AFN Convention tackles painful topic of Native boarding schools Alaska - Alaska Native HEAD TOPICS

AFN Convention tackles painful topic of Native boarding schools

10/22/2022 5:53:00 AM

The Alaska Federation of Natives Convention tackles painful topic of Native boarding schools

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Echoes of a painful past is how one Alaska n who attended a native boarding school described the experience he says is still affecting generations of Alaska Natives. The Alaska Federation of Natives Convention tackles painful topic of Native boarding schools . spoke at a panel discussion at the Alaska Federation of Native Convention in downtown Anchorage Friday.Boarding schools have a long history in the state. Starting in the 1900s all the way to the 1970s, many rural Alaska Native children were forced to attend boarding schools far from their homes, sometimes out of state. Some suffered physical or sexual abuse, but panelists spoke about how the effort to assimilate Native children also stripped them of their culture and identity. LaBelle, who identifies as a boarding school survivor, said the trauma imposed by boarding schools affects even youth today. Read more:
Alaska's News Source » Alaska Federation of Natives kicks off convention week with the AFN Tribal Conference Alaska Native dancers dazzle at first Quyana performance at AFN in 3 years 'Lift your spirit': Alaska Native dancers dazzle at first Quyana performance at AFN in 3 years AFN Navigation Program helps Alaska Natives apply for post-pandemic grants

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The US power grid is at risk; leftist activists '...don't want anything built,' says Congressman Dan Crenshaw of the obstacles facing the implementation of t... Read more >> Alaska Federation of Natives kicks off convention week with the AFN Tribal ConferenceThe conference featured a variety of speakers who detailed the struggles many Alaska Native communities face. Some of those speeches included discussion about broadband and infrastructure. Alaska Native dancers dazzle at first Quyana performance at AFN in 3 years“We grieve, we struggle, but you lift your spirit,” said Martin Lee Woods of the Qikiqtagruk Northern Lights Dancers from Kotzebue. “Go home smiling, ready to go back to work and tackle the world. This is what it’s all about.” 'Lift your spirit': Alaska Native dancers dazzle at first Quyana performance at AFN in 3 years“To enjoy our heritage, up there on the stage, and share with everyone, with our ancestors around us, it was amazing,' said Elizabeth Tugatuk, with the Chefornak-based Yup’ik dance group Acilquq. AFN Navigation Program helps Alaska Natives apply for post-pandemic grants“This is a great opportunity with the funding for the tribes to be connected by Wi-fi, internet, access to healthcare, access to education, access to funding,” said Regional Navigator for the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta Mary Kenick. Some minorities less likely to get flu vaccine, more likely to get really sick, report saysA new report from the CDC shows flu shot uptake since the 2010-2011 season has been consistently lower among Black, Hispanic, American Indian and Alaska native adults when compared to white adults. Seems like flu cases the last 2 years have been about zero. Probably be ok. Alaska News Nightly: Thursday, October 20, 2022Tonight on Alaska News Nightly... Alaska Native advocates rally for climate action in Anchorage. Also, AFN hosts a session on reporting hate and racism. And students join a last-ditch effort to stop a 300-acre clear cut in Whale Pass. Listen here: Jim LaBelle, Sr .Share on Pinterest Share on LinkedIn ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - A conference room in the Egan Center in downtown Anchorage was jam-packed on Wednesday, with even more people sitting alongside the walls.They packed a third floor auditorium later that night.‘Lift your spirit’: Alaska Native dancers dazzle at first Quyana performance at AFN in 3 years By - October 21, 2022 The Alaska Native Heritage Dancers perform for the first Quyana Night in three years at the 2022 AFN conference, at the Dena’ina Center, in Anchorage, Alaska on October 20, 2022. spoke at a panel discussion at the Alaska Federation of Native Convention in downtown Anchorage Friday. Boarding schools have a long history in the state. “A precursor to the AFN Convention with a focus on our tribes. Starting in the 1900s all the way to the 1970s, many rural Alaska Native children were forced to attend boarding schools far from their homes, sometimes out of state. The group is made up of dancers from across the state — many of them Heritage Center interns, performing for a packed crowd for the first time. Some suffered physical or sexual abuse, but panelists spoke about how the effort to assimilate Native children also stripped them of their culture and identity. The conference featured a variety of speakers who detailed the struggles many Alaska Native communities face. LaBelle, who identifies as a boarding school survivor, said the trauma imposed by boarding schools affects even youth today. People stood in line for hours Thursday morning to get tickets, which sold out quickly. Related: US to study dark legacy of Alaska Native, American Indian boarding schools “The echoes of boarding school in Alaska are still with us today,” LaBelle said. Both Nelson and the President of Tlingit Haida Richard Peterson spoke about the importance of unity among tribal members. Oviok is from the Inupiaq village of Point Hope, about 150 miles northwest of Kotzebue. “And what I mean by that is, all we have to do is look at our national suicide rate that’s higher than any other ethnic group in America. All we have to do is look at the 40% Native incarceration rate in Alaska when we only make up 15% of the state’s population. “When we fight amongst ourselves, someone else wins.” Theresa Sheldon, another panelist with the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition, encouraged the crowd to voice support for a bill that is currently in congress. “And then we did a couple other ones during my high school, so that’s three. The Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies Act would establish a commission to look into abuses at Federal Indian Boarding Schools. We’re not improving communities,” Peterson said. Tariek Oviok takes the stage with the Tikigaq Dancers. Sheldon said it would also require the commission to learn more about children who died while attending the schools. “The investigation would locate and document all children still buried at or near boarding school facilities that are not documented, and their stories are not told,” she said.” “That’s how we start to make progress. (Photo by Elyssa Loughlin/Alaska Public Media) He said he’s performed at Quyana about a dozen times. Copyright 2022 KTUU. All rights reserved. When tribes come together they are able to create a stronger union amongst each other, allowing them to come together as a stronger unit to fix the problems the Alaska Native communities face and increase their representation, Nelson said. Most Read . “We might have a couple that are from the Little Diomede area that have been traded and agreed upon by elders long ago before me. “And then we did a couple other ones during my high school, so that’s three.