Inupiat Studies program receives Shell grant

TAMAR BEN-YOSEF

May 02, 2008 at 10:12AM AKST

Inupiat studies at Ilisagvik College have received a helping hand in the form of a $224,000 grant from Shell Oil.

During his visit to the North Slope in February, Shell’s president, John Hofmeister, toured the college and met with students and teachers.

On the evening of Feb. 21, staff, faculty and students held a dinner in his honor with a performance by the Tagiugmiut Dancers. It was at this dinner that Hofmeister presented the college with the certificate of donation, according to Pearl Brower, special assistant to the president, external affairs at Ilisagvik College.

"We have had a pretty nice partnership with Shell, a really good relationship," Brower said.

"They are supporting higher education in the North Slope by donating grants to the Inupiat studies program."

The grant arrived not a moment too early as far as Brower is concerned. It has helped fund two much-needed positions in the Alaska Native language and culture department that prior to the grant were staffed by one person.

The positions are department program coordinator and department program assistant.

In addition, some money from the grant will be set aside for travel to the villages and program support, according to Brower.

The department did not wait long to fill the position of program assistant and hired Jamie Smith, originally from Point Hope. They plan to hire a coordinator by July 1, Brower said.

"As a tribal college, we have a dual mission to educate and perpetuate cultural studies," Brower said.

"This program is in the forefront for assisting and maintaining the culture."

Fannie Akpik, an Inupiaq studies instructor at the college. has been requesting support staff since 2003.

"It has been hard to find adjunct instructors in our villages," Akpik said.

"With this funding we will be able to travel to the villages to hold village meetings to identify our village adjunct instructors in Inupiat studies and classes such as sewing, carving, song, dance and baleen basket weaving," Akpik said.

Brower and Akpik are excited about another college program in the works. The Inupiaq studies faculty plans to offer an Inupiaq language symposium, taught by Edna McClain, former president of Ilisagvik College. The symposium will bring in fluent Inupiaq speakers and train them on how to teach the language to others.

Brower said the training will not target teachers alone but is meant for those interested in teaching their children and grandchildren, as well.

The program is being planned now and possibly implemented in the next school year.

With the grant in hand, the Inupiat Studies program ended the year on a good note with a celebration and exhibit of students’ work and art through the year. The celebration took place on Saturday, April 19.

Tamar Ben-Yosef can be reached at (907) 348-2419 or toll free at (800) 770-9830, ext. 419.