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Video of formline class now available online
If you missed Steve Brown’s workshop on Native formline designs, you can now watch it in its entirety online. The two-day workshop, sponsored by SHI, is split into two videos: Day 1 and Day 2. We saw huge demand for this class and were able to accommodate thirty students. We hope to schedule more of these workshops for people who could not make this one. Steve Brown is a master of formline and Northwest Coast art history. He also taught a workshop to eighteen people at the Lemon Creek Correctional Facility while he was in Juneau. If you would like to see more of these classes please contact Arts & Culture Coordinator Rico Worl and rico.worl@sealaska.com. (Day 1) (Day 2) (SHI’s Video Library)

Lots of new art by Isturis added to art web
SHI has added almost twenty new pieces of jewelry to its art web, www.alaskanativeartists.com. AlaskaNativeArtists.com is a virtual marketplace for Alaska Native art. We photograph your work and post it on our site. Artists are paid when their work is purchased. If you are a Native artist and would like to participate in our art web, contact Donald Gregory at donald.gregory@sealaska.com. (New Art)

New art added to AlaskaNativeArtists.com
SHI has added "Feather"--a painting on a skateboard--to its art web, www.alaskanativeartists.com. Acrylic paint on a commercial-made Canadian skateboard. By Rico Worl. $139.99. AlaskaNativeArtists.com is a virtual marketplace for Alaska Native art. We photograph your work and post it on our site. Artists are paid when their work is purchased. If you are a Native artist and would like to participate in our art web, contact Donald Gregory at donald.gregory@sealaska.com.

New art added to AlaskaNativeArtists.com
SHI has added a beaded Eagle made by artist Beatrice Knudson to its Native art website, www.alaskanativeartists.com. Made with glass seed beads and felt backing. 10" tall x 7.5" wide. By Beatrice Knudson . $700.00. AlaskaNativeArtists.com is a virtual marketplace for Alaska Native art. We photograph your work and post it on our site. Artists are paid when their work is purchased. If you are a Native artist and would like to participate in our art web, contact Donald Gregory at donald.gregory@sealaska.com.

Application for Toddler Regalia Review now online
SHI will sponsor a Toddler Regalia Review during Celebration 2012, June 7-9. This popular event is open to Sealaska shareholders and shareholder descendants who are ages two to four years and who are dressed in traditional regalia. We have limited space, and priority will be given to participants by date of completed application. For more information contact Katrina Hotch, 907-586-9282, katrina.hotch@sealaska.com. (Application)

SHI to sponsor language workshop
SHI will sponsor a workshop on Native languages, curriculum and assessments in February in Juneau. Guest presenters will be Chrisann Justice and Beverly Hugo, experts in the Accelerated Second Language Acquisition (ASLA) method. Chrisann and Beverly will share how they have adapted the ASLA method and materials to motivate and encourage students in their learning journey. The workshop is scheduled Feb. 27-28. Location TBA. To register contact Linda Belarde, 907-586-9187, linda.belarde@sealaska.com. Free. (Flyer)

Bill would help preserve Alaska Native languages
Alaska Public Radio Network (APRN)
Ben Matheson
The Alaska Senate State Affairs committee heard testimony Tuesday on Senator Donny Olson’s bill to create an Alaska Native Language Preservation and Advisory Council. Annette Evans Smith, the President of the Alaska Native Heritage Center, says the time for action on keeping languages alive is now...(more)

Senate hears strong support for Native language council
FAIRBANKS NEWS MINER
Matt Buxton
Most of the 2012 legislative session has focused on securing Alaska’s future — through oil tax reform, natural gas and better education — but on Tuesday the Senate State Affairs Committee heard testimony on preserving part of Alaska’s heritage — Alaska Native languages. During testimony for a measure that would established the Alaska Native Language Preservation and Advisory Council many experts and Native advocates told the Senate that Alaska Native languages — a bastion of Native culture and identity — are at risk of going extinct and need protection...Sealaska Heritage Institute Director Dr. Rosita Worl said the council would be integral to ensuring the future of Alaska Native languages, but that immediate action’s needed. “Unless remedial action is initiated most of all Alaska Native languages will join their already extinct linguistic relative, Eyak, within a few decades”...(more)

Worl makes pitch for Native language council
SHI President Rosita Worl testified in favor of state legislation that aims to protect indigenous languages. If passed, the bill would establish an advisory council that would make recommendations to the governor on ways to support the preservation, restoration and revitalization of Alaska Native languages. Worl testified Jan. 31 before the Senate State Affairs Committee, along with several others who testified in support, including Sealaska Director Patrick Anderson and fluent Tlingit speaker Selena Everson. SB 130 was filed by Sen. Donny Olson. (Bill) (House) (Senate) (Governor) (News Article)

Worl to be inducted into Hall of Fame
The Alaska Women’s Hall of Fame will induct sixteen new members, including SHI President Rosita Worl, in March. Worl is one of two women from Juneau to be inducted by the group, which seeks to honor in perpetuity women whose contributions have influenced the direction of Alaska in any field. The event is scheduled Thursday, March 1, at the Anchorage Loussac Library Wilda Marston Theatre. Admission is free, doors open at 5:30 p.m…(more)

Scholar donates Haida archives
CAPITAL CITY WEEKLY
An anthropologist who studied the city of Hydaburg and the Haida history and culture has donated his field work and doctoral papers to Sealaska Heritige Institute (SHI). Dan Vaughan, Ph.D., worked in Hydaburg as a cultural anthropologist for the University of Washington from 1974 to 1984...(more)

Discount at B&B for Celebration goers
The Sepel Hallow Bed and Breakfast is offering discounted rates for people attending Celebration 2012 in Juneau. For more info, contact Georgia Sepel at 907-789-5220.

Please take our language survey!
SHI is asking language teaches and students and anyone interested in Native language programs to fill out our survey. Please either print it, complete it and fax it to 586-9293 or type your answers in an email to sarah.dybdahl@sealaska.com (and include question numbers). Thanks in advance! (Language Survey)

SHI Juried Art Competition winner to be featured in show
The Juneau Arts and Humanities Council is featuring “One Night Stands” in January. These pop-up shows are Tuesday evenings in the JAHC gallery at the Juneau Arts and Culture Center...The next show, Jan. 24, features artist Della Cheney and her weaving project. Cheney’s weaving has, in the past, earned her great praise. She was honored with Best in Show in the contemporary category for Sealaska Heritage Institute’s juried art show in 2008 for a raven’s tail robe she designed and wove, called “Women of Justice"...(more)

SHI to sponsor formline workshop
SHI will sponsor a workshop on formline design taught by Steve Brown, a master of formline and Northwest Coast art history. The class will be held Jan. 21-22 in Juneau, at the Juneau Arts & Culture Center (J.A.C.C.) from 1:00-4:00 each day. All levels are welcome. No charge. Space for 25 students. To register, contact Rico Worl at rico.worl@sealaska.com or 907.586.9265. (Flyer) (News Article)

Boxley totem pole raised in D.C.
A totem pole by artist David Boxley was raised at the National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) on Saturday, Jan. 14. Boxley was awarded a commission from the Smithsonian Institution to carve a 22-foot-tall totem pole, which was installed in the museum's entrance lobby, overlooking the National Mall. The totem pole is the museum's most prominent representation of Alaska Native culture. It's topped with an eagle, followed by a chain of villagers and a large figure clutching a salmon at its base. (Photos)

Scholar donates archives on Hydaburg, Haida to SHI
An anthropologist who studied the City of Hydaburg and the Haida history and culture there has donated his field work and doctoral papers to Sealaska Heritage Institute (SHI). Dan Vaughan, Ph.D., spent a decade working in Hydaburg on Prince of Wales Island as a cultural anthropologist for the University of Washington from 1974 to 1984. During that time, he also did work on his dissertation, which was a study of the Haida people in Hydaburg reaching back two-hundred years...(more) (News Article)

Application available for Native Artist Market
The application for SHI's Native Artist Market held during Celebration 2012 is now online. Applications must be postmarked by March 30 to be considered. This year's market will be expanded and moved to the Sealaska Plaza parking lot in downtown Juneau. (Application)

Sealaska offers scholarship bonus
Ed Schoenfeld
CoastAlaska
Descendents of Sealaska shareholders have until March to apply for corporate scholarships. But those submitting applications this month will receive an extra $50. About 400 college, university and vocational school students receive the scholarships every year. The money comes from Sealaska, the regional Native corporation for Southeast. It’s distributed by the Sealaska Heritage Institute, the businesses’ cultural arm...(more)

New art added to art web
SHI has added a new piece of art to its art web www.alaskanativeartists.com. The piece is a beaded Dragonfly by Beatrice Knudson. Made with glass seed beads and felt backing. Body is 7.75" long and wings are 10.25" wide. $250.00...(more)

SHI accepting applications for college, voc tech scholarships
Institute offering cash incentive to early birds
SHI is accepting applications for the 2012-2013 school year. The deadline to apply is March 1, 2012. However, the institute is offering a $50 incentive to those who complete their scholarship application on or before Feb. 1 and who are accepted as scholarship recipients; if selected as a recipient, the $50 will be included in their scholarship award. Scholarships must be filled out and submitted online...(more) (Apply) (News Article)

Alaska Airlines offers discount for Celebration 2012 travel
Alaska Airlines is once again offering a 5 percent discount off ticket prices to Juneau for people attending Celebration 2012, scheduled June 7-9 (juried art competition awards ceremony is June 6). The travel must take place between June 3-12. The code is ECMG489. Thanks Alaska Airlines!

SHI sponsors moccasin class
Almost twenty people participated in SHI's most recent moccasin class, held Dec. 2-4. The class was held at Sealaska Plaza in Juneau and taught by SHI's Carmaleeda Estrada. SHI sponsored its first moccasin workshop at the urging of the late Anita Lafferty, who taught a class last year. The first one was so popular SHI has continued the workshops. Join our e-news network and follow us on facebook for future classes. (Photos)

2011 Shareholder holiday information fair to be held Dec. 15.
The 2011 Sealaska Shareholder Holiday Information Fair will be held Thursday, December 15, 2011, from 4-7 p.m. at Centennial Hall in Juneau. Please join tribal member shareholders and Sealaska and SHI staff for the opportunity to learn about current Sealaska and SHI activity, available services and resources, talk one-on-one with directors, and visit with family and friends. There will be gift bags, door prizes, plenty of great food, and you can have your picture taken with Santa. Photos are free and will be published on www.sealaska.com..(more) (Photos)

Jinéit open for Gallery Walk
SHI’s Native art store Jinéit will be open for Juneau’s Gallery Walk tonight from 4:30—7:00. We’ll have a wide variety of Native art and jewelry plus live artist demonstrations by Brian and Alicia Chilton, Doug Chilton and Rhonda Loftus, Lorene Hanlon, Rudy Isturis, and Donald Gregory. Proceeds support Native artists and SHI’s cultural programs. Located in the lobby of the Sealaska building. (Jinéit Web)

Tlingit cultural ambassador in Afghanistan
At SHI, we get a lot of requests for information and materials about Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian cultures. This recent request was one of our favorites. Tlingit Tom Johnson is a lieutenant in the Army and serving in Afghanistan. In honor of Native American Heritage Month, the Army recruited Native people in the military to do presentations on their cultures. A lot of Tom's colleagues were not familiar with the Tlingit culture, so he agreed to do a presentation. He contacted us for help and used our social studies curriculum, photos and interactive language resources to help tell the story. We hear he was very well received and the presentation went well. Congratulations Lt. Johnson!

Native culture topic of last lecture in SHI lecture series
By RUSSELL STIGALL
JUNEAU EMPIRE
“Our Tlingit tradition is an oral tradition, said state Sen. Albert Kookesh as he introduced Sealaska Board Vice Chair and President of Sealaska Heritage Institute Rosita Worl — the final speaker in the Native American Heritage Month lecture series. “And she is very, very versed in that area,” Kookesh said...(more)

Worl video now online
If you missed our lecture by SHI President Rosita Worl this week, you can now watch it online. Worl gave a talk about the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act titled "ANCSA: A Path to Assimilation or Cultural Survival." The lecture was part of SHI's November lecture series in recognition of Native American Heritage Month. (Video) (Radio Story) (News Article)

SHI to sponsor lecture about ANCSA Monday
SHI will sponsor a noon lecture on Monday to celebrate Native American Heritage Month. Rosita Worl, president of Sealaska Heritage Institute, will give a talk titled "ANCSA: A Path to Assimilation or Cultural Survival." The brown bag lecture series is held from 12-1 pm in the 4^th floor boardroom at Sealaska Plaza in Juneau. The lectures also will be streamed live at www.sealaska.com. The series was sponsored by MRV Architects, the McDowell Group and Kathy Ruddy of Juneau. For more information, contact Zachary Jones at 586-9261. (Flyer) (Audio)

Sealaska president urges unity in development of Southeast resources
McNeil featured at SHI brown bag lecture series
By RUSSELL STIGALL
JUNEAU EMPIRE
Sealaska Corp. President and CEO Chris McNeil told a full house in Sealaska’s fourth floor conference room that Native corporations, tribes and villages must work together to manage the use of the region’s natural resources over the long term. McNeil spoke on the legal status of Alaska Native corporations and economic self-determination during the latest in Sealaska Heritage Institute’s noon lecture series...(more)

McNeil video now online
If you missed our lecture by Chris E. McNeil this week, you can now watch it online. McNeil, president and CEO of Sealaska Corporation, gave a talk about the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act titled "The Legal Status of Alaska Native Corporations and Economic Self Determination." The lecture was part of SHI's November lecture series in recognition of Native American Heritage Month. (Video) (News Article) (Flyer)

SHI to sponsor lecture about ANCSA Monday
SHI will sponsor a noon lecture on Monday to celebrate Native American Heritage Month. Chris McNeil, president and CEO of Sealaska Corporation, will give a talk titled "The Legal Status of Alaska Native Corporations and Economic Self Determination." The brown bag lecture series will continue through November and focus on the impact of ANCSA. The lectures will be held from 12-1 pm in the 4^th floor boardroom at Sealaska Plaza in Juneau. The lectures also will be streamed live at www.sealaska.com. The series was sponsored by MRV Architects, the McDowell Group and Kathy Ruddy of Juneau. For more information, contact Zachary Jones at 586-9261. (News Article) (Flyer)

Thomas video now online
If you missed our lecture by Ed Thomas this week, you can now watch it online. Thomas, president of Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska, gave a talk about the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act titled "The Interrelationships Between Tribes and Corporations." The lecture was part of SHI's November lecture series in recognition of Native American Heritage Month. (Video) (News Article) (Flyer)

Video of luncheon to recognize Sealaska inaugural board, Notti, online
If you missed the Central Council/Sealaska luncheon held to recognize Sealaska's inaugural board and Emil Notti, you can watch it online. Notti was Chair of the Alaska Federation of Natives (AFN) when Alaska Natives were pursuing the settlement of their aboriginal land claims. He cast the tie-breaking vote at AFN to allow Southeast Alaska Natives into the historic Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, which was passed by Congress 40 years ago. (Video)

Native leader seeks stronger ties between tribes, corps
By Russell Stigall
JUNEAU EMPIRE
The room on the fourth floor of Sealaska Plaza was packed with more than 30 people. They’d gathered as part of Native Alaskan Heritage Month to hear Edward Thomas, president, Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indians of Alaska and a director on Sealaska Corp.’s board speak about tribes and Native corporations...(more)

SHI to sponsor workshop on how to make moccasins
SHI will sponsor a three-day workshop in Juneau on how to make moccasins The workshop is scheduled Dec. 2-4 at Sealaska Plaza, 4th floor boardroom, and will be taught by SHI's Carmaleeda Estrada. Space is limited and beginners get a priority. Tops must be completed prior to class (contact SHI for a size pattern). To register contact Carmaleeda at 586-9280 or carmaleeda.estrada@sealaska.com. A $50 registration fee covers materials to complete one pair of moccasins. (Flyer)

1921 ANB program highlight of blog
In his blog this week, SHI Archivist Zachary Jones explores an ANB Grand Camp program from 1921. The program uses frank language to describe the agenda including this passage: "Open Forum. The tremendous handicap of securing a fair trial by juries composed entirely of White men, through an interpreter, leading to the question, Would a lone White man consent to a trial by Natives in "Indian Country?" (Blog)

Thornton video now online
If you missed our lecture by Thomas Thornton this week, you can now watch it online. Thornton, a senior research fellow for Environmental Change and Management at Oxford University, gave a talk titled "Alaska Native Corporations and Cultural Models of Sustainability." The lecture was part of SHI's November lecture series in recognition of Native American Heritage Month. (News Article) (Flyer) (Video)

SHI to sponsor lecture about ANCSA on Thursday
SHI will sponsor a noon lecture on Thursday to celebrate Native American Heritage Month. Ed Thomas, president of Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indians of Alaska, will give a talk about the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act titled "The Interrelationships Between Tribes and Corporations." The brown bag lecture series will continue through November and focus on the impact of ANCSA. The lectures will be held from 12-1 pm in the 4^th floor boardroom at Sealaska Plaza in Juneau. The lectures also will be streamed live at www.sealaska.com. The series was sponsored by MRV Architects, the McDowell Group and Kathy Ruddy of Juneau. For more information, contact Zachary Jones at 586-9261. (News Article) (Flyer) (Watch Live)

Tlingit and Haida, Sealaska, to recognize original Sealaska directors, Notti
The Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indians and Sealaska Corporation are sponsoring a noon luncheon today to recognize the initial Sealaska Board of Directors and Emil Notti, Chair of the Alaska Federation of Natives when Alaska Natives were pursuing the settlement of their aboriginal land claims. The event will be held at the Elizabeth Peratrovich Hall (formerly ANB Hall) in Juneau from noon to 1pm. It will be streamed live at www.sealaska.com. (Watch Live)

SHI to sponsor lecture about ANCSA on Tuesday
SHI will sponsor a noon lecture on Tuesday to celebrate Native American Heritage Month. Thomas Thornton will give a talk titled "Alaska Native Corporations and Cultural Models of Sustainability." Thornton is a senior research fellow for Environmental Change and Management at Oxford University. The brown bag lecture series will continue through November and focus on the impact of ANCSA. The lectures will be held from 12-1 pm in the 4^th floor boardroom at Sealaska Plaza in Juneau. The lectures also will be streamed live at www.sealaska.com. The series was sponsored by MRV Architects, the McDowell Group and Kathy Ruddy of Juneau. For more information, contact Zachary Jones at 586-9261. (News Article) (Flyer)

Dance group application for Celebration '12 now available
Deadline is March 2, 2012. Invitation notifications will be sent by March 23, 2012.(Application) (Celebration 2012)

Mallott video now online
If you missed our lecture by Byron Mallott last week, you can now watch it online. Mallott of First Alaskans Institute gave a talk about the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act titled "ANCSA: Good or Bad?" The lecture was part of SHI's November lecture series in recognition of Native American Heritage Month. (News Article) (Flyer) (Video)

First lecture scheduled Friday
SHI will sponsor a noon lecture on Friday to celebrate Native American Heritage Month. Byron Mallott of First Alaskans Institute will give a talk about the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act titled "ANCSA: Good or Bad?" The brown bag lecture series will continue through November and focus on the impact of ANCSA. The lectures will be held from 12-1 pm in the 4^th floor boardroom at Sealaska Plaza in Juneau. The lectures also will be streamed live at www.sealaska.com and from this page. The series was sponsored by MRV Architects, the McDowell Group and Kathy Ruddy of Juneau. For more information, contact Zachary Jones at 586-9261. (News Article) (Press Release) (Flyer) (Video)

Dancers & Drummers Gathering planned for Juneau
SHI Trustee Nancy Barnes is organizing a Dancers & Drumming Gathering in Juneau. Everyone is welcome! There will be free tables for sales of Native arts and crafts (available on a first come, first serve basis). No charge--this is just for fun! Scheduled 2:30-5:30, Dec. 10, at the Juneau Arts & Culture Center (JACC). For more information or to reserve a table contact Nancy Barnes at 465-6828 (day) or 364-2327 (evening). There will be a donation bowl for people who want to give to the Glory Hole for the holidays. (Flyer)

Halloween is coming. Can you say that in Tlingit?
Nakw s’aatí yagiyeeyí áwé yá haadé yaa nagút aa síndi.
“Halloween is next week.” U
Ch’a ldakát at yátx’i núkdzigaa át gugwa.áat.
“All the kids will be out looking for candy.” U
Axoo aa kéi has shakaguxlagéi.
“Some of them will look cute.” U
Axoo aa kéi has yakaguxlaxéitl’shan.
“Some of them will look scary.” U
Daa sá yee tuwáa sigóo?
What do you all want?
Linúkdzi.át haa tuwáa sigóo.
We want candy.

Audio by the late Johnny Marks. Learn more Tlingit phrases.

SHI to host brown-bag lecture series on Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act
JUNEAU EMPIRE STAFF REPORT
Sealaska Heritage Institute will sponsor a noon lecture series to celebrate Native American Heritage Month in November. The series will focus on the impact of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, or ANSCA.Congress passed ANSCA 40 years ago...(more)

SHI trustee wins governor's award
Gov. Sean Parnell last week awarded the 2011 Shirley Demientieff Award to SHI Trustee Ethel Lund. The governor made the award at the Alaska Federation of Natives convention. The award is given each year at AFN by the governor for advocacy on behalf of Alaska Native women and children. “Ms. Lund charted a course for youth to embrace careers in the health care field,” Governor Parnell said. “Her work is lasting. This can be seen with one of the nation’s oldest Native-run health care organizations bearing her name: Juneau’s Ethel Lund Medical Center"...(more)

SHI to sponsor lecture series for Native American Heritage Month
SHI will sponsor a noon lecture series to celebrate Native American Heritage Month in November. The brown-bag lunch series will focus on the impact of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) which was passed by Congress forty years ago, said SHI President Rosita Worl, adding Tlingit and Haida and Sealaska Corporation also will sponsor a November luncheon in recognition of ANCSA...(more) (Flyer) (News Article)

Job opening: SHI seeking development associate
SHI is seeking a Development Associate to assist the Director of Development in identifying grant opportunities for programs and capital projects, writing/submitting applications, and tracking award success. Resumes must be postmarked by Nov. 15 and sent to Sealaska Heritage Institute, ATTN: Lee Kadinger, One Sealaska Plaza, Suite 30, Juneau, AK 99801. (Job Description)

AFN names Worl Citizen of the Year
Award is AFN's highest honor
The Alaska Federation of Natives (AFN) has presented its highest honor to Rosita Worl, president of Sealaska Heritage Institute. At an Anchorage ceremony today during the federation’s annual convention, AFN President Julie Kitka gave Worl its Citizen of the Year award, saying Worl had dedicated her life to helping Native people from one corner of the state to the other. "I venture to say there’s probably nobody’s life that has not been touched by the efforts that she has put into her work helping the Native community over her lifetime," Kitka said...(more) (News Article)

SHI participates in statewide literacy conference
SHI staff and curriculum contractor Jim MacDiarmid provided training on a process it uses to teach academic terms. The method, called the Developmental Language Process (DLP), is woven into the institute's curriculum. DLP is a process that helps instill vocabulary into long-term memory. Almost eighty people attended the training at the statewide Literacy Conference in October. Read more about the method in SHI's quarterly newsletter about the process. (Newsletter) (Video Overview of DLP)

SHI receives grant to study historic Tlingit recordings
Oldest recordings date to early 1900s
SHI has received a federal grant to research and migrate old Tlingit language recordings to a format that will make them more accessible to modern-day Native language students and scholars. The $150,000, two-year grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services will allow SHI to migrate more than one hundred recordings of people speaking Tlingit from an old format to a digital format, said SHI Archivist Zachary Jones. Recordings with the potential to aid language students and educators will be placed online...(more) (News Article)

100 years of Alaska Native Brotherhood
In his blog this week, SHI Archivist Zachary Jones talks about the history and accomplishments of the Alaska Native Brotherhood, and its partner organization, the Alaska Native Sisterhood. SHI holds the largest collection of ANB records in the world. From the historic records, SHI recently compiled a list of ANB Grand Presidents and the locations of ANB Grand Camp Conventions (ANS list forthcoming)...(more) (Blog)

SHI soliciting papers for Box of Knowledge series
SHI is soliciting essay-length articles for our new Box of Knowledge Occasional Papers series. We welcome submissions dealing with all aspects of Alaska Native life, including history, anthropology, archaeology, art history, political science, linguistics, sociology, and literature. Consideration will be given to manuscripts which make a strong contribution to knowledge through new interpretations and/or new information...(more) (News Article)

Thanks proxy donors!
More than 400 shareholders donated their 2011 proxy funds (voting incentives) to Sealaska Heritage Institute. Sealaska Corporation contributes funds to support the administrative cost of SHI, but we must raise the additional funds from donations and grants from the public and private sector to support our cultural, language and educational programs. Thank you proxy donors! (Proxy Donors)

Worl to give talk on ANCSA at Fairbanks summit
SHI President Rosita Worl will give a talk about the retribalization of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) at the two-day ANCSA Impact Series conference in Fairbanks this week. Worl will participate in a panel discussion on Thursday, Oct. 6, at the conference, hosted by the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. Panelists will discuss the impact of ANCSA on Alaska since it was enacted 40 years ago. You can watch it live! (Agenda) (Live Broadcast)

Photos of Hoonah protest donated to SHI
In 1992, the community of Hoonah waged a protest against the federal government for infringing on subsistence activities in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve--the ancestral homeland of the Hoonah Tlingit. Protest participant Misty Jack of Hoonah recently donated her photos of the event to Sealaska Heritage Institute, to preserve in its archives. In his weekly blog, SHI Archivist Zach Jones talks about the photo collection and the stand the Hoonah Tlingit took against the federal government on that day. (Blog) (Photos)

Students get hooked on salmon
By Sarah Day
JUNEAU EMPIRE
Students at Dzantik'i Heeni Middle School are digging deep into learning about salmon, from guts to growth. Science teachers and cultural specialists formed a large unit on salmon — from traditional science to cultural importance...Goldbelt Heritage Institute has sponsored the elders, who are using Sealaska's curriculum...(more)

Seventeen people participate in SHI's moccasin workshop
Seventeen people in Hoonah participated in SHI's workshop on how to make moccasins last weekend. The class ran over three days and was taught by SHI's Carmaleeda Estrada. Some students were able to complete an entire set of moccasins before the workshop ended! SHI sponsored its first moccasin workshop at the urging of the late Anita Lafferty, who taught a class last year. The first one was so popular SHI has continued the workshops. The next one is scheduled for Juneau--check back soon for dates and location (or join our e-news network and follow us on facebook). (Photos)

Art at Jineit goes online!
Have you checked out our new website featuring Alaska Native art? SHI runs a retail art store at Sealaska Plaza, and we recently launched a searchable website of the items for sale. If you have art you would like to sell through Jineit, contact Lola Foss at lola.foss@sealaska.com. (Jineit)

New art added to art web!
Click here to see new pieces, including a beautiful Raven shaakee.at by Archie Cavanaugh and paintings on skateboards by Rico Worl. (AlaskaNativeArtists.com)

Missed our lecture on Southeast totem parks?
You can watch it online! In her talk, Emily Moore discusses Southeast Alaska totem poles that were made or restored during the Great Depression and shows a 1949 newsreel about the project that was recently rediscovered. (Video)

SHI to sponsor lecture on totem parks of Southeast Alaska
Speaker to screen rediscovered 1949 newsreel about the parks
Sealaska Heritage Institute (SHI) will sponsor a noon lecture on Southeast Alaska totem poles that were made or restored during the Great Depression and show a 1949 newsreel about the project that was recently rediscovered. The lecture will be given by Emily Moore, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of California, Berkeley. SHI is sponsoring her research through its Visiting Scholars Program. The brown bag lunch lecture is scheduled from noon-1 pm, Monday, Sept. 19 in the 4^th floor boardroom at Sealaska Plaza. It is free of charge and open to the public. Space is limited...(more)

Alaska Native Sisterhood civil rights leader Amy Hallingstad--a glimpse to 1947
In his blog this week, SHI Archivist Zachary Jones sheds light on the contributions of Amy Hallingstad, a civil rights leader. The post is based partly on a letter she wrote that is part of SHI's archives. Jones writes, "During the early 1930s, as Amy's children began to attend school in Petersburg, Amy became angry that the Native children in Petersburg were forced to attend a segregated school. Since Alaska Natives had to pay taxes that went toward the public school system, Amy was able to force the closure of the Native school in Petersburg and soon Alaska Native children were able to attend the public school in Petersburg...(more) (Blog).

Services for Shangukeidí clan mother scheduled
Family and friends are invited to services for Anna Klanott Katzeek—clan mother of the Shangukeidí (Thunderbirds).The memorial ceremony will be held at the Juneau Tlingit and Haida Community Council Building on September 15 beginning at 4:30 PM.The funeral service will be held on September 16 at the Northern Lights Church beginning at 4:30 PM. (Obituary)

Worl gives class on Native land claims, NAGPRA
At SHI, we get numerous and ongoing requests from schools and other organizations for classes on Native cultures, languages, and history. We always try to accommodate these requests. In September, a group of eight undergraduate anthropology students from South Puget Sound Community College in Washington State stopped by Sealaska Plaza for such a class. SHI President Rosita Worl (also an anthropologist) gave a talk on the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) and the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). The students' field trip was led by Dale Croes, the school's head of anthropology.

Recordings documenting the history of Wrangell Tlingit come to SHI
In his blog, SHI Archivist Zachary Jones writes that an important set of recordings documenting the history of the Wrangell Tlingit were recently donated to SHI. The set includes nine recordings by Tlingit artist and Raven Kiks.ádi Elder Thomas Ukas (1879-1973) and his son Harry Ukas (1915-1993)...(more)

SHI, Sealaska showcase Tlingit, Haida, Tsimshian at Santa Fe Indian Market
In 2011, Sealaska Heritage Institute and Sealaska Corporation sponsored artists and cultural performances at the world renowned Santa Fe Indian Market, which draws more than 100,000 people every year. Our goals were to introduce ourselves and Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian art and culture. Our long term goal is to cultivate a similar market in Alaska. The Santa Fe Indian Market was founded 90 years ago and has been instrumental in creating worldwide demand for Southwest Indian art. Some artists at the market make enough in two days to sustain themselves for the entire year. Congratulations to Quinn Martine, winner of our copper Raven necklace! (Photos) (Video: Mt. Saint Elias Dancers) (Video: Northwest Coast Traditional and Contemporary Fashion Review) (News Article)

SHI to hold moccasin-making class in Hoonah
SHI will sponsor a class on how to make moccasins in Hoonah next month. SHI's Carmaleeda Estrada will teach the class from Friday, Sept. 23 to Sunday Sept. 25 at the Hoonah School, Erickson Building, Room 306. A $50 registration fee covers all materials needed to complete one pair of moccasins. To register contact Carmaleeda at 586-9280 or carmaleeda.estrada@sealaska.com. (Flyer)

Alaska Native art, culture to be showcased
By Klas Stolpe
JUNEAU EMPIRE
A group of Southeast Alaskan Native artists will be showcasing this region's indigenous art and culture at New Mexico's Santa Fe Indian Market in an effort to educate and attract art enthusiasts and collectors and develop a similar gathering in Juneau...(more)

Alaska groups to showcase Native art, cultures in Santa Fe
Groups hope to replicate huge art market in Alaska, broaden Alaska art market
SHI and Sealaska Corporation will showcase Native art and culture from Southeast Alaska at the Santa Fe Indian Market this year in an effort to better educate art enthusiasts and collectors about the region’s distinctive indigenous art and to develop a similar market here. SHI and Sealaska are planning Native art demonstrations, art sales, dance-and-cultural performances and a high fashion show to spotlight the Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian cultures of Southeast Alaska. It’s a chance to expose nearly 100,000 patrons of the market there to the Native art here and to broaden demand...(more) (News Article)

SHI's visiting scholar studies totem parks
In his latest blog, SHI Archivist Zach Jones talks about our newest visiting scholar, Emily Moore. She's conducting research on the totem parks of Southeast Alaska. Moore is interested in contacting carvers or their relatives in Tlingit and Haida communities who remember someone who worked on the New Deal totem parks, or details concerning the carving project, as Moore also works to honor the individual carvers who worked on this historic project and the project’s legacy...(more) (Visiting Scholars Program)

Teaching vanishing Native languages
By Jonathan Grass
JUNEAU EMPIRE
Tlingit speakers and educators are fighting to keep that language alive. As those at Sealaska Heritage Institute (SHI) put it, creating new speakers will be key in accomplishing this. In fact, the Native institute has just introduced a new Tlingit language card program as part of this mission. The program is a set of flash cards and audio CDs to help gain efficiency in the alphabet...(more) (Order)

Former Kake family heirloom ordnance dearmed, deactivated
By Klas Stolpe
JUNEAU EMPIRE
The Organized Village of Kake (OVK) with the assistance of the Sealaska Heritage Institute (SHI) diffused the historic Civil War Parrott Shell ordnance that a Kake family had passed among family members for decades. “It has been in our family over 100 years,” Kake elder Michael Jackson said when State Troopers and Elmendorf Air Force explosives experts had first traveled to Kake to investigate the shell on June 23, 2011...(more) (Photos)

A rare image and the story of George Schwatka
Collector Richard Wood this week donated a rare image to Sealaska Heritage Institute showing George Schwatka (Ind-A-Yanek) in Haines circa 1900. Ind-A-Yanek (later known as George Schwatka) was often photographed by early photographers of Alaska, though this image is quite rare--in part because it’s the only known image of a Tlingit on a horse during this period. Ind-A-Yanek of Klukwan is sometimes remembered as a guide to non-Natives who traveled inland during the gold rush era and exploration period, slightly before and after the turn of the century. In 1883 the federal government sent 1^st Lt. Frederick Gustavus Schwatka (1849-1892) to Alaska to do a survey of routes from Haines to Fort Selkirk, Yukon. Lt. Schwatka hired Ind-A-Yanek to guide his party for the survey. Ind-A-Yanek did so, but Schwatka refused to pay him after his work concluded. Ind-A-Yanek told Schwatka that he would take his last name for the rest of Ind-A-Yanek's life as a ridicule payment, and thereafter Ind-A-Yanek was known as George Schwatka.

Language tool teaches Tlingit alphabet
Ed Schoenfeld
CoastAlaska
Do you want to learn Tlingit? You could start with the 50 letters, including some sounds that are not found in other languages. A new online tool, plus a note-card-and-audio system, is aimed at children. But it can help students of any age. The Sealaska Heritage Institute has created the online, audiovisual teaching program. It’s also being distributed as a note card and CD-audio system teaching the written language’s 50 letters...(more) (Order)

Tlingit alphabet cards, interactive tool, CD released
SHI has released flash cards, an audio CD and an online interactive tool designed to teach the Tlingit alphabet to young people. The materials feature original, whimsical art and are meant to provide a fun way for kids to interact and become familiar with the Tlingit alphabet. Each card includes a character in the Tlingit alphabet, a Tlingit word that uses that character and an image depicting the Tlingit word, said Linda Belarde, who writes curriculum with a focus on the Tlingit language for the institute...(more) (Interactive Version) (Order) (News Article)

Historic ordnance from 1800s successfully defused in Kake
A team of munitions experts has defused an artillery round in Kake, successfully preserving the historic artifact. Sealaska Heritage Institute, working in partnership with the Organized Village of Kake (OVK) and with funding from Sealaska Corporation, brought in specialists Jack Melton Jr. of Georgia and John F. Biemeck of Virginia to neutralize and remove the powder in the ordnance. The round was fired on the Keex Kwáan Tlingit by the U.S. Army's gunboat USS Saginaw as part of the Kake War of 1869, a historic event wherein the military took genocidal actions against innocent Tlingit. OVK plans to loan the shell to SHI (until the OVK can obtain their own cultural center in Kake) where it will serve as evidence of military actions against the Tlingit people of Kake. The inert shell was discussed and shown to the community and youth of Kake in July as part of the OVK's 23th annual culture camp. SHI Archivist Zachary Jones also assisted, and took photos. (Photos) (News Article)

Worl testifies in favor of Native corporations participating in NAGPRA
SHI President Rosita Worl submitted testimony pushing for an amendment to federal law to allow Native corporations to continue repatriating objects on behalf of clans. In her testimony before the U.S. Senate Indian Affairs Committee, Worl argued Alaska Native corporations are best able to shoulder the ever=increasing escalation in costs associated with making repatriation requests and seeking review of disputes. A federal report issued in July questioned the corporations’ eligibility to participate in repatriation claims. (Testimony)

Canoe found in Southeast may be 500 years old
Ancient tools were used to hew wood in 34-foot craft
By MIKE DUNHAM | ANCHORAGE DAILY NEWS
A centuries-old Haida canoe has been discovered near the Prince of Wales Island village of Kasaan, Sealaska Corp. announced Tuesday. Work on the nearly 34-foot vessel may have stopped around the same time that Columbus sailed from Spain...(more)

Foresters find historic canoe on Prince of Wales Island
Partially-complete artifact could become model for modern craftsmen
By Pat Forgey | JUNEAU EMPIRE
Sealaska foresters working on Prince of Wales Island have unearthed a partially complete Haida canoe from the forest floor, and are estimating its age at more than 100 years old. A Sealaska Timber Corp. surveyor working in the area during the winter discovered the canoe. Later, when snow melted, it was confirmed to be an ancient canoe, the company said. Several cedar trees in the area appear to have been felled with traditional tools, and the canoe was constructed with traditional tools, said Sealaska Heritage Institute officials...(more) (Press Release)

SHI moccasin-making class prompts moccasin workshop in Angoon
SHI’s Carmaleeda Estrada sewed her first pair of moccasins about ten years ago but never consistently continued the practice, partly due to lack of materials. After taking a moccasin class in November sponsored by SHI, she was able to relearn the skill. This month, she taught a class in Angoon in response to comments by friends and relatives who wished to learn to make moccasins. SHI donated materials for the Angoon class and plans to sponsor workshops in Hoonah and Juneau this year. Check back soon for dates on future workshops or follow us on Facebook and Twitter and subscribe to our e-newsletters. (Right: Angoon student Roxann Braley)

Sealaska Heritage Institute gets support from Legislature
Additional fundraising needed to complete downtown center
By Pat Forgey | JUNEAU EMPIRE
The Sealaska Heritage Institute’s Native cultural center, named after Dr. Walter Soboleff, is expected to give a big push to the study and preservation of Alaska Native history, culture, art and language. The center’s building is located across from Sealaska Corp.’s headquarters on a site that once was a downtown eyesore. It is also expected to give a boost to the city’s center. Sealaska officials are showing off a new architect’s model of the $22.5 million building, as they continue fundraising to get it built...(more)

Wondering what the Kake bomb looks like?
SHI Archivist Zachary Jones went to Kake last week to help the Organized Village of Kake (OVK) delay detonation of unexploded ordnance left from the bombardment of Kake in 1869 by the U.S. Steamer Saginaw. Jones took this photo while he was there. SHI will be working with OVK to send a munitions expert to Kake to defuse the device, which has historic value. For more on the Kake bomb story, click here.

Aged bomb in Kake gets official inspection
Family heirloom a reminder of clashes with government
By Klas Stolpe | JUNEAU EMPIRE
Della Cheney remembers playing with a family heirloom growing up, a rather strange looking metallic object that wasn’t easily moved about. “It was very heavy,” Cheney said. “At least 25 pounds.” The heirloom? A roughly 12-inch long, 30-pound unexploded round of ammunition that struck the village more than 140 years ago. Or in the words of one of the descendants who found the shell resting on the other side of a hole in a Southeast rainforest soaked stump, “It was an annoying object when you stubbed your toe on it but a great conversation piece...(more) (6-23-11)

New list of Alaskan Haida words for cultural objects compiled
In this week's blog post, SHI Archivist Zachary Jones reveals a list of Alaskan Haida words for cultural objects commonly found in museums. We occasionally receive inquiries about linguistic terms from artists, educators, museums, and other interested researchers. He compiled the list from Dictionary of Alaskan Haida, which was published by Sealaska Heritage Institute in 2010. A link to the list will be maintained in the Language Resources section...(more) (Blog) (List)

Students encouraged to sign up for STAR program
Capital City Weekly
Summer is here and it is time to get those kids, grandkids, and neighbors signed up for Perseverance Theatre's Summer Theatre Arts Rendezvous (STAR). Rehearsals and classes begin July 11. This five-week program is perfect for students ages 10-18 who are enthusiastic about theatre. A limited number of full scholarships for Alaska Native students are available thanks to the support of Sealaska Heritage Institute...(more)

New internship seeks to get Native students involved in museums, preservation work
By Jonathan Grass | JUNEAU EMPIRE
Sealaska Heritage Institute has just joined with the University of Alaska Southeast in an internship program to encourage more Native archivists and museum curators. SHI archivist said that more Natives are needed in these fields that are devoted to the preservation of their cultures. “This field certainly needs diversity. Especially with museum materials, it’s important to have Natives working in their museums...(more)

SHI wraps 2011 Latseen hoop camps
Nearly forty kids attended SHI's annual Latseen Hoop Camp program in June. This is an innovative program designed to teach Native languages to kids through basketball. We think this approach makes learning fun! The camps were held in Hoonah and Juneau this year and taught by Ralph Wolfe, Jordan Gibson, De'Andre Jazz King, Mischa Jackson, Josh Jackson, Jessica Chester and Michaela Demmert.

SHI joins new internship program to foster more Native archivists
First Native intern wins full scholarship to pursue masters in library science
SHI has joined with a state university in an internship program designed to foster more archivists and museum curators. SHI’s first Tlingit intern (right) under the program, founded this year by the University of Alaska Southeast (UAS), was just accepted into a graduate school in California to pursue a career in archives and given a full scholarship. The news was gratifying because there are so few Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian people working in the field of archival science, said SHI Archivist Zachary Jones, who cares for the institute’s ethnographic and archival collections...(more)

Have you ever seen a seagull egg?
Seagull eggs are a traditional Native food. A staff member recently went to the outer coast and collected eggs from seagulls and sea terns (sometimes called kittiwakes or sea pigeons). These birds lay only three eggs per nest. The rule is you collect eggs if there are only one or two in a nest. If there are three, they may be about to hatch, so you leave those ones alone. To make sure there are yolks inside and not birds, you put them in a bucket of water. If an egg floats, it’s too far along. If it sinks, it’s all yolk and good to go. You can prepare these eggs just like chicken eggs. They are very rich and make cakes fluffier than chicken eggs (Recipe). The Tlingit word for seagull is kéidladi. The Tlingit word for seagull egg is kéidladi k’wát'i. The Haida word for seagull is sk’ín. The Haida word for a bird's egg is káw. The Tsimshian word for seagull is ggagoom. The Tsimshian word for seagull egg is hlgumadm ggagoom. (Photo) (Recipe: Seagull Egg Pie)

Learn dog commands in Tlingit!
Learn common commands for your dog, such as sit, stop, come here and good dog. Words courtesy of Roby Littlefield and Kassandra Eubank-Littlefield. (Dog Commands) (Language Resources)

360 North plans Soboleff coverage Friday
360 North is planning an evening of programming dedicated to Walter Soboleff on Friday. The celebrated Tlingit elder, educator and Presbyterian minister died May 22 at the age of 102...(more) (Web Link)

Juneau hoop camps on this week
SHI is sponsoring its Latseen Basketball Camp in Juneau this week. This is an innovative program that integrates the Tlingit language into an intensive week of basketball camp. The program creates a fun and supportive learning environment for kids to develop basketball skills and fundamentals while learning the Tlingit language. The next hoop camp is in Hoonah, June 13-17 for students in grades 5-12. It's free! For more information contact Ralph Wolfe at 586-9165 or ralph.wolfe@sealaska.com. (Flyer--Hoonah Camp)

Artistic heritage and a unique object at the British Museum
From SHI's archivist Zach Jones' blog: In April 2011, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and Sealaska Heritage Institute sponsored a trip for a delegation from SHI to travel to the British Museum to document and study their Southeast Alaska Native objects...(more)

SHI awards $447,000 in Sealaska scholarships
Second-ever Judson Brown scholarship given to student pursuing master’s
SHI has awarded approximately $447,000 in scholarships to Sealaska shareholders and descendants and given a leadership award from a separate endowment to a student pursuing her master’s degree. The awards, funded mostly by Sealaska Corporation, will help students pursuing graduate and undergraduate degrees and voc-tech training for the 2011-2012 school year. A portion also will fund heritage studies, language studies and culture camps...(more) (News Article)

US Dept. of Agriculture looking for interns
Positions available at the local regional and national level in Washington D.C. If interested contact Janie Hipp at janie.hipp@osec.usda.gov or Barbara Blake at barbara.blake@osec.usda.gov.

Governor orders flags to be flown at half staff in Soboleff's honor
(News Article)

SHI mourns passing of Kaajaakwti—SHI chair, traditional scholar, leader
We at Sealaska Heritage Institute are mourning the loss of a great man and an inspirational leader. Dr. Walter A. Soboleff (Kaajaakwti) lived a very long life, but we will sorely miss his wisdom, guidance and gentle ways. Dr. Soboleff served on our Board of Trustees since 1985, and since 1988 he has been our Chair. He has led the institute almost as long as the institute has been around. Dr. Soboleff also was a very valued member of our Council of Traditional Scholars, which guides us in our cultural programs.

Dr. Soboleff was of the Yéil (Raven) moietClick "Start" and choose y, L’eeneidí (Dog Salmon) clan. He was a fluent Tlingit speaker and a staunch advocate for Native language documentation and preservation. He helped lead SHI to make language restoration a priority in 1997. In addition, he sat for many recording sessions with Trustee Clarence Jackson, who interviewed Soboleff in Tlingit. These video recordings are kept at the institute’s archives and were made, in part, to leave a legacy for language students, who will be able to listen to and learn from these casual conversations spoken in Tlingit. Up until the last days of his life he was guiding us and giving us the benefit of his vast knowledge about the Tlingit language and culture. We miss him dearly and are forever grateful that this giant of a man walked this earth. (News Articles) (Statement by the Governor) (Century of Soboleff) (Video of Dr. Soboleff's Celebration 2010 Address) (Press Release)

JDHS students present Native art
Students who took Native art classes from SHI's Donald Gregory (Heendéi) presented the pieces they made to students at Juneau-Douglas High School today. The students carved and painted Raven heads for the CHOICE program. SHI sponsors this class every year. Art by students will eventually go on display at Sealaska Heritage Institute.

Video of tree ceremony now online
SHI has posted video of a tree ceremony held In 2007. The ceremony was held for the felling of a tree slated to become a dugout canoe for the Smithsonian's new Ocean Hall. The Raven canoe was carved at Sealaska Plaza by Doug Chilton. It was launched on the Potomac River in 2008 and is now on permanent display at the museum in Washington D.C. The group at the tree ceremony gave thanks to the tree and spread down on a blanket to cushion its fall. Video production by Morgan Howard Productions. (Video)

Hoonah students embark on canoe trip using SHI's curriculum
Hoonah students used SHI’s curriculum on canoes to create “canoe trip”--their class performance for the recent 21^st Annual School Celebration Ku.éex’. We encourage teachers to use our curriculum, which is posted online. Our Tlingit curriculum includes audio of Tlingit words. We have a similar resource for Haida. Thanks to Michelle Amundson and Daphne Wright for the photo!

SHI recruiting for curriculum specialist
Incumbent will have primary responsibility for development, evaluation and dissemination of secondary level curriculum. Qualifications include bachelor’s degree in secondary education, two years experience in a Native culture or education program and two years managing a program or project. To apply, submit cover letter, resume, college transcripts and three references to Sealaska Heritage Institute, ATTN: HR, at One Sealaska Plaza, Suite 301, Juneau, AK 99801 or fax to (907) 586-9293 or email to l ola.foss@sealaska.com. Open until filled. Salary is DOE. The Institute is a non-profit organization founded by Sealaska Corporation. Shareholder preference.

SHI acquires old photos
SHI has acquired four additional old photos for its archival collection. One shows a group photo of the Tlingit baseball team "Alaskans" in their baseball uniforms. The photo was taken by E. Andrews of Douglas, Alaska. It's undated but research by the former owner, Richard Wood, revealed that Tlingit J.B. Fawcett (Tseexwaa) (1889-1983) was a baseball "player and manager for a Hoonah baseball team called the 'Alaskans.' " (Dauenhauer and Dauenhauer, 1994). (Richard Wood Photograph Collection) (All Digital Collections)

SHI holds Native art workshops in schools
Tlingit artist Donald Gregory (Heendéi) is teaching almost 70 students how to make Native art this semester. Students at Floyd Dryden Middle School are learning to carve Raven heads and students at Juneau-Douglas High School are carving paddles. Sealaska Heritage Institute sponsors the Native art program in the Juneau School District every year. You can see Donald’s work at SHI’s art web: www.alaskanativeartists.com!

SHI seeking artists for demonstrations, sales
Sealaska Heritage Institute is looking for artists to do demonstrations throughout the summer in the Sealaska lobby by SHI’s Native art store, Jinéit. The table fee is $25. Artists will be on hand to interact with customers and are welcome to sell directly to Jinéit’s customers. Contact Leo Ellis at Jineit@sealaska.com to schedule a table.

Akaka, Stevens honored by Alaska Native groups
Native groups from across the state recognized U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka, his wife Millie and Catherine Stevens-- wife of the late U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens--for their efforts on behalf of Native people. In this photo, Sen. Akaka is seen wearing Yaakoosgé X’óow, a Chilkat-style woolen blanket produced by Sealaska Heritage Institute.

Worl keynote at D.C. conference
SHI President Rosita Worl was the keynote speaker at the Legal Empowerment & Indigenous Peoples conference in Washington D.C. on Monday. Indigenous leaders, congressional leaders, members of the Obama Administration and representatives of multilateral institutions gathered to examine the significance of legal empowerment for indigenous peoples with regard to international policy and public policy in the U.S. The conference was sponsored by the Alaska Federation of Natives and the Institute of Liberty and Democracy. (News Article)

SHI's Belarde to teach workshop on Tlingit culture
Learn about Tlingit culture, social structure and contemporary issues with culture and language specialist Linda Belarde from the Sealaska Heritage Institute. This workshop, titled Contemporary Expressions of Traditional Tlingit Culture, will be offered by the Juneau city museum from 6-8:30 p.m. on Monday, May 2, and will be repeated at the same time on Tuesday, May 3. (News Article)

SHI to hold basketball camps in Juneau, Hoonah in June
Learn your Native language while having fun playing basketball! SHI's Latseen Hoop Camps will be held in Juneau and Hoonah this year in June. They're open to students in grades 5-12, and they're free! For more information contact ralph.wolfe@sealaska.com. (Application) (Flyer--Hoonah Camp) (Flyer--Juneau Camp)

Worl given Lifetime Achievement Award
SHI President Rosita Worl has won the 2011 Lifetime Achievement Award given by the Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska. At the awards ceremony on April 13, Worl called it "a great honor to be recognized by your tribe and your people." Central Council is a tribal government representing more than 27,000 Tlingit and Haida Indians worldwide. (News Article) (Video)

Are you a Native artist with work to sell? We want to hear from you!
SHI wants to hear from Native artists who want to sell their work--either at our retail store or through our website. SHI buys Native art for sale in its Juneau store Jinéit, which offers authentic Native art. SHI also runs a Native art website, www.alaskanativeartists.com. For more information, inquire at jineit@sealaska.com.

Worl testifies in support of Ted Stevens Day
SHI President Rosita Worl testified this week before the state Legislature in support of establishing Ted Stevens Day. "Most people know Sen. Ted Stevens brought significant appropriations to the state but he also was a man of principle who supported diversity in Alaska and the Native land claims act. He made many contributions to Alaska and to Alaska Natives," said Worl, adding Stevens was adopted into the T'eikweidí (Brown Bear) Clan. The bill (HB 101) would make every fourth Saturday of July each year Ted Stevens Day. (HB 101)

SHI sponsors project to document Native objects at The British Museum
SHI sponsored a trip to The British Museum this month to document their Southeast Alaska Native objects. Staff was accompanied by the famous Tlingit carver Nathan Jackson, who closely examined the pieces and gave information about them. SHI plans to publish a book on the collection. The project was funded in part by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).

Archaeological discovery suggests first Americans followed Alaskan coast
News of this discovery was released today (click here for the story). On a side note, Tlingit oral histories tell of coastal migrations to the Americas—as opposed to a route via a land bridge. In 2006, SHI produced a video showing how those oral histories are now being corroborated by science. For more on the video--Kuwóot yas.éin (His Spirit is Looking Out From the Cave--click here.

SHI now on facebook and twitter
(Facebook) (Twitter)

ANB donates historical photos to SHI
The Alaska Native Brotherhood Grand Camp has donated a collection of historical photos to SHI. The collection includes a number of great images showing ANB and ANS members. The collection also documents some important moments in history, such as ANB leaders including William L. Paul meeting with Sen. Ernest Gruening about the proposed land claims bill for the Tlingit and Haida. See them online! (Photos)

SHI accepting applications for Latseen Leadership Academy
SHI is accepting applications for its annual Latseen Leadership Academy in Juneau. This year's academy is for incoming 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students who are Sealaska shareholders or shareholder descendants. Academy is scheduled July 23-30. Application deadline is June 10. (Application) (Flyer) (Photos) (News Article)

New curriculum now available online
SHI has posted curriculum for social studies language development for grade six online. The compilation of eleven units are titles The Road to ANCSA. The materials are part of an ongoing project called The Development Language Process: Language for Success. Read more about this project in our quarterly newsletter, which was published in late November. The project includes student programs, where materials are field tested, teacher training and a heritage language component. The institute encourages teachers to download its materials for use in class. (Download Curriculum)

Century of Soboleff
Alaska icon shares 102 years of wisdom
By Steve Quinn | First Alaskans
The teacher pulled aside the Tlingit boy, whose rapt attention he secured to deliver an indelible message. He said to young Walter Soboleff: "Take care of the old person you are going to become." "I never forgot that," Soboleff says. "At first I thought it was a very strange talk. But it just remained with me. I remember that through grade school, through high school, through college, through graduate school"...(more)

Cultural objects returning to Hoonah after 80 years
By Jonathan Grass | JUNEAU EMPIRE
Eight Native cultural objects are returning home after a long struggle following an even longer absence. The University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology has sent a letter to the T’akdeintaan Clan, Snail House, of Hoonah, saying it plans to return eight objects the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Review Committee recently deemed the rightful property of the clan under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, or NAGRA. The clan has been trying to reclaim 50 objects from the museum for 16 years...(more) (Press Release)

I likoodzí!
Learn to say terms of endearment in Tlingit just in time for Valentine's Day! This was compiled by Roby Littlefield and is the product of six years of work by many students and speakers...(more)

Eight objects to come home to Hoonah clan
Forty-two objects still held by museum
Eight old, cultural objects illegally sold to an east coast museum in the 1920s are returning home to the T’akdeintaan Clan, Snail House, of Hoonah.The clan has been trying for 16 years to repatriate a collection of 50 objects owned by the Snail House (a sub division of the clan) but held by the Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. The museum sent a letter to the clan notifying it of plans to send eight of the objects home.“I can hardly believe that it’s really going to happen in my lifetime,” said Marlene Johnson, a member of the Snail House and a co-signer on the original repatraition claim filed in September 1995...(more)

SHI art show winner Cheney wins mayor's award
Della Cheney has won the Mayor's Award for the Arts, given annually by the Juneau Arts & Humanities Council. In the announcement, the council cited two pieces Della entered in SHI's biennial Juried Art Show and Competition: her "Women of Justice" Ravens Tail robe, which won Best in Show, contemporary, in 2008, and Dajang, a cedar bark hat which won second place for traditional art in the 2004 competition...(more) (News Article: Cheney's 2008 win)

Lots of new art added to Native art web!
SHI has added more than fifty pieces of new art to its art web, www.alaskanativeartists.com. Most of the pieces are jewelry by Rudy Isturis, who uses unusual and rare materials to make his one-of-a-kind creations. Click here to view by newest additions. If you are a Native artist who would like to be represented on SHI's art web, contact Donald Gregory at donald.gregory@sealaska.com or call 907.586.9170.

Sealaska buys 100-year-old Haida mat using PFD donations
Anchorage Daily News
Sealaska Heritage Institute (SHI) has acquired a rare, cedar-bark Haida mat traditionally used as bedding or as room dividers in clan houses plus two old halibut hooks...(more)

SHI acquires rare cedar-bark Haida mat, halibut hooks
Sealaska Heritage Institute (SHI) has acquired a rare, cedar-bark Haida mat traditionally used as bedding or as room dividers in clan houses plus two old halibut hooks. The items were kept in the seller’s family for generations, and the seller approached the institute because she wanted them to stay in Southeast Alaska, said SHI President Rosita Worl, noting the mat is very rare. “Haida cedar mats of this quality don’t very often come up for sale, so we were really pleased when they brought it here,” Worl said. “It’s a beautiful mat. It’s in great condition, despite its age"...(more) (News Article)

Tlingit Elder Cyril George
By Clarissa Rizal
Back in 1972, Gilbert Lucero began an Alaska Native teen center called the "Totem Center." He coordinated various events pertaining to the arts and cultural life way of the Tlingit, introducing many of us young ones to things we were not even aware of...(more)

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Scholarship seekers may now complete, submit applications online!
SHI has set up on online database to receive Sealaska scholarship applications directly over the Internet. The system replaces the old method, which required students to mail hardcopy applications to our office. Now, applications may be completed and submitted online--directly into our system. It takes less than 30 minutes to fill out and submit and students can upload required documents, track their scholarship funds, and maintain contact information. They also get instant verification when an application is received. Students who use the online application will receive an additional $25 with their scholarship award! The deadline to apply for a scholarship is March 1, 2011...(more) (Online Application) (News Story)

Video of guitar jam online
If you missed SHI's Native Guitar Jam on Saturday, Dec. 18, you can now watch it online! Musicians Andy Cadiente, Cyril George, Sr., Betty Marvin, and Rico Worl played for a crowd of about fifty people at Centennial Hall. SHI also hosted a Native Artist Market in the lobby. It was all part of the institute's effort to celebration Native American Heritage Month this year. (Video) (Photos)

Photo: Sharing a song
JUNEAU EMPIRE
Rico Worl, right, performs at Saturday's Native artist market and guitar jam at Centennial Hall. Betty Marvin, center, and Andy Cadiente also performed at the event, which was sponsored by Sealaska Heritage Institute...(more) (Video)

Did you miss Cyril George's lecture on Dec. 13?
No problem--you can watch it online! Videos of lectures by Cyril George, Sr., Edward Vajda, David Katzeek, Madonna Moss, Dan Monteith, and Zachary Jones are now posted in our video library. Check back soon for more coverage of lectures sponsored by Sealaska Heritage Institute in celebration of Native American Heritage Month! (News Article)

SHI to sponsor guitar jam, Native art market
Sealaska Heritage Institute will sponsor a celebration of Native guitarists and art this weekend with a free jam session and art market.It’s free of charge and open to the public. Performers will include Betty Marvin, Andy Cadiente and Kevin Skeek.The Native Artist Market will be open from 3-6 pm, Saturday, December 18 at Centennial Hall. Musicians will begin performing at 4 pm...(more) (Flyer)

Angoon leader concludes Sealaska lecture series with historical bombardment account
By Jonathan Grass | JUNEAU EMPIRE
As Native American Heritage Month has come to a close, Sealaska Heritage Institute concluded its lecture series Monday with a lecture on the importance of Tlingit communications and understanding. Cyril George Sr. spoke to a packed room on how failure to communicate led to problems between Angoon Natives and the federal government that last to this day. George is a clan leader of Deisheetaan of Angoon and Kaakáak'w Hít. He spoke on how proper communications and cultural understandings are integral to Tlingit relations, both in the past and today...(more)

SHI sponsors moccasin workshop with Anita Lafferty
Anita Lafferty told us this year that she was worried that the knowledge about how to make moccasins was being lost. So, in December SHI sponsored a workshop on how to make moccasins--taught by Anita Lafferty! We were able to accommodate twenty people and we received many more applications, so SHI might sponsor another workshop. Thank you Anita for an instructive workshop! (Photos)

For the world I did not miss David Katzeek's lecture on true education
By Clarissa Rizal
I dropped all my other deadlines this past Monday and ran into town just to see David Katzeek speak; who wouldn't?...(more)

Some Native donations may not be so Native
By Jonathan Grass | JUNEAU EMPIRE
Sealaska Heritage Institute received a collection of 18 Native cultural objects and tourist items from an anonymous donor last month. However, studies on these objects have led SHI researchers to believe three of them may not be Native made. SHI President Rosita Worl said a beaver crest clan hat and two rattles among the collection may have been made by a non-commissioned non-Native. Worl said the researchers came to this conclusion because, while the items look old, the wear and tear on them was not consistent with the apparent age...(more) (Photos of Collection)

Did you miss Edward Vajda's lecture on Nov. 22?
No problem--you can watch it online! Videos of lectures by Edward Vajda, David Katzeek, Madonna Moss, Dan Monteith, and Zachary Jones are now posted in our video library. Check back soon for more coverage of lectures sponsored by Sealaska Heritage Institute in celebration of Native American Heritage Month!

Did you miss David Katzeek's lecture on Dec. 6?
No problem--you can watch it online! Videos of lectures by David Katzeek, Madonna Moss, Dan Monteith, and Zachary Jones are now posted in our video library. Check back soon for more coverage of lectures sponsored by Sealaska Heritage Institute in celebration of Native American Heritage Month!

Native leader explains Tlingit education's relevance for all societies
By Jonathan Grass | JUNEAU EMPIRE
Tlingit educational values have kept its clans alive since before European contact in Alaska, and Tlingit leaders recognize how the pillars of that education are important to Native and non-Native students alike, a speaker discussing Native education said Monday. David Katzeek, who goes by Kingeisti, is a leader of the Eagle Thunderbird Clan of Klukwan. He's spent years discussing education with students across Alaska for years, and shared the insights of that journey as part of Sealaska Heritage Institute's lecture series...(more) (Video) (Blog)

Alaskan clan says it may sue University of Pennsylvania to get items back
By Tom Avril | Inquirer Staff Writer
PHILADELPHIA - A federal advisory committee has recommended that the University of Pennsylvania return a trove of native artifacts it acquired nearly 90 years ago from a clan of Tlingit people in southeast Alaska. The recommendation last month regarding the collection of more than 40 items, among them headdresses, carved masks, and ceremonial horns, is not binding on Penn's Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. The museum has offered instead to turn over eight of the objects, allowing the clan to serve as cocurator of the rest...(more)

Katzeek to speak at brown bag lunch lecture in honor of Native American Heritage Month
David Katzeek, leader of the Shangukeidí Clan of Klukwan, will give a talk on the traditional Tlingit education system as part of SHI's celebration of Native American Heritage Month. It’s scheduled from noon to 1 pm, Monday, Dec. 6, at Sealaska Plaza in the boardroom on the 4^th floor. It’s free and open to the public...(more)

SHI expands hours at Native art store, Jinéit
Are you looking for authentic Native art or other items with totemic designs? We have it at Jinéit, located in the Sealaska lobby in downtown Juneau. We have Christmas items, including Christmas scented soaps, tree ornaments, stocking stuffers and travel mugs--all with Native artwork on them. We also have silver and copper jewelry. Do your Christmas shopping at Jinéit, or stop by during Gallery walk to see a live demonstration of silver carving. Jinéit is open year round Monday through Saturday from 11 to 6 pm. Proceeds help fund SHI's cultural and educational programs.

Did you miss one of our lectures?
No problem--you can watch it online! Videos of lectures by Madonna Moss, Dan Monteith, and Zachary Jones are now posted in our video library. Check back soon for more coverage of lectures sponsored by Sealaska Heritage Institute in celebration of Native American Heritage Month!

SHI to sponsor workshop on how to make moccasins
SHI is sponsoring a workshop on how to make moccasins in December. The workshop is scheduled Dec. 10-12 in Juneau at the Sealaska 4th floor boardroom. It will be taught by Anita Lafferty. There is a $50 registration fee, which will cover all materials necessary to sew and complete one pair of moccasins. Space is limited. To register, contact Carmaleeda Estrada at carmaleeda.estrada@sealaska.com or 586-9280. Four rural students will be selected to receive travel scholarships to attend the workshop! (Flyer)

Spokesman: 'We proved ... that we owned it'
By Jonathan Grass | JUNEAU EMPIRE
Years ago, two different Native clans made claims for the ownership of certain objects in museums in Alaska and Pennsylvania. Those claims are now one step closer to fulfillment, and the clans couldn't be happier about it. The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, or NAGRA, Review Committee in Washington, D.C. found a Native object in the Alaska State Museum and several in the University of Pennsylvania Museum are actually the property of the Teeyhíttaan Clan of Wrangell and T'akdeintaan Clan of Hoonah, respectively...(more)

New curriculum now available online
SHI has posted curriculum for math and science language development for grade six online. The materials are part of an ongoing project called The Development Language Process: Language for Success. Read more about this project in our quarterly newsletter, which was published in late November. The project includes student programs, where materials are field tested, teacher training and a heritage language component. The institute encourages teachers to download its materials for use in class.

Pennsylvania museum told to return Alaska Tlingit artifacts
A shaman's owl mask. A brass Loon Spirit hat. A faded hide robe that memorializes ancestors of the Hoonah T'akdeintaan clan wiped out by a tidal wave in Lituya Bay. These items and dozens more belong to clan members, not the Pennsylvania museum where they've been stored for decades, a federal committee ruled recently. Marlene Johnson, a T'akdeintaan elder, has been trying to return the objects to Alaska ever since watching a slideshow of the collection in the mid-1990s. As long as there's one of us around, it belongs to us," she said...(more)

Mystery donor bestows new cultural objects to Sealaska
Folks at the Sealaska Heritage Institute may not know the person's name, but are grateful for his or her philanthropic spirit. An anonymous donor has given the institute 18 Native cultural objects and tourist items. SHI President Rosita Worl said the collection contained sign<<Selection in Document>>ificant ceremonial pieces and would provide important research opportunities. Worl said such donations are unusual. Those who part with such collections most often do so for a price. "What I was most amazed about the donor is he wanted it to return home," said Worl, noting she was only assuming the donor was a "he"...(more)

Anonymous donor gives stunning collection of Native objects to SHI
Michigan donor wanted collection to go home
An anonymous donor who wanted his collection of Native cultural objects to go home has given 18 pieces that date at least to the early 1900s to Sealaska Heritage Institute. The collection includes some very important ceremonial pieces, said SHI President Rosita Worl. “I was absolutely stunned at the collection. I did not know that it would have these very significant pieces—a clan hat, three rattles—very magnificent pieces,” said Worl...(more) (Photos)

Alaska Federation of Natives 2010 Convention
“Village Survival!” was the theme of this year’s Alaska Federation of Natives (AFN) annual convention. The Sealaska Board of Directors participated in several panel discussions on the topic. SHI President Rosita Worl gave a presentation called "Village Survival! How can we use federal policy to support village economies?" and the video is now available online. (Video)

Thanks for making way for dancers
On Nov. 5, the Git-Hoan Dance Group traveled to Juneau for special performances to honor Native American Heritage Month. Auke Bay Elementary School is grateful and honored by the help and willingness of the Sealaska Heritage Institute and the Git-Hoan dancers to provide an opportunity for Auke Bay students to experience this extraordinary performance...(more)

Federal advisory panel on repatriation rules in favor of Southeast clans
A federal advisory panel today decided in favor of two Southeast Alaska Native clans seeking to repatriate more than 50 sacred and patrimonial objects from two museums. In separate unanimous decisions, the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) Review Committee found that the Alaska State Museum and the University of Pennsylvania Museum did not have the right of possession to the items, meaning the museums did not acquire the objects with the consent of the clans that owned them. The ruling was a victory for the T’akdeintaan and Teeyhíttaan clans, which had sought to repatriate the objects through Sealaska Corporation, Wrangell Cooperative Association, Hoonah Indian Association and Huna Totem Corporation...(more) (S oundbite from SHI President Rosita Worl) (News Article)

A new look at an old battle
"It was called the "Kake War" of 1869 but few people today know of it, said Zachary Jones, archivist with the Sealaska Heritage Institute. Among those who are aware of it are the Kéex' Kwaan Tlingit of the Kake area, as well as other areas where related battles were fought, including Sitka, Wrangell and Cape Fox. Jones spoke of his research as part of a series of talks held at the Sealaska Building during Native American Heritage Month. He's been using Tlingit oral histories to add to the official record of the clashes, and has been filling in a picture that's been bases mostly on Caucasian written records...(more) (Video)

Students, public help celebrate Native American Heritage Month
Thousands of students and other Juneau residents turned out to see the Git Hoan Dancers and Xudizaa Daa Kwaan Dancers for Native American Heritage Month on Friday, Nov. 5. The Git Hoan Dancers wowed the audiences with their huge masks and ability to transform into animals. "The deer walked as deer, the ravens turned their heads and chattered just like ravens, and the eagles had a particular head tilt that is so indicative of them. The memory of this performance will stay with me," wrote one audience member. The Xudzidaa Kwáan Dancers of Angoon also impressed the audiences with their traditional songs and dances and use of clan hats. The performances were held at Juneau-Douglas High School and Auke Bay Elementary School along with a Native Artist Market. The celebration continues through mid December with a series of lectures...(more) (Schedule & Lecturers' Abstracts)

Archeologist discusses pre-contact Tlingit warfare as part of Native American Heritage Month lecture series
When Sealaska Heritage Institute invited anthropologist Madonna Moss to speak during the Native American Heritage Month lecture series, she didn't want to talk about war. "I wanted to talk about herring and herring bones!" she told the several dozen people filling the Sealaska boardroom last Friday...(more)

Sealaska Heritage Institute among Alaskan recipients of Native Arts and Cultures Foundation grants
The Native Arts and Cultures Foundation (NACF) recently awarded its first grants to 26 American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian artists and organizations. This year's recipients include three Alaska Native artists and three Alaska Native arts and cultural organizations...(more)

National Heritage Month: Professor discusses warfare in ancient Tlingit times
The Sealaska Heritage Institute's second annual lecture series for Native American Heritage Month opened Friday with an in-depth look at what warfare meant to ancient Tlingit cultures. Madonna Moss, a professor of anthropology at the University of Oregon, brought her studies of Tlingit warfare to Juneau. She said her purpose was to expose locals to the differences between researched data and preconceived notions of Tlingit warfare, since it's quite a sensitive topic. "I think that understanding warfare is important. It requires us to understand Tlingit legal reasoning and Tlingit law, and the Tlingits were here before non-Natives were here, and so Tlingit law was the law of the land," she said...(more) (Video)

Jennie Thlunaut video now available on DVD
An SHI video exploring the life and work of the famed Chilkat weaver Jennie Thlunaut is now available on DVD. The work on this video began during a Chilkat weaving workshop that Jennie taught in 1985. Through poetry, interviews, and documentary footage, the video looks at Jennie's life and art. It is also a study of the relationship between kinship, land, and at.oow. This is not a professional production; on the contrary, it is a loving and personal homage to Jennie, shot on home video by Nora Marks Dauenhauer and Suzanne Scollon...(more)

SHI to sponsor lectures, dance performances, and art market for
Native American Heritage Month
SHI will sponsor a noon lecture series, dance performances, and a Native art market to celebrate Native American Heritage Month in November. The brown-bag lunch series will focus on topics such as Tlingits and combat and Native history and language. The program this year will include dance performances at the Juneau-Douglas High School. A Native artist market will be set up in the commons of the school during the afternoon of the performances. The celebration of Native dance, art, culture and history are free and open to the public, said SHI President Rosita Worl, adding she hopes attendees will learn more about Southeast Native cultures...(more) (Flyer: Performances, Art Market) (Flyer: Lectures) (Schedule & Lecturers' Abstracts) (Print) (News Article)

SHI receives major donation of recordings of Native Elders, leaders
Local radio host Cy Peck, Jr., has donated to Sealaska Heritage Institute a major collection of recordings capturing the words of Native Elders and leaders. The recordings, which have been digitized, include interviews with many Native Elders and leaders, including Cy Peck, Sr., Matthew Fred, Austin Hammond, Charlie Jimmie, and Walter Williams to name a few. “I think it’s found a home here,” said Peck at a recent ceremony in Juneau where the collection was formally presented to the institute. “I want everyone to know where to come and hear the Elders speak in their original way they spoke at potlatches and ceremonies and honoring people"...(more) (News Article)

SHI hosts language workshop
Forty people from across Southeast Alaska attended a Language Proficiency Assessment Workshop in Juneau hosted by SHI Sept. 23-25. The goal was to develop a region-wide, three language (Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian) language assessment which could be used in schools and with adult learners. Language teachers and learners from Yakutat, Sitka, Wrangell, Kake, Hoonah and Juneau participated. Elders spoke of the need to include accurate cultural knowledge in language teaching. The group made excellent progress in the development of a language assessment. (Photos)

SHI to host Native Artist Market
SHI will host a Native Artist Market in November during Native American Heritage Month. The market is scheduled 5-9 pm, Friday, Nov. 5 at the Juneau Douglas High School. The market will coincide with Native dance performances also sponsored by the institute. There is no charge to reserve a table. Applications must be postmarked by Oct. 15. Artists who want to apply should contact Carmaleeda Estrada at carmaleeda.estrada@sealaska.com or 586-9280. (Application)

Guitar jam session draws crowd!
SHI in August held a celebration of Native guitar players, including old timers Betty Marvin, Cyril George, Arnold Haube, Andy Cadiente, Ben Quick, and George and Velma Paul plus new talent Rick Huteson. The event drew a crowd of about eighty people to the Juneau Arts & Culture Center. (Photos) (Blog & Photos by Clarissa Rizal)

Visiting Scholar doing research on button blankets at SHI
SHI Visiting Scholar, Fiona McDonald, is conducting a research project in which she will investigate how button blankets are made, how they are used today, and how they become at.óow. She will interview and record and/or film button blanket markers and those who receive the blankets. She will provide those she will interview the questions she will ask one week in advance of the scheduled interview. We think this is an important project that will record the continuing importance of button blankets. If you are interested in being interviewed or know of someone who could make a contribution to this project, please contact her at fiona.mcdonald@sealaska.com. Copies of the recordings will be held in SHI Archives and available for educational purposes. Fiona will also make her written work available to SHI.

SHI sponsors annual Latseen Leadership Camp
SHI in July sponsored its annual Latseen Leadership Camp in Juneau. This year, it was held out the road at the Boy Scout Camp. Fifty students from across Southeast Alaska participated. It included many activities, including Tlingit and Haida language lessons, drum making, spruce root weaving and subsistence activities. The camp was held for kids in grades 7-9 and was designed to provide engaging culturally-based education and activities for youth in support of their future academic and personal success. The program was supported by a grant from the Alaska Native Education Program (ANEP). (Photos)

Celebration 2012 dates announced
SHI will sponsor the next Celebration June 6-9, 2012 in Juneau. Hotels sometimes fill up soon after this date is released, so SHI encourages people to book rooms early.

Hydaburg basketball camp draws twenty-five students
SHI's Latseen Hoop Camp in Hydaburg drew twenty-five students. The camp was held in July for students in grades 2-12. The camps are designed to teach Native languages through a fun activity--basketball! The coaches included Carmaleeda Estrada and Ben Young. Ben also taught the language segments. Linda Schrack and her daughter, Starla, also helped with the language component. The program was supported by the American Association on Indian Affairs, and Sealaska Corporation.

Hoonah basketball camp draws eighteen students
SHI's Latseen Hoop Camp in Hoonah drew eighteen students. The camp was held in July for students in grades 2-12. The camps are designed to teach Native languages through a fun activity--basketball! The coaches included Carmaleeda Estrada, Mischa Plunkett and Joshua Jackson. Jessica Chester was the language instructor. The program was supported by the American Association on Indian Affairs, and Sealaska Corporation.

Angoon basketball camp draws record number
SHI's second Latseen Hoop Camp in Angoon drew thirty-seven students--a record for the program. The camp was held in June for students in grades 2-12. The camps are designed to teach Native languages through a fun activity--basketball! The camp received a large amount of community support with the school providing lunches, supplies and staff time. The coaches included Carmaleeda Estrada, Mischa Plunkett, Ralph Wolfe and Joshua Jackson. Jessica Chester was the language instructor. The program was supported by the American Association on Indian Affairs, and Sealaska Corporation.

Lecture by Robert Davidson now available online
Robert Davidson's lecture drew a huge crowd at Celebration 2010 and some people weren't able to get in. You can now watch it online! Robert Davidson is an internationally-acclaimed Haida artist and one of Canada's most respected and important contemporary artists. His lecture--Being Successful is no Accident: The Business of Art--is not only for artists. In his talk, he incorporates important life lessons that can be appreciated by people from all walks of life. (Robert Davidson's Lecture) (Video Library)

Lecture by Dr. Brian Kemp now available online
If you missed Dr. Brian Kemp's lecture on DNA samples collected during Celebration 2008, you can now watch his talk in its entirety online. Dr. Kemp summarized his findings at Celebration 2010 in a talk sponsored by Sealaska Heritage Institute. Researchers screened participants' mitochondrial DNA for the genetic markers that define haplogroups A, B, C, and D--if you participated in the study, click here to view your results. The results from the first phase of the study were released in December 2008. Kemp's lecture in June emphasized the second phase of the study, which focused on genetic variation among Alaska’s Natives and other indigenous populations, genetic continuity of populations in Alaska and their relationships to other indigenous populations, and reconstruction of population history.(Dr. Kemp's Lecture) (Video Library)

Digital Cultural Objects Collection
This link routes researchers to a selection of online photographs showing the Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian art held by SHI Special Collections. SHI’s cultural objects collection contains materials of various genres and of a wide date range, from ancient stone items to modern art created by practicing Native artists. This web album will continue to grow as materials are added by Special Collections staff. (Cultural Objects Collection)

Sealaska Corporation buys land for cultural center
Center slated for downtown site razed by 2004 fire
Sealaska Corporation has purchased a downtown lot and plans to donate the site to the nonprofit Sealaska Heritage Institute for a planned Southeast Alaska Native Cultural and Visitors Center. The lot, known locally as "the pit", was the former site of the Skinner Building, which was destroyed by fire in 2004. The property, located across the street from Sealaska’s headquarters, was purchased from a private owner and will be turned over to the institute for a cultural center...(more)

Historical audio recordings donated to SHI
A public radio station has donated to Sealaska Heritage Institute a major collection of audio recordings that include a treasure trove of interviews with notable Elders, clan leaders and other Native people. The collection includes approximately 350 recordings made for the award-winning program Southeast Native Radio, which was broadcast by KTOO-FM in Juneau from 1985 to 2001...(more)

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