<HTML><BODY style="word-wrap: break-word; -khtml-nbsp-mode: space; -khtml-line-break: after-white-space; "><DIV class="MsoNormal"><SPAN style=""><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande">Contact the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District to support Tribal efforts to have their language and culture integrated into the district.</FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande"><O:P></O:P></FONT></SPAN></DIV><DIV class="MsoNormal"><SPAN style=""><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande"> </FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande"><O:P></O:P></FONT></SPAN></DIV><DIV class="MsoNormal"><SPAN style=""><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande">Donna Peterson District Superintendent</FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande"><O:P></O:P></FONT></SPAN></DIV><DIV class="MsoNormal"><SPAN style=""><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande">E-mail: </FONT><A href="mailto:dpeterson@kpbsd.k12.ak.us"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande">dpeterson@kpbsd.k12.ak.us</FONT></A><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande"><O:P></O:P></FONT></SPAN></DIV><DIV class="MsoNormal"><SPAN style=""><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande"> </FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande"><O:P></O:P></FONT></SPAN></DIV><DIV class="MsoNormal"><SPAN style=""><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande">Debra Mullins, President</FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande"><O:P></O:P></FONT></SPAN></DIV><DIV class="MsoNormal"><SPAN style=""><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande">53630 Redoubt Dr.</FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande"><O:P></O:P></FONT></SPAN></DIV><DIV class="MsoNormal"><SPAN style=""><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande">E-mail: </FONT><A href="mailto:dmullins@kpbsd.k12.ak.us"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande">dmullins@kpbsd.k12.ak.us</FONT></A><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande"><O:P></O:P></FONT></SPAN></DIV><DIV class="MsoNormal"><SPAN style=""><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande"> </FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande"><O:P></O:P></FONT></SPAN></DIV><DIV class="MsoNormal"><SPAN style=""><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande">Bill Hatch , Member</FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande"><O:P></O:P></FONT></SPAN></DIV><DIV class="MsoNormal"><SPAN style=""><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande">E-mail: </FONT><A href="mailto:bhatch@kpbsd.k12.ak.us"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande">bhatch@kpbsd.k12.ak.us</FONT></A><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande"><O:P></O:P></FONT></SPAN></DIV><DIV class="MsoNormal"><SPAN style=""><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande"> </FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande"><O:P></O:P></FONT></SPAN></DIV><DIV class="MsoNormal"><SPAN style=""><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande">Sammy Crawford, Vice President</FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande"><O:P></O:P></FONT></SPAN></DIV><DIV class="MsoNormal"><SPAN style=""><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande">E-mail: </FONT><A href="mailto:scrawford@kpbsd.k12.ak.us"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande">scrawford@kpbsd.k12.ak.us</FONT></A><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande"><O:P></O:P></FONT></SPAN></DIV><DIV class="MsoNormal"><SPAN style=""><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande"> </FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande"><O:P></O:P></FONT></SPAN></DIV><DIV class="MsoNormal"><SPAN style=""><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande">Nels Anderson, Member</FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande"><O:P></O:P></FONT></SPAN></DIV><DIV class="MsoNormal"><SPAN style=""><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande">E-mail: </FONT><A href="mailto:nanderson@kpbsd.k12.ak.us"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande">nanderson@kpbsd.k12.ak.us</FONT></A><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande"><O:P></O:P></FONT></SPAN></DIV><DIV class="MsoNormal"><SPAN style=""><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande"> </FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande"><O:P></O:P></FONT></SPAN></DIV><DIV class="MsoNormal"><SPAN style=""><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande">Sandra Wassilie, Clerk</FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande"><O:P></O:P></FONT></SPAN></DIV><DIV class="MsoNormal"><SPAN style=""><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande">E-mail: </FONT><A href="mailto:swassilie@kpbsd.k12.ak.us"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande">swassilie@kpbsd.k12.ak.us</FONT></A><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande"><O:P></O:P></FONT></SPAN></DIV><DIV class="MsoNormal"><SPAN style=""><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande"> </FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande"><O:P></O:P></FONT></SPAN></DIV><DIV class="MsoNormal"><SPAN style=""><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande">Sunni Hilts, Member</FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande"><O:P></O:P></FONT></SPAN></DIV><DIV class="MsoNormal"><SPAN style=""><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande">E-mail: </FONT><A href="mailto:ehilts@kpbsd.k12.ak.us"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande">ehilts@kpbsd.k12.ak.us</FONT></A><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande"><O:P></O:P></FONT></SPAN></DIV><DIV class="MsoNormal"><SPAN style=""><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande"> </FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande"><O:P></O:P></FONT></SPAN></DIV><DIV class="MsoNormal"><SPAN style=""><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande">Marty Anderson, Member</FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande"><O:P></O:P></FONT></SPAN></DIV><DIV class="MsoNormal"><SPAN style=""><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande">E-mail: </FONT><A href="mailto:manderson@kpbsd.k12.ak.us"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande">manderson@kpbsd.k12.ak.us</FONT></A><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande"><O:P></O:P></FONT></SPAN></DIV><DIV class="MsoNormal"><SPAN style=""><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande"> </FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande"><O:P></O:P></FONT></SPAN></DIV><DIV class="MsoNormal"><SPAN style=""><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande">Debbie Brown, Member</FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande"><O:P></O:P></FONT></SPAN></DIV><DIV class="MsoNormal"><SPAN style=""><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande">E-mail: </FONT><A href="mailto:dhollebrown@kpbsd.k12.ak.us"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande">dhollebrown@kpbsd.k12.ak.us</FONT></A><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande"><O:P></O:P></FONT></SPAN></DIV><DIV class="MsoNormal"><SPAN style=""><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande"> </FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande"><O:P></O:P></FONT></SPAN></DIV><DIV class="MsoNormal"><SPAN style=""><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande">Liz Downing, Member</FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande"><O:P></O:P></FONT></SPAN></DIV><DIV class="MsoNormal"><SPAN style=""><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande">E-mail: </FONT><A href="mailto:ldowning@kpbsd.k12.ak.us"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande">ldowning@kpbsd.k12.ak.us</FONT></A><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande"><O:P></O:P></FONT></SPAN></DIV><DIV class="MsoNormal"><SPAN style=""><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande"> </FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande"><O:P></O:P></FONT></SPAN></DIV><DIV class="MsoNormal"><SPAN style=""><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande">Sally Tachick</FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande"><O:P></O:P></FONT></SPAN></DIV><DIV class="MsoNormal"><SPAN style=""><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande">Administrative Secretary</FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande"><O:P></O:P></FONT></SPAN></DIV><DIV class="MsoNormal"><SPAN style=""><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande">Email: </FONT><A href="mailto:stachick@kpbsd.k12.ak.us"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande">stachick@kpbsd.k12.ak.us</FONT></A><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande" size="5"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 17.3333px;"><O:P></O:P></SPAN></FONT></SPAN></DIV><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Lucida Grande" size="5"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 17.3333px;"><BR></SPAN></FONT><DIV><DIV>On Apr 18, 2006, at 10:19 AM, Igluguq Dianne Okleasik wrote:</DIV><BR class="Apple-interchange-newline"> Camaāi, ggui kuku. My name is Sally Ash. I'm a tribal member of Nanwalek. As you can see there are a bunch of us that have come with me. There would have been more of us but it is too expensive to come here just to attend a short meeting. Our chief is here. James Kvasnikoff <BR><BR> I'm sorry to say but we are here because we have something serious to discuss. We read about the struggle the Russian villages are having in the newspaper. Im here to tell you we have the same problem. Our native language is Sugtāstun. Sugtāstun is my first language. Our school was built the same year I was born. I went to it as a child and I taught in it as a bilingual teacher. They call it OUR school but our language and culture has never had a decent place in it for all these years. When it first opened our kids mouths were washed out with soap if they spoke Sugtāstun we had a few token years of bilingual education and now thats pushed aside by this Leave No Child Behind program. We are the first Alaskans. We are the indigenous people Kenai Peninsula. Our forefathers didnt come from another country.There is no homeland to go back to if we want to teach our children in our language, to celebrate our events, eat our foods, to be taught by one of our own. Kenai Peninsula is the Supiaq homeland. We are the last band of survivors of the Supiaq people. We consider it an insult that we have no say about how our village school is run. I dont even think I should have to be here. We do not meddle in your schools in Soldotna. Since 1971 we have managed our land thanks to ANCSA. We manage our tribal government thanks to the Indian Reorganization Act. Its crazy that we have nothing to say about what is taught in our school, who teaches it or how the money is spent. <BR><BR> But we are peaceful people and we want our children to succeed. WE need a balanced program Sugtāstun , English and Math. To get that balance this is what needs to change. <BR><BR> - One quarter of the school day needs to be devoted to our language and <X-TAB> </X-TAB>culture. <BR><BR> - WE want it to count for credit towards graduation. <BR><BR> - We want our teacher to be paid a certified wage and he will need aides <X-TAB> </X-TAB>the same as the other teachers. <BR><BR> - We want it to start next fall. <BR><BR> - We want it legitimate, <BR><BR> - We do not want to have this fight every year. <BR><BR> - Its not filler, its not related to test scores, or what the principal wants, <X-TAB> </X-TAB>or the latest education plan, or the budget. <BR><BR> - And we should not have to beg for this program. <BR><BR> The way things are now, any school time devoted to our language and culture is treated as if it is some big favor. <BR><BR> WE do not come as empty handed beggars. We have a program. Anyone that has observed it comes away truly impressed. Its a quality program. If it needs the KPBSD stamp of approval then get it done. It should not matter, but we are fortunate to have a certified teacher to teach it. He has a masters degree in education with a Native Language endorsement. He could be teaching at the University level. Its a joke that he is not good enough in your eyes to be teaching in our elementary and HS as a paid certified teacher. He is from our village and we want him to stay here. The KPBSD educational system played a very large part in destroying our language. How does the saying go? If you broke it, you own it, you fix it. Sugtāstun is dying although it seems like its not dying fast enough for some people. The very least that can be done is to allow us to try to save what is left. It would be a sin to not allow us to do this. You, as individuals not the school district, are not responsible for the past crimes but you are for the one that is occurring right now. <BR><BR> What we don't want to hear is: Ok you guys have some good points now what you need to do is this, this and this, and then check back with us. For example: the Russians are being told they need a certified teacher. What if they get one? Then will they have to do something else that will take a couple of years? No. We have done a lot. Now its time for the KPBSD to do some of the heavy lifting. We need somebody in the KPSDB office that will get the job done. If there is a barrier that exists then we need someone to break down the barriers. If money is short then we need letters of support on KPBSD letterhead in order to apply for language grants. The fact that you may not have money now is your fault because your staff refused to do this in the past. I am not sure why that is the case? Your staff needs to do some soul searching. Maybe they have instructions to be difficult. Maybe they laugh at us, maybe some of you laugh at us. No more giving us assignments like we are little school kids, no more working for free unless the rest of the teachers do, we are not going to have our program after school. Equal means equal. <BR><BR> The other villages will have to speak for themselves but I think they have received the same treatment. If you represent us then you should know how we feel without me telling you. The KPBSD employees working in our school should have passed our concerns on to their bosses. But whatever the case, you know now. You the school board have the power to do something or do nothing. It may not sound like it but we are trying to be nice. WE are trying to resolve this without hurting our kids, without a big fight but you need to produce. I also want to say that we are not here only because we are offended by our treatment in the past but because we really do feel we have something good. Our kids will be better for this education. <BR><BR> In closing I would like to thank all of you for your consideration and time. If I have offended anyone here please forgive me but you are looking at someone that has experienced many years of frustration with this subject. Quyana<BR><BR> This email was cleaned by emailStripper, available for free from <A href="http://www.papercut.biz/emailStripper.htm" eudora="autourl">http://www.papercut.biz/emailStripper.htm</A><BR> <X-SIGSEP><DIV> <BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><HR> <FONT face="Perpetua" size="4" color="#800080"><I>Igluguq Dianne Okleasik<BR> Eskimo Heritage Program Specialist<BR><BR> </I>KAWERAK INC. ** Ph.: (907)-443-4387<BR> PO Box 948 ** Fax: (907)-443-4445<BR> Nome, AK 99762 ** Email: <A href="mailto:ehp.spec@kawerak.org">ehp.spec@kawerak.org</A><BR><BR> <BR> </FONT></X-SIGSEP></DIV><BR></BODY></HTML>