Module III: Cultural History

Essential: How can an examination of "culture" in Alaska contribute to an understanding of Alaska history?

The history of Alaska would be unknown to us without the people that have come before us.  People throughout our states existence have passed down stories from generation to generation.  Without this passing of knowledge it would be difficult to understand how Alaskan life has developed.  

I think this was explained best in the Philosophical Foundations piece from the AK History and Cultures Studies site.  It was written that “we did not create the world we live in; it was created for us by those who went before us. They left their world to us, as we are leaving our world to future generations. Whatever insight we gain into how our world was shaped and how its values and assumptions reflect the judgments, perceptions and decisions of those who created it, will help us better to understand the world we live in and better understand ourselves.”

I often think of our little community and how it became the village it is today.  I often feel like I am in the middle of nowhere.  Why did people settle here?  According to Alan Sorum, “Tlingit people lived in settlements along the island and controlled trade with Natives of Canada’s interior via the Stikine River that passes through the coastal mountains.”  Even today the Stikine River is the reason people are able to stay in Wrangell.  While fishing techniques have changed over the years, the basics have been passed down from generation to generation.  Sons continue to fish in the same holes as their Fathers and so on.  Alaska is rich in history, but in order to understand it we must learn about the culture of our communities. 

Southeast Alaska Culture
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/%7Eakwrapet/Maps/MapSoAlaskaCulture.jpg 

Examine: What are the underlying beliefs and values of the Alaska Native groups? 

The Alaska Native groups beliefs and values are very similar.  A few of them are even the same.  All of the groups believe that it is important to share with others, work hard, and show respect for the land and sea, people, and animals.  The Alaska Native Knowledge Network (ANKN) has a great website that describes the values of each individual culture as well.  

The beliefs and values of each culture have been tailored to their region of settlement.  For example, it is important for the Iñupiaq people to have hunter success, but that is not a value of the Tlingit people.  The Iñupiaq people continue depend on their hunting and gathering skills to survive.  While Tlingit people, who are known for their beautiful totem poles, find it important to remember native traditions and pride.  

Inupiaq Dinner
 http://www.bigfootencounters.com/creatures/enukins.htm 

Chief Shakes House
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/%7Eakwrapet/photos.htm

Extend: In your blog, identify one Alaska culture of your community and/or of your students.  

On the Great Glacier, Stikine River (1914)
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:On_the_Great_Glacier,_
Stikine_River,_near_Wrangell,_Alaska,_June_21,_1914._-_NARA_-_297798.jpg 

The Tlingit people moved down the Stikine River and settled in Wrangell, Alaska.  There is a story about how the Stikine Tlingit came to Wrangell through a hole in the glacier.  According to my local source this story is copyrighted to the “storytellers” of their culture and only allowed to be told by them.  However, Alan Sorum has written about it in The International Stikine River.  The story goes as follows, “Tlingit migration lore tells of their people’s travel west looking for a new homeland. They encountered a glacier that was too great to cross. A meltwater tunnel was visible at its base and several young men volunteered to attempt a passage through the crevasse. At the last moment, a couple of elders took the trip upon themselves fearing loss of the youth to the future of the group. These elders passed safety through the glacier and found the rich land of Southeast Alaska, Lingít Aaní. The remaining people followed their elders into their new land and became the first Tlingits. Stikine Tlingit traded historically with the Tahltan living on the upper reachs of the river.” 

Tlingit Box 
http://www.alaskanative.net/en/main_nav/exhibits_collection/southeast/

Southeast Alaska is a temperate rainforest which is home to a dense forest of cedar, spruce, and hemlock trees.  As expected, Tlingit people were woodworkers.  They created dugout canoes for transportation and hunting, totem poles to display their clan crest, and boxes to store their food (Emmons & Alaska History).  Today, in Wrangell, you can still observe many replicas of these totem poles that were rebuilt in 1939.  Currently the totem poles and Chief Shakes tribal house are being restored again (Knight).  About a month ago Elders and other member of the community working on the project did a presentation in our school about their progress.  I think it is awesome that our community works hard to preserve the Tlingit culture.  

Tlingit Women cleaning Salmon
http://skagwayfolklore.blogspot.com/2011/10/peter-bertona.html 

Lastly, in this short overview of Tlingit people I would like to write about their connection to the land in Southeast Alaska.  Tlingit people were primarily fisherman because they live at the edge of the tide.  They live off of the bounty in the ocean and river.  In April and May they catch halibut, king salmon, seals, and herring.  In the Spring the hunted sea otter.  And their main source of food were salmon which run from June to September (Emmons).  Fishing is still the livelihood in Wrangell.  While tools to fish have changed, traditions, secrets, and values have been passed from generation to generation. 

Evaluate: Please write a brief paragraph reflecting on the content, style, and usefulness of this module.

Two years ago I came to Wrangell to check out the schools.  My main objective was to decide if I wanted to complete my student teaching in Wrangell or in the comfort of my state, Wisconsin.  The day I went in to see the schools just happened to be a day with an assembly, a Native dance exhibition.  Elders spoke and students dressed in traditional garb danced and sang.  I was in awe.  That was the beginning for me, a never-ending journey to understanding the culture and history of Wrangell.  Needless to say, I found this Module to have tons of great information.  

Wrangell, AK
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/%7Eakwrapet/photos.htm

It may be silly that I did not know the following already, but I wanted to share anyway.  In Paul Ongtooguk’s Essay, Maniilaq: Preparing for Change he wrote about the oral tradition of passing on stories.  He said, “For example, in some Native cultures, if a young person was told a story, he could not just go out and tell that story to someone else. First the story had to be heard over and over again. Then, the story had to be told by the 'learner' to the original 'teller.' In other words, the right to 'keep' (tell) stories was granted by the elders. In this way oral traditions were handed down in a structured way.”  For some reason I found this fascinating.  I imagined a young child sitting “pretzel-style” listening intently as the Elder of his clan told him a story.  Maybe I enjoy this because it is similar to today’s school: the teacher, the student, and the knowledge being shared.  

Resources:

Alaska History & Cultural Studies Curriculum. (2012). Alaska Native Heritage Cener: Kyak, Tlingit, Haida & Tsimshain. Retrieved from http://www.akhistorycourse.org/articles/article.php?artID=194 

Alaska History & Cultural Studies Curriculum. (2012). Philosophical Foundations. Retrieved from http://www.akhistorycourse.org/articles/article.php?artID=460 

Emmons, George Thorton. (1991). The Tlingit Indians. Seattle and London. University of Washington Press. 

Knight, Greg. (2011). Tlingit honor totems at Shakes house. Wrangell Sentinel. Retrieved from http://www.thewrangellsentinel.com/Stories/090111totem.htm 

Ongtooguk, Paul. (2012). Maniilaq: Preparing for Change. Retrieved from http://www.akhistorycourse.org/articles/article.php?artID=279 

Sorum, Alan. (2009). The International Stikine River. Retrieved from http://infoaboutalaska.com/communities/the-international-stikine-river/ 

Sorum, Alan. (2012). Wrangell Island. Retrieved from http://infoaboutalaska.com/communities/wrangell-island/

Colleague Blogs:

Educational Exploration in AK

I enjoyed Kristin’s definition of culture.  Specifically the last paragraph about the adaptations of culture to reflect the change in history.  It made me think of the mixture of cultures passed down to me and those that will be passed on the my children.  

My Cove and Beyond

I am new to Alaska and am learning daily what it means to be Alaskan, but Marg did a fantastic job descriping Alaskan culture.  I have observed many of the things she wrote about.  Also I really enjoyed reading about Metlakatla and the Native people that make up their community.

Investigate Alaska

Betty wrote about the possibilty of being both Native and Modern.  She stated,  “It is possible to combine these two aspects of culture in a harmonious way. It is the responsibility of the community and educators to help help younger generations to achieve this.”  I think it is important that we as educators remind ourselves to incorporate Native ways of teaching/learning into our modern classrooms.  

Module II: Natural History

Essential: How does digital information change our understanding of natural systems?

http://www.macmillanmh.com/tlxnews/2011/09/classroom-technology-over-time/

I can remember learning about natural systems in my Middle School science class.  We read from a hardcover textbook, watched outdated, poor quality videos, and occasionally watched an in class demonstration.  Digital information has allowed students and teachers opportunities to explore natural systems in a way I never thought possible.   

The abundance of accessible resources alone is astonishing.  Students can now learn about natural systems from interactive resources, engaging videos, Global Information Systems (GIS), as well as traditional textbooks, demonstrations, and field trips out the front door.  As a teacher, the amount of resources available can be overwhelming at times.  Is it really that important to put in the effort and take the time and to find good resources?  The answer is simple.  Yes.  

Students benefit from using digital information in the classroom.  According to the U.S.  Department of Education, “technology use allows many more students to be actively thinking about information, making choices, and executing skills than is typical in teacher-led lessons. Moreover, when technology is used as a tool to support students in performing authentic tasks, the students are in the position of defining their goals, making design decisions, and evaluating their progress.” 

While I was reading through this module and exploring the videos and interactive resources I enjoyed the learning process.  Even though the majority of the material was not new information for me, I had not previously been exposed to the information using digital technology.  The information was given to me in a fun way and I am sure I will remember more of it.  Natural systems can be hard to understand, especially for the first time, but fun, new ways to learn about the world can make it easier and more exciting.  

Examine:  Relative Locations vs. Absolute Locations

Where on Earth is Alaska?

Alaska from Space. Orthographic projection.
http://www.akhistorycourse.org/articles/article.php?artID=121

According to General Billy Mitchell, Alaska is the center of the world (Alaska History & Cultural Studies).  When first reading this claim, I thought he was a bit silly and uninformed.  However, after reading on I started to understand General Mitchell’s statement.  I even like it!  He looked at a globe and noticed that Alaska was about the same distance from all the major industrial centers of the world.  This is going to sound silly, but I never noticed how much closer I am to other countries now than when I lived in Wisconsin.  Generally, I feel much further away because I cannot get in my car and drive a few hours to a city.  In a strange way, I found comfort in being at the center of the world.  

What are the physical dimensions of Alaska?

Alaska is huge!  This one state accounts for 16 percent of the area of the United States.  Alaska contains an astonishing 589,194 square miles.  It also has 6,640 miles of coastline which is more than half of the coastline in the United States (Alaska History & Cultural Studies).  

Furthers points East, West, North and South?

Earlier I mentioned the relative location of Alaska, but what is its absolute location?  Alaska’s furthest point North is at Point Barrow (71° 23’ N) and it’s most Southern point is at the tip of Amatignak Island in the Aleutian Islands (51° 13’ N).  Cape Wrangell on the Attu island is the farthest point West (172° 27’ E) and Cape Point in Southeast Alaska is the farthest point East (129° 59’ W).  I found the information about Alaska to be fascinating, I hope I can remember it all for the next time I participate in a trivia night. 

Extend: In Google Earth, try placing a Yellow Pin at each landscape you visit.

Created in Google Earth

 While exploring Google Earth I observed many different landscapes for each region.  It was neat to see all the little communities, the way they are arranged, and the landscapes that surround them.  In Juneau I could use the “Street View” feature of Google Earth which made me feel like I was standing in the street of the city.  I also found a few places I could use the “Oceans” layer and dive below to see the ocean floor.  I had a lot of fun and I am looking forward to learning ways to effectively use Google Earth in my classroom. 

Evaluate: Please write a brief paragraph reflecting on the content, style, and usefulness of this first module.

I found Module II to be packed full of entertaining information.  I thoroughly enjoyed learning about Alaska’s Natural History.  While watching videos in Teachers’ Domain I created several folders to save the videos so I can show my students when they are learning about global warming, glaciers, and plate tectonics.  I also had fun exploring the world in Google Earth.  I was imagining all the ways I could use it in my classroom.  I think it would be really neat to put a push pin in all the places we talk about over the course of the year and then create a trip at the end of the year connecting everything we did.  Overall, I enjoyed the content and found Module II to contain a lot of useful information.  

Resources: 

Alaska History & Cultural Studies. (2012). The Geography of  Alaska: Alaska’s Location.  Retrieved from http://www.akhistorycourse.org/articles/article.php?artID=121

U.S. Department of Education. (n.d). Effects of Technology on Classrooms and Students. Retrieved from http://www2.ed.gov/pubs/EdReformStudies/EdTech/index.html

Colleague Blogs:

Explore Alaska Class: Niki shared a link to a wonderful website about the interconnectedness of Alaska’s natural systems.  I could see using that in my classroom to help my students visualize the connections.  She also used several beautiful pictures throughout her post.  

Gary’s Alaska Blog: Gary wrote about how digital information makes it much easier and faster to learn about things happening all over the world.  I liked his local example of everything being interconnected; he wrote about how Yellowstone geyser are impacted by Alaska earthquakes.  

Peter Explores Alaska: Peter wrote about how essential it is for educators to understand natural systems and cultural systems of their community.  He used fishing as an example; fishing is also extremely important for many people in our community. 

Module I: Blog Comments

Holly Explores Alaska History:  I enjoyed Holly's perspective on the importance of a persons awareness of place.  Though I knew placed-based learning affects the future I hadn’t thought much about it.  It is so important to understand the history of the place you live in in order to create a successful future.


Alaskan History: A Newcomers Perspective:  Claire shared one of her favorite places, Utah, and her ongoing connections it.  I love that she talked about awareness of place allowing students to function as responsible citizens in their communities.  I am hoping to learn more about my new home in Alaska and use my knowledge to teach students about their home.  


Exploring Alaska's Cultures:  I enjoyed Shannon's blog because she lives on an island in the Southeast too and it was easy for me to relate to her examples of place-based learning.  She wrote about taxi cabs and subways examples in work vs. ferries and float planes.  As I learn about my island community I hope to use more relevant examples for my students.  

Module I: Place & Pedagogy

Essential:  How can educators use new media to better reach and teach Alaska's students?
New technology can be an amazing and inspiring. Educators have access to a wide variety of digital media that, when used correctly and efficiently, can benefit students greatly.  

http://melissa-technologyclassroom.blogspot.com/2011/02/two-page-paper.html

Using technology in the classroom brings in a component of everyday life for many students.  In my experience, most students use technology for entertainment and are very well versed in the capability of software and hardware alike.  Adding these same devices and programs to the classroom can be a great motivational tool.  Students enjoy being able to show off their technical skills and receive immediate feedback.  

New media gives students the opportunity to work collaboratively with their peers.  Not only are students able to interact in small groups, but some media allows for students to interact in large groups.  Clickers and SMART boards are two examples I have used in class.  

At times it can be overwhelming to determine which media will benefit your students from the billions of resources available.  It was very neat to try out Teachers' Domain.  I had heard of the website, but never used it before.  I think the videos and discussion questions will be a wonderful resource for myself and my students.  

Technology keeps changing rapidly and I believe the best way to use new media to reach and teach Alaska’s students is to keep yourself up to date, collaborate with colleagues, and use wonderful sites like TD in order to keep students motivated and engaged.

Examine: How might this place-based principle apply to your work in your community?

According to David Sobel, place-based education is the process of using the local community and environment as a starting point to teach concepts in language arts, mathematics, social studies, science and other subjects across the curriculum.

http://akhfblog.typepad.com/door-15/rose-urban-rural-exchange/

Wrangell is an outstanding place to apply the place-based principle.  Wrangell is teeming with culture just waiting to be explored.  Applying place-based education in Wrangell would teach students using real-world experiences in a compelling way.  Students would begin to form connections with the people and world around them.  I cannot think of a more fun way to teach students to have an appreciation for science, nature, and culture than immersing them in their community. 

Place-based education would prepare our students to live and work while sustaining the cultural heritage of the place they inhabit, whether they stay in Wrangell or journey to a knew place. 

Extend: What are the population dynamics in your community?

The population dynamics of Wrangell is an ongoing debate in my household.  Having recently moved to Wrangell, my husband and I are constantly asked details about our new home.  The most common question is “How many people live on the island?”.  We both try to answer as quickly and confidently as possible so that we appear to know what we are talking about.  Now it is time to see who really is the knowledgeable one in the family! 

It turns out that my husband must have done his homework because according to the U.S. Census Bureau Wrangell’s population in 2010 was 2,369 people.  I had heard in casual conversation that we lived in a town of about 1000 people.  Boy was I wrong! (Don’t tell my husband).  

The population numbers are interesting to me because it feels as though we live in a much smaller community.  Everyone here is connected in some way.  

According to the data Wrangell is 16.2% American Indian and Alaska Native persons.  I was also surprised by this piece of information because our community keeps traditions alive and highly regards Tlingit culture.  I had assumed that closer to 30% of Wrangell was Native.  Looking up the population dynamics of this small community have been enlightening and will help me win the future “population argument” with my husband.  I am also looking at integrating a unit on Human Environmental Interactions into my biology class, and population demographics will be a great piece to pull into the lessons. 

Wrangell Population Density
Created on www.arcgis.com

Evaluate: Please write a brief paragraph reflecting on the content, style, and usefulness of this first module.

I found this first module to be packed full of great information and resources. I cannot wait to dig in deeper and discover the power of the websites shared with us, especially Teachers' Domain and Alaska Native Knowledge Network.  

I am currently working with AICS Alaska Crossings to instill the SYSTEMS Project into Wrangell’s Science curriculum.  The main objective is to “increase problem-solving and critical thinking skills of Southeast Alaskan students by implementing place-based education.  There is a focus on bridging traditional Native and Western approaches in science, math, and technology” (Booth & Owens, AICS). The knowledge I gained from this first module has already been a tremendous help in understanding what I am really setting out to do in our community.  I am excited to see what is to come over the course of the semester.  

References:

Booth, Camille and Owens, Holly. (2011). Systems. (Unpublished Introduction Letter).  

Sobel, David. (n.d.). Place-based Education: Connecting Classroom and Community.  Retrieved from http://www.antiochne.edu/ed/il/pbexcerpt.pdf

U.S. Census Bureau. (2012). State and County QuickFacts. Retrieved from http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/02000.html

Test Post: My Favorite Place

Until very recently, the region of Northeastern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan (U.P.) was the place I called home.  Occasionally the word “home” still slips out in reference to that location.  I am forever connected to this lovely place by my lineage, my memories, and my education.  

I was born and raised in Northern Wisconsin.  Directly across the bridge from there was the U.P.  Many important milestones in my life were achieved in my quaint hometown.  My entire family was around to see me celebrate my birthdays, play sports, graduate from high school and college.  To this day my paternal and maternal grandparents, parents, aunts and uncles, and cousins all live in that same area.  

I am lucky to be connected to such a magnificent section of the world and hope each of you will have the opportunity to vacation there someday.  I know we are all in school during the Autumn months, but missing a few day would be well worth a vacation to Northern Wisconsin! 

Northeastern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan
Created on www.arcgis.com

Wisconsin Autumns are unbeatable!
Source: http://www.uptake.com/blog/family_vacations/best-fall-foliage-scenic-drives_5763.html