Nanwalek

[Andre Cramblit]

Contact the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District to support Tribal  
efforts to have their language and culture integrated into the district.

Donna Peterson District Superintendent
E-mail: dpeterson at kpbsd.k12.ak.us

Debra Mullins, President
53630 Redoubt Dr.
E-mail: dmullins at kpbsd.k12.ak.us

Bill Hatch , Member
E-mail: bhatch at kpbsd.k12.ak.us

Sammy Crawford, Vice President
E-mail: scrawford at kpbsd.k12.ak.us

Nels Anderson, Member
E-mail: nanderson at kpbsd.k12.ak.us

Sandra Wassilie, Clerk
E-mail: swassilie at kpbsd.k12.ak.us

Sunni Hilts, Member
E-mail: ehilts at kpbsd.k12.ak.us

Marty Anderson, Member
E-mail: manderson at kpbsd.k12.ak.us

Debbie Brown, Member
E-mail: dhollebrown at kpbsd.k12.ak.us

Liz Downing, Member
E-mail: ldowning at kpbsd.k12.ak.us

Sally Tachick
Administrative Secretary
Email: stachick at kpbsd.k12.ak.us

On Apr 18, 2006, at 10:19 AM, Igluguq Dianne Okleasik wrote:

Camaâi,  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

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 Sugtâstun.   Sugtâstun 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 Sugtâstun 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.

But we are peaceful people and we want our children to succeed.  WE  
need a balanced program Sugtâstun , English and Math.  To get that  
balance this is what needs to change.

-         One quarter of the school day needs to be devoted to our  
language and         culture.

-         WE want it to count for credit towards graduation.

-         We want our teacher to be paid a certified wage and he will  
need aides        the same as the other teachers.

-         We want it to start next fall.

-         We want it legitimate,

-         We do not want to have this fight every year.

-         Its not filler, its not related to test scores,  or what  
the principal wants,         or the latest education plan, or the  
budget.

-         And we should not have to beg for this program.

The way things are now, any school time devoted to our language and  
culture is treated as if it is some big favor.

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.  Sugtâstun 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.

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.

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.

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

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Igluguq Dianne Okleasik
Eskimo Heritage Program Specialist

KAWERAK INC.    **        Ph.:    (907)-443-4387
PO Box 948             **       Fax:    (907)-443-4445
Nome, AK 99762    **       Email: ehp.spec at kawerak.org



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