From: Doyon Foundation
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Visit our blog September 2014
Information
Email [email protected]
Website www.doyonfoundation.com
Address 615 Bidwell Ave., In this issue Suite 101 Fairbanks, Alaska 99701 $105,000 Raised at 2014 Golf Classic The 14th annual Morris Thompson Memorial Golf Classic took place Phone June 12 and 13 at the Chena Bend Golf Course on Fort Wainwright 907.459.2048 in Fairbanks, Alaska. Read more Toll free Diverse Group Gathers for Signs of the Land Climate Change 1.888.478.4755, ext. 2048 Camp In late July 2014, a diverse and intergenerational group of 22 individuals, including shareholders and a handful of Elders, came Doris Miller together at Howard Luke's Galee'ya Camp by the Tanana River in Executive Director Fairbanks to talk about climate change and its impacts on local communities. Read more Maurine Isaacson Scholarship Program Doyon Foundation Forms Languages Partnership Manager Doyon Foundation and Transparent Language, Inc. recently announced the Doyon Foundation 7000 Partnership. Read more Malinda Chase Language Revitalization Doyon Foundation Student Profile: Peter Hjelm Program Director Peter Hjelm of Stevens Village was recently named the 2014 $3,000 Sunnyboy Memorial Competitive Scholarship recipient. Read more
Elias Saylor Joined Foundation as FAI Summer Intern Scholarship Deadlines
Elias Saylor joined Doyon Foundation as a summer intern with the March 15 Language Revitalization Program. Read more Scholarship Type:
Basic 2014 Graduate Yearbook Available Online Semester: Summer Congratulations to the class of 2014! Meet this year's graduates,
including high school, certificate, associate's, bachelor's and April 15 master's students, in the 2014 edition of the Doyon Foundation Scholarship Type: graduate yearbook, available on our website. Read more Basic and Competitive
Semester: Fall Foundation Earns $367 in Fred Meyer Donations
This summer, 24 supporters helped Doyon Foundation earn $367 - November 15 just by shopping at Fred Meyer! Simply by linking their Fred Meyer Scholarship Type: rewards card to Doyon Foundation, and using their card with they Basic shop, shoppers have nearly funded an entire basic part-time Semester: Spring scholarship for a deserving student. Read more
Thank You to Our Donors We would like to take a moment to recognize the generous individuals and companies that have supported Doyon Foundation's efforts recently. Read more
Native Word of the Month As part of our vision to provide a strong demonstration of Native traditional language and culture, Doyon Foundation is pleased to present a Native Word of the Month. Read more
Foundation is on Facebook Are you on Facebook? So are we! Read more
Find Student Opportunities on Our Blog Have you visited the Doyon Foundation blog? Read more
$105,000 Raised at 2014 Golf Classic
The 14th annual Morris Thompson Memorial Golf Classic took place June 12 and 13 at the Chena Bend Golf Course on Fort Wainwright in Fairbanks, Alaska. A total of 32 four- member teams participated in the event, which raises scholarship funds for Doyon Foundation students. The event netted more than $105,000 for the Foundation's Morris Thompson competitive scholarship fund.
Congratulations to this year's winning teams, including the first place winners, Team Carlile, which walked away with $5,000 in winnings, and their Calcutta team buyer, CIRI President and CEO Sophie Minich.
The Calcutta, held Thursday evening at the Wedgewood Resort, featured a live auction. Thank you to all who participated, especially the auction winners:
2014 U.S. Open Golf Bag: Woody Wallis, $300 Anchorage Golf Vacation: Jim Adams, $600 Fairbanks Golf Course Package: Jay Sadler, $800 Peppermill Hotel Package in Reno, Nevada: John Hendrix, $2,000
Student speaker and scholarship recipient, Nadine Carroll, also addressed attendees at the 2014 Calcutta. Read a transcript of her speech on our website.
Our sponsors have made the Morris Thompson Memorial Golf Classic a successful annual event, and our largest fundraiser of the year. We also extend a special thank you to the individuals who volunteered their time to help make the 2014 classic such a success. Visit our website to see the list of sponsors and volunteers who supported the 2014 event.
With the support of our golfers and sponsors, we are pleased to have awarded $49,000 in Morris Thompson scholarships for the 2013-2014 school year. See a list of recipients on our website.
The 15th annual classic will take place June 18 - 19, 2015 in Fairbanks. If the past couple years are any indicators, sponsorships and golfer registrations will fill quickly, so be sure to watch for details next spring and confirm your participation early.
Diverse Group Gathers for Signs of the Land Climate Change Camp
In late July 2014, a diverse and intergenerational group of 22 individuals, including shareholders and a handful of Elders, came together at Howard Luke's Galee'ya Camp by the Tanana River in Fairbanks to talk about climate change and its impacts on local communities. Over a period of four days, the Signs of the Land Climate Change Camp wove together traditional knowledge, local observations, Native language, and climate science through a mix of storytelling, presentations, dialogue, and hands-on, community-building activities.
Part of Columbia University's Polar Learning and Responding (PoLAR) Climate Change Education Partnership, the Signs of the Land Climate Change Camp was developed and conducted collaboratively by multiple partners, including Doyon Foundation, the Association of Interior Native Educators (AINE), the University of Alaska Fairbanks International Arctic Research Center (IARC), and the Gwich'in Steering Committee, to test a model for engaging indigenous communities in the co-production of climate change knowledge, communication tools, and solutions-building. This camp adapted the model developed several years ago under the AINE's Elder Academy.
Participants in the camp included Elders - Traditional Chief Trimble Gilbert and wife Mary, Howard Luke, Berkman and Sarah Silas, Roy David and Sam Demientieff - along with classroom teachers, local resource managers and leaders, rural community members, and climate scientists.
Supported by the Doyon Foundation's Language Revitalization Program, linguist Siri Tuttle worked individually with Elder Native language speakers to collect and document language about the land. In many cases, Elders' observations about the environment pre-date scientific records in Alaska, and their knowledge can help to inform climate change research. Their knowledge and concepts embedded in the language can also provide insight on how to adapt to changing conditions. Always being prepared was a message that Elders clearly emphasized during the camp. Memorable moments of the camp included listening to "phenomenal elders," says participant Sharon Attla, "who help us remember the importance of Elders, the land, climate and the very deep tie to all that we are."
During the four-day camp, participants reviewed and played newly created interactive educational games focused on aspects of climate change in the polar regions. The Eco-Chains card game, which links the polar-food chain and highlights the importance of sea ice, and Arctic SMARTIC, a marine spatial planning game that requires players to negotiate competing interests in the changing conditions of the Arctic, were well received by participants.
Based on their experiences during the camp, participants designed individualized outreach plans for bringing culturally responsive climate learning to their communities and classrooms throughout the upcoming year. Plans included small group discussions, student projects, teacher training, and conference presentations.
To learn more about the PoLAR Climate Change Education Partnership visit thepolarhub.org.
Doyon Foundation Forms Languages Partnership
Doyon Foundation and Transparent Language, Inc. recently announced the Doyon Foundation 7000 Partnership. The goal of the partnership is to create leading-edge software for the teaching and learning of the Athabascan languages within the Doyon region of Alaska.
"Providing cultural opportunities and a strong demonstration of Native traditional language and culture is at the core of Doyon Foundation's mission and vision," said Doris Miller, Doyon Foundation executive director. "This partnership will enable us to make significant strides toward the revitalization of our Native languages, which is critical for their survival."
The Doyon Foundation 7000 Partnership is the latest initiative of Transparent Language's 7000 Languages Project. With approximately 7,100 living languages in the world today, the goal of the 7000 Languages Project is to create world-class web and mobile-delivered learning materials for the 7,000 languages beyond the top 100 most widely spoken languages, such as English, Spanish and Chinese.
Transparent Language develops transformational language-learning and teaching software for serious language schools and programs in the United States government and elsewhere.
"We do deep work in less-common languages because our customers need to respond quickly and effectively to humanitarian crises or conflicts anywhere in the world," said Michael Quinlan, CEO of Transparent Language. "The same technology is perfect for creating powerful learning software for the world's under-resourced languages, so we created the pro bono 7000 Languages Project to meet that need."
There are nine Athabascan languages in the Doyon region: Benhti Kenaga' (Tanana), Deg Xinag, Denaakk'e (Koyukon), Denak'I (Upper Kuskokwim), Dinjii Zhuh K'yaa (Gwich'in), Han, Holikachuk, Tanacross and Née' aaneegn' (Upper Tanana). The Doyon Foundation 7000 Partnership will initially focus on one or two of the languages, and later extend to the remaining languages. Potentially, the partnership could evolve to include additional Alaska Native languages.
For more information about the 7000 Languages Partnership, contact Malinda Chase, Doyon Foundation language revitalization program director, at [email protected] or 907.459.2162. Doyon Foundation Student Profile: Peter Hjelm
Peter Hjelm of Stevens Village was recently named the 2014 $3,000 Sunnyboy Memorial Competitive Scholarship recipient. The son of John and Isabel Hjelm, of Stevens Village and Princeton, Minnesota, and grandson of Lucy and Theodore John of Stevens Village, Peter is currently attending the University of Alaska Fairbanks. He expects to graduate in spring 2015 with a degree in rural development, and then plans to find work in his degree area.
"Find something that you love to do and will benefit the people of your community," Peter advises his fellow students. "Look for a field that has a public service component that your community has need in, then structure your education goals around that. Balance your goals with all aspects, such as finding a career that will support you and give you a sense of satisfaction. For me, that was doing something that would help the people of my community."
Peter is an active member of his community, having served as a village council member, village corporation board of directors member, and community nonprofit board of directors member. He also sings and dances with the Stevens Village Dance Group.
Peter began his higher education journey more than 25 years ago, and shared that his biggest challenge was returning to a different education system, filled with much younger students and in some cases younger professors.
"I had to remain humble and open to the idea that there are still things I could learn. I realized that I could be a contributor and benefit to my community with more education, so I decided last year to embark on this new exciting journey," he said.
Speaking from his own life experiences, Peter encouraged other students by saying, "Do not get discouraged by failures - they are simply opportunities to try again and eventually finding success. It took me more than 20 years to return to finding my path again and I look forward to serving my community in any way that will benefit the people of Stevens Village."
Elias Saylor Joined Foundation as FAI Summer Intern
Elias Saylor joined Doyon Foundation as a summer intern with the Language Revitalization Program. Elias was placed at the Foundation through the First Alaskans Institute summer internship program, and worked at the Foundation through the end of July.
Originally from Healy Lake and Tanana, Elias has been living in Fairbanks since 2005. He is the son of Ben Saylor of Healy Lake and Maureen Walsh of Tanana, and was also raised by his stepmother Karen Saylor of Stevens Village.
"As someone who grew up with a strong cultural upbringing, I encourage Alaska Native people to learn their culture, especially their language, and also am a strong believer in First Alaskans Institute's (FAI) mission of advancing Alaska Natives and doing so through placing young Native leaders with partner organizations to help complete that mission within their communities. Being accepted into the FAI summer internship program, as well as being placed with Doyon Foundation in the Language Revitalization Program, is a great honor to me and I'm proud to be a part of it," Elias said.
Elias attends the University of Alaska Fairbanks, where he is a senior in the Rural Development Program, with a focus on indigenous knowledge.
"While interning with Doyon Foundation working in the Language Revitalization Program, I'm hoping to learn new ways to encourage and spark peoples' interest in learning their Native language so I may take what I've learned and apply it to my own family and community as well. For me, this will be a great addition to my rapporteur of leadership skills. Also I'm hoping to gain more work experience and increase my network in the professional workplace," he said.
The objective of FAI's summer internship program is to help develop Alaska Native leaders. This year marked the 11th year of the program for Alaska Native undergraduate/graduate students. Since inception, the 10-week summer session has placed well over 200 interns with more than 100 employer hosts, including Doyon Foundation. More information is available at www.firstalaskans.org. 2014 Graduate Yearbook Available Online
Congratulations to the class of 2014! Meet this year's graduates, including high school, certificate, associate's, bachelor's and master's students, in the 2014 edition of the Doyon Foundation graduate yearbook, available on our website.
Have additions or corrections? Send updates to [email protected] or call 907.459.2048.
Foundation Earns $367 in Fred Meyer Donations
This summer, 24 supporters helped Doyon Foundation earn $367 - just by shopping at Fred Meyer! Simply by linking their Fred Meyer rewards card to Doyon Foundation, and using their card with they shop, shoppers have nearly funded an entire basic part-time scholarship for a deserving student.
Want to support the Foundation while you shop? Follow these simple steps:
Sign up for the community rewards program by linking your Fred Meyer rewards card to Doyon Foundation at www.fredmeyer.com/communityrewards. Search for the Foundation by name or by nonprofit number 94583. Every time you shop and use your rewards card, you are helping the Foundation earn a donation! You still earn your rewards points, fuel points and rebates, just as you do today. If you do not have a rewards card, they are available at the customer service desk of any Fred Meyer store. For more information on the community rewards program, please visit www.fredmeyer.com/communityrewards.
Thank You to Our Donors
Thank you all for your support! If you'd like to learn how you can get involved, visit our website!
Native Word of the Month
As part of our vision to provide a strong demonstration of Native traditional language and culture, Doyon Foundation is pleased to present a Native Word of the Month. Each month, we post a new word or phrase, along with its definition and an audio recording of the correct pronunciation. The September Native Word of the Month is:
Naantł'ii = Caribou herd Vadzaih naantł'ii łazhyaa duuyee gaa vankak geera'oo. = That caribou herd [is so dense] we can't even go through them.
Have a translation in another language? Share it with us on Facebook! Want to see previous words of the month? Click here.
Thank you to Allan Hayton, vice president of the Doyon Foundation board of directors, for providing this month's translation.
Foundation is on Facebook
Are you on Facebook? So are we! Please take a moment to "like" the Doyon Foundation Facebook page at www.facebook.com/doyonfoundation. In addition to Doyon Foundation news, we also share information about lots of opportunities for scholarships, internships, jobs and more. Like us today!
Find Student Opportunities on Our Blog
Have you visited the Doyon Foundation blog? If not, we encourage you to check it out. That is where we post the most up-to-date Foundation news, as well as information on all of the excellent student opportunities that come across our desk.
Make it even easier on yourself and subscribe to our blog. Then, whenever we make updates, the information will be sent directly to your inbox. So you don't even have to visit the blog - we'll bring the blog to you!
Have comments on the kind of information or stories you'd like to see on our blog? Tell us at 907.459.2048 or [email protected].
Provide educational, career and cultural opportunities to enhance the identity and quality of life for Doyon shareholders and their children.
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