at Chena Hot Springs. | |
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Western Alaska Natural Science Camp by Lorrie Beck:The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service received a $20,000 grant in 1992 to fund the first camp. As partners, the Alaska Department of Fish & Game, Association of Village Council Presidents, Calista Corporation, Kuskokwim Campus, University of Alaska Fairbanks and the National Audubon Society contributed monies and in-kind services (materials, labor, equipment and facilities) to match this grant. In 1993, the Kuskokwim Campus and the University of Alaska Fairbanks received a three-year grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) which provided $45,000 annually through the summer of 1995. This enabled us to expand the camp and provide opportunities for thirty students to attend one of two sessions during July. The staff of the camp has evolved over the years to include a camp director, camp cook, and five staff teaching assistants. During each camp session, numerous guest speakers from the cooperating agencies visit the camp and make presentations. Elders and tradition bearers visit the camp sessions and make presentations on their knowledge of traditional Yup'ik natural resource management techniques and values. Camp brochures and application packages are sent to schools in the Lower Kuskokwim, Lower Yukon, Yupiit, Kuspuk, Kashunamiut and St. Mary's school districts. Students thirteen to sixteen years of age are eligible to apply. Applicants are rated on the letters of recommendations required from a science/math teacher and village elder/leader plus their level of interest as exhibited on the application form. A numerical rating system is used when evaluating applications, however, we select students based on diverse village representation as well as high scores. In past years, we have received over 100 applications for the thirty positions, so competition is keen. Through our cooperative agreement, we have developed a good working relationship and have continually been successful in recruiting students for the camp. To date, over 100 students from the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta have attended one of the two ten-day sessions we offer during July. Guest speakers provide agency specific presentations, which outline skills and education students will need to obtain careers within that agency. Hands-on activities are also conducted that reinforce the skills needed for various jobs. For example, students examine rocks, pan for gold and study geologic maps during Calista's "Geology Day". We have had Alaska Native people serve on the science camp planning committee since the camp's inception. They've represented AVCP (fisheries, biologist/natural resources biologists), Calista Corporation (geologist), Kuskokwim Campus, UAF Resource Apprentice Program for Students (RAPS-student mentors) and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (Native Contact Representative/Refuge Information Technicians). | |
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What Is This Thing Called "Love"? by Angayuqaq Oscar Kawagley:Universe, God) is the giver of love, the light of intelligence and understanding. Love allows one to do almost anything for something held dear in the heart. It is a powerful emotion which is unconditional. Based on this, I can say that love is a sense of belonging and being in touch with something that is good and beautiful, thus deserving care and harmony. It then behooves Alaska Native people to instill this sense of love in education, in cultural camps and in everyday life. We want our students to be connected to order, to the patterns and symmetries of this universe. We want them to be able to see the good and the beautiful in their own place. This bonding with place will allow the Native people to do things that will not harm that place, to do things to rebuild, reclaim, regenerate and rehabilitate that place where necessary. They, in essence, will be thinking in terms of the happiness and satisfaction of the Seventh Generation. When some of these Native people become scientists and technologists, they will do things that make them happy as they are immersed in the beauty of the place in which they live. This love of place is sometimes lacking in modern scientists and technologists who are often trained to operate without a heart, such as the Tinman in the The Wizard of Oz. Too often scientists and technologists are expected to use only the brain without giving due consideration to the heart. We, as Alaska Native people, must learn to love oneself, love one another (kenkuraulluta), and above all relearn to love place. | |
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What's in a Name? by Rachel Craig:Naming of our children is something that we as Inupiat have taken for granted. Everybody has to have a name, right? If we run out of Inupiaq names of people we like, then we ask our mothers or grandmothers or other close relatives for names that they would recommend from earlier generations or other kinfolk that we were not aware of. It pleased them to know that we would turn to them for assistance in something as important as the naming of our child. This is one of the times that they rehearsed our family trees to us and wonder why certain names did not get used from either side of the family. As prospective parents of the new namesake in the family, we also got a glimpse of the depth of feeling that our grandparents had for those early forebears and what some of our ancestors' characteristic traits were. This lesson in our ongoing genealogy brought the generations closer together. It gave our generations thoughts and glimpses of our forebears that we knew nothing about. It gave our informers the opportunity to remember their relatives that they had not thought about in a long time, plus giving them a time for a "teaching moment" to the next generation. Another custom of some of our people is that some elders single out a young child as their future mother or father. Aakaksrautiin (my future mother) or aapaksrautiin (my future father), the old people would call the child. Somehow they appreciated the qualities of that child with whom they wished their namesake to live. We didn't pay much attention to the words of the old people when we were in our primary ages, but those endearments are remembered at the time of childbearing age. Take, for instance, my maternal grandfather. I don't remember the exact circumstances one day when he let me know that he didn't want me to name any of my children for him because he said I was impatient. His namesake might be subjected to too much scolding, he said. It didn't matter to me at the time because I was too young to be thinking of children. Years later, I cared for my nephew when his mother was ill in the hospital. Unbeknownst to me, apparently my grandfather observed my "mothering." He said to me then, that if I should have any children, even an adopted one, that I should name one for him. His mother died while my grandfather was young and his father raised him and his two older brothers. Therefore, he would like to call her namesake his "mother." When the elders hear that so-and-so's name was bestowed on a newborn baby, the attitude of our elders then was that the person had "come home" through the new namesake. Even though I have worked with our elders for many years, I haven't yet figured out if the Inupiat believed in reincarnation when they made comments like this. Perhaps it's just a figure of speech that, in essence, the person has "come home" as a namesake in a new person. There are some individuals that our grandparents say do not merit naming our children after. From my understanding, it's not so much the discarding of the name but because of the negative character traits that the person had. If the baby is given that person's name anyway, words are spoken to the baby to the effect that the previous namesake used up all those negative qualities and for the new baby to pattern his life just the opposite way-the specific qualities that the baby was supposed to seek after were spoken to him. The thing that goes along with naming is that when you talk to a newborn baby, the child hears the words spoken to it and unconsciously internalizes them. Later on you see those traits just naturally exhibited by the child as he is growing up. To give the newborn child words of wisdom of the character traits in its first few days of life that you want him to live by the rest of his life is an important custom among the Inupiat. In later years, as the good qualities become evident in that person's life, sometimes the only explanation is that so-and-so had spoken to the baby in his infancy. That's why he is the way he is. Very strong medicine. Perhaps I'm the only Eskimo that many of you have seen, or will ever see. We very seldom call ourselves Eskimo, but because of the power of the printed word, that's how the world knows us. It was the Cree Indians of Canada that the explorers heard call us Eskimo meaning "eaters of raw meat" in their Cree language. Of course the printed word spread that name all over the world. But from time immemorial, the relationship between the Inupiat and the Indians has been pretty much like the Hatfields and McCoys, although there were some exceptions which ended in marriage. That is hardly the case now for us in Alaska since we have been thrown together and educated by the good old U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs in boarding schools. We found out that some members of the other tribes weren't so bad after all. But our name for ourselves has always been Inupiaq which translates to an "authentic human being" or a "real person." In other words, a local Native person, one whose bloodlines are not mixed with other human groups. This does not implicate dislike for other ethnic groups. A Native mixed with Caucasian bloodlines would be Naluagmiuyaaq (mixed with people with bleached skin), one who is part black would be Taaqsipaiyaaq (one sired by a person having dark skin). I think we Inupiat have become notorious for marrying into all ethnic groups of the world. Back to naming. For most of my young years, I thought I was named for my maternal great-grandmother. My grandfather always called me Aakaan-meaning "my mother." It was much later when I was doing our family genealogy that I began to realize that my mother's younger sister had died in May and I was born the following December, so I was actually named for my aunt. My maternal grandmother used the same crooning words to me that she had used for her deceased daughter-my namesake. Our word in Inupiaq is "nuniaq" when you say all those sweet endearing words to the babies. It makes the baby smile and become coy and not know what to do. In Inupiaq, we say that the baby una. My great-grandmother, for whom we were named, was the favorite niece of one of her uncles. Whenever the uncle hunted, he would save his niece the choice piece of meat from the breast of ptarmigan or other fowl-savigutchaurat, we call them because they are in the shape of a knife. So my great-grandmother, whose name was Piquk, actually became known as Savigummuaq, a fractured Inupiaq word that was intended to mean "somewhat like a shape of a knife." Some members of my family sometimes call me "Savik" for short, meaning "knife." When they ask me how I am, I tell them that I'm sharp as ever. Actually, I have had some dull days, too. So as names go, Savigummuaq is actually Piquk, like Peggy is Margaret or Bill is William. I also have other namesakes like Quunnignaq (one who calms the waters), Kayuqtuana (root word is fox) and Kaluuraq (has something to do with a drumbeat.) These are the names that my grandfather, Piquk's son, told me about. Later on, I found out from other people that my atiins were also Sapiqsuaq, Taapsuk and possibly others. All my namesakes have treated me with the utmost kindness and best regard and I know that anyone of them would have helped me in any way they could as much as I would do for them. Being atiin with someone gives you a special relationship that makes you proud to be with them and uplift them as really good exceptional people. Our expectations from our namesakes are high and we would do any good thing for them and stick up for them. Two beautiful girls have been named for me. One is a beautiful teenager of Irish descent with beautiful blue eyes who has grown taller than me. She is the eldest of eight children. Another girl, from my extended family, is about four years old. She has a black father and she is equally beautiful in her personality and very much loved by her brothers. I have a special bond with these my namesakes. We really don't know how old our names are or how many generations have used them. There's no way we can do literature research, either, because all our history was oral until an orthography was developed for our Inupiaq language in the late 1940s. Inupiaq names are given to us regardless of gender. I have a friend who has a family of boys. She named one of them for her grandmother who raised her. One of my uncles named one of his sons for his mother. It is our understanding that if a male person is given a known female's name that somehow that person becomes a good hunter. My own mother bore her uncle's Inupiaq name. I hardly knew her since she died when I was five years old. However, she was known as a sharpshooter among her family. She could take a -25.35 rifle without an attached scope and the geese that are flying high that she aimed at would one by one fall to the ground. Her father used to take her seal hunting with him because of her shooting skills. And yet she was just as feminine as any woman who loved good clothes and was conscious of her femininity at other times. She also had a sister who was named for their grandfather. This sister was strong and drove a dogteam, brought home logs to burn for fuel, blocks of ice to melt for drinking water and did village-to-village freighting by dogteam like any man. But still she raised a large family of her own. Some members of my family sometimes call me "Savik" for short, meaning "knife." When they ask me how I am, I tell them that I'm sharp as ever. My mother's siblings that survived consisted of a brother (the oldest in the family), five sisters in the middle and, finally, another brother (the youngest.) The oldest brother was chosen by a local old woman to be her-new namesake because my uncle's three eldest siblings had died in infancy and they wanted this baby boy to live. In her day, the old woman was a known shaman and her instructions were that he should not be called her name while she lived. So one of his names became Atqiluaraq (one without a name) and he became Qinugan upon the elderly lady's death. To qinu is to desire something, so I imagine his name became your desired one. When we were growing up we just accepted people's names without wondering what they meant. It is only when we were exposed to the Western culture and began to be asked all kinds of questions including what our names meant that we started to think about our Inupiaq names in terms of meaning. Another custom of our people is that when one of the children dies, the parents bestow the same Inupiaq name on one of their younger newborn children. Then, for the record, two individuals bear the same name in the same family, except that one of them was born earlier but is deceased. My understanding of that situation is that whoever bestowed that name on the child loved the original namesake so much that they want to keep his name alive in the family. I don't think the Christian concept of resurrection of two members in the same family having the same name even figured into the practice. This is a practice that pre-dates the introduction of the Christian religion to the Inupiat and it is still practiced today even among people who have become good Christians. Another custom that is prevalent is that when an adult is recently deceased, a new baby is given that deceased person's name. It doesn't really matter that the deceased is not a blood relative. I believe it is considered an honor to have the privilege to name your child for that person to perpetuate his name and memory. I have given you real examples of how we are given our names. These are not theories, but situations which have developed in families and happened in real life. I hope they mean something to you. They certainly do to us Inupiat. | |
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Where There's Smoke There's Science by Steve Werle:3 Alan Dick, AKRSI Village Science Coordinator, spent several days prior to the science fair working with Noatak students to build an "imaginarium" displaying several hands-on science projects that included a reflection box that uses lights to superimpose the images of two students as well as the "great oil race" that compares the viscosity of various oils. The stampede of children when the display opened and the lines in front of each activity attested to their popularity. After the Noatak science fair, the imaginarium activities were boxed up for shipment to other schools around the state. In addition to local village support, volunteer judges included two National Park Service biologists who made the 60-mile overland trip from Kotzebue by snowmachine as well as three Cominco Alaska employees who flew down from the Red Dog Mine, located 25 miles northwest of Noatak. Both organizations also donated prize awards for the winning students. Noatak students, Timothy Norton and Alice Adams demonstrated how to make fire with a bow and drill. If anyone in the room was disappointed that their efforts produced only smoke instead of fire, you couldn't tell it from the clapping and cheering. "Success in science is not always achieving your expected results," said Alan Dick. "Every student here is a success." Students had been working on their science projects all year, but a week-long crescendo of activity preceded this year's local science fair that culminated with an award ceremony February 19, 1998. Fifteen of the top-ranking Noatak students traveled to Kotzebue for the district science fair on March 5 and 6 where students from schools throughout the region displayed their exhibits in Kotzebue's Army National Guard facility. Webber Werle attributes the increased interest in science, in large part, to support from the Alaska Rural Systemic Initiative and the University of Alaska Fairbanks for promoting science education among rural students. For example, two scientists-in-residence, Larry Duffy and Kathy Berry Bertram, made several visits to Noatak the past year leading educational activities about the Aurora Borealis and oil spills. Developing a networking relationship between the university and village students is important in improving rural science education, according to Webber Werle, pointing out that several Noatak students attended a science camp held at the University of Alaska Fairbanks last summer. "A high quality science education can enable our students to walk successfully in their two worlds of tradition and cash economy," said Webber Werle. Basketball will probably always be the king in the Arctic, but if interest in science continues to blossom, we may be seeing starter jackets displaying pictures of Einstein alongside those of Michael Jordan. Noatak students Timothy Norton and Alice Adams attempt to make fire without matches. Science fair judge, Paul Dusenbury from Cominco, Alaska, interviews Martha Woods and Jadda Sherman about their project called "Foxes". | |
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WHISKERS! 2.0.:The Alaska Department of Fish & Game, Division of Subsistence and the Alaska Native Harbor Seal Commission announce the joint release of WHISKERS! 2.0. WHISKERS! is a multicultural, multimedia database of indigenous local knowledge about Alaska marine mammals organized into seven geographic regions: Southeast Alaska, North Pacific Rim, Kodiak, Alaska Peninsula, Aleutians and Pribilof Islands, Bristol Bay and Northwest Alaska. The Alaska Department of Fish & Game, with support from the Alaska Native Harbor Seal Commission, compiled the database from key respondent interviews with Alaska Natives in approximately 65 Alaskan coastal communities between 1992 and 1998. As a result, over 3100 notes have been compiled from Elders and active hunters. WHISKERS! will * assist teachers with meeting Alaska science curriculum standards, * integrate traditional ecological knowledge and wisdom with western science, * utilize technology in the classroom and * implement locally-relevant and culturally-responsive curriculum material. To receive a free copy of the CD and user's guide, send an email with your name, affiliation and mailing address to Craig Mishler, the compiler of the database. Craig's email address is zippy@alaska.net. | |
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Who is this child named WIPCE? by Ac'arralek Lolly Sheppard Carpluk:WIPCE 2002 Alaska participants peek out the door of a teepee after dance practice. Top L to R: Olga Pestrikoff, Lolly Carpluk, Virginia Ned, Bernice Tetpon, Caroline Tritt-Frank. Bottom L to R: Florence Newman, Yaayuk Alvanna-Stimpfle, Nita Rearden, Cecilia Martz, Julie Kangin. Photo by Lolly Carpluk Dr. Verna J. Kirkness equated WIPCE to being a child who was born in Xwmelch'sten, North Vancouver, Canada-a difficult and laborious birth, she recalls. From there WIPCE was nurtured and suckled at Turangawaewae Marae, Aotearoa (New Zealand) in 1990 on its third birthday and then on to Wollongong, Australia for its sixth birthday in 1993. WIPCE's ninth birthday was spent in arid Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1996 and in 1999 WIPCE was really happy to spend its twelfth birthday in Hilo, Hawai'i. This year's host for WIPCE's fifteenth birthday was the First Nations Adult and Higher Education Consortium (FNAHEC). The conference drew 2500 people to the beautiful site of Stoney Park on the Nakoda Nation Reserve near Morley, Alberta, Canada. I had no idea what to expect when I attended my first WIPCE in Albuquerque in 1996. I had no clue that I would share similar struggles in education with likeminded indigenous peoples who soon became friends from across the world. Little did I expect to network with indigenous people who had developed models of education and a way of thinking that were the beginnings of turning indigenous education around. Little did I expect to participate in celebrations of who we are as indigenous peoples with dancing, singing and, most important of all, the sense of humor that pulls us through all of life and its challenges. All this happened and more. The sharing of models and ideas flourished with the attendance of over 5000 people at the Fifth World Indigenous Peoples Conference on Education hosted by the Hawaiians in Hilo, Hawaii in 1999. So, too, the networking and connections continued with the Sixth World Indigenous Conference on Education in Stoney Park. The WIPCE 2002 mission statement stated that we would celebrate "the sharing and promoting of indigenous-based initiatives by featuring holistic educational efforts to maintain and perpetuate our ways of knowing and to actualize the positive development of indigenous communities." The conference objectives supported the mission statement by providing a means for indigenous nations to honor their cultures and traditions by recognizing, respecting and taking pride in respective unique practices. The conference opening and closing ceremonies, the daily sunrise ceremony, the evening cultural exchanges and performances and the many workshops provided the means to achieve these valuable experiences. In addition, the conference provided a continuation of dialogue and action around educational issues that indigenous nations face, as well as a forum for international exchanges and the promotion of experiential teachings that actively involved all conference participants. Workshops and presentations were held in over 60 teepees sprawled out over a field at WIPCE 2002 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. We honored and recognized the teachings of our Elders by incorporating their experiences in the various workshops and activities. The conference organizers sought to strengthen and continue the WIPCE legacy that indigenous peoples gain greater autonomy over their everyday lives and strive to overcome the effects of colonialism. Presenters were encouraged to share how they are implementing the provisions articulated in the Coolongata Statement on Indigenous Rights in Education that was adopted at the 1999 WIPCE in Hilo. FNAHEC was founded on the belief that the realization of cultural identity is essential to the development of the self-actualized person. So it was their intention that hosting the world conference would enable them to "bring about greater unity and co-operative action to make our world the place that our creator intended it to be." The conference brought educators together from around the world to provide opportunities for collaborative initiatives. A challenge in hosting the conference was to make the circle larger by bringing representatives from countries that had not previously participated. Thus the conference included people from Central America and Samiiland. The WIPCE 2002 logo was drawn by Allen B. Wells from the Kainai Blood Nation in Alberta. His logo captured the proud spirit of First Nations heritage and the attainment of education. The peace pipe stood as a spiritual symbol of our cultural beliefs, a gift from the Great Spirit. Within the circle was a teepee, the meeting and learning place from which emanates the knowledge for living that is passed on from generation to generation. The mountains in the background represented the spiritual essence of our culture. They also formed the beautiful backdrop for the chosen venue of WIPCE 2002-the land of the Nakoda Nation. The feathers represented the four seasons flowing in perpetual motion-the Circle of Life. Also, embodied within the meaning of the feathers is the Great Spirit above whom has blessed us with spiritual, mental, physical and emotional balance to live in harmony within His creation. WIPCE 2002 began on a cold, gray day nestled in a clearing surrounded by poplar and pine trees, with the majestic Rocky Mountains in the background and the beginnings of the Bow River as it flowed from the mountain range out into the prairie lands that surround Calgary. We, from many international indigenous nations, huddled together for warmth on bleachers as we listened to the opening ceremonies. The largest contingencies came from Hawai'i and Aotearoa, with more than 100 from each nation. There were about 30 people from Alaska, a majority of whom are involved with the Alaska Rural Systemic Initiative, either as employees or memorandum-of-agreement (MOA) partners. On Monday, Tuesday and Friday, workshops and presentations were held in over 60 teepees sprawled out over a field that is also gopher and grasshopper habitat. We either walked or rode on golf carts from the entrance to our destinations. Most of the teepees had no electrical outlets which presented a challenge for those who came with Powerpoint presentations or had planned to use transparencies. As a result, we truly relied on traditional methods of sharing through our oral tradition. It made for a startling jolt from the taken-for-granted modern technology that we have become accustomed to. But by the end of the week everyone was comfortable with this type of presenting, because it seemed to encourage more interaction. We were taken to a time where we had to listen with our ears, eyes, minds, hearts and souls. The Alaska Rural Systemic Initiative representatives and MOA partners put on a joint presentation with a delegation of Native Hawaiians from the Kahuawaiola Teacher Education Program in Hilo. This presentation was held in a virtual teepee (outdoors on the ground), and it was appropriate since it accommodated a large audience. Part of the Alaskan group held a dance practice in one of the teepees before the joint presentation, as we didn't want to be out-done by the Hawaiians with traditional dances. Yaayuk Alvanna-Stimpfle and Nita Rearden each lead an Iñupiaq and a Yup'ik dance, respectively. Over the last two years there has been an intense exchange and networking between the Alaskan and Hawaiian Native education groups around the development of cultural standards, which was the theme of our three-hour presentation. This is a great partnership that is sure to continue with the development and exchange of models and ideas to improve education. Elder Julie Kangin giving her presentation at the "virtual teepee". WIPCE 2002, Stoney Park, Calgary, Alberta. Photo by Lolly Carpluk A group of us attended a workshop presented by Graham Smith of the University of Auckland in which he shared recent developments among the Maori in Aotearoa (New Zealand). He discussed at length a theory of transformative action during which he shared that the Te Kohanga Reo (language nests) served as a flagship for a new mindset of indigenous peoples realizing that the movement to integrate indigenous language and culture was an affirmation of self-determination. As indigenous peoples we are cognizant that our languages and cultures are parallel to and on par with those of the colonizers and thus we do not need external endorsement that our culture is valid and something we should be proud of. This realization has now reached to all levels of education and is having an impact on everything from infant to tertiary (postsecondary) institutions. Another presentation that we attended was lead by Pita Sharples of Auckland, Aotearoa. He presented a rationale and strategy for the development of a Maori Education Authority, where there would be a Maori education minister with joint responsibility for the coordination of all Maori education programs. He wanted feedback from the audience on this concept as a way to exercise greater self-determination and to increase Maori control over Maori education. Virginia Ned and I led a workshop on "Promoting an Indigenous Perspective in Research." I discussed my personal journey in becoming an indigenous researcher, with help from the timely work and publications by Linda Smith of Auckland, Aotearoa and Marie Battiste of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. I discussed the benefits of doing a community research assessment and how I would like to go about it. I believe each Native community is at a different level in their journey to accepting research from an indigenous perspective. Virginia presented her preliminary study of research that has been conducted in the Interior Athabascan region. The results from her study are extensive and very interesting and should be shared with Native peoples throughout Alaska. All the participants were interested in finding out more about further work on indigenous perspectives in research. On Wednesday and Thursday, we had the opportunity to participate in cultural and educational tours. A group of us went on the Siksika (Blackfoot) Nation tour. We went onto a reserve that was 20 by 80 miles in size. Our tour was opened with a prayer before we visited historic sites, including a memorable visit to the site where Treaty Number 7 was signed. The significance of the setting was felt spiritually and moved a group of Maori who were on the same tour to lead a prayer and blessing. We were treated to a wonderful feast and powwow. WIPCE 2002 gave birth to a new organization, the World Indigenous Nations Higher Education Consortium (WINHEC). The declaration establishing WINHEC states that, "as indigenous peoples of the world, we recognize and reaffirm the educational rights of all indigenous peoples, and we share the vision, united in the collective synergy of self-determination through control of higher education". The members of the consortium are also committed to building partnerships to pursue common goals through higher education. This was a historic moment, bringing together indigenous higher education representatives from all the indigenous regions represented at the conference to support the creation of this new organization. The concluding comments by the five representatives of past WIPCE organizing committees gave us a clearer picture of what WIPCE has been and will continue to be-the rebirth of indigenous peoples realization that our language and culture will always define who we are, and it is our right and responsibility to make sure this is passed on to future generations. Thus it was appropriate that Dr. Verna Kirkness equated WIPCE with a child, for the rebirth of indigenous peoples education began with the infant in the language nest and has grown to nurture the full potential of our children and their parents as we move through the different stages of development and grow into those who will become our future Elders. For that child, it has been a time of celebrating learning, celebrating cultures, celebrating our ancestors, celebrating who we are and celebrating our goals and aspirations. As Verna pointed out, it has also been a time to share our knowledge, a time to give thanks to the Creator and even a time of romance, not only among the young but among the old(er) as well. That child's image has been molded by each nation that has hosted the conference, helping us to continually discover new ways to move beyond being merely guests in someone else's educational system. We need to better define who we are and continue to highlight what is indigenous about WIPCE. As the Elders have taught us, it is important to take good thoughts with you and leave the bad thoughts in the snow, so that come springtime they may be reborn into good thoughts. Dr. Bob Morgan of Australia pointed out that Elders are our pathway to the past and the youth are the custodians of the future. As the WIPCE child has grown, there have been themes of cultural affirmation by performances and ceremonies; exchange of ideas and materials where we learn from each other and develop connections between and among nations, strengthening and reinvigorating ourselves in an open forum, networking and sharing so that the whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts, celebration and renewal for all to love being indigenous and thankfulness that we are going home with full hearts to take the learning and growth to our families. . . . our language and culture will always define who we are, and it is our right and responsibility to make sure this is passed on to future generations. In looking to the future of the WIPCE child, Verna Kirkness encouraged holding youth forums, emphasizing that we need to do more for our youth so they know that we now have new instruments by which we can reinvigorate our educational agenda. We can create a path of harmony for our young people and we can create institutions that celebrate our advocacy for indigenous education. We are fortunate to have our Elders who can guide us in our return to our traditional language, laws, values, beliefs and rituals that will be at the center of the rebirth, rebuilding and recreating of our institutions for tomorrow. As this year's theme stated, the answers are going to have to come from within us. Our traditions will show us how to cleanse our souls and our minds to deal with finding the answers. Harold Cardinal reminded us that we have to look deep within ourselves as we revisit our past to create the most successful institutions for our future, so they will bring harmony to our nations, as well as to the rest of the world. The Maori of Aotearoa were selected to host the 2005 WIPCE. There was an eruption of celebrations as this news was shared. It is appropriate that the WIPCE child return to Aotearoa, since the Maori have created models of education for the whole child. We will try our very best to be patient for the year 2005 to arrive, when we can all join in another open forum of renewal and celebrations. I would like to thank the Nakoda Nation and FNAHEC, on behalf of the Alaska contingency, for the wonderful and loving care you shared with us in hosting WIPCE 2002. As I was leaving the bus that took a small group of us to the Calgary airport, the nine year old girl that accompanied her mom (who was the bus driver) gave me a pin that said, "Make the Circle Stronger." So, as the WIPCE logo incorporates the Circle of Life, may we continue to be blessed with spiritual, mental, physical and emotional balance as we live in harmony with all creation. | |
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WINHEC Formed At WIPCE by Merritt Helfferich:Declaration On Indigenous People's Higher Education On this day, August 5, 2002, at Kananaskis Village, Alberta, Canada, we gather as indigenous peoples of our respective nations recognizing and reaffirming the educational rights of all indigenous peoples. We share the vision of indigenous peoples of the world united in the collective synergy of self determination through control of higher education. We commit to building partnerships that restore and retain indigenous spirituality, cultures and languages, homelands, social systems, economic systems and self-determination. We do hereby convene the World Indigenous Nations Higher Education Consortium. This consortium will provide an international forum and support for indigenous peoples to purse common goals through higher education. By our signatures, we agree to: 1. Accelerate the articulation of indigenous epistemology (ways of knowing, education, philosophy, and research); 2. Protect and enhance indigenous spiritual beliefs, culture and languages through higher education; 3. Advance the social, economical, and political status of indigenous peoples that contribute to the well-being of indigenous communities through higher education; 4. Create an accreditation body for indigenous education initiatives and systems that identify common criteria, practices and principles by which indigenous peoples live; 5. Recognize the significance of indigenous education; 6. Create a global network for sharing knowledge through exchange forums and state of the art technology and 7. Recognize the educational rights of indigenous peoples. In the spirit of ancestors and generations to come, we hereby affix our signatures below: [signed by over 100 WIPCE participants] The initial signing took place at a ceremony outside the Delta Lodge in Kananaskis Village, Alberta where signatures were affixed to the charter document while it lay on the ground to mark the indigenous peoples interdependence with the earth. After prayers, members of the interim executive committee named at the meetings signed the document while about 30 Maori sang songs in the background. Following the signing, there were additional prayers and a lot of hugs and cheers! | |
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WINHEC Initiates an Indigenous Accreditation System by Ray Barnhardt:The model criteria for an accreditation review around which much of the discussion revolved consisted of a higher education adaptation of the Alaska Standards for Culturally Responsive Schools, variations of which are to be developed by other indigenous peoples wishing to participate in the IIHEAA process. Following is a summary of the draft principles, around which a more detailed accreditation system will be developed. Guiding Principles for WINHEC Accreditation Authority Following are some of the guiding principles to be considered in the formation of an indigenous higher education accrediting system for implementation under the auspices of the World Indigenous Nations Higher Education Consortium. The WINHEC Accreditation Authority will serve as a vehicle for strengthening and validating indigenous higher education institutions and programs based on standards and procedures developed and implemented by WINHEC member institutions. The criteria for accreditation review will be founded upon the local indigenous language and cultural beliefs and practices that provide the epistemological and pedagogical basis for the institutions and programs under review. The primary focus of the WINHEC Accreditation Authority will be the internal congruence and cultural integrity of the institutions/programs under review, with secondary consideration given to linkages with external/mainstream institutions and accreditation systems. The WINHEC Accreditation Authority will provide a means for institution-level accreditation of indigenous-controlled higher education institutions, as well as program-level accreditation of indigenous-oriented programs within indigenous and mainstream institutions (including teacher education programs). The accreditation review process will include the role of locally respected Elders and recognized cultural practitioners and the use of the heritage language(s) as reflected in the institution/program under review. The WINHEC Accreditation Authority will promote indigenous research that is respectful of cultural and intellectual property rights and closely integrated with the communities being served. The WINHEC Accreditation Authority self-study process will be guided by local cultural standards that are developed by the respective indigenous community and thus will provide international recognition and validation for educational initiatives grounded in indigenous world views, knowledge systems and ways of knowing. The WINHEC Accreditation Authority will provide accredited institutions and programs with access to the following WINHEC services: a. Each accredited institutional member shall have one vote on the WINHEC Accreditation Authority Board and shall be invited to participate in program reviews of other candidates for accreditation. b. Each accredited member shall be included in the planning and implementation of cooperative activities (e.g., conferences, faculty/student exchanges, shared programs/curricula, cooperative research initiatives) of WINHEC programs and institutions. c. Each accredited member shall have opportunities to enroll students in and contribute to the offerings associated with articulated international baccalaureate and graduate degree programs focusing on indigenous studies, including the acceptance of approved transfer credits among all member programs and institutions. d. Accredited members shall have opportunities for faculty and students to form partnerships on joint research activities and to participate in faculty/student exchanges among member programs and institutions. e. Accredited members shall have access to a database of recognized indigenous scholars for external review of research papers, theses, grant proposals, manuscripts, etc. f. Accredited members shall be invited to participate in and contribute to international seminars, conferences, policy papers and comparable initiatives that pertain to the interests of the member programs and institutions. Process for Implementation Candidates for accreditation shall submit an application to the WINHEC Accreditation Authority and prepare a self-study addressing the criteria for review outlined in the Guidelines for Accreditation of Indigenous Higher Education Programs and Institutions. The WINHEC Accreditation Authority shall appoint an accreditation review team made up of representatives from at least four member institutions/programs, two of which are from the same national context as the applicant institution/program. The review team shall include a minimum of one Elder who has been associated with a member program or institution. The review team shall prepare a report based on a review of the self-study and an on-site visit to the candidate program/institution. This report (including the self-study) shall be submitted to the WINHEC Accreditation Authority for final consideration of membership approval. Anyone wishing additional information or wishing to offer suggestions regarding WINHEC and the Accreditation Authority outlined above can contact Ray Barnhardt at ffrjb@uaf.edu. | |
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World Indigenous Peoples : | |
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World Indigenous Peoples Conference: Education by Moses L. Dirks:The theme of the conference was "The Answers Are Within Us.'' It was evident that answers could be found from the elders and young people that were in attendance. The conference was one of the most exciting and educational events that I have ever attended. It provided a week-long program of workshops, cultural events, displays and some opportunities to take organized excursions to various American Indian settings in the area. We also got to meet with various indigenous groups worldwide. Groups represented were Maori people from New Zealand, Aborigines from Australia, Native Hawaiians from Hawaii, American Indians and a fairly large Alaskan group. The workshops were very informative and there was a sharing of similar struggles we, as indigenous people, face as we live our lives in our communities. I was also intrigued by the fact that the problems faced by the other indigenous people were very similar and the frustrations that they face are being addressed in much the same ways. There is progress being made in leaps and bounds by the indigenous peoples of the world in the areas of elementary, secondary and postsecondary education. The respective groups were presenting positive things about indigenous peoples getting more opportunities in schools. Indigenous ecological knowledge is not only being used more and more by the indigenous people but it is being used to teach other indigenous people also. Indigenous materials and historical texts are also being implemented in the curriculum. Alaska was represented well. Participating in the cultural events that WIPC:E sponsored were Tlingit, Aleut, Inupiat, Athabascan and Yup'ik people. We all had good fun and just being with all the people who were there was exciting. Gifts were also shared by the people who attended. The Alaska Rural Systemic Initiative had its own booth and made a presentation. Many thanks go to Dorothy M. Larson, Ray Barnhardt, Oscar Kawagley, John Pingayak, Bernie Alvanna-Stimple, Paul Mountain, Bernice Tetpon and Lolly Carpluk for helping man the booth. At the booth we provided information on the Alaska RSI program and sold quite a few of Oscar's books. Whenever you get a chance to attend a World Indigenous Peoples Conference on Education, I would highly recommend it. | |
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