Three Books Available from SHI
SHI is selling the following three books while supplies last: The Transforming Image: Painted Arts of Northwest Coast First Nations by Bill McLennan and Karen Duffek; Art of the Northwest Coast by Aldona Jonaitis; and, Life Lived Like a Story by Julie Cruikshank as told by Angela Sidney, Kitty Smith, and Annie Ned. (Place Order)

Applications for 2008 Latseen Now Online
SHI will hold its fourth annual Latseen Leadership Training in Juneau. The 2008 camp is scheduled June 19-July 1. Applications must be postmarked by April 18, 2008. (Application) (News Article)

SHI Accepting Applications for College, Voc-Tec Scholarships
SHI is accepting applications for the 2008-2009 school year. Scholarship awards will be made to Sealaska shareholders and descendants enrolled in accredited college, university and voc-tech schools...(more) (Radio Story)

Juneau Man Donates Ancient Stone Objects to SHI
A Juneau man has donated four ancient stone objects to SHI, marking one of the most significant donations of cultural items received by the nonprofit in recent years. The pieces donated by Ronald Haffner include a maul, a bowl, what appears to be a grinder and an object shaped like a seal head. The items were dug at Auke Bay by Haffner’s great grandmother, Dora Spaulding, likely in the 1930s, said Haffner. The pieces reveal the artistic talent of indigenous people thousands of years ago, said SHI President Rosita Worl, who thanked Haffner, calling the donation generous...(more) (Radio Actualities) (Photos) (News Article)

SHI Launches First Blog
Blog to explore archives, Native history, heritage
Sealaska Heritage Institute (SHI) has launched its first blog in an effort to keep people informed about issues, books and collections of interest to Southeast Alaska Natives. The blog, written by the institute’s archivist, Zachary Jones, will offer weekly updates on SHI’s archives and engage people in talks about Native languages, history, heritage and other topics. The site also will include links to new and forthcoming books and scholarly studies of interest to Native people...(more) (Radio Actualities)

New Interactive Language Tool on Web
SHI has posted a new interactive language tool to teach Tlingit words for numbers. “Numbers” teaches words for numbers 1-200 and features audio by John Marks. The numbers tool and the tool "Bear Barometer" recently posted in the language resources section were funded in part by a grant from ConocoPhillips...(more) (News Article) (Radio Story)

SHI Staff Trains Sitka School District on Tlingit Curriculum
SHI's staff presented the institute's Tlingit curriculum to Sitka educators in November. The workshop was meant to answer questions and to familiarize teachers with the materials, which includes 18 units plus audio and games on CDs. The district-wide meeting was sponsored by the Sitka Tribe of Alaska. The three-year project was funded by two grants from the U.S. Department of Education. SHI plans to release a similar set of curriculum for the Haida language and culture.

Do You Recognize This?
SHI is trying to locate the owner of a piece of regalia bearing the tináa design featured in the photo at right. The regalia recently came into SHI's possession. If you recognize the design in the posted photo, please contact Sarah Dybdahl at 586-9234 or sarah.dybdahl@sealaska.com

"Tlingit Life Stories" Now Available
The popular book Haa Kusteeyí, Our Culture: Tlingit Life Stories, Vol. 3 is available again through SHI. The book, edited by Richard and Nora Marks Dauenhauer, features the biographies and life histories of more than 50 men and women, most born between 1880 and 1910, and includes a special section on the founders of the Alaska Native Brotherhood (ANB)...(more)

Ancient Human Remains Returned to Tlingit Tribes
The U.S. Forest Service has conveyed custody of 10,300-year-old human remains to Tlingit tribes in Klawock and Craig, marking the first time a federal agency has transferred remains of such antiquity to a Native American tribe. The transfer came after the Klawock Cooperative Association, the Craig Community Association and Sealaska Corporation in February petitioned the agency for custody. The tribes made the request at the end of a collaborative project to study the remains, which were discovered by a paleontologist in 1996 in a cave on Prince of Wales Island...(more)

Board of Trustees Chooses Theme for Celebration 2008
SHI's Board of Trustees has selected the following theme for the 2008 festival: Tlingit, Haida, Tsimshian: Dancing on the Land. The theme also will appear in the title of a new book about Celebration to be released by SHI at Celebration 2008. The book, "Celebration. Tlingit, Haida, Tsimshian: Dancing on the Land," will feature never-before-seen photos of the first two Celebrations through the 2006 festival, taken by the well-known photographer Bill Hess.

New Clothing Item Released!
Hooded sweatshirts with the sayings "We Who Are Tlingit," "We Who Are Haida" and "We Who Are Tsimshian" are now available through SHI in five colors...(more)

Job Opening at SHI
SHI is seeking a curriculum specialist. The incumbent will have primary responsibility for development, evaluation and dissemination of secondary level curriculum...(more)

Job Opening at SHI
SHI is seeking an archivist with a basic knowledge of library and archival cataloging to perform research, preserve historical holdings, maintain accession records and collection inventories, update information for website archive and other duties...(more)

SHI Artist Carves Canoe Bound for Smithsonian
Project to be broadcast live on the Internet
SHI has commissioned a Tlingit artist to make a traditional, cedar canoe for exhibit at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C.. Artist Doug (Kevin) Chilton will carve the full size, Northwest Coast ocean-going dugout canoe at the Sealaska Plaza in Juneau, where the project will be broadcast live on the Internet. The plan is to paddle the finished canoe up the Potomac River to Ocean Hall, an exhibit celebrating global oceans scheduled to open in September 2008. Ocean Hall will inhabit a grand, newly renovated space that spans one of the museum’s three central halls. The canoe will be part of the museum’s permanent collection...(more) (Watch Live) (News Photos) (News Article) (Photos by Carver Sonny Grant)

Job Opening at SHI
SHI is seeking a finance associate to assist with preparation of financial reports, assist with month/year-end financial close process, process grant draw downs, balance sheet reconciliations, fixed asset management, manage retail activities, quarterly tax returns, travel arrangements, payroll, payable & receivable...(more)

SHI Holds First Ever Tlingit Language Basketball Camps
Sealaska Heritage Institute (SHI) for the first time is hosting basketball camps in an effort to create language habitats. The purpose of the Latseen Hoop Camps is to provide a week of fun but intensive instruction in the fundamentals of basketball while incorporating Tlingit language and culture. “It’s part of our effort to teach Native languages through physical and social activities,” said SHI President Rosita Worl. “Our goal is to improve academic achievement of Native students.”...(more) (Radio Story)

Unique Tlingit Curriculum Series Distributed, Posted Online
Series Includes Tlingit Audio CDs and Vocabulary Games
SHI has produced a unique collection of Tlingit curriculum and distributed it to every school district in Southeast Alaska, in hopes of weaving more Native lessons into the public school system. The curriculum, co-produced by the Juneau School District, is unique because it’s the first Tlingit language and culture curriculum done on a broad scale that meets state academic and cultural standards...(more) (Radio Actualities) (News Article)

SHI to Sponsor Basketball Camps
SHI will sponsor basketball camps in Juneau and Angoon this year. The goal is to provide a week of fun but intensive instruction in the fundamentals of basketball while incorporating Lingít language and culture. All boys and girls who are entering grades 6 through 8 who are Sealaska Shareholders or Descendants at eligible to participate. The Juneau camp is scheduled July 23-27; the Angoon camp is scheduled Aug. 6-10. For more information contact Sarah Dybdahl at 586-9234 or sarah.dybdahl@sealaska.com. The deadline to apply is July 20. (Juneau Application) (Angoon Application)

SHI to Hold 3rd Annual Leadership Camp
SHI will host its 3^rd annual Latseen Leadership Training camp next week at the University of Alaska, Juneau campus. The two-week training is meant to teach high school and first-year college students the art of leadership through development of self knowledge and physical and spiritual strength. The Tlingit word “Latseen” means strength...(more)

Scholarships Available for Summer Program at Perseverance Theatre
SHI is offering tuition scholarships for Juneau Perseverance Theatre's STAR Program this summer. The Summer Theatre Arts Rendezvous (STAR) is a great 5-week program for youth ages 10-18 who are serious about the theatre. To be eligible for a scholarship the applicant must be a shareholder descendant. Check out the theatre's website to find out more about the program or contact Deena LaRue at deena.larue@sealaska.com to get an application.

Juneau Teachers Hold Ku.éex’
Teachers in the Juneau School District held a Ku.éex’, a gathering of school children from Glacier Valley, Harborview and Juneau Douglas High School. The gathering, organized by teacher Hans Chester, was held at the ANB Hall in Juneau on May 17, 2007 to celebrate the end of the school year. The Tlingit word Ku.éex’ means "to invite." (Photos)

SHI Seeks Grant Writer, Fundraiser
SHI is seeking a grant proposal writer/fundraiser to help plan and implement the fundraising efforts of SHI, a Native, non-profit organization.  Looking for expertise in writing proposals for education projects and/or for expertise in soliciting from the private sector...(more)

SHI Participates in Virtual Field Trip
SHI participated in an electronic field trip on May 8 at Auke Rec in Juneau. The field trip, produced by Ball State University and Smithsonian Institution, included two identical live 60-minute broadcasts that were accessible to students across the country via the Internet and some public television stations. The broadcasts, titled "Listening to Our Ancestors", included six sets featuring an old canoe, basketry and Chilkat weavings, a fire pit and the Sealaska canoe in the water. Each set was manned by adults and students from Juneau and Washington, D.C. The hosts explained aspects of Southeast Alaska Native language and culture, then fielded questions live from students across the country. The producers also established a website that includes information and videos about Native cultures. Ball State has set up a video stream of one of the broadcasts on its website. DVDs of the broadcast also are available. The website will remain intact in perpetuity. (Watch Video) (Photos)

Virtual Field Trip to Broadcast Live From Juneau
Millions of school children from across the country will have access next week to a 60-minute live broadcast showcasing Southeast Alaska Native history and traditions. "Listening to Our Ancestors" will broadcast on May 8 from Juneau's Auke Rec, ancestral homeland of the Tlingit Áak’w Kwáan. Sealaska Heritage Institute (SHI) is a partner in the Electronic Field Trip (EFT), which is produced by Ball State University...(more) (Ball State University Press Release) (Watch Live/Buy DVD)

Audio of Celebration Song Online
SHI has posted audio of Tsu héidei shugaxtootáan yá yaakoosgé daakeit online in the Language and Culture section. This song was written for Celebration and is often used as an entrance or exit song. Since it belongs to SHI (and not an individual clan), anyone may use it. The words were taken from a speech by George Davis made in Sitka 1980 (published in Haa Tuwunáagu Yís). The song talks about a change of mind of preserving Native cultures and teaching it to the children instead of hiding it away. It’s very symbolic especially to the younger generations who are now learning cultural information that was preserved by their grandparents and knowledgeable Elders. The Tlingit title translates to English as: We will open again this container of wisdom.

Audio of Anthem Online
SHI has posted audio of the Tlingit National Anthem online in the Language and Culture section. The anthem was sung by Nora Dauenhauer, Sue Stevens and Donald Gregory.

Tools for Teaching About the Beach Available Online
SHI has posted the second of a series of Tlingit culture and language thematic units online. In this unit, posted in the Curriculum section, students study beach creatures and gathering and processing techniques. This unit is best suited for the spring because many schools conduct Sea Wee/Month activities during April or May. (Unit) (Resources) The institute also is developing curriculum for the Haida language.

SHI Sponsors Presentation of Tlingit Macbeth in Washington, D.C.
SHI sponsored a production of Tlingit Macbeth, performed at the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington D.C. The play, produced by Perseverance Theatre, fused Shakespeare’s words with the language, music, dancing and visual design of the Tlingit. The production, funded through the National Endowment for the Arts’ Shakespeare in America Communities program, wrapped on March 18. (News Article) (News Article) (News Article) (Radio Story)

Article Outlining Steps in a Koo.éex’ Now Online
The article Koo.éex’: The Tlingit Memorial Party is now available online. The article, written by Lily White and Paul White, outlines the steps in a Koo.éex’ or potlatch. It is posted in SHI's Language and Culture Section.

Tlingit Protocols Added to SHI Web
The article Tlingit Protocols: Forming a Tlingit World View is now available online. The piece, written by Dr. Walter Soboleff, is posted in SHI's Language and Culture Section.

Worl to Serve on NAGPRA Review Committee
The National Park Service has reappointed SHI President Rosita Worl to a two-year term on the National American Graves Protection and Repatriation Review Committee. The seven-member advisory committee monitors, reviews, and assists in the implementation of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA)…(more)

SHI Gets Grant to Produce 90 Hours of Native Narratives
SHI has received a federal grant to transcribe, translate and publish 90 hours of narratives and conversations in Tlingit, Tsimshian and Northern Haida, the endangered indigenous languages of Southeast Alaska. The three-year grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) will give students a lasting opportunity to hear the languages spoken by fluent Native speakers in a conversational context, rather than having to rely on semi-fluent teachers who have learned Tlingit, Haida or Tsimshian as a second language...(more)

New Interactive Tlingit Language Tool Added to Web
SHI has posted another interactive language learning tool in its online language resources section. The Bear Barometer tool teaches Tlingit phrases for weather conditions in an interactive environment. Written by Ruth Demmert. Funded in part through a grant from ConocoPhillips. (Print words) (Download Flash Player)

SHI Shows How to Use Technology to Learn Languages
SHI in February sponsored a 2-day workshop on how to use technology to create interactive language tools. Native language students and teachers learned how to assemble games using images, graphics and audio. The Juneau class was taught by SHI linguist Jordan Lachler and attended by 21 students from across the state. The class also was sponsored by the Juneau School District and the University of Alaska Southeast. (Photos)

New Interactive Tlingit Alphabet Now Online
SHI has posted a new version of the Tlingit alphabet in its language resources section. This version is a bit easier to use because it's all on one page. Like the first version, it lets users hear and see the letters plus hear the letters used in words. (Download Flash Player)

Peratrovich Teaching Tools Available Online
SHI has posted the first of a series of Tlingit culture and language thematic units online. The unit studies the life and work of the remarkable Elizabeth Peratrovich, civil rights champion of Alaska. SHI encourages teachers to download the units and resources for use in class. The institute also is developing curriculum for the Haida language. (Unit) (Resources)

SHI Posts Tlingit Valentine Phrases
Learn to say Happy Valentines Day, I Love You, and other terms of endearment in Tlingit! (Tlingit Valentine Phrases)

SHI, Others, Discuss Native Issues with the Governor
Representatives from SHI and other Native leaders met with Gov. Sarah Palin in January to discuss issues of concern to Southeast Alaska Natives. SHI President Rosita Worl and SHI Trustee Marlene Johnson presented the Governor with Yaakoosgé X’óow, a Blanket of Knowledge produced by the institute to celebrate Southeast Alaskan Native traditional cultures.

Tsimshian Talking Circle to Meet
The Tsimshian Talking Circle will meet from 2-4:30 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 3 at Kolene and Lyle James' house. Any interested persons needing the address and directions should contact Nancy Barnes at 364-2327 or email: auntienancy@hotmail.com. The circle was formed by participants of Sealaska Heritage Institute’s Tsimshian summer workshops, taught by Donna May Roberts. “The seed was planted and is growing,” said SHI Tsimshian student Nancy Barnes. Anyone interested in learning the language is invited to attend the meetings. (Listen to a radio story about the Talking Circle by CoastAlaska reporter Ed Schoenfeld) (Tsimshian Words & Phrases) (Audio)

Tlingit Speakers Confirm Tlingit Words, Meanings
A group of fluent Tlingit speakers met in January to help SHI develop a Tlingit dictionary. SHI, which also is developing dictionaries for Haida and Tsimshian, will post the bilingual materials online and develop CD-ROMs. The dictionaries will be searchable in both English and the Native language and each entry will include sound files and example sentences. The project is funded through a two-year grant from the Administration for Native Americans.

Applications for 2007 Latseen Now Online
SHI will hold its third annual Latseen Leadership Training in Juneau. The 2007 camp is scheduled June 11-22. (Application) (Brochure) (News Article)