Cultural Heritage & Education Division

Aanshawatk’i Sarah Dybdahl Senior Director The Cultural Heritage & Education Division oversees the coordination of Tlingit & Haida’s cultural and educational programs and activities in collaboration with other tribes and entities. The division reflects the principle that our communities, lands, and tribal citizens thrive when our culture and education are our foundation.

Cultural Heritage & Education strives to incorporate ancestral knowledge to strengthen our languages, arts and cultural practices for the well-being of our citizens and government.

In 2021, Tlingit & Haida strategically housed the Tribe’s early education programs (Head Start department and Little Eagles & Ravens Nest (LEARN) child care center) under Cultural Heritage & Education to allow closer collaboration and synergy across our programs to best serve families and students.

Departments and programs housed under the division include: » Cultural Heritage » Haa Yoo X’atángi Kúdi » Head Start » Higher Education » Johnson O’Malley » Little Eagles & Raven Nest Child Care » Navigators » Vocational Training &

Resource Center

2021 Highlights

ƒ Awarded $175,000 from Sealaska Language Endowment Fund to continue the Increasing Fluency project to support six intermediate/advanced learners (two Lingít, two Xaad Kil, and two Sm’algyax language scholars). ƒ Awarded an Institute of Museum and Library Services Native American Basic Library grant of $10,000 to support expansion and growth of the Tribe’s library collection. ƒ Hired a manager to oversee the Cultural Heritage department. ƒ Reorganized all early education services under the division to build synergy between departments. ƒ Awarded a three-year Department of Education Alaska Native Education Program grant to support the REWARD proposal with total funding of $2,587,915 to collaborate with five school districts and seven partners. ƒ Received one-year extension from the Administration for Native Americans to continue providing

Lingít immersion through Haa Yoo X’atángi Kúdi. ƒ Hired a Tlingit language specialist to strengthen staff capacity and the language in the room when children are present.

Haa Yoo X̱ʼatángi Kúdi

Haa Yoo X̱’atángi Kúdi is a community-based language learning project that focuses on improving language transmission between generations and within families. The program immerses students, ages 3-6 years old, in the Lingít language and ensures families are provided the resources needed to be on the language journey with their children.

Cultural Heritage & Education Division

ƒ Provided a total of 129.75 hours of Lingít language immersion with 108 in-person hours and 21.75 virtual hours for 15 students January through May and 6 students September through December. ƒ Participated in professional development through the Early

Childhood Development Association, Culturally Responsive

Conference, Professional Learning & Sharing Community sessions, and a linguistics course. ƒ Created an interactive online presentation to help teachers learn basics of Tlingit orthography; presented at Culturally Responsive Education conference hosted by Sealaska Heritage Institute. ƒ Created 20 literacy books to support language acquisition and age-appropriate content including the Early Readers Lingít Alphabet book series. ƒ Began developing a two-year rotating curriculum for Haa Yoo X’atángi Kúdi. ƒ Provided monthly learning bundles to 16 students and 11 families. ƒ Developed a Google Site for Haa Yoo X’atángi Kúdi to create accessible language materials and resources for students and families. ƒ Hosted an amazing, safe, and socially distanced graduation ceremony for Haa Yoo X’atángi Kúdi students in May of 2021. ƒ Worked with three fluent speakers to guide curriculum development and material creation. ƒ Opened Haa Yoo X’atángi Kúdi on November 16, 2021, for in-person learning, which was one of the goals set in 2020.

Higher Education

The Higher Education program provides assistance to eligible tribal citizens seeking postsecondary education. Assistance includes guidance, academic planning, scholarships (Alumni and College Student Assistance) and sharing other financial aid resources. ƒ Provided $273,609 in College Student Assistance (CSA) scholarships to 280 students. » 50 students achieved Honor Roll status. » 6 students graduated (3 Bachelor’s degrees, 2 Master’s degrees, and 1 Doctorate degree). ƒ Awarded 37 Higher Education students Alumni scholarships with a $99,974 contribution from

Tlingit Haida Tribal Business Corporation. (THTBC).

Cultural Heritage & Education Division

Graduates

Juneau: Heather Clark, MA Human & Social Services; Sierra Coronell, BA Business Administration; Amanda DeAsis, BA with minor in Pyschology; and Aminda Skan, Doctorate in Pharmacy; Petersburg: Jamie Fletcher, BA Engineering; Tenakee: Clayten Ayres, MA Secondary Education

Honor Roll Students

Haines: Kiana DeJesus, Joshua Kerstein, Jessie Morgan, Jessica Rende, Megan Schneider, and Travis Strickler; Juneau: Kate Bergey, Alyssa Bertholl, Ashley Carabajal, Michael Cesar, Harriet Chilton, Taylor Clayton, Armando Deasis-Caballero, Amanda DeAsis, Michaela Demmert, Barbara Dude, Alicia Duncan, Hazel Duncan, Kaylah Duncan, Antonia Fogg, Madisen Grush, Kaitlyn Hannan, Logan Hulse, Mackenzie Jackson, Sarah Jenkins, Gwendolyn Jones-Gailey, Amber Kahklen, Anna Kahklen, Brandy Lokke, Leandrea Makaily, Eva Marks, Aaliyah McClain, Hunter Meachum, Miranda Mitchell, Tara MorenoGoodwin, Joshua Quinto, Clarabella Sheakley, Jaden Sierra, Rochelle Smallwood, Sierra Tagaban, Madison Truitt, Sydney Truitt, Alana Walkush, Kaiden Ward, Alana Wheaton, Rose Willard, and Ronald Wilson; Metlakatla: Kate West; Sitka: Steele Whitney; and Wrangell: Erica Fennimore.

Note: The graduate list reflects only those students who received financial assistance and provided notification of their graduation before the printing of the Annual Report. Johnson OʼMalley (JOM)

The Johnson O’Malley (JOM) program provides supplemental educational opportunities to Alaska Native and American Indian students and is guided by a local parent committee. The emphasis is on tutorial and cultural enrichment activities.

Juneau JOM

ƒ Provided support and tutoring to 96 students in the Juneau School District. ƒ Hosted in-person and online study halls for Yadaa.at Kalé (Juneau-Douglas High School) students weekly during the Spring 2021 semester. ƒ Facilitated a Reconnecting Youth class for freshmen students at Yadaa.at Kalé to help improve attendance, increase academic success, and offer support to one another. ƒ Assisted Yadaa.at Kalé’s Choice program in connecting their Beyond School class with Alaska

Native artists to work with participating students. ƒ Partnered with the Juneau School District to expand and create a JOM position at the Thunder

Mountain High School. ƒ Collaborated with the Early Scholars program in providing culturally responsive activities. ƒ Participated on the Response to Intervention team and assisted students referred by Yadaa.at Kalé. ƒ Provided supplies to the Yadaa.at Kalé Early Scholars program so students could make traditional drums and paper maché clan hats while learning about Tlingit culture in their Alaska History class.

Cultural Heritage & Education Division

Wrangell JOM

In 2021, JOM Coordinator Virginia Oliver was recognized for her significant contributions towards perpetuating and preserving our culture and upholding traditional knowledge through practice and teaching. She was honored with the Culture Bearer President’s Everday Hero Award during Tlingit & Haida’s virtual President’s Awards ceremony. ƒ Prepared the Kaatslitaan Dance Group to provide a virtual welcome for the Vietnam Veteran’s Ceremony. ƒ Participated in Healing Blanket Welcome with the SouthEast Alaska

Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC). ƒ Delivered snack bags, in collaboration with Elders, to all JOM students that were home due to COVID-19 community mandates. ƒ Hosted Shadow Box Theater for National Native Heritage Month. ƒ Provided winter gear to all JOM students.

Xwaanlein Virginia Oliver 2021 Culture Bearer

Navigators

The Navigators is a relationship-based prevention and early intervention program that serves Native youth ages 13-27. The program provides opportunities that help youth navigate through adolescence into adulthood focusing on healthy relationships, cultural connectedness, learning life skills, and providing academic support, independent transitioning, and leadership opportunities. ƒ Provided full services during the pandemic, including limited in-person services when approved and deemed safe. ƒ Provided services to 192 tribal youth through an increased variety of workshops and activities (e.g.,

Adulting 101, Compass Gatherings, Study Groups, Scholarship Workshops, #TongassTime, Youth

Commission) which exceeded 2021 goal by 32. ƒ Assisted in the development of the

Tlingit & Haida Youth Commission and successfully hosted the first Tlingit &

Haida Youth Summit. Youth Delegates developed two resolutions for the 86th

Annual Tribal Assembly: » Making Alaska Native Language Classes Mandatory for K-12 State of Alaska Public Schools, and » Increasing Awareness & Indigenous management as a Means of Combating Climate Change. ƒ Hosted 3rd Annual Navigators Camping event (virtually this year) and an end of year holiday parade for Navigators students. ƒ Hosted Operation Haw’aa to thank local essential and frontline workers; thank you posters and hundreds of treats were delivered to 14 locations.

Cultural Heritage & Education Division

ƒ Co-hosted Juneau Youth Pride Party with Zach Gordon Youth Center and other partners. The successful event brought together approximately 45 prideful youth. ƒ Partnered with Zach Gordon Youth Center and community partners to host Caring for Yourself,

Caring for Your Community Camp serving 12 youth. ƒ Provided 60 Juneau School District students with bus passes to attend summer school.

Vocational Training & Resource Center

The Vocational Training & Resource Center (VTRC) is a tribal enterprise and State of Alaska postsecondary authorized institution that provides distance education and vocational classes for career certification.

In 2021, the VTRC added six new courses to the course offerings list: First Aid/CPR/AED, Child Development Associate certificate, Business Basics, Financial Skills, Work Readiness & Soft Skills and Administrative Assistant Level 1. ƒ 160-hour Administrative Assistant Level I in collaborations with Northern Industrial Training (six students enrolled and completed). ƒ Hosted an 8-week intensive Child Development Associate (CDA) Certificate Boot Camp in collaboration with AEYC and the Tribe’s Child Care department; 18 students completed the courses and received CDA certification. ƒ Provided First Aid, CPR, AED classes to 30 students. ƒ Provided Online Flagger Certification, 40-Hour HAZWOPER, and 8-Hour HAZWOPER Refresher classes in addition to continuing to offer Penn Foster online courses.

2022 Goals

ƒ Increase Navigator programming to serve up to 225 youth and expand services beyond Juneau. ƒ Review Higher Education policies and procedures to ensure they are current and reflect Tlingit &

Haida’s position of supporting students to our greatest ability during their education journey. ƒ Explore opportunities to develop an early childhood education campus. ƒ Apply for funding to support sustainable operation and expansion of Haa Yoo X̱’atángi Kudi. ƒ Develop partnerships to support and reach more students with new JOM position at Thunder

Mountain High School. ƒ Work with Communications and marketing firm on the branding and marketing of the VTRC. ƒ Continue to develop and implement training opportunities to meet the workforce and training needs for tribal citizens.