Category: Indigenous Education

‘Nunalleq Digital Museum – An Accessible Resource for Learning about Yup’ik Pre-Contact History’ by Prof. Charlotta Hillerdal

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We live in a changing world. This could not be more obvious to the Yup’ik communities that were hit by the aftermaths of Typhoon Halong on October 12th – with disastrous consequences to people’s homes and lives. In the sorrow that follows this, it has become apparent what immediate threat climate change poses to the Yup’ik way of life.

In Quinhagak, the storm not only attacked boats and fish racks, water and sewage infrastructure, but also the ancestral site of Nunalleq, an Old Village dating back c 500 years, to a time before Europeans came to Alaska. It brought destruction to parts of the historic site, displacing thousands of artifacts on the beach.

Fig. 1. Wooden figurine on the beach, eroded from the Nunalleq site after Typhoon Halong, October 2025. Photo by Rick Knecht.

Continue reading ‘Nunalleq Digital Museum – An Accessible Resource for Learning about Yup’ik Pre-Contact History’ by Prof. Charlotta Hillerdal

‘Reviving Tradition: Building an Ulux̂tax̂ Aleut Canoe in False Pass’ by ACSA Staff

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False Pass, or Isanax̂ as it is known in traditional Aleut, sits on the eastern of Unimak Island in the Aleutian Islands region of Alaska. This past spring a remarkable project unfolded in that blended tradition, education, and community spirit. Thanks to a grant from the Aleutian Pribilof Islands Community Development Association (APICDA), False Pass School welcomed two professional carpenters to lead a hands-on boat-building initiative. The goal? To construct an Ulux̂tax̂, a traditional two-person Aleut canoe, and in doing so, reconnect students and families with a vital piece of their cultural heritage. Continue reading ‘Reviving Tradition: Building an Ulux̂tax̂ Aleut Canoe in False Pass’ by ACSA Staff

‘An Ambitious Update to BSSD’s Bilingual/Bicultural Curriculum’ By Attasiaq Otton

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Recognizing the urgent need for culturally relevant and modern teaching resources, the Bering Strait School District (BSSD) has launched an ambitious project to develop a curriculum that meets the needs of today’s students while preserving Native languages. The BSSD Bilingual/Bicultural Department includes 24 cultural teachers across 15 schools and three Native languages: Akuzipik, Yupik, and Inupiaq. Akuzipik teachers currently rely on an outdated curriculum designed for students who spoke Akuzipik exclusively at home—a situation that no longer reflects reality. Other cultural teachers lack adequate training to use the outdated curriculum, often creating materials by hand each week with limited resources. The last updated bilingual/bicultural curriculum dates back to 1992. Continue reading ‘An Ambitious Update to BSSD’s Bilingual/Bicultural Curriculum’ By Attasiaq Otton

‘Valdez High School Celebrates Native Alaska / Native American Heritage Month’ By Pamela Verfaillie

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On November 15th, the Valdez High School Library, in partnership with the Valdez Museum and Historical Archive and local Alaska Native elders and cultural ambassadors, hosted an Alaska Native Culture Appreciation Day to celebrate Native American / Native Alaskan Heritage Month. VHS Library Associate, Pamela Verfaillie, approached her principal, Peter Baksis, with the idea and was told “sure – go for it. I’ll support you.” So she did.

One Gilson Middle School student claimed this was “the best class I have ever taken”.

Continue reading ‘Valdez High School Celebrates Native Alaska / Native American Heritage Month’ By Pamela Verfaillie

‘AK Indigenous Educators Present Research at University of Helsinki’ by Anya Nelson and Luke Fortier

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GROUP OF INDIGENOUS SOUTHEAST ALASKA EDUCATORS PRESENT COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE MODEL AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HELSINKI

Through funding provided by the Goldbelt Heritage Foundation and based on a Sealaska Heritage Institute Community of Practice approach, a group of Southeast Alaska educators recently traveled to the Reimagining Teachers and Teacher Education for Our Futures conference at the University of Helsinki in Finland. They presented findings for a Community of Practice approach to strengthening educational practices that makes Indigenous language and pedagogies a central component to the classroom. Continue reading ‘AK Indigenous Educators Present Research at University of Helsinki’ by Anya Nelson and Luke Fortier