Cultural Heritage

The Cultural Heritage department oversees the coordination of Tlingit & Haida’s cultural and educational activities. The department is housed under the Cultural Heritage & Education Division and promotes language revitalization and arts programs to ensure the existence and perpetuation of our languages and unique cultural practices.

Cultural Heritage collaborates with Elders, language scholars and educators, culture-bearers, artists, universities, and community partners to maximize resources.

Cultural Heritage offers virtual and in-person workshops by master artists and cultural practitioners in a variety of artistic practices. The goal of the department is to provide opportunities to all tribal citizens to ensure the language and ways of life of our grandparents continues. In 2021, the department achieved its goal of developing and hosting regular cultural heritage classes with full enrollment.

Qacung Stephen Blanchett Manager

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 Hosted weekly ELAN training sessions for 12 intermediate to fluent language teachers and learners. ƒ Supported the Indigenous Sustainable Harvesting Plant Symposium for 20 tribal citizens and staff. ƒ Hosted a 25-hour Sm’algyax Grammar Intensive for 20 language learners in partnership with

Kitsumkalum First Nation. ƒ Provided support to Alaska Native Indigenous Training Academy (ANITA) summer camps in Sitka,

AK and Seattle, WA. ƒ Developed eight Gumboots Go! episodes, a children’s video series rooted in Tlingit & Haida languages and ways of life, with support of the

Tribe’s Child Care department. 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 Collaborated with Goldbelt Heritage Foundation to provide a Traditional Button Robe class for 10 tribal citizens in Juneau, Alaska. ƒ Began developing a Traditional Food Harvesting video series with Prince of Wales Island tribal citizens and communities to create culturally responsive educational resources for school districts and children. ƒ Hosted I Toowú Klatseen (Boys & Girls Run) activities in collaboration with community partners. A total of 106 students participated – 87 from the Juneau School District and 19 in the communities of Yakutat and Hydaburg.

ƒ Co-hosted a Cedar Hat Weaving class at the Prince of Wales Vocational and Technical Education

Center for 22 tribal citizens. ƒ Hosted a series of virtual classes with Tsimshian Cultural Practitioner Abel Ryan who taught

Fundamentals of Formline Design, Northwest Coast Drum-Making, Intermediate Level Formline

Design, and Introduction to Painting. A total of 65 individuals participated. ƒ Hosted a series of virtual classes with Tlingit Weaver Lily Hope who taught students how to weave

Chilkat Protector Masks and Ravenstail Pendants. A total of 40 individuals participated with 17 who planned to continue classes with Lily Hope through her Patreon platform. ƒ Collaborated with community partners and provided extensive support for the inaugural Rock

Aak’w Indigenous Music Festival. ƒ Collaborated with the Tribal Family & Youth Services (TFYS) department to provide Haa Aaní

Summer Adventures that offered culturally based STEAM curricula, traditional harvest, and outdoor adventure activities for 21 students in the 2nd through 8th grade.

ƒ Collaborate with tribal departments and community partners to provide increased cultural education opportunities for students at Juneau School District high schools. ƒ Advocate for Tlingit language classes to be offered during regular school hours to improve equity and accessibility for the local Indigenous language offerings. ƒ Increase cultural and language opportunities and resource creation for tribal citizens of all ages and locations. ƒ Continue building upon Gumboots Go! series and complete Traditional Foods Harvesting video series. ƒ Develop and launch Southeast Indigenous Languages Digital Archive.