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Chancellor’s Fund supports learning community
By Rosa Fonseca
Whalesong Staff
“I am thrilled,”
English professor Jim Hale said about the award the
English department received from the Chancellor’s Special Project
Fund to bring Navajo poet Luci Tapahonso to the Juneau campus as
part of the UAS celebration of Native American History month on
Nov. 21 and 22.
“She is one of the handfuls of writers and poets
responsible for the renaissance of interest in indigenous culture
today,” said Hale.
Hale’s project was one of the 11 proposals approved
by Chancellor John Pugh this year.
A total of $50,000 was made available for faculty projects submitted
to the Provost’s office. Although some of the projects are
still being revised, here is a list of awarded projects:
In Juneau:
• AK Women in Higher Education- $4,900
• Native American History Month- $5,000
• Hydrology Startup- $5,000
• Juneau Humanities Conference- $5,000
• Summer Student Ethnographic Research- $5,000
• Native and Rural Center Mentor- $5,000
• Women’s History Month Speakers- $2,400
• Annotated Bibliography- $1,100
• Digital Cameras – MAT Secondary- $3,000
In Ketchikan:
• Leadership Conference- $2,000
• Closing the Gap in Mathematics- $1,000
The purpose of the Chancellor’s Fund is to enhance
UAS as a learning community and to extend student learning responsibilities
beyond the classroom. All the selected projects support UAS’s
strategic plan of becoming the state’s leading liberal arts
institution.
Hale pointed out in his proposal that “the importance
of Native American Studies cannot be overemphasized. Native American
Studies allow our university to foster critical thinking that is
socially engaged beyond the classroom.” Professor Tapahonso
will be one of the speakers in the Evenings at Egan lecture series.
She will also give a lunch-time talk in the Lake Room for the university
community and meet with students who are taking creative writing
and poetry seminar classes. According to Hale, such initiative encourages
UAS students to realize the goals of liberal arts education as active,
concerned, and critical thinkers.
Another project awarded for the second year in a row
is anthropology professors Daniel Monteith and Rosita Worl’s
Summer Student Ethnographic Research Program. It provides an opportunity
for Alaska Native students to be trained in ethnographic field methods
and anthropological research in Southeast Alaska.
“I can’t think of a better way of learning
practical anthropology skills than doing hands-on field research,”
said Monteith, who explained that this kind of opportunity is usually
given just to graduate students in other universities. UAS permits
undergraduate students to do this type of research, which is not
only possible, but successful as well, when the appropriate assistance
is provided.
This $5,000 Chancellor’s Fund grant is being matched
with the same amount by Sealaska Heritage Institute. Monteith is
happy that this cooperative effort is making student ethnographic
research possible because of its various benefits.
The program is beneficial for students involved in other
programs going on at UAS, such as PITAS (Preparing Indigenous Teachers
for Alaska Schools), Alaska Native Studies and the Northwest Coast
Art minor. It assists in Alaskan Native recruitment and retention,
and also helps train students to become teaching assistants and
instructors for UAS Alaska Native Language classes.
Last year, all senior students involved in the anthropological
research program did excellent projects, according to Monteith.
Janice Jackson, current UAS Native and Rural students’ advisor,
interviewed Tlingit and Haida elders to investigate the changing
roles of Tlingit and Haida women. Hans Chester examined spruce root
gathering and weaving techniques. Yarrow Vaara photographed petroglyphs
around Prince of Wales Island, and studied their connection to Tlingit
oral narratives.
“Their research will be an important contribution
to future generations of Alaska Natives,” Monteith said. “As
part of their projects, they are going to share their research finding
in a formal presentation this fall.”
Students interested in doing summer ethnographic research
projects should contact Monteith at 465-6413. This spring students
may apply for this program. Applications will be evaluated on the
strength and feasibility of their research proposal and their academic
standing.
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