Coffee & Quaq

Radio check, anybody copy? Hello Quaqtis, I’m Alice Qannik Glenn. This is Episode 23: History of Boarding Schools in AK, featuring the Alaska Native Heritage Center’s Indigenous Researcher Benjamin Jacuk on Coffee & Quaq. Coffee & Quaq is a podcast I created to celebrate and explore contemporary native life in Urban Alaska. This episode focuses on the history of assimilation schools in Alaska, Sheldon Jackson’s ties to other assimilative institutions in the lower 48 and around the world, and some discussion on healing and learning from our collective past. This is a sensitive topic for many, and while most of this episode doesn’t necessarily focus on trauma, please take your time, take care of yourself, and listen only when you feel ready and willing.

Summary

• Introduction to this episode. 0:00
  • Episode 23, history of boarding schools in Alaska.
  • Alaska is ground zero for all Indigenous peoples.
  • Churches are the biggest landowners in the world.
  • What land back means for the churches.
  • Native heritage in Alaska, Australia and New Zealand.
  • Favorite Native food in Alaska.
• What is a boarding school and what does it mean? 7:04
  • Lessons learned in the short time they have known each other.
  • The main goal.
  • Negative implications of boarding schools.
  • The importance of understanding the truth.
  • What a boarding school is in Alaska.
  • What boarding schools are in Alaska.
• Criteria of a boarding school. 13:43
  • Four criteria for a boarding school in Alaska.
  • Housing, educational aspect, and religious training.
  • The use of reindeer in Alaska.
  • Reindeer as a food source in the 1970s.
  • The history of boarding schools in Alaska.
  • The ecclesial era, the modernization era and the Carlisle era.
• The Bureau of Indian Affairs. 21:23
  • The third era, the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
  • Alaska-specific boarding schools and timelines associated with them.
  • Anglican episcopalian involvement in the area in the 1850s.
  • Americanization and Christianity in Alaska.
• What did Sheldon Jackson learn from his time in Oklahoma? 27:23
  • How Sheldon Jackson became the superintendent for the Presbyterian church.
  • The importance of resource extraction.
  • Establishing the first Presbyterian school in Alaska.
  • The history of splitting up land in Alaska.
  • Assimilation of people to the resources.
  • Alaska predates the comity plan of Canada.
• Sheldon Jackson’s influence in Alaska. 35:02
  • Sheldon Jackson and his influence in the world.
  • Militarization of boarding schools in Alaska.
  • Methodists and Presbyterians are all about systems.
  • The Christian nationalistic movement has its roots in boarding schools.
  • The connection between religion and nationalism in Roman culture.
  • The link between Christianity and religious imperialism.
• Religious universities and nationalism. 42:45
  • Nationalism and religion are synonymous.
  • The leader of Liberty University in Florida.
  • Prior to the implementation of religious schools in Alaska.
  • Life for native students in boarding schools.
  • Failure is okay and a stepping stone to learn.
  • Education in Alaska.
• The diversity of boarding schools with elders. 50:00
  • Diverse experiences in boarding schools with elders.
  • Understanding and defining what consists of a good experience.
  • The importance of having a trigger warning.
  • Levels of civilization and abuse.
  • Systems of abuse throughout the state.
  • The evil of abuse becoming systematized.
• The dehumanization of our elders. 57:01
  • Dehumanization of elders and physical abuse of children.
  • Unmarked graves in south-central Alaska.
  • The removal of children from their communities.
  • The humanization of non-Americanized children.
• What is the heritage center doing around boarding schools? 1:02:48
  • What the Heritage Center is doing around boarding schools.
  • Research program on boarding schools in Alaska.
  • Know what you need healing from.
  • Native history does not begin with colonization.
  • How to tell the story that elders never were able to.
  • The importance of doing it responsibly.
• Education for native peoples in Alaska. 1:10:35
  • Thoughts on what education for Native peoples looks like today.
  • The future of education in Alaska.
  • Dehumanization and higher rates of suicide.
  • Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women crisis today.
  • The worst way to do cultural education.
  • Language revitalization in Alaska.
• Importance of languages and tourism. 1:17:01
  • Languages are a reflection of one's own culture.
  • Schools in Alaska are influential.
  • Sheldon Jackson and his work with eco-tourists.
  • What the next generation of kids should know.
  • What it means to be native in Alaska.
  • The legacy of Alaska is greatness.

Quyanaqpak Benjamin Jacuk for taking the time to sit down with me, helping us all better understand the historic systemic approaches of Boarding Schools in AK. I hope all you listeners are taking care of yourself!

I’m Alice Qannik Glenn, over and out.

To learn more about the Alaska Native Heritage Center, visit https://www.alaskanative.net/

This episode features Michelle Sparck who is the Director of Strategic Initiatives at Get Out the Native Vote (GOTNV) and focuses on the 2022 election process, ranked choice voting, and some of the barriers AK Native people may face throughout the voting process. Michelle Sparck from GOTNV walks us through the basics.

This episode features one of Alaska’s 2022 Congressional Candidates (D) Mary Peltola and focuses on her campaign for Alaska’s At-Large Congressional District position which was vacated with the passing of Congressman Don Young. We get to know Mary a little more, what motivates her to run for office, and why more and more millennials are feeling the call to action.

Be sure to tune into the next episode of C&Q episode featuring Michelle Sparck, Director of Strategic Initiatives who shares more about the Get Out the Native Vote movement. Happy researching and happy voting Quaqtis.

This episode features one of Alaska’s 2022 Congressional Candidate Tara Katuk Sweeney (R) and focuses on her campaign for Alaska’s At-Large Congressional District which was vacated with the passing of Congressman Don Young. We get to know Tara a little more, what seat she is running for and how Alaska got here.

Be sure to tune into future episodes of C&Q episode featuring Congressional candidate Mary Pelota (D) and an informational C&Q episode featuring Michelle Spark, Director of Strategic Initiatives who gives us a deep dive into Get Out the Native Vote. Happy voting, Quaqtis.

Rock The Vote - 1996
https://vimeo.com/100458497

This episode features Delaney Thiele, the artist and creator behind AK Cloudberry. Cloudberry is the catalyst for Delaney's reconnection with her culture and has contributed to strengthening her identity as an Indigenous woman. Some questions that guided this conversation were:
How do you feel about cancel/consequence culture and what role does social media play in that? Are there differences in individual vs community ownership in patterns/designs/ideas? And if so, what are those differences? How does an Indigenous-owned business or business model/approach work in a capitalist society? (Does it work?) Delaney Arnaq Naruyaq’ Thiele is a Dena’ina Athabascan and Yup’ik woman from Anchorage, Alaska. Delaney graduated from the University of Alaska Anchorage with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a minor in Alaska Native Studies. 
Since graduation, Delaney has been running a small jewelry business featuring hand woven beaded accessories: Cloudberry. Delaney fell in love with the ancestral knowledge and beauty of beadwork and from this love, Cloudberry was born. Cloudberry has been the catalyst for Delaney’s reconnection with her culture and traditions and has significantly contributed to her ongoing journey of reclamation and strengthening of her identity as an Indigenous woman. Delaney predominately uses Japanese glass beads and takes inspiration for her work from traditional Indigenous techniques and her picturesque homeland.
You can find her work at akcloudberry.com or @ak.cloudberry on Instagram.

This episode features Kawahine Danner, the artist and creator behind Kawahine Creations an Indigenous handmade earrings, merchandise art, designs, and clothing shop based in Utqiagvik, AK. Some questions that guided this conversation were: How does culture & heritage influence your work? How do you feel about cancel/consequence culture and what role does social media play in that? What are some unique challenges for rural artists vs urban artists?

Kawahine Danner is an Iñupiaq-Hawaiian artist. Her work reflects her identity as a multicultural Indigenous woman. Her business Kawahine Creations features contemporary art, jewelry, and clothing that are influenced by her Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian background.

This episode is brought to you by Northwest Strategies, an Alaska Native and woman-owned full service brand marketing and communications firm committed to elevating Indigenous voices. Northwest Strategies celebrates and advances Alaska's First People with purpose and pride through inclusive and authentic representation in media. Learn how Northwest Strategies is changing the narrative at nwstrat.com or check them out on Facebook or Instagram!

This episode features Jenilee Donovan a basketball and volleyball star, hunter, and the youngest person to strike a whale in Utqiagvik last Fall. She shares about her family whaling crew, the importance of subsistence whaling to her community, and her advice for the next generation. This is her story.
Welcome to Village City: A lifestyle campaign connecting rural and urban youth across the state of Alaska brought to you by Native Time in partnership with the Alaska Humanities Forum. Native Time is now and Village City is right here. The music for this episode was created by Aqqalu also known as Uyarakq whose music is available on all platforms.

This episode features Katlyn Smith who is Miss Teen Arctic Circle 2021 with big dreams hailing from Kotzebue and Nome, Alaska. She shares her love for the land and the ocean, her journey to Miss Teen Arctic Circle, and finding her voice to speak up on issues Native youth face today. This is her story.
Welcome to Village City: A lifestyle campaign connecting rural and urban youth across the state of Alaska brought to you by Native Time in partnership with the Alaska Humanities Forum. Native Time is now and Village City is right here. The music for this episode was created by Aqqalu also known as Uyarakq, and Ukila also known as Byron Nicholai. Their music is available on all platforms.

This episode features Kahayla Green a thoughtful rising sophomore and Yup'ik Alaska Native Science & Engineering Program Acceleration student living in Anchorage, AK. She shares her thoughts on coming to understand her identity as a Native person living in the city, her concerns for youth homelessness, and leaves us with a few words of wisdom for anyone struggling with disconnection from their culture. This is her story.
Welcome to Village City: A lifestyle campaign connecting rural and urban youth across the state of Alaska brought to you by Native Time in partnership with the Alaska Humanities Forum. Native Time is now and Village City is right here. The music for this episode was created by Aqqalu also known as Uyarakq, and Ukila also known as Byron Nicholai. Their music is available on all platforms.

TEASER: Welcome to Village City - A lifestyle campaign connecting rural and urban youth across the state of Alaska brought to you by Native Time in partnership with the Alaska Humanities Forum. Native Time is now and Village City is right here. This episode features Ezra Elisoff, a proud Tlingit athlete and World Eskimo Indian Olympics champion from Juneau, AK. This is his story. Full episode available Wednesday, Sept. 22, 2021.
The music for this teaser was created by Aqqalu also known as Uyarakq, whose music is available on all platforms.