Neighbors; 5/30/82 & 6/10/82

We know one language. Block said she's going to get the knight up and. Running. Should I hold but it's not enough. I'm going to call. Hello welcome to movers. I'm Victoria your bank. I'm John active and I'm from Bethel and I work for the ubique language center through the Kuskokwim community college. My mom to fish from where your shoe through your drink under the arm of Charlie Charlie we can Judge Lefkow who want to know I ask a Can Community College often. I'm Joe and Nick from Bethel Alaska. I'm a language specialist. At Casey if you pick the language center. It's time to go back. Honey I got a lot. Of. Cases. You know I'm not I tell you when you are

mean. Goal is to promote the U-Pick language in our area and also provide some workshop training for translator interpreter this those are the two main goals for the you pick on you and I'm Tommy wood for 1982 83 school year. We got interested in translating Turkey picking ears but we haven't done anything about it to last year. We started out having workshops for it we brought people in from Canada where they're really expert translators. The the organizations in the fields of law. And. Health. Have for years showed an interest in trying to get interpreter translator to

work with them because a lot of their terms like this like she says. Hard hard to. You know. Saying to you pick with the exact meaning as in English or with the opposite. When we were doing workshops on legal terms like if we want to say something you knew big and it's in English we can't. Translate the word it with just one word further. It's backwards. If you take that big word and write it in English it will come out backwards like Spanish. When I think talking with you for a while I have problems talking in English when you are trying to get a lot of people interested in the interpreter translator programs we have. And if people are interested then they have suggestions and ideas they can contact us as you pick the language

center. Box 368 in Bethel Alaska and there's the coldest night by night. We're doing some video presentations minute three minutes five minutes and I think 15 is a long list but we're doing TV productions to be shown locally on a public TV station. Also the satellite TV and cable vision and that's why they're there is sort of like primers for the audience especially to the speaking audience too to get them interested in learning harder using you if you got our graffiti and learn how to read it and write it. Your book has been developed into a writing system that is being used in academic institutions. However the community hasn't had much exposure to it. Grant coordinator of the U-Pick Language Center recently showed us some of the video programs which he hopes will gain people's interest and involvement in written you pick.

So we want to teach people but again their interest and their involvement in the writing system. So on the videotapes we have a combination of sound. Of events everything that goes into a television program along with the words right on the screen so that people can associate the words with what is being said or what is being performed. You know the primary benefit of learning a language Alaska native one. Is not particularly to talk to somebody. But it's to identify with. Thank you for joining us today. A neighbor's production and distribution of this program has been funded by a grant from so high.

Well that's good news. She likes the night. And. On a lark but not a lot going on. Hello welcome to neighbors. I'm Victoria Eubank. Recently. A new magazine called Alaska native news appeared on newsstands neighbors visited with its publisher. Was it a whirl. My name is is was he the world. I'm the publisher editor of Alaska native news. Alaska native nose is a fairly recent publication and is a magazine that is written by Alaska natives for Alaska natives.

And in one of the objectives of Alaska native news is probably much like your radio station. And that was to bring news and issues that were were going on in one region to the attention of natives in other regions. People were always interested in what's going on in Alaska or if I were in Southeast people or you know wanting to know about the North Slope a new PR or vice a versa. And the other thing that I found out too was that literacy rates had increased you know dramatically for Alaska natives. Oh you know some 12 14 years ago the literacy rate raid was something like one point eight years to nine point two years. You know and now you know that literacy rate has increased dramatically. In the first issue that I did I set out the philosophy of Alaska native news. And in that message I said Alaska native news Alaska Native people. Must.

Acquire some of the scales of Westernization or Western society. We need some of those skills in order to survive in this contemporary period but also to maintain ourselves as native people. We must examine our culture and find out what aspects of their our culture are functional and valuable to us today. What what didn't in that culture such as the family unit. In the traditional native culture the family unit is important and how do we move those values. Well how do we merge the two. And I said that I the ideas that I gained about the new wave natives came from a claim that philosopher George George Davis and he had posed this riddle to me during a piece Armani and he says what does it mean what does it mean the waves pounding at the shore. What does it mean the river flowing over the rocks. What does it

mean that the piece rock in this is a ceremonial rock. And he said what does it mean that half of the rock has been blown away. Half of the rock had been blown away by the expansion of the highway department and that was a riddle and this is how in traditional style they taught young people to think the rock symbolized clinked culture. Although half of it had been blown away. The other half that remained although it was in a changed state was different in form it was still claimed get it represented clean get culture. And the river represented the flowing of claimed good culture on the way and as it flowed onward it met the waves at the mouth of the river and that the waves that were pounding at the mouth of the river and along the shore represented white culture. And it was pounding away at our shores. And so the two were

meeting sometimes in a conflict situation. But there are parts. From both cultures which are useful. And I've always said that Alaska Native people today really represent that one hundred and fifty percent person. They're not totally you know the traditional culture nor totally of the Western culture but in fact they have more. They're 75 percent of each and I think we have the best of both worlds and we can have the best of both worlds. Thank you for joining us today. A neighbor's production and distribution of this program has been funded by a grant from so HIO. Week Number three we. Should take the night. And.

Run. Yeah but I was going to call. A low. Welcome to movers. I'm Victoria Eubank. Incorporated is a nonprofit regional native organization located in the Bering Straits area. Policy and direction for the organization are set by a board of directors consisting of 18 Representatives one from each village in the region. Their goal is to promote the economic and social well-being of their people. Caleb president of Koh arc incorporated spoke with neighbors about some of the educational programs they are currently providing. We are going to run. A large number of programs. Educational programs one you see. As more teacher education program. This program is to. Assist those teachers aides and bilingual aides in the villages who currently don't have teachers

certification to work. To getting a degree in. Teaching or get certified as teachers. We want teachers from our local communities to be teaching within the community. That will not only understand some of the learning problem that the students may have but also show as a role model to the students that are you know going to school all the time so that they and themselves will eventually you know going to college or you know for themselves so that they become into the mainstream of society as you know we see some of the programs that we have and who are we have but with what's called the adult basic education program. That in itself is broken into several categories. The basic program is provided for villages due to funding funding limits and used to teach the ones that did not achieve their high school diplomas or people that

had limited education particularly older folks who went to a third fourth grade who desire to learn more basic english math. Your three R's thing is a problem. So that they have some better understanding of you know what today's requirements are and when they go to the store or when they go someplace they have some better understanding. And also even reading it's tough for some you know some of these people who you know never gone up reading anything I mean you know basic reading methods. Mr. Pindar you told us about some of the changes in her life time. I can remember when I went to high school we had no landing field. And I want to work and get out there was to get on a ship come to know one then fly down to Sitka for boarding high school and that was just in you know 57 when you know there was no telephone communication is there. There was. Virtually

very limited radio contact with known through the system. So you know. That's only you know less than 30 years away that I went through that you know system and you know since then you know things have changed so rapidly that is. It's really hard to. Envision in your mind what in the changes that have taken place since August when we look at ourselves as Eskimos and the native people of Alaska and. We are being westernized. The. Were. Tribal. I could see my team in terms of any explanations were tribal group that are cohesive in one sense or another per village per clan or whatever. And. The teaching. White. People style is for individual achievement whereas our

valley or our teaching was for collective values of k that we work together as a unit he said Try and this you know came back from you know back in the old days when survival was the main thing that they live for and working together was one way to survive. And so that continuation of that continuation today in that we want to preserve these things that are valuable to our heritage to our people. Plus our children need some direction. Currently we're at a stage where there's a mixing of values and a lot of the younger generation. A time of do not know where they hit where they are. They are caught in between the two worlds and we hope that by. Using this kind of information they close to his programs and involvement in the education system. Its cool.

We can foresee identification as to who they are. Thank you for joining us today. A neighbor's production and distribution of this program has been funded by a grant from so high up. Neighbors we show number one it's Google like you. A lot. She brightened the night up and. Running. Yeah hahaha. Hello welcome to neighbors. I'm Victoria your bank. I'm a beautiful listen with

us. SESSIONS. People around. You. And the people pull the blanket toss too. The first time what you do is just go up and kick it to balance yourself and good tosses are the ones that land on the sea and I just you know stand there. History needed someone to look up over the hills when they were hunting and seal hunting. And at far distances so they look around. They see anything.

Now they do it for fun you know for festivities and stuff. Oh and. From Kotzebue has one the blanket toss competition at the Eskimo Olympics in Fairbanks every time but twice since 1970. Mr. Jewel has been known to push the ceiling tiles during a toss in the 28 foot high Patty jam in Fairbanks. This world class athlete told neighbors about his first blanket. I started the blanket toss. I guess I was going to live. While. In Kotzebue and summertime came around on the Fourth of July we had a blanket toss It's kind of a traditional event there. I wanted to try it. Man but I was scared that I was just a little. 50 pound skin and bone you know lightweight. They were throwing up the adults not all men are on this campus and I had never done it before.

And my tumbling instructor he who was a white man. He was helping on the skin. And he picked me up put me in the skin it's come on Reggie you can do this. And. So I tried. And I went up the first time around way. It seemed awful high. Then I went past the flagpole. In height. I don't know how high that label was. But. The people were. There's a danger in a blanket Tyson that if you get off to one side or of one side just stronger than the others you can actually go off course and that's what happened to me on my very first toss. And the people were packed so tight around the skin. That they had no room to move. And I was on my way down. And all of a sudden all these tiny faces. Moved away. There's nothing but locks. Rocks and one man's face. Like this.

I thought oh my god this is it. And. I never touched the ground among Kami. And I thanked him and went back on the skim and jumped a few more times. When I did have a lot to do with. With. My abilities. Later years I think because I. Had a bad experience right off the bat but I was able to conquer the fear. Immediately. And as time went on. Well in 1970 I started. Competing at the world is when the fiction for me. And. The other athletic events as well as the blanket toss. The way they judge you is is on your your balance. Your height. And what you do when you're in the year. And I learned how to do some forward and backward somersaults and. I

guess the thing that really gets it for me though is that I enjoy it so much. You know in 1076 I broke my leg in competition. But. I won back in 1977. Thank you for joining us today. A neighbor's production and distribution of this program has been funded by a grant from so hile. Neighbors show Number two George and you're right. Black She brightened the night up and. Running. God I hope not but ha ha ha ha ha ha. Hello. Welcome to neighbors. I'm Victoria Eubank. The Tundra times a weekly newspaper owned by the Eskimo Indian alley Publishing

Company Incorporated serves over one hundred sixty villages in Alaska. George Gardner the tundra times general manager told neighbors about the history of the paper. Well the Turner times is the paper that was founded in 1962 in October of 1962 and she lived over 20 years old now. It was founded by some more than Eskimos. And concerned with what was happening. In the North Slope area. So. The Northern natives. Eskimos got together and decided that they needed some kind of a tool to to get. Communications around the. Selected. Howard Raku was an opiate artist who had. Absolutely no journalistic experience. And selected him to be. The manager of the of the paper. So Howard groc talk to a

reporter for the Fairbanks Daily News miner at that time. By the name of Tom snap. The white reporter and a genteel Southerner. In Alaska working. As a reporter talked him into. Helping him start this newspaper. And. It was it was just. A point in time of of two people of two diverse worlds just just meshing and. Putting together this paper that that has affected thousands of lives. The Times or times of started you'll have to remember before instant command the instant communications we have today. There was no television. There were no telephones. The only communication possible was my shortwave radio. And there was an awful lot of that. And there was the need for communication among villages and that that

is where the 200 times I think filled a gap and it still does today because really even the instant communications that we have today don't have an opportunity to have to look at issues and or to look at issues that are important to natives and to rule Aska you know it's very often very superficial coverage whether it be for there to be television or or Daily News. There's not that commitment to to dig into issues and how they would need to is Alaskan and we as we as a weekly newspaper report the happenings in in the way of cultural programs heritage type situation that are going on throughout Alaska. There is a big resurgence of of that pride and in the A.P. it being an opiate in the you pick being you pick in the Champion.

Yeah from the southeast that I could hide as them. Had there is there there is starting to be a resurgence of a renaissance of what it means to be. You know asking him for whatever whatever they are. And we we do what we can to to report on that and to get pictures and to get stories. But we I mean that's a vital part I think of our of our editorial. Stance is to report on. The cultural. Renaissance going on in Alaska. The more you know about your your history the history of behavior of your forebears the more you know by yourself I think. Thank you for joining us today. A neighbor's production and distribution of this program has been funded by a grant

from so high up. Weak for number three. Block said she going to get the knife up and. Running. Should I hold the line up but it's not enough. Often with wrong. Hello welcome to movers. I'm Victoria Eubank. The Alaska close up program gives high school students an opportunity to see how the state government really works by allowing them to spend a week in Juneau during the legislative session. Ron Burton a teacher at high school and no one was involved in the Alaska close up program this year. He told neighbors about the program. The whole idea of close up is to take students to where the action is a government operation so that they can spend a week a very

intensive week. Finding out about how government operates and how bills get passed through the legislature. The Alaska program. Has a very heavy emphasis in the legislature. The textbook approach I think you know works out for covering a lot of things that you can actually do a bit I believe and experiencing things as much as possible one of the problems I feel social studies teachers have is that so much of what they do is word oriented that's it's hard to get involved in things unless you're in an activity or in a class. This is a beautiful type activity. It was a busy time. This here is an old book we were supposed to read before we got there which is two inches thick. I think a few people actually did read it all but it's a beautiful current reference book on government and you can really you know find out how things you can find out how things are supposed to work and how they think they work and then when you get down there you can find out how they really work. And that's one of the things you can't. It's hard to

get in a classroom in a textbook. I felt the program was was extremely valuable for people to really you know get a close up look at how government operates and I think it can encourage people to become interested in government. One of the goals of the program is to take students who are not necessarily motivated and interested in government at this point to try and perk their interest. David Karp and Rebecca Mendi students from known belt high school both participated in the Alaska closeout program this year. They shared with us some of their impressions of government. You always think of government and important people as people that are always behind closed doors and you have to be real important ACM. But when I was in the Capitol building all the senators and legislators all had their doors open and and some I mean have signs on the doors that say these stories not to be closed you know because they want to come across with the fact that they are willing to talk to people. And being able to talk to several legislators and senators. And really changed my whole

viewpoint of how government you know I was government was closed up to the public but it's really not it's really. Everybody realizes that there needs to be an informed public. I found people very easy to talk to and. As David said. If they can't get a chance to talk to you most of the time their aides will spend all the time you want with them. We did a bill research project and you know had 30 kids running around the Capitol building. But everyone was really friendly very very helpful. I've always kind of been curious about you know the way government works and I always hear and everybody's always saying how crooked all the politicians are in everything and I wanted to find out for myself. And I thought that would be a good way for me to start. Seems like there was quite a bit of time wasted but but that's just my opinion I know there's a lot of. Hard feelings going on in that Capitol building between you know we try to different floors and and. Different people down in the baron's building or. You know new people with

no power and a lot of people seem to get. So hung up in representing their districts which is what they're there to do in the and in some senses it seems as though they forget about the fact that they're all they're working as a team to represent the state. But that's just my opinion. And there's a lot of things going on that could probably do without but but. You know basically it's it's certainly a good way to run the government. We ask Rebecca and David if they had advice for anyone who might be interested in participating in close up next year. Well number one I'd say go in close up it was probably one of the best experiences I've had. Down there. Not only are you constantly involved in the political. Part of it you're also with other kids so you're working on projects same time and lectures and everything in the evenings or it's time for having some fun. So it's an exhausting week but you sure come out knowing a lot

more. Yeah I'd say if I had to give peace advice I'd just say go with an open mind and read your curriculum before you go they send you. About a three hundred fifty page book of curriculum that they advise you to go over and do the activities in before you get there and. Supposedly by the time you get there you're pretty well familiar with. How it how it works and you are then exposed to it and you see see that the process in action. If you would like more information contact your school principal or Marjorie Gorsuch Alaska close up program three six nine South Franklin Street Suite 1 0 1 Juneau Alaska 9 9 8 0 1 or telephone 5 8 6 4 4 0 4. Thank you for joining us today. A neighbor's production and distribution of this program has been funded by a grant from so high up.