Resources
Helpful Websites
Education & Early Development (alaska.gov)
DEED provides information, resources, and leadership to support an excellent education for every student every day.
First Alaskans Institute - Who We Are
First Alaskans Institute helps develop the capacities of Alaska Native people and their communities to meet the social, economic and educational challenges of the future, while fostering positive relationships among all segments of our society.
The Institute does this through community engagement, information and research, collaboration, and leadership development. First Alaskans is a non-profit charitable organization whose purpose is to advance Alaska Natives.
Resources | Lingít Yoo X̲ʼatángi (tlingitlanguage.com)
The collection of resources located within this website are the work of
dedicated Tlingit language teachers, researchers, advocates, and in a
word: warriors.
This work has been developed, scanned, shared, and generally made available by a number of hands. The work gathered here follows the dedication pages of many of the works of Ḵeixwnéi & Xwaayeenáḵ who would often note: this material belongs to the Tlingit
people.
Alaska Native Women's Resource Center (aknwrc.org)
The Alaska Native Women's Resource Center is dedicated to strengthening local, tribal government's responses through community organizing efforts advocating for the safety of women and children in their communities and homes, especially against domestic and sexual abuse and violence.
Alaska Subsistence (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov)
Subsistence in Alaska's national parks, monuments and preserves is a way of life that has existed for thousands of years. This way of life continues today in rural Alaska where people rely on fish, wildlife and plant resources for their sustenance and basic needs.
Books & References
Mitchell, Donald. C (2022) Tribal Sovereignty In Alaska; How it Happened, What it Means.
"Assiduously researched and forcefully written, Tribal Sovereignty in Alaska documents the rise of the tribal sovereignty movement, examining fully the role of the Native American Rights Fund and other organizations and participants in consequential events. Essential and necessary reading for scholars, students, and general readers who are interested in Alaska history, this book will be of inestimable value for historians who seek to understand the context of events that gave rise to a political movement that has transformed federal Indian policy in Alaska."
―Steve Haycox, Distinguished Professor Emeritus, University of Alaska Anchorage
Marks-Daunhauer, Nora and Daunhauer, Richard. (1994) Haa Kusteeyí, Our Culture: Tlingit Life Stories
Haa Kusteeyi, Our Culture: Tlingit Life Stories is an introduction to Tlingit social and political history. Each biography is compelling in its own merit, but when all are taken together, the collection shows patterns of interaction among people and communities of today, and across the generations.
By combining historical documents and photographs with accounts gathered from living memory, the book also enables the present, living generations to interact with their past. The book features biographies and life histories of more than 50 men and women, most born between 1880 and 1910, including a special section on the founders of the Alaska Native Brotherhood.
Goldschmidt, Walter R. and Haas, Theodore H. (1998) Haa Aaní, Our Land; Tlingit and Haida Land Rights and Use
“If you're interested in Alaska, you've probably read all about the natural history, gold rush history, Russian history, etc. But here's part of the history of Southeast Alaska from the view of its original people in their own words.
A must-read for those whose interest is anthropological, historical, cultural or social. Thornton's introduction to the government study provides a brief but enlightening context.” -- Ernestine Heyes
Online Articles & Publications
Home | Alaska State Archives
The State Archives preserves permanently valuable government records that document Alaska's history and makes these records available to its clients in a secure, professional and responsible manner.
Helpful Websites
ART RESOURCES | Sealaska Heritage
The Sealaska Heritage website houses a wealth of resources such as: instructional books, videos, art supplies, workshops and more.
Artists Network-Creative content, education, and products for artists
“Our mission is to empower artists with the techniques, knowledge, ideas, and inspirations that help ignite their visions and bring them to life. We put those possibilities in your hands through compelling print publications, online media, video education and real-time experiences.”
-- Artists Network, About us page
New Masters Academy | The Best Way to Learn Art Online (nma.art)
New Masters Academy offers one of the most extensive learning video libraries online compared to other online art programs. There are over 1000 online art classes. The subjects include drawing, painting, art theory, modeling and sculpting, designing movie posters, making digital
art, some of the best oil painting classes online and much more...
Books & References
Davidson, Robert. (2022) Echoes of the Supernatural.
An exhilarating tour of a half-century of mastery and innovation of Haida formline by the most prominent Northwest Coast artist of his generation.
Holm, Bill. (1965) Northwest Coast Indian Art: An Analysis of Form
This book is a foundational reference on northern Northwest Coast Native art. Through his careful studies, Bill Holm described this visual language using new terminology that has become part of the established vocabulary that allows us to talk about works like these and understand changes in style both through time and between individual artists styles.
McLennan, Bill, Duffek, Karen (2022) Transforming Image, 2nd Ed.: Painted Arts of Northwest Coast First Nations
“An incredible archive of paintings by Northwest Coast artists, allowing
the viewer to explore the creativity, energy, and depths these artists have
achieved.” —Robert Davidson
Online Articles & Publications
JSTOR Collections on JSTOR
Explore important and rare collections from libraries, museums, archives, and historical societies around the world.
Helpful Websites
ScienceDirect | Premier platform for discovering peer-reviewed scientific, technical and medical information | Elsevier
“We support clinicians, patients, policymakers and educators with innovative tools and data-driven insights to educate the growing number of students, improve patient outcomes and help patients take an active role in their care.”
Elsevier has online resources that hold scholarly literature across various disciplines.
OUPblog | Oxford University Press’s Academic Insights for the World
Since 2005, the talented authors, staff, and friends of Oxford University Press provide daily commentary on nearly every subject under the sun, from philosophy to literature to economics.
OUPblog is a source like no other on the blogosphere for learning, understanding and reflection, providing academic insights for the thinking world.
Build new skills. Advance your career. | edX
edX was founded by Harvard and MIT as an experiment to make the world’s best education available to everyone.
Today, as part of 2U, edX connects over 78 million people worldwide with online learning that delivers real professional progress across nearly every career discipline, from artificial intelligence and robotics to sustainability and public health.
Together with universities and organizations at the forefront of their fields, edX offers thousands of job-relevant programs designed to give every ambitious learner a path to achievement.
Teachers (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov)
With this resource, teachers will find helpful teaching programs, class and field material as well as place based learning material for a range of grade levels.
Alaska (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov)
This website offers great resources and material for both teachers and students to explore- such as publications, collections, archeology, and ethnography. This website pairs wonderfully with the U.S. National Park Service Educator’s website.
Native Arts and Cultures Foundation
The work of NACF continues to be incredibly significant to creating true equity for Native artists. The organization values not just the work of Native Artists, but their sense of community and approaches to gathering and art making. The transformative, lasting impact of NACF’s work is difficult to measure, as the catalysts are true catalysts for many things to come.
― Christopher K. Morgan (Native Hawaiian), National Artist Fellow
Alaskool- online materials about Alaska Native History, education, languages, and cultures.
Alaskool - Alaska Native Literature;
History of Alaska Native Education - www.Alaskool.org;
Alaskool Curriculum - www.Alaskool.org
The Alaska Native Curriculum and Teacher Development Project (ANCTD) brings together teams of teachers, elders, and community members in various parts of Alaska with university-based specialists to develop curricula on Alaska Native studies and language that is available to all schools through the internet or on CD. The project is supported by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education. Read more here: About the Alaska Native Curriculum and Teacher Development Project (alaskool.org)
Books & References
Pierotti, Raymond. (2010) Indigenous Knowledge, Ecology, and Evolutionary Biology.
Indigenous ways of understanding and interacting with the natural world are characterized as Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK), which derives from emphasizing relationships and connections among species. This book examines TEK and its strengths in relation to Western ecological knowledge and evolutionary philosophy.
Hayes, Ernestine. (2017) The Tao of Raven.
“A multilayered narrative of remarkable creativity, historical understanding, philosophical insight and empathy for all those who share the earth with us…. The Tao of Raven should be widely read, in and out of schools…. Ernestine Hayes is a gifted and gifted teacher, opening for us a box of daylight.”
― Anchorage Daily News
Cajete, Gregory (2016) Native Science: Natural Laws of Interdependence
After discussing philosophical foundations, Cajete addresses such topics as history and myth, primal elements, social ecology, animals in myth and reality, plants and human health, and cosmology and astronomy.
In the Indigenous view, we human observers are in no way separate from the world and its creatures and forces. Because all creatures and forces are related and thus bear responsibility to and for one another, all are co-creators.
Freire Paulo (2021) Education for Critical Consciousness
Famous for his advocacy of 'critical pedagogy', Paulo Freire was Latin America's foremost educationalist, a thinker and writer whose work and ideas continue to exert enormous influence in education throughout the world today. Education for Critical Consciousness is the main statement of Freire's revolutionary method of education. It takes the life situation of the learner as its starting point and the raising of consciousness and the overcoming of obstacles as its goals. For Freire, man's striving for his own humanity requires the changing of structures which dehumanize both the oppressor and the oppressed.
Kovach, Margret (2021) Indigenous Methodologies: Characteristics, Conversations, and Contexts, Second Edition
Indigenous Methodologies is a groundbreaking text. Since its original publication in 2009, it has become the most trusted guide used in the study of Indigenous methodologies and has been adopted in university courses around the world. It provides a conceptual framework for implementing Indigenous methodologies and serves as a useful entry point for those wishing to learn more broadly about Indigenous research.
Wahinkpe Topa (Four Arrows), Narvaez PhD, Wahinkpe (2022) Restoring the Kindship Worldview: Indigenous Voices Introduce 28 Precepts for Rebalancing Life on Planet Earth
The editors emphasize our deep need to move away from the dominant Western paradigm--one that dictates we live without strong social purpose, fails to honor the earth as sacred, leads with the head while ignoring the heart, and places individual “rights” over collective responsibility. Restoring the Kinship Worldview is rooted in an Indigenous vision and strong social purpose that sees all life forms as sacred and sentient--that honors the wisdom of the heart, and grants equal standing to rights and responsibilities. All author proceeds from Restoring the Kinship Worldview are donated to Indigenous non-profit organizations working on behalf of Indigenous Peoples.
Online Articles & Publications
"SSRN." Social Science Research Network, Home :: SSRN
SSRN is an open-access online preprint community providing valuable services to leading academic schools and government institutions.
Specializing primarily in social sciences, including economics, law, corporate governance, and humanities, SSRN is branching out in to other science disciplines providing opportunities for scholars to post their early research, collaborate on theories and discoveries, and get credit for their ideas before peer reviewed publication.
Helpful Websites
Home Page | National Museum of the American Indian (si.edu)
The NMAI cares for one of the world's most expansive collections of Native artifacts, including objects, photographs, archives, and media covering the entire Western Hemisphere, from the Arctic Circle to Tierra del Fuego.
University of Alaska Museum | Museum of the North (uaf.edu)
Discover Alaska Native cultures, natural wonders, diverse wildlife and Arctic dinosaurs. Explore 2,000 years of Alaska art. Learn about research by museum scientists. Original exhibits and breathtaking architecture.
Home | NCAI
For nearly seven decades since its founding, NCAI has remained true to the original purpose of the organization: to be the unified voice of tribal nations.
As outlined in the NCAI Constitution, our purpose is to serve as a forum for unified policy development among tribal governments in order to: (1) protect and advance tribal governance and treaty rights; (2) promote the economic development and health and welfare in Indian and Alaska Native communities; and (3) educate the public toward a better understanding of Indian and Alaska Native tribes.
American Indian and Alaska Native Records in the National Archives | National Archives
The National Archives preserves and makes available documents created by federal agencies in the course of their daily business.
Researchers can find information relating to American Indians and Alaska Natives from as early as 1774 through the mid-1990s at National Archives locations throughout the country.
World War II Alaska
“This project centers the voices of Alaska Native elders and veterans by bridging institutional, federal and university archives, tribal archives, and oral histories.”- Iñupiaq Historian, Holly Miowak Guise
Meeting of Frontiers, Available Online | Library of Congress (loc.gov)
With the collections digitized at the national libraries in Moscow and Saint Petersburg, and complemented by materials from the Library of Congress's own rich holdings relating to Russia and Alaska, these materials are a rare and valuable resource for teachers, students, and members of the general public interested in the history and geography of Siberia, the Russian Far East, and Alaska; polar exploration; the indigenous peoples of Siberia and Alaska; the climate, geography, geology, flora, and fauna of Alaska, Siberia, and the polar regions; political prisoners and exiles in Siberia in the communist and tsarist eras; cooperation between the United States and the Soviet Union during World War II; and many other topics. Much of the material also relates to the history of Canada, China, Japan, and other countries bordering the Pacific Ocean.
Books & References
Paris, Django and Alim, H. Samy. Culturally Sustaining Pedagogies
“Culturally Sustaining Pedagogies (CSP) seeks to perpetuate, foster and sustain linguistic, literature, and cultural pluralism as part of schooling for positive social transformation and revitalization. —– CSP exists wherever education sustains the lifeways of communities who have been and continue to be damaged and erased through schooling. As such, CSP explicitly calls for schooling to be a site for sustaining, rather than eradicating the cultural ways of being communities of color.”
— Django Paris and H. Sammy Alim
Marks-Daunhauer, Nora and Daunhauer, Richard. (1990) Haa Tuwunaagu Yis, for Healing Our Spirit
Haa Tuwunaagu Yis, for Healing Our Spirit is the first publication of Tlingit oratory recorded in performance.
It features Tlingit texts with facing English translations and detailed annotations; photographs of the orators and the settings in which the speeches were delivered; and biographies of the elders.
Thornton, Thomas F. (Editor) (2010) Haa Léelk’w Has Aaní Saax’u/Our Grandparents’ Names on the Land
Haa Léelk'w Has Aaní Saax'u / Our Grandparents' Names on the Land presents the results of a collaborative project with Native communities of Southeast Alaska to record indigenous geographic names. Documenting and analyzing more than 3,000 Tlingit, Haida, and other Native names on the land, it highlights their descriptive force and cultural significance.
With community maps, tables, and photographs, this book will be invaluable for those seeking to understand Alaska Native geographic perspectives.
M. DeLucia, Christine (2019) Memory Lands: King Philips War and the Place of Violence in the Northeast
Noted historian Christine DeLucia offers a major reconsideration of the violent seventeenth-century conflict in northeastern America known as King Philip’s War, providing an alternative to Pilgrim-centric narratives that have conventionally dominated the histories of colonial New England. DeLucia grounds her study of one of the most devastating conflicts between Native Americans and European settlers in early America in five specific places that were directly affected by the crisis, spanning the Northeast as well as the Atlantic world. She examines the war’s effects on the everyday lives and collective mentalities of the region’s diverse Native and Euro-American communities over the course of several centuries, focusing on persistent struggles over land and water, sovereignty, resistance, cultural memory, and intercultural interactions. An enlightening work that draws from oral traditions, archival traces, material and visual culture, archaeology, literature, and
environmental studies, this study reassesses the nature and enduring legacies of a watershed historical event.
Will the Time Ever Come?: A Tlingit Source... by Andrew Hope (amazon.com)
“This book is one part of the impressive legacy of the late Andrew "Andy" Hope III. The book is an anthology of papers and presentations delivered at the first "Sharing Our Knowledge conference" held in Haines/Klukwan in 1993, which Andy organized.
The conference has continued in roughly two-year intervals. "Will the Time Ever Come" should be a companion to Sergei Kan's book, "Sharing Our Knowledge: the Tlingit and their Coastal Neighbors."
Sergei and Andy were long-time collaborators.”-- Peter Metcalfe
Topics include Tlingit historiography, migrations, warfare, kinship and property tenure, language and literacy, ethnogeography and cultural resource management, subsistence, and naming.
Sharing Our Knowledge: The Tlingit and Their Coastal Neighbors: Kan, Sergei, Henrikson, Steve: 9781496236883: Amazon.com: Books
This volume focuses on the preservation and dissemination of Tlingit language, traditional cultural knowledge, and history from an activist Tlingit perspective.
Sharing Our Knowledge also highlights a variety of collaborations between Native groups and individuals and non-Native researchers, emphasizing a long history of respectful, cooperative, and productive working relations aimed at recording and transmitting cultural knowledge for tribal use and promoting Native agency in preserving heritage.
By focusing on these collaborations, the contributors demonstrate how such alliances have benefited the Tlingit and neighboring groups in preserving and protecting their heritage while advancing scholarship at the same time.
Online Articles & Publications
American Indian History and Heritage | NEH-Edsitement
EDSITEment!, a project of the National Endowment for the Humanities, provides this teacher's guide. Lessons include a guide to investigating local history and the diversity of the many Native American tribes.
Digital Stories
Please check out our classes offered in Juneau, Anchorage, and Seattle.
YouTube resources:
- Goldbelt Heritage Foundation - YouTube
- (815) UA Museum of the North - YouTube
- (941) X̱ʼunei Lance Twitchell - YouTube