Module 3- People and Places

Essential Questions:  What is culture?  How can it be defined?   


 According to the Roshan Institute of Cultural Heritage Studies, culture includes, but is not limited to, language and thought, the arts and sciences, spirituality, and social interaction and activities. Culture is what makes a people unique and interesting and is related to their history and ways of coping and surviving.  In Alaskan culture all of these aspects overlap and are interconnected. 

Cupik people of the Western Tundra

 Native peoples in Alaska developed their culture around subsistence living. Their values came out of an interdependence which helped them to  survive.  They passed on knowledge and skills through keen observation and experimentation. They developed tools and crafts out of need and through tried and true testing.They treated each other and the environment with respect by sharing what they had and not taking more than they needed. They had close relationships with their environment including the plants and animals; they saw themselves as part of the land.  Stories and legends were passed down from generation to generation teaching the Natives not only about their place in the world but about right and wrong and taking responsibility for what you do. 

We can learn a lot about a culture through their use of
language. For example, the Yup'ik and Ieupiaq language is rooted in a relationship to nature and is a reflection of a changing environment.  One sentence or thought can be said a number of different ways and the order of the words can vary, based on what is  being expressed and emphasized.  It is a reflection of the unpredictability of nature and their  changing roles in it.

 

Traditional Native  clothing was made from the skins of animals they hunted and killed. Each Eskimo group had their own unique way of decorating their clothing  and was

recognizable as coming from a particular area.

The interrelationship of all the aspects of culture changed over time as the indigenous people adapted to their environment and the changes around them.  However the  challenging changes brought by the Western culture were not as easy to adapt to.

Examine:  What insights about the nature of Alaska Native cultural change do you gain from the essays by Paul Ongtoogok ?

DVD Maniilaq, the Eskimo Prophet

In Maniilaq: Preparing for Change Paul Ongtooguk tells about a remarkable leader and his ability to predict the dramatic change the Natives had to go through and his efforts to prepare his people for these changes. Stories of his greatness were passed down carefully through chosen and reliable elders. He was able to predict how Western culture would impose their beliefs on the Native culture which would shake up and confuse traditional spiritual practices and the traditional way of living in harmony with their surroundings.  When the small pox epidemic broke out, many Natives were recruited to the Russian Orthodox Church because of the church's ability to save lives through vaccination, while the Shaman had no power over the disease.  Maniilaq tried to encourage the Natives to continue to live together through respect for nature. 

In the essay  Education and Cultural Self –Determination

Paul Ongtooguk brings up questions of what the cultural legacy of Alaskan natives should be and what is important to preserve and pass on to generations.  Unfortunately, when Western educators first came to Alaska, they tried to deny and eradicate Native cultural heritage.  Native languages and cultural connections were not allowed; they were taught that these things were inferior to Western ways of thinking and doing things.  There were, however, Native elders who held onto their beliefs and passed them down to the younger generation.  In hunting and fishing and traditional dances and ceremonies younger generations were taught cultural values. Time spent at boarding schools did not prepare students to become leaders in their communities.

Today Native communities must decide what needs to be taught and how to teach younger generations about their Native cultural heritage.  Through the efforts of Native elders students need to understand their connection to their rich past.

Extend: After 250 years of contact with 

outsiders, what is the status of Native

 cultures in Alaska? 

  Native people in Alaska and elsewhere face the dilemma of accepting and learning from Western culture while still holding on to their own culture.  There is confusion among the people as to the value of their own past and heritage, especially among the young. We all have a cultural heritage that we must come to terms with.  However,  at one time Natives were encouraged to forget their heritage to assimilate into the new culture.  That is a difficult heritage to overcome.

 According to Paul Ongtooguk in his article Modern and Alaska Native? Yes it is possible to be both Native and Modern and that Natives need to define what that means.  Being entirely Native or entirely Modern is not desirable or realistic.  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.


Evaluation:
I really enjoyed this module. I would like to learn more about language and educational methods of Alaska Natives.  I feel like I spend a lot of time on the modules, I haven't quite figured out how to budget my time to get the most done.  It didn't help that I lost Module 2 and had to spend a lot of time trying to figure out how to retrieve it.  Oh well, spring break is coming soon.
 
Blogs I have visited:

Claire Powell  writes about the fragility and interconnectedness of the landscape and our responsibility as educators to understand and to know about our environment.
Joel's Blog is about coming into a new culture and bringing science education, while being sensitive to Native science.
In Tina's Blog she talks about how she grew up in Alaska and left for a few years.  Later she came back and saw how much the Portage Glacier had receded.

Module 2 Natural History

Examine:

What are some differences between traditional Native knowledge and Western science?

There are some interesting distinctions between Native knowledge and Western science.  The main reason for the differences might be the differences in the purposes of that knowledge.  Native peoples needed to know and understand their world for their very survival while Western science may have stemmed from a basic curiosity about the world.  Although these may be the main driving force behind the acquisition of knowledge, this is not to say that advances in science have not added to our survival as a species and that curiosity did not ever motivate Native people to learn about the world.  
      

A primary difference between the two is the holistic view of the universe in the Native approach, while the Western approach is the examination of isolated parts of the world.  The Native explanation for why things happen would include spiritual, physical, social and moral.  They see a basic relationship and harmony in all things.  Native people learn about the world through living experience and direct observation.  They look for patterns and ways of fitting into those patterns.

Western science uses mathematics and experimentation to learn about the universe.  Science has at its root a basic skepticism about the world, unless observable and measurable, it is not seen as science and even then other variables may come into play to disprove what we believed to be true.  



Native knowledge is more optimistic and there is a belief in the inherited wisdom that has been passed down for generations through story telling and metaphor. New generations learn how to behave and survive in the world through a sensual appreciation of the world.  Daily practices reinforce this knowledge and helps it to grow.

Elder by the river from anthc.org

Western science prides itself on its separation from any moral or personal view of the world.  These are seen as anecdotal observations and are not respected until they can be proven through direct observation and the application of mathematics. Science begins with a hypothesis that must be verified.  It isolates parts to observe and measure and therefore sometimes misses the whole.   Science looks to verify itself through connections between fields such as cell biology, physiology, botany, etc.  It uses technology and disciplined research to grow its body of knowledge.  Science tends to look at humans as somewhat separate from nature.  We use instruments to observe and measure rather than developing and trusting human senses to understand our world. 

A Native colleague of mine told me about the recent death of a three-year-old child from hypothermia.  She said right before the child died it was very cold, way below zero, for weeks on end.  Then immediately afterward the weather changed and got warmer.  She believed in a connection between the child’s death and the weather patterns and said we were being told something.

Of course Western science would explain the weather in terms of weather patterns and data from previous years. It would also view as circumstance the connection between weather and the child’s death. But where we find common ground between the Native and scientific view of this tragedy, is what we all take away from it and the lesson to be learned.

 Essential:

How are Alaska's natural systems interconnected

Climate change is probably one of the biggest indicators of how Alaska's natural systems are interconnected. There has been a significant warming of the climate and Alaska has been particularly effected. Natural systems are atmosphere(air), lithosphere(land), hydrosphere(water), cyrosphere(ice) and biosphere(life). A change in any one of these systems affects the other systems. There is a natural ebb and flow between all of these systems.  Mountains in the interior of Alaska, for example, are gradually wearing away from wind and rain, while mountains in the Aleutian Islands are actually getting larger because of shifting tetonic plates.

Nushagak River  BHanson

Heat affects changes in the earth more than any other source.  It comes from the earth’s core and from the sun.  Heat from the sun changes the atmosphere and that in turn changes weather patterns through uneven  distribution of heat.   The movement of air and water also affects weather patterns. Although weather is difficult to predict, Native peoples have passed down accumulated knowledge of  weather patterns for generations.  Women traditionally were the ones who "read" the weather through keen observation of the environment.  Because of climate change weather patterns are becoming less and less predictable.   Native peoples cannot rely on knowledge they have relied on for centuries and are forced to adapt.

Cyrosphere is all of the frozen areas on the earth.  It stores water so that it can be used at future times, otherwise we would have floods and droughts and forest fires, among other things.  Melting permafrost creates erosion and warmer water temperatures which in turn affect salmon populations.  A decrease in salmon population affects subsistence fisherman and plant and animal life.

The polar caps play a significant role in keeping the earth cool by the reflection of snow and ice.  They have been melting at a much more rapid pace than other areas of the earth.  This melting effects not only the subsistence hunters in the area but will have profound effects on the rest of the world if the melting trend is not reversed.  A slight rise is the sea level will mean changes in landforms, plants, animals and humans. 

http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/echo07.sci.life.coast.climate/

Global warming is a contentious issue.  Although most would agree that the temperatures on the earth are rising, they question whether this is caused by man or is just part of a natural cycle.  Perhaps we need to combine the accumulated data-based knowledge of scientists and the experiential, living knowledge of Native peoples to come up with solutions so that future generations are able to enjoy their environment and flourish on earth.

Beach at Kanackanak- SHanson

Evaluation:

I am really enjoying how this class is getting me thinking about and wanting to understand my community.  There is a lot of information presented and I feel at times overwhelmed, but I think I am starting to figure out how best to approach the class and my blog. It does take up a lot of time. I am trying to improve and simplify my blog.  The information is presented in a very engaging way and I do enjoy reading it.


  Blogs I have visited:

http://brendarosenthat.blogspot.com/

Brenda talks about awareness of place as a speech and language pathologist, especially being sensitive to the culture and differences in communication skills. http://explorealaskawithwhitney.blogspot.com/
Whitney uses technology in the classroom and addresses some difficulties of fitting into the culture.

http://alaskacoast.blogspot.com/

Chelsey uses multi-media to reach her students. I love the interspersion of Yup'ik words.

Module 1- Place and pedagogy-evaluation

I have enjoyed looking at all of the resources on the Teachers Domain.  I often found myself getting caught up in them and wasn't sure if I was using my time wisely or not.  Although I like the open-ended format   of this class, sometimes it is difficult to decipher what is the important information.   However, since this first module is about place, which does have a fairly ambiguous definition, the format does seem relevant to the content.  I am also new to blogging and not quite comfortable with that yet, I am trying to have fun with it and answer the questions as well as I can. I will be interested to read other people's blogs to learn from them and see how they approached it.  It has been fun talking to my colleagues at school and getting their input on place and its relationship to the community.

Module 1- Place and Pedagogy-connection of people and place

How does the connection between people and place appear in your community?


Fishing, hunting and berry picking connect the people of Dillingham to the environment.  Traditions such as  fishing in a particular spot and best berry-picking sites have been passed down through the generations. Young hunters often follow tradition by giving away their first kill. Children are taught to be generous and share what they have.  People from outlying villages come for the summer to live in cabins and fish where their ancestors fished.  Residents pick the many types of berries such as salmon berries, blackberries, blueberries, huckleberries and cranberries.  Natives are very aware of the seasons and hunt, fish and gather during the best time of the year for those activities. Subsistence hunters and fisherman  take only what they need for the year.  Sometimes they freeze fish in  permafrost, however with global warming, permafrost is quickly disappearing.

Blueberries

Salmonberries

Raspberries

from: http://alaskatrekker.com/berrypicking.htm


Children learn to follow the traditions of their families and ancestors by observing and experiencing. Later,  when they are ready, they practice those skills.  In the past children were immersed in the activity by spending time with their extended family.  Today children spend so much time in school they are not as exposed to immersion in their culture. This creates a disconnect between parents and children.  Schools try to bridge the gap by offering bilingual classes in which students learn native dances and traditions.  Students also have the opportunity to learn to make traditional clothing and a mixture  of berries,Crisco and sugar.  Crisco replaced the  traditional and, probably healthier, seal oil.  They also learn to dry and preserve fish and game meat. 


There is a great respect for elders in the Yu'pik culture. Many believe that preserving  the culture is dependent on passing down wisdom from elders.  Busy lives and Western influences make it more difficult, although some people  are able to blend cultures together and live and thrive in both worlds. 

 http://www.alaskanative.net/en/paranav/resources/
 

School systems with the best intentions don't always mesh well with the Native culture.  They bring with them concerns for test scores, making AYP and using research-based practices which are foreign  to the day to day concerns of the Native people.  Best practices should include using resources from within the community so that the community is involved and participating in the education of their children.  It is important to have an understanding of what cultural values should be kept alive and passed on to future generations. We as educators need to understand and respect the culture of the community as well as teach them about our culture.








http://ankn.uaf.edu/curriculum/Yupiaq/Dillingham_City/Schools_District/index.html


http://ankn.uaf.edu/media/videos/passingonflash.html


 http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/ean08.sci.ess.earthsys.denaina/

Module 1-Place and Pedagogy-awareness of place

Why is an awareness of place important?

Place: An area with definite or indefinite boundaries; a portion of space

From http://www.thefreedictionary.com/place

This definition shows the inherent contradiction in the idea of place.  Place is where we come from and includes the physical environment as well as the people and experiences within that environment.  However, place is also always evolving and adapting to changes in the new world. 

We all come from a place that shapes our sense of ourselves and gives us a purpose in what we do and we bring our sense of place with us wherever we go.  Those who are more flexible in their definition of place  are able to adapt and thrive in different environments.  When I first came to Dillingham it seemed like there was nothing here,it was like another world.   In fact some first time teachers have been known to get off the plane and get right back on that same afternoon, so foreign was this place.  Every environment has a richness that is not always immediately apparent. After living here for a few months I am able to appreciate what is here. I have found that it is a thriving and productive community, although remote.

Historically native people in Alaska have had a more holistic view of their environment.  They see themselves and their environment as all part of a continuum in the Circle of Life.  They have for centuries made a subsistence living from the sea and the land and have learned to have great respect for the seasons and the environment.  People are taught to share what they have and not waste any parts of fish or animals they hunt.They also learn to flourish within the seasons and the dramatic light changes. 

The Spirit of Subsistence Living

http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/ean08.sci.life.evo.spirit/

We all have to come to terms with our sense of place, understanding where we come from and how that fits into where we are now.  It is a particular challenge for native peoples because of the sudden and remarkable change brought  by Western culture.  For native populations there is a question of  how to raise children who are both sensitive to their own culture and able to be productive members of this new culture.  Some families are more successful than others in bridging the two cultures.

Porcupine Creek

One of my favorite places was Porcupine Creek in Big Sky, Montana.  I spent many happy hours hiking and biking with my family and friends on the trails in this scenic area.   We lived right across the street so I could walk right over and hike whenever I had an hour or two.  The trail started right by a creek and then went up into the mountains to reveal some beautiful valleys and mountain ranges.  I often felt as though I had gone back in time and this was a scene I came upon as I was exploring the area.