Rural Alaska School Districts: Who Is in Control?

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VOL. 5, ISSUE 1 A newsletter of the Alaska Rural Systemic Initiative Jan/Feb 2000 Alaska Federation of Natives University of Alaska National Science Foundation Annenberg Rural Challenge

Rural Alaska School Districts: Who is in Control? Frank Hill, AKRSI co-director and retired superintendent ost of rural Alaska’s schools and districts are populated by Given the fact that few licensed Alaska Native students. School boards are elected by and administrators and teachers are Alaska M Native, or even Alaskan-born, the from residents of the district, resulting in mostly Alaska Native- assumption above is not a safe one to majority boards. With this fact one would assume that the Alaska make. At the present time there is not one Alaska Native school superinten- Natives of the region would have little to worry about concerning dent in Alaska, only a handful of whether their local culture and language would be a strong, if not Alaska Native school principals and (continued on next page) dominant, facet of the local schools’ curriculum and instruction.

Contents Rural Alaska School Districts: Who is in control? ...... 1 CIRI Foundation Teacher Mentor Project ...... 3 The Time Is Right to Write ...... 4 Dixie Dayo Assumes SOP Editorial Responsibilities ...... 5 Alaska Rural Systemic Reform ...... 6 Village Science: Mastodon Soup? .....7 AISES Corner ...... 8 Southeast Region ...... 9 Athabascan Region ...... 10 Iñupiaq Region ...... 11 Aleut/Alutiiq Region ...... 12 Nick Galaktionoff ...... 13 Yup’ik Region...... 15 ANKN Website ...... 16 2 SHARING OUR PATHWAYS

(continued from front page) the law is met in school operations. Alaska less than six percent of all teachers are There are few, if any, school laws or Alaska Native. Over 80% of Alaska’s regulations that require school ad- Rural Systemic newly-hired teachers continue to come ministrators to pay attention to the from out of state. local culture, language or environ- Initiative Since so few school district super- ment in the administration of schools Ray Barnhardt, Co-Director intendents and administrators are from and districts. State laws are designed University of Alaska Fairbanks Alaska, or are Alaska Native, they are to allow for variation to take place on ANKN/AKRSI often unfamiliar with the cultural and the local level. Schools and profes- PO Box 756480 environmental conditions of the dis- sional educators have a technical lan- Fairbanks, AK 99775-6480 tricts they administer. To the extent guage and jargon of their own that is 907-474-1902 phone that we tend to teach and administer often confusing and mysterious to the 907-474-1957 fax the way we were taught, in most cases general public. Alaska education laws e-mail: [email protected] rural Alaska school districts with and regulations are no less technical Alaska Native school boards and stu- or confusing. Oscar Kawagley, Co-Director dent populations are run just like Many Alaska Native school board University of Alaska Fairbanks Anywhere, USA. Add to this situa- members will not dispute policy or ANKN/AKRSI tion the extremely high turnover rate personnel recommendations made by PO Box 756480 of teachers and administrators in ru- their administration, assuming that Fairbanks, AK 99775-6480 ral schools, where in some cases you the administrators are the profession- 907-474-5403 phone literally have to start all over again als in these matters. In addition, mem- 907-474-1957 fax every year or two, we often end up bers of many Alaska Native cultures e-mail: [email protected] repeating the same mistakes over and do not, or will not, publicly disagree Frank Hill, Co-Director over again. I don’t fault these profes- with others even if they have other Alaska Federation of Natives sional educators alone because lack- opinions. Yet the school board is ulti- 1577 C Street, Suite 300 ing strong direction from the local mately responsible for the academic Anchorage, AK 99501 school boards they will do what they success of their district’s students. 907-274-3611 phone think best, even when they know it is Perhaps one of the causes of the lin- 907-276-7989 fax not, because they have only their own gering fact of low academic achieve- e-mail: [email protected] experience to draw upon. Recent State ment of Alaska Native students is due of Alaska improvements in profes- to the lack of assertiveness of local sional educators’ licensure require- school boards regarding budget, Sharing Our Pathways is ments begin to address the cultural policy, instructional program and a publication of the Alaska Rural Systemic relevancy issues noted above. How- personnel matters. Who knows the Initiative, funded by the National Science ever, the full effect of these improve- most about local needs: local members Foundation Division of Educational Systemic ments will not be realized until all of the school board or the administra- Reform in agreement with the Alaska Federa- teachers and administrators have been tor from Outside? tion of Natives and the University of Alaska. re-licensed under the new system. Perhaps a program to train Alaska We welcome your comments and suggestions If the local school boards do not Native school board members to more and encourage you to submit them to: have definite and strong policy state- fully realize their legal responsibili- The Alaska Native Knowledge Network ments concerning budget develop- ties and to actually take policy control University of Alaska Fairbanks University Park Building ment and approval processes, relevant of their districts should be developed. 1000 University Avenue curricula, teaching practices and ma- Of course, not all school boards would P.O. Box 756730 terials, school calendar considerations, need this training. It is my under- Fairbanks, Alaska 99775-6730 teacher/personnel hiring/performance standing that the Association of Alaska 907-474-5086 phone effectiveness reviews and staff devel- School Boards (AASB) has developed 907-474-5615 fax opment preferences, the administra- an accountability model for school http://www.ankn.uaf.edu tion will often carry out and operate boards, but I am not sure what level of e-mail: [email protected] the district with little if any input training or participation rural Alaska Newsletter Editor: Dixie Dayo from the governing body of the dis- Native school boards have had in this [email protected] trict—the school board. It is the pro- accountability model. Maybe a supple- Layout & Design: Paula Elmes fessional duty of the administration mentary funding program could be [email protected] to make sure that at least the letter of developed to assist AASB and the SHARING OUR PATHWAYS 3 local boards in implementing this administrators. However, they are school board members exercising their school board accountability program? both small in scope, with limited bud- responsibilities as policy-making bod- As a facet of Alaska Native self- get capacity. These are efforts that ies, not many of the initiatives dis- governance, I believe that control of should be significantly increased with cussed here will significantly improve education matters is an area that lends more funds made available. the academic performance of Alaska itself well to developing a locally- Without the elected Alaska Native Native students. relevant program of instruction with Alaska Native Educators in the classrooms as well as district offices. The long-term effect would reach into many other areas of Alaska Native self-determination. Also, if most of CIRI Foundation the teachers and administrators in rural schools were Alaska Native, the employment picture of rural Alaska Teacher Mentor Project would change considerably. In many villages, the highest paying jobs are unding for the Alaska Native Teachers for Excellence, held by non-Native, non-Alaskan FTeacher Mentor Project is provided by a three-year grant teachers and administrators. Too often the money earned from those po- from the U.S. Department of Education and administered by sitions goes outside the state with The CIRI Foundation, Cook Inlet Tribal Council, Inc., and the little secondary benefit to the rural Anchorage School District. We are in the second year of our economy. A program could be developed grant. that would train and sensitize new- to-Alaska teachers and administrators The goal of the Teacher Mentor 172 new contacts with prospective to teach and work in Alaska Native Project is to increase the number of teacher applicants, had 151 partici- villages and schools. Such a program eligible and qualified Alaska Native pants in the Teacher Mentor Train- once existed at the University of and American Indian teachers in ing Sessions and 44 teachers were Alaska Fairbanks where participants the Anchorage School District, so offered positions with other Alaska were sponsored by their districts to that by the year 2000 they will school districts. comprise seven-percent (210) of all learn about Alaska Native cultures Guidebook and living and working in small, of- teachers. ten remote schools where they would We hold seminars and private The Guidebook for New Alaska be in the minority. This program was sessions to assist individuals who Native/Native American Teacher discontinued but I believe that many wish to apply for teaching positions Applicants to the Anchorage School school districts would pay for their with the Anchorage School District District is available free-of-charge new-to-the-state teachers and admin- and other Alaskan school districts from The CIRI Foundation, 2600 istrators to participate in such a pro- or for students in the educational Cordova Street, Suite 206, Anchor- gram, especially if it were offered on field. They receive assistance with age, AK 99503. This book gives a regional level. Here is another area applications, interviewing, resume suggestions to consider when ap- that could have positive long-term writing and support services. There plying for a teaching position and effect on the stability and improved is no charge for our services. information on coaching strategies, interviewing skills, telephone con- academic performance of Alaska Na- 1997–1999 Highlights tive students. tacts and other resources and ideas Two promising programs are the The Teacher Mentor Project had to assist teachers who are pursuing Rural Educators Preparation Partner- several accomplishments during its a teaching career. ships (REPP) and Native Administra- first two years of operation. We Should you need further infor- tors for Rural Alaska (NARA). These have assisted 43 Alaska Native mation, please contact Marilyn programs sponsored by the Univer- and American Indian teachers in Forrester at 907-263-5583 or e-mail sity of Alaska have a goal to signifi- obtaining teaching positions with [email protected] . cantly increase the number of Alaska the Anchorage School District, made Native classroom teachers and school 4 SHARING OUR PATHWAYS The Time Is Right to Write By Dorothy M. Larson ave you checked out the local bookstore shelves lately? ery as the “Wild West” of southwest Alaska. Who wants to read about the HHow many Alaska Native authors did you find? Not an antics and parties of “Indians” as this over-abundance. But for those who have been writing and college professor called some of his subjects. It was another book of the publishing, I applaud them. We often find stories written about recent past that was purported to be Alaska Natives by others—stories with qualifiers like “as told to fact but disgusted old timers of the me by...” It’s not that these books aren’t well done, it is just area because it was filled with errors. It, too, was written by a former “long- time for us to write our own stories—to write the stories of our time Alaskan” now living elsewhere. Elders, our families, our lifestyles, our areas and our recollec- If his book were fact, he should be locked up in some penitentiary this tions. Unique voices will appear among the established voices as very moment. more Alaska Natives begin to write and publish. A year ago I attended the Sitka Symposium which is considered a An Alaska Native writer doesn’t paper, Tundra Times, with Howard writers’ conference. The symposium have to write about culture to be Rock at the helm. How we looked isn’t a true writers’ conference, but valid, even though that is how we are forward to the weekly edition of the people do write and discuss provoca- often first identified. Alaska Natives statewide Alaska Native newspaper tive issues. Authors are present to can write on par with other writers, with a fervent purpose—one of the critique and review manuscripts of including creative non-fiction, fiction, finest small newspapers ever pub- participants. poetry, technical, memoir, biography lished. Though we now have several The Mesa Refuge Program asked and autobiography, journalistic, his- rural newspapers in most regions of the Sitka Symposium for their list of torical, mystery, drama, spiritual and Alaska, these papers are more local in past participants in order to solicit all other categories of writing styles nature and often reprint outside news applicants for their unique writers’ and genres. from other sources. Wouldn’t it be retreat. The Mesa Refuge Program is a This isn’t meant to be critical of wonderful if there was a paper mod- new writers’ retreat in northern Cali- those writers who use their skills to eled after the old Tundra Times with fornia established to provide a place tell another’s story. If it weren’t for an Alaska Native editor, columnists where individuals can come to pay them, some stories might not have and reporters devoted to news impor- undivided attention to their writing. been told or read. This is meant to tant to Alaska Native people? The program is for established and encourage and support Alaska Native Recently, I read excerpts from a emerging writers as stipulated by the writers who want to write their own fiction book written by a former long- generous founders. stories. time Alaskan. Note “former” long- After much thought, I applied for A recent Anchorage Daily News time Alaskan. Though the book was the retreat on the last day the applica- article about Alaska Native writers fiction, there were characters in the tion could be postmarked for consid- Diane Benson, Anna Smith, Jeane book that seemed familiar; one had eration. A few weeks later, I was Breinig and Susie Silook was very the same nickname as a person I re- notified by a public radio message enlightening and refreshing. They membered from my childhood. I felt from my daughter (I was out at fish took the risk in the literary and art hurt for the person and their family camp) that I had been accepted. In my world to share their experiences. Their should they happen to read the book. wildest dreams, I never believed I experiences living in two worlds make I chose not to finish the book. would be chosen for this opportu- their writing insightful, powerful and Since I am from the area, I skimmed nity—two weeks by a national sea- poignant. They bring a special pres- another book about Bristol Bay on a shore with two other writers—a gift ence through their writing that is not local bookstore shelf. I leafed through of time and space. It was a dream come reflected when told through another. it and got the gist in just a few min- true. It hasn’t been that long ago since utes. It was a feeble attempt by the In the bio they put together, I was Alaska Natives had their own news- author to depict the Bristol Bay fish- called a Native poet and activist in the SHARING OUR PATHWAYS 5

Native community because of my past Mesa Refuge. This retreat forced me And to those of you with a similar involvement and experiences. The to focus. It wasn’t difficult to do be- dream, I hope you pursue it. word “activist” was not what caught cause the surroundings were tranquil The discovery at the Mesa Refuge my eye in my bio; it was that I was and close to nature. At first, I thought, that I could allow myself the gift of called a poet. Since 1971 when I first too close. I was only a few hundred time (without guilt) to write was a began writing, I called my writing a yards from the San Andreas Fault! revelation. We must give ourselves hobby. When I was a junior-high Once I put that out of my mind, the precious time and space to devote to student, I secretly dreamed of becom- environment, the setting and the am- our writing. It can apply to any craft ing a writer, but never pursued it biance was perfect—so conducive to we pursue. Learning to discipline until I took a course at Anchorage writing. I came home with a prelimi- oneself is a challenge. We must rid Community College many years later. nary draft of my book with new and ourselves of the distractions and al- Over the years I attended a number of old work to complete and a dream to low the garbage to escape and the new university classes and workshops with publish a book of poetry, prose and a material to take shape in our minds a couple of renowned poets and uni- few short stories. I am hoping to con- and hearts. There are Alaska Native versity professors. I participated in a vince a very talented artist friend to writers who write wonderful poetry, number of loosely formed writing illustrate my book for me. I want to children’s stories and who have nov- groups off and on, more off than on. I continue work on another project: a els waiting to emerge. These talented continued to call my writing a hobby cookbook I began collecting recipes writers can and should create their even though I had a few poems pub- for last year. I hope to be able to find niche in the Alaska and the global lished and read a short story I wrote a writers’ group where I will feel literary world. over the public radio station at home comfortable in order to share my work As Alaska Native writers enter the in Dillingham. and to read the work of others. new millennium, we can denounce When friends read my work, I Many questions arose for me: How the invisibility we have often encoun- never knew if they were just being would I get an agent? How would I tered. Alaska Native’s are a very vis- kind to me by telling me they liked it. get published? I still don’t have the ible, proud people. We are more than I returned to writing about a year and answers to those questions but I did capable of creating a significant im- a half ago. This class saved my sanity revisit my dream of some day becom- print—the time is right. and helped me through a very diffi- ing a poet, a writer and an author. cult time in my life. It was then I began to think seriously about writing. I’m not getting any younger and I figured that if I am going to write, I should get serious about it—write Dixie Dayo Assumes SOP more, improve what I have written, study writing and write more. Editorial Responsibilities In September I left for the two- week retreat at Mesa Refuge not quite n behalf of the AKRSI staff we would like to express our apprecia knowing what to expect. I was intro- Otion to Lolly Carpluk for the contributions she has made as the editor duced as a writer/poet to the other of Sharing Our Pathways over the past four years. Thanks to Lolly’s encour- two writers in residence. One resi- agement and vigilant editing, the newsletter has provided a valuable means dent was writing a book as a result of for educators throughout Alaska to share ideas, insights and practices that his work with the Audubon magazine. are making positive differences in the lives of rural and Native students. He had four to five publishers waiting for his overdue book. The other was a Lolly’s responsibilities have changed to incorporate teaching graduate recent graduate student who started a courses on Documenting Indigenous Knowledge and Cultural and Intellec- college geography magazine and be- tual Property Rights. Dixie Dayo has taken over the SOP editorial reins came editor and writer. I was the starting with this issue. Dixie, from Manley Hot Springs, has been associ- novice, for sure. ated with the AKRSI as a project assistant for three years. She is well A retreat is meant to renew, reju- equipped to assume the newsletter editorial tasks along with the editorial venate and inspire. There was no pres- support, layout and graphics of Paula Elmes. We look forward to many sure to produce; it was a gift of time. more stimulating issues in which rural educators share their pathways to a However, past residents have com- quality education. pleted books or began new ones at the 6 SHARING OUR PATHWAYS Report Released on Alaska Rural Systemic Reform in Education Ray Barnhardt, UAF; Jim Kushman, NWREL; Oscar Kawagley, UAF; Beth Leonard, UAF; Carol Barnhardt, UAF; Jerry Lipka, UAF; Sarah Landis, NWREL; Bruce Miller, NWREL and Seven Community Research Teams Below is an excerpt from an executive summary of the final report from a three-year mentoring and induction programs study of rural school reform conducted by the Northwest Regional Educational Lab in rural schools. (NWREL) and UAF in cooperation with seven rural communities and school ✛ Eliminate testing requirements that districts in Alaska. The balance of the summary will appear in the next issue of interfere with language immersion Sharing Our Pathways. programs. ✛ his report presents the results of a three-year study of Strategic planning needs to extend to the next generation or more Teducational reform in rural Alaska communities and schools. (20-plus years) at the state and The research revolves around seven case studies in villages and local levels. ✛ Strengthen curriculum support for school districts spanning western, central and southeast Alaska. culturally responsive, place-based These are primarily subsistence communities serving Eskimo approaches that integrate local and global academic and practical and Indian students. Each community had embarked on a reform learning. process called Alaska Onward to Excellence (AOTE) that strives ✛ Encourage the development of to create educational partnerships between schools and the multiple paths for students to meet the state standards. communities they serve. ✛ Extend the cultural standards and Native ways of knowing and teach- The study examined how educa- attention to educational accomplish- ing into teacher preparation pro- tional partnerships are formed and ments and setbacks, community voice grams. sustained and how they ultimately and the experiences and learning of ✛ Sustainable reform needs to be a benefit Alaska Native students. Try- students. The cases include qualita- bottom up rather than a top down ing to understand the systemic nature tive and quantitative evidence al- process and has to have a purpose of educational change was a focal point though hard data on student beyond reform for reform’s sake. of the study. In rural Alaska, systemic performance was limited and often ✛ Alaska Onward to Excellence change means fully integrating the inappropriate to the educational goals should be put forward as a means indigenous knowledge system and the pursued by communities. (process) rather than an end in formal education system. For rural The following recommendations itself (program). school districts, this means engaging are offered to educators and policy ✛ Form a coalition of organizations communities in education—fully in- makers based on the study. While to sponsor an annual conference tegrating Native culture, language and directed to the Alaska audience, these on rural education that keeps re- ways of knowing into the curriculum recommendations apply in large part form issues up to date and forward and meeting Alaska’s state-driven aca- to rural schools and communities any- reaching. demic standards and benchmarks. where in the country. ✛ These findings and recommenda- Each case study was led by a re- Stabilize professional staff in rural tions are discussed more thoroughly searcher from NWREL or UAF who schools. ✛ in the body of the report. It may be worked with a small team of school Provide role models and support obtained from NWREL or the Center practitioners and community mem- for creating a positive self-image for Cross-Cultural Studies at UAF bers who participated fully in the to which students can aspire. as well as the ANKN website: research. The case studies tell what ✛ Parent involvement needs to be www.ankn.uaf.edu/reform. happened as rural schools embarked treated as a partnership with more on a change journey through AOTE shared decision making. and other reform activities, paying ✛ Implement teacher orientation, SHARING OUR PATHWAYS 7 Village Science: Mastodon Soup? by Alan Dick recently asked a friend for an estimate of how many .30-06 lem with two digit divisors? They know all adults use calculators when Ishells I could reload from a one-pound can of 4895 powder. He traveling in that rocky terrain. Even took a wild guess then we did the math. We found that there are if we do the problem by hand, we’re not sure we are right. Train B leaves 7000 grains in a pound and 45 grains in a single cartridge. He had Boston going 60 mph. Train A leaves estimated 4 boxes of shells (20 shells to a box,) but we found that Los Angeles going 80 mph. Where do a pound of powder will reload almost 8 boxes of shells (155 they meet? Ugh, mastadon soup! Let’s give students a reason to use math to cartridges to be exact.) We did all that with simple multiplication solve everyday problems. Once they and division—fifth grade stuff. have developed an interest they can more readily move on to advanced As a carpenter I had a hard time ing, the steel will run up or downhill math. doing corners on banisters until I with a two-inch overhang on one end Most of us who live in rural Alaska learned to first copy, then bisect the and a conspicuously different over- use math on a daily basis but we have angle. When the pieces are cut at hang on the other. Problems ceased an aversion to contrivances with no exactly half of the intersecting angle once I started using a 6' x 8' x 10' real life applications. No ivory towers they fit like they grew together. Ge- triangle to set the first piece of steel. I here. They are too hard to heat in the ometry class rose to the forefront when built a 60' x 80' airplane hanger. The winter. I got out my compass and scratched roof overhang was consistent within the arcs, bisected the angle and then a quarter of an inch from one end of adjusted my chop-saw to the precise the building to the other. setting. We used to figure dog feed by the As a math teacher and a carpenter, bundle: 40 fish to a bundle, one fish a Alaska RSI Regional I have to admit that I have never used day per dog, 280 days from freeze-up the Pythagorean theorem to square a to break-up, multiplies to seven Contacts 2 2 2 building: A + B = C . When you do, bundles per dog per winter. Seven Elmer Jackson the answer comes out in feet and tenths times the number of dogs told us how Iñupiaq Regional Coordinator of a foot. Accurately converting tenths many bundles we needed . 907-475-2257 of a foot to inches just isn’t worth the Ratio and proportion? We use it all e-mail: [email protected] trouble. However, I know that a 3' x 4' the time mixing two-cycle gas and oil. Barbara Liu x 5' triangle gives a perfectly square Arcs and angles? How else do you set Yup’ik Regional Coordinator corner as do 6' x 8' x 10' or 12' x 16' x the azimuth when installing a satellite 907-543-3467 20' triangles: dish? Distance = Rate x Time. We do e-mail: [email protected] it constantly when traveling by Amy Van Hatten chalkline snowmachine from one village to Athabascan Regional Coordinator 6' another. 907-474-0275 As we assign importance to math e-mail: [email protected] 10' 8' skills let’s look around us and find Andy Hope examples that have meaning to the Southeast Regional Coordinator students. Those with no meaningful 907-465-8776 application should go the way of the first sheet of roofing steel e-mail: [email protected] mastodon, at least until the students develop some enthusiasm for the prin- Teri Schneider Aleut/Alutiiq Regional Coordinator One of the handiest uses of these ciples involved. 907-486-9276 triangles comes when installing steel Have you ever seen the glaze that e-mail: roofing. If the first piece of roofing comes over a student’s eyes after the [email protected] isn’t perfectly square with the build- fourth consecutive long division prob- 8 SHARING OUR PATHWAYS

(American Indian Science AISES Corner and Engineering Society) by Claudette Bradley would like to honor Alaska village teachers who have given Betty Taylor is a teacher at St. their support to the Village Science Applications initiative of Paul on the Pribilof Islands. She I collaborated with Debbie AKRSI. These teachers have helped with plans for AISES Bourdokofsky and Karin Holser on science camps and science fairs, recruited students for camps the St. George Stewardship Camp. Betty was also a teacher in the Sitka and fairs, interested other teachers, mentored students doing AISES Science Camp ’99. science projects and chaperoned students entering science Roby Littlefield of Sitka has taught in elementary schools and fairs. Each teacher has put in far more time and energy than I now keeps up with an active fam- have room to describe here. My heartfelt thanks to them for ily. She maintains the family sub- their dedication to the Village Science initiative. sistence camp at Dog Point where she coordinated the Sitka AISES The initiative began in 1995 in Chamberlin has picked up where Kate Science Camp ’99. She combined the Arctic region with four school left off. Elders and teachers in the camp districts. Deborah Webber-Werle, Rita O’Brien, a teacher at Ryan setting to help students develop K–2 teacher from Noatak, provided Middle School in Fairbanks, assisted science projects. outstanding leadership including in the planning and implementation AKRSI is proud of these teachers initiating the Arctic Region Profes- of the Interior AISES science fairs. and their work with students mak- sional AISES Chapter. She worked She also taught in the Fairbanks AISES ing science relevant to their per- with Alan Dick to bring his summer camps in ’97, ’98 and ’99. sonal, cultural and environmental Exploratorium to Noatak and Teri Schneider works full time for situations. The AISES national edu- worked collaboratively on the the Kodiak School District as an educators have commented on the spe- AISES science fairs in Kotzebue. cator on special projects and is the cial qualities our students bring to George Olanna, a retired sixth- AKRSI Alutiiq/Aleut regional coordi- the national fair and the uniqueness grade Iñupiaq teacher from nator. She recruited volunteer teach- of their projects. They encourage Shishmaref, mentored students on ers for the Afognak AISES science us to continue and would like to a solar power science project that camp; collaborated with the Kodiak model their programs after our became a grand prizewinner in the Native Association to have Elders at AKRSI Village Science initiative. Kotzebue fair. He also taught at the the camp and organized the Elders, The teachers and Elders who have Fairbanks AISES Science Camp in teachers and scientists to participate given to the Village Science Initia- ’97, ’98 and ’99. as judges at the Kodiak AISES Science tive is extensive and I may have left Ruth Sampson is a bilingual co- Fairs held in Old Harbor in ’98 and in out a few names—for this I offer my ordinator for the Northwest Arctic Ouzinkie in ’99. apologies. Borough School District. Her office is the science fair business center. She has also assisted with budgets, ALASKA STATE AISES SCIENCE FAIR decorating the armory and organiz- he winners of the regional AISES science fairs will participate in ing van transportation. the Alaska State AISES Science Fair in Birchwood, 15 miles out of Kate Thurmond is a fourth-grade T Anchorage, January 29–February 1, 2000. The fair will be held preceding teacher in Galena. She developed and concurrent with the Native Educators Conference(NEC) with projects an inservice workshop for science on display Monday morning, February 1 at the NEC. fair projects and fairs for teachers in the Galena School District. Kate col- For more details visit our website: www.ankn.uaf.edu/aises/ laborated with teachers to have a sciencefairstate.html. Winners of this fair will go to the AISES National Fair Galena Science Fair that preceded in Minneapolis/St. Paul. the Fairbanks fair. Gordon SHARING OUR PATHWAYS 9 Southeast Region Tribal college planning in Southeast Alaska: A Chronicle by Andy Hope

began working with tribal college planning in January 1998. raising ceremonies. More than 100 At that time, Sealaska Heritage Foundation was administering Tlingit Elders and clan leaders signed I a resolution endorsing the tribal col- the Kellogg Foundation planning grant for Southeast. Ted Wright lege planning project as well as the and I agreed to coordinate. I had been working with the Tlingit interim board of trustees. The Chilkat Indian Village also adopted a resolu- Language Consortium for several years in an ongoing effort to tion endorsing SEATC. develop education programs. We agreed that it would be a good In October 1999 SEATC met in Juneau in conjunction with the idea for the language planning group to take the lead on tribal SEANREC annual planning meeting. college planning because we felt that the core curriculum for the Tlingit and Haida grant administra- tribal college should be based in language and culture. tors presented draft tribal college fi- nancial and feasibility reports at this Our first meeting was a teleconfer- to Tlingit and Haida. Ted Wright was meeting. The Wrangell Cooperative ence hosted by AKRSI at the Univer- contracted to administer the grant. Association and the Wrangell Alaska sity of Alaska Southeast Juneau In October 1998 the Southeast Native Brotherhood and Sisterhood campus. The next combined session Alaska Native Language consortium Camps also endorsed SEATC. was held in Juneau in February 1998 (formerly Tlingit Language Consor- In November 1999 the Grand Camp at the Centennial Convention Center. tium) met in Juneau in conjunction Alaska Native Brotherhood and Sis- Darrell Kipp, founder of the Blackfeet with the SEANREC annual planning terhood Convention adopted a resolu- Immersion School in Browning, Mon- meeting. Participants grouped by tion calling for utilization of facilities tana, was a special guest speaker. community and presented assessments at Sheldon Jackson College by SEATC. Ted Wright and I traveled to and priorities for language projects. It applauded Tlingit, Haida and AKRSI Harlem and Browning, Montana to In February 1999 SEANREC met in for efforts in planning a tribal college visit Fort Belknap Tribal College and Juneau to plan the AKRSI Native Sci- in Southeast Alaska and requested the Blackfeet Immersion School to ence Camp initiative. At this meeting both to continue in a united way. The gather information on language pro- the participants, including the Douglas Indian Association adopted a grams. We met with the Ft. Belknap SEANREC Elders Council, adopted an resolution endorsing SEATC. The trustees and staff and discussed the interim charter for the Southeast SEATC Trustees adopted articles of possibility of certification of a Tlingit Alaska Tribal College (SEATC). incorporation. language certificate and two-year de- In April/May 1999, the Consor- The board of trustees of SEATC are gree. Our intent at the time was to tium of Alaska Native Higher Educa- Arnold Booth, Isabella Brady, Nora start the program in late 1998 but this tion (CANHE) met in Juneau. SEATC Dauenhauer, Dennis Demmert, Dr. plan did not work out. and the Tlingit Haida Central Council Ronn Dick, Andy Hope (chair), Joe In May 1998, the Tlingit Language (THCC) representatives gave presen- Hotch, Roxanne Houston, Katherine consortium held a major conference tations to CANHE. Miyasato, Charles Natkong, Sr., Marie in Juneau in conjunction with the In May 1999 an Interim Board of Olson, Dr. Joyce Shales, Sue Stevens, Southeast Alaska Native Rural Educa- Trustees for SEATC was assembled. I Dr. Bernice Tetpon and Jim Walton. tion Consortium (SEANREC). Tlingit was elected chair. The SEATC Interim Thank you to the Elders and clan and Haida also provided travel from Board met several times by telecon- and clan house leaders that have sup- the Administration for Native Ameri- ference in the summer of 1999. ported the effort to develop a tribal cans Language planning funds. In September 1999 John Hope and college in Southeast Alaska. I would In August 1998 Sealaska Heritage Jim Walton gave a presentation on also like to thank the board of trustees Foundation transferred the Kellogg the tribal college planning project to for making a commitment to the edu- Foundation planning grant funding the participants at the Kiks.ádi pole cation of Alaska Native people. 10 SHARING OUR PATHWAYS Athabascan Region Through the of Many People Choose your own word to fill-in the blank (voices, stories, eyes, hands, minds, wisdom, etc.) My choice is “experiences.” by Amy Van Hatten ight in the midst of my report the “I” and “my” usage is Rplentiful. It isn’t meant to be read as being egotistical but more to reflect how I achieved eventful tasks. Now and again I encourage people to begin with the pronoun “I” when sharing their experiences. For example, many Yukon-Koyukuk School District autobiographies started out that way. In addition many book chapters use the same approach in writing. Therefore, if you Participants gather for a group photo at have intellectual information to share but are holding back the Athabascan Regional Planning because you don’t want to say “I did this” or “In my time,” it is Meeting in McGrath, October 27–28. literally acceptable to do so.

It was important for me to make in their area. We all acquired a region- cook on a campfire the old-time that distinction since an Elder said we wide perspective to build upon as we way. are not supposed to talk like “I did,” moved into planning for Year Five. ✛ Don’t call them kids. Respect I started,” “I learned,” “I interviewed” The details of the initiatives were dis- young people as young adults. or “I decided.” However, I notice cussed on the second day. ✛ Don’t ignore Elders while in the little attractive nuisances like “I am“ The day before the regional meet- school or outside the school. and “I remember” as being okay. ing I set up the room for the Elders to ✛ Don’t yell at students when Elders In reviewing my job duties over discuss details about the Year Four are in the teaching role. the past year, I worked full time dem- initiatives on culturally-aligned cur- ✛ Set your own Elders’ ground rules. onstrating, promoting, supporting, riculum and language and cultural ✛ Everyone should be out there incorporating and recruiting special- immersion camps. I also asked them to showing students we love them. ized people to attend numerous think about what kind of distinctions ✛ Even godparents should help with meetings, conferences, retreats, work- we should make as we prepare for our a child’s upbringing. shops, cultural events and focus study last year of initiatives focusing on ✛ Explain to students why we do groups statewide, stateside and lo- indigenous science knowledge and things the way we do. cally—all for the purpose of educa- oral tradition as education as they ✛ Share personal experiences on tional reform. relate to current district policies and what spirituality and faith in God The most recent such event, the teaching practices. During the discus- means to you. Third Annual AKRSI Athabascan Re- sions I recorded the following notes: ✛ Encourage non-Native teachers to gional Planning Meeting, was held at ✛ Elders do not want to be made to attend cross-cultural training. McGrath High School, October 27– feel dumb when they ask ques- ✛ Students should practice listening 28, 1999. The Iditarod Area School tions about school. to people around you, not just District graciously offered to host it. ✛ They want the school curriculum their earphones. A big hearty thank you for the red to make room for what they have In closing, I would like to say, carpet hospitality from IASD staff and to offer. remember the diverse cultural tradi- students. ✛ The Elders want the students to tions of the many tribes in Alaska. To The first day of the regional meet- know their self-worth. understand diversity is essential to ing focused on Year-Four initiatives. ✛ Students need to know where they how we teach our children. Ten memorandum-of-agreement part- come from. Happy trails, ners reported on the work underway ✛ Students need to know how to Negalt denlebedze SHARING OUR PATHWAYS 11 Iñupiaq Region Quyaanna (thank you) AKRSI from the Northwest Arctic Borough School District by Ruth Tatqaviñ Sampson, Bilingual Education Coordinator he Alaska rural systemic initiatives that have been under- the exit exam and teaching to the state taken by the NWABSD under the memorandum of agree- standards, it does not mean that edu- T cation about the local environment ment with AFN have affected the school district in a positive way. has to be excluded. There are ways to Initiatives were designed in a way to begin systemic changes for integrate information about the local animals, plants, geography, history school improvements. and literature while still meeting state standards. For example, the Davis- In the beginning the pace was slow a practice that must continue for maxi- Ramoth Memorial School at Selawik because the school district was look- mum learning to take place. Character held their second Iñupiaq Week where ing for ways to initiate the projects building is also important to the they did cultural activities all week into existing plans. An example has Iñupiat because it affects survival in and then integrated their experiences been the AISES science fairs. The the Arctic. For example, hard work, into the regular classroom. Erdine school science fair is held in March endurance and patience were at- Skin, an Apache teacher, was actively but the AISES science fair had to be tributes that were developed in chil- involved in the Iñupiaq subsistence held in the fall in order to plan for the dren. This was balanced by humor, curriculum workshops held under national AISES science fair. AISES enjoyment of the outdoors, hospital- AKRSI; her students had very good science fairs are interesting because ity and an attitude of gratitude. AISES science projects last year. the students come up with projects The Elders at the subsistence cur- Debra Webber-Werle, a kindergar- such as the study of caribou lifecycles, riculum development workshops gave ten teacher at the Napaaqtugmiut uses of caribou antlers, using willow the following advice to be shared with School at Noatak, has had many stu- bark to make dyes, comparison of furs students: “If you see Elders doing dents working on dynamic science in cold weather, under-ice fishing with work, stop and help them. Do not projects. A kindergarten teacher in a net, the Aurora Borealis, population steal. Do not talk angrily back to any- Kotzebue recently requested assis- density of shrews and voles, bio-engi- one. Everyone should know his or her tance about integrating cultural ac- neering to prevent erosion and other relatives. Respect other people’s prop- tivities into her curriculum. When interesting projects. erty. Give advice to younger people. the school district had their inservice AKRSI-sponsored Elders and edu- Share your catch and bring food to on aligning state standards with the cators came together to plan for sub- your neighbors and others. Help oth- district curriculum, they were encour- sistence curriculum. Although a ers. Don’t mimic or criticize others in aged to use cultural standards to help curriculum was not written, much a negative way. Don’t expect to get them integrate local culture into their needed information was shared among paid for helping Elders. Don’t waste lesson plans. There are many ways the participants. In traditional times, food. Finish your work before play- AKRSI has affected the Northwest education was provided one-on-one ing. Don’t stay up late. Respect other Arctic Borough School District and it with parents, aunts, uncles, grand- students and people.” Obviously, will continue as a domino effect as parents and other extended family these words of wisdom span across time goes by, even when the project members teaching the younger ones. cultures, especially among Native funding ends. We are grateful to all Today we try to simulate that experi- people of Alaska. Cooperation was the AFN-AKRSI staff for all their hard ence in a classroom setting but it is necessary for survival. work and contributions. We have only difficult. However, traditional meth- We are thankful that AKRSI has scratched the surface and will con- ods such as observation and hands-on worked hard to make education rel- tinue to search for the treasures we experience are still reliable methods evant and meaningful to students in are yet to find in this whole arena of of teaching and learning. Using con- rural Alaska. Although many parents crete examples in teaching concepts is and educators are concerned about education. 12 SHARING OUR PATHWAYS Aleut/Alutiiq Region Alutiiq Regional Rural Science Fair by Teri Schneider he Kodiak Island Borough School District hosted the second Tregional science fair in the community of Ouzinkie, Novem- ber 3–5, as a follow up to the Academy of Elders/AISES Science Camp held on Afognak Island this past summer. Last year’s science fair was held in Old Harbor and as a result of that competition three of our students participated at the AISES National Science Fair last spring. With 37 projects involving 68 stu- and Cadman Peterson with their Andy Christofferson, Ouzinkie dents, the number of participants project demonstrating the deadfall Advisory School Board member, and doubled from last year’s regional sci- trap and Old Harbor’s Ivan Roy Rastopsoff begin to take samples ence fair. Students from Chiniak, Christiansen and Rocky Christiansen and measurements of a seal during the Larsen Bay, Port Lions, Akhiok, Old with their project pertaining to the rural science fair in Ouzinkie. Harbor, Kodiak and Ouzinkie took burning qualities of various oils. part in this year’s activities. Returning judges, John Tershak, Not only are students sharpening Ann Knowlton, Ole Mahle and their science process skills by taking Kathryn Chichenoff noticed an over- During the day the Ouzinkie teach- part in developing science fair all improvement in student presenta- ers absorbed the visiting students into projects, they also have the opportu- tion and depth of knowledge and their classrooms and organized inter- nity to demonstrate their formal pre- understanding of the projects. Stu- active projects utilizing the talents of sentation skills while sharing some of dents who attended camp stood out to Kathy Nelson, the artistic chaperone their personal experiences and cul- all of the judges, having achieved from Port Lions; Alan Dick, the AKRSI tural heritage through projects that three of the four grand prizes! science coordinator and Asako are culturally and environmentally One of the activities that took place Kobayashi, Kodiak High School’s Japa- relevant to our island communities. during the science fair included a seal nese exchange student. The Grand prize winners for this harvest followed by a biosampling AKRSI will be hosting the first year’s rural science fair are: Bliss done by Native Harbor Seal Commis- ever AISES Alaska State Science Fair, Peterson, sixth grade Ouzinkie, with sion member Mitch Simeonoff and his January 29–31, 2000. With funding her project comparing the Alutiiq and assistant Roy Rastopsoff, both from provided by AKRSI, we will be send- Yupik Languages; Kalen Pedersen, Akhiok. Students were able to take ing a team from the Alutiiq Region to sixth-grade Kodiak, with his project part in the collection and recording of represent our area of the state. Our regarding construction and use of the data that was later submitted for the team consists of Native and non-Na- bow and arrow; Patrick Schneider, Harbor Seal Biosampling project. tive students from in and outside the third-grade Kodiak, who compared Eventually the seals were butchered district who excelled at the regional the burning efficiency of different and shared among the Ouzinkie level science fair. oils and partners Matthew Delgado community. Plans for next year’s Alutiiq Re- and Jon Panamarioff, seventh-grade Other activities hosted by the gional Science Fair are being formed. Ouzinkie, who compared the quality school and greater Ouzinkie commu- If your district or school is in the of product utilizing various methods nity included a welcoming ceremony Alutiiq region and interested in send- for preserving fish. Joining these five with a performance by the Ouzinkie ing a team to compete, please contact students at the statewide AISES sci- Alutiiq Dancers, a volleyball tourna- Teri Schneider, 486-9276 or email ence fair will be Ouzinkie team mem- ment and an incredible community [email protected]. bers Scott Detorres, Geremy Clarion potluck. SHARING OUR PATHWAYS 13

Those were the days when it was a lot of fun. It was a lot of fun for every kid. Elder Interview: Them days the people work on fish and after that my dad is gone. Go out and get some wood and fish. My dad Nick Galaktionoff and my dad’s brother and his friend and guy named Matfii Burenin, John Interview and transcription by Burenin, Akiinfer Galaktionoff—he Moses L. Dirks, Unalaska, November 28, 1999 was my dad. John—that was his brother but he got different dad. He was born in Makushin, Magusim kugan aganaqing 1925. This never come home. There was not even a storm, not even windy. People there Imonth or next month. And after I was born, kids they didn’t looking for them. They didn’t find know how they were born anyway. My dad and my mom they them. Finally, Iliya Burenin find the boat in another bay all chopped up. were going to move into their own house. My dad built a house Japanese got them. Japanese started and finished it. So then my mom and dad was ready to go. I had to move into Unalaska in the moun- an older sister named Malaanyaa. They went out and pack things tains, hide away spying Dutch Harbor. over. And me, I was left with my grandmother. So my grand- So that was 1939. The marshall got mother grew me up all the way. there on the mailboat. Not the mailboat, but Coast Guard boat. He When I was five years old I started two days you put them on. People found out my grandmother and helping my dad. I didn’t know what I come in and help him sew it up and mother did not have no help. And was doing. He always told me that I everything and no time he finished it. back to Unalaska again. Finally try was doing good. I suppose I was mak- No party, but they always had tea and find a place for us to stay. Finally ing a mess, but he always said I did parties after that. So my dad told me I Coast Guard got there and pick us up good. I ran into the house and tell my was five or six years old. I know I was and we come in 1939. I don’t like it grandmother. My grandmother was a small. I don’t know how old I was. My but as kids we can’t do nothing by very important person to me that time. dad said that he was going to take me himself. I was 13 years old. She would always teach me; I didn’t out in a baidarki. But, my grand- And after that I am doing some- really know my real mom and my dad. mother told him, don’t take him too thing like everybody else, helping She told me that was my dad. But I far out. I know I can’t see nothing. I my mom. never called him my dad. I always call have nothing but a smile on my face. In 1939, just about 1940, my grand- him Ludang, “my oldest.” So I don’t Finally, he got me in a baidarki hole mother died. She was seventy-nine know my real mom because my dad (in the front). Boy my eyes were barely years old. I didn’t know she was sev- call him Ayagang, “my wife.” So I sticking out. Then he launched his enty-nine but after she died, after I start calling her my Ayagang. We baidarki giving me a ride around from grew up until fifteen-sixteen, I found grew up that way. that house all the way far as the creek out she was seventy-nine years old. Before he (dad) go to St. Paul, he and from there turned back, all the So I’ve got nothing to do so I had to would take the baidarki skin off ’cause way as far as that point. And we move in with my real mom. I didn’t you save the ribs anyway. You don’t finally landed. My grandmother lift like them kids in there, but they were want them rot away. After he come me up from the baidarki take me out, my brothers and sisters. Always do- back from St. Paul, them guys were take me home. I thought that it was a ing something. For ten cents you tell working for forty dollars a month. lot of fun I ever had. them to do something. I am getting People make more than that in one Because we didn’t have our own ten cents from somebody else. Ten day now days. Then after he come toys, we all made toys. That’s all we cents was a lot of money. I would buy home from St. Paul, take a rest for one had. Pretty tough them days. But ev- two big bar candies. Now days them week and start work on his baidarki, erything I do this better and what forty, fifty cent bar candies are twice changing the string ropes on there anybody do it looks better. But when as small as the big candies before. and soak the skin in the creek. After it I was eight years old I started fishing. And from there I work most of the got dried up it don’t get stretch or I am not alone but always go with time. When I was fourteen years old, shrink anyway (the sealskin). After them fishing, seining right in the front. (continued on next page) 14 SHARING OUR PATHWAYS

(continued from previous page) Bill, I forgot his last name, he wanted Nick “Nicholai”Galaktionoff was born school started. And they wanted me me back to school. I told him if you in the village of Makushin on the island to go to school. I was happy for a put me back to school I am going to of Unalaska in 1939. Nick comes from while. I might learn something. I was run away for good. I was scared but I a large family; he and his sister Marina in school but I didn’t like my teacher. said that anyway. So later he said are the only survivors. Both of his sons If I don’t say “Good morning Miss okay stay home if you want to. He left reside in Unalaska. Jorgensen,” she would always hit my me. That was Bill Brown. He was a Nick’s hobbies include halibut and head with a little ruler. Boy, I didn’t marshall before Vern Robinson. Some- salmon fishing. He used to go out seal like that. I have been up at the school. body else was the marshall before Bill hunting and fishing whenever he got a I know how to sign my name. So one Brown too. He died in Seattle. He was chance. He now has poor eyesight and morning I got sandwich and I got a big an Aleut. His Mother was Aleut I does not go many places anymore. Nick likes living in Unalaska and enjoys coat. I make a big sandwich and put it guess. He talked Aleut because every- fishing and walking around town. in coat pocket and I left. People go up body talked Aleut around here any- to school but me, I kept going all the way. Not any more. way to the trail, Biorka Trail. I walk all the way over to that Beaver Inlet. I am not even scared but I will be scared later. I did not have a place to stay. I take walk on the beach for a while. Dark comes I start eating my ANKN Website sandwich. I stay by the small creek, by Sean Asiqluq Topkok put my head down and drink water. I he Alaska Native Knowledge Network website is updated almost did not have a cup. I eat half of my Ton a daily basis. We make information pertaining to Alaska Native sandwich. Later I went into the grass knowledge easily accessible for rural educators and communities. With and went to bed. I sleep good for a most of the communities having Internet access, using the World Wide while and I wake up, pitch dark. Boy, Web provides us with a tool to distribute resources. With the various I am kind of nervous. Early winter initiatives being implemented throughout Alaska, it is a challenge to started, right after school started, oh, communicate in digital form; however, many resources are available about a month and a half after school on the ANKN website. started. I got into Beaver Inlet over Recently added resources on the ANKN website include video and night. Next morning, I got up and sound presentations, articles and publications, information on AISES finished my sandwich. No I don’t science fairs and curriculum science units. They can be found at: want to stay there again. So I come ➤ ➤ home before I lose my trail. No truck http://www.ankn.uaf.edu/new.html road up on top side, just a trail. I could Additional resources are available at: have come in to town earlier but I ➤ http://www.ankn.uaf.edu/rol.html ➤ don’t want to come to town when it is The most recent addition to the resources online is Alaska Native daylight. And I am scared of the goats Games: A Resource Guide by Roberta Tognetti-Stuff. Resources are up there. We got to go through this available online for educational use only. pass, about twenty goats up there. Belongs to Mr. King. Boy, pretty soon There are APRN radio broadcasts are also available for educators: ➤ ➤ they would be teasing me all the way. http://www.ankn.uaf.edu/sound/ I got chased from them animals; run Science curriculum units are also available online. These science before they hit me and I went over the units include applications to science, math and cultural standards. fence. When I come on this side I feel ➤ http://www.ankn.uaf.edu/units/ ➤ safer. I come all the way to my house If there is anything in particular that you are looking for, but don’t and my mom said, “We have been know where it is, you can always search the ANKN website at: worried about you, where have you ➤ http://www.ankn.uaf.edu/search.html ➤ been?” “I’ve been camping.” Well I didn’t If you have any questions or comments, feel free to contact me at see no camp in Beaver Inlet. 907-474-5897 or email: Next two days the marshall, Mr. ➤ [email protected]. ➤ SHARING OUR PATHWAYS 15 Yup’ik Region: Gathering the Resources The following is a speech that was given during the Alaska Native Education Council (ANEC) conference in Anchorage on Oct. 18, 1999. Certain areas were revised for the reader to understand from a readers point of view. This speech was made for a listener. Quyana naaqluqu. by Nita Rearden, Lower Kuskokwim School District

ome of you will remember when our parents, grandparents has made us strong Alaska Native or great grandparents saved practically everything. They people! Our resources are real! When S a person is connected to either land, saved items like canvas, flour and sugar sacks, Crisco and coffee religion, home, culture or school, the cans, Blazo and kerosene cans, Blazo boxes and different types of person has an anchor to their identity. Today we gather some of these same glass bottles. Each item was recycled in such a way that nothing materials for beautiful Native arts and was wasted. For instance, Blazo boxes were used for cupboards crafts to sell or make gifts for someone special. Money has become an impor- or storage containers; flour and sugar sacks were used for dish tant part of our gathering. So many towels, diapers or even undergarments if mothers sewed; empty resources are available from the stores, cans were used for kitchen and tool containers or dog dishes; we see many items wasted whether it is food, household items or other ma- gallon Blazo cans were used for seal-oil containers or other terials. Most everything ends up in purposes. the dump! As an educator we still gather re- I remember one time I was travel- branches for bows, slings and arrows sources. They aren’t necessarily the ing to Fairbanks after the holidays to hunt pretend grass seals. We col- resources our ancestors taught us with a Blazo can full of seal oil in my lected pebbles for play bullets, marbles about but they are necessities for class- hand. My mother recycled every re- or food. We used sticks for storyknifes room use as books, textbooks and source material she could. At the An- when we were not allowed to take out writing supplies. Teachers gather re- chorage airport, when I walked the beautiful decorated, ivory source materials to help them become through the line to get on the jet, a storyknifes. We made do with what- better teachers in order to meet the security officer stopped me and told ever we could create in order to play needs of their students. Many educa- me I could not take the Blazo on board. and pretend. All of what we did was tors today are researchers. We search I answered her that it wasn’t Blazo, good! We were using hands-on expe- to gather information especially if we but the content was seal oil. She didn’t riences in the content areas of science, believe what we worked for is the believe me and said she would have to social studies and language arts. To- right thing. For instance, in my job, I check it. Oh boy! I mentioned to her day we find our own little people look for research on bilingual materi- the contents would make the airport would rather watch TV, play Nintendo als in order for parents in our district smell. She went ahead and opened it or sports instead of utilizing natural to understand that speaking two lan- anyway. The truth did come; she resources. Parents found out that these guages is better than being able to wrinkled her nose and the people distractions are convenient for communicate in only one. Research behind me smiled and my friends babysitting but don’t realize the harm- shows that as adults, being able to laughed. ful effects. communicate in two languages helps Do you remember as a child all of Our respectful ancestors taught us us to be better problem solvers. the materials we collected that were to collect resources from nature such When I was thinking about what considered trash but we used as toys? as animal skins for clothing, plants for topics I could talk about for this con- We gathered cans for our play dishes food and medicine and grass, tree ference, I thought of many issues, or parts of clothing. We put cans on barks and roots used for dishes or for issues such as the English-only law, our shoes to look like we were wear- water and berry buckets. When we the new bilingual law, subsistence, ing high heels. We used grass and collected these items, we learned skills loss of languages, benchmark testing, wooden sticks for dolls because we such as sewing, taking care of ani- high school graduation qualifying could not take our nice homemade mals, hunting and more. Our back- exams and quality schools—all of dolls outside. We used willow ground dealing with these resources (continued on back page) 16 SHARING OUR PATHWAYS

(continued from previous page) which are issues that affect us. I thought of how I could discuss these matters, but you know what? With- 2000 Native Educators’ Conference out the background knowledge we have gained from a resourceful child- “Bearing the Fruits of Indigenous Knowledge” hood, we would not be able to deal Sponsored by the Alaska Native Educator Associations and with any of these issues. the Alaska Native Knowledge Network Just recently a teacher from Atmautluak and I were discussing Anchorage, Alaska how children learn. She told me about January 30–February 1, 2000 an interesting moment she had with her father when she became a teacher. Anchorage Sheraton Hotel He told her that a child is like a tree For a registration packet and further information, contact Lolly Carpluk, acquiring many branches. The Alaska Native Knowledge Network, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 706C1 branches of the child increase as he Gruening Building, Fairbanks, Alaska. Phone: 907-474-1902 or 474-6569. learns new concepts. New branches Fax: 907-474-1957. E-mail: [email protected] continue to grow when they are uti- lized well. Sometimes branches stop growing when a person drops his cultural background. From this I learned 26th Annual Bilingual Multicultural we can discuss issues and link them to our cultural background. It is impor- Education/Equity Conference tant that our children know how to utilize their cultural resources! “Multicultural Education: Honoring the Past, Celebrating This year it seems like we have the Present, Creating the Future” very strong issues to deal with. I think the Alaska Native Eductors’ Confrence Sponsored by the Alaska Association for Bilingual Education and is an important place to begin. Com- the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development munication and understanding of the issues is important to allow us all to Anchorage, Alaska grow another branch. Let’s continue February 2–4, 2000 to gather our resources to help one Anchorage Sheraton Hotel another and our children. Quyana For more information contact Conferences and Special Events, University of qanemcivqarlua. Alaska Fairbanks, 104 Eielson Building, Fairbanks, Alaska. Phone: 907-474- 7800. Fax: 907-474-5592. E-mail: [email protected].

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