Sealaska Heritage Institute

TO PROTECT, PERPETUATE, AND ENHANCE THE CULTURAL, SOCIAL, POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC TRADITIONS FOR THE TLINGIT, HAIDA AND TSIMSHIAN TRIBES OF SOUTHEAST ALASKA NATIVES.

CULTURAL EDUCATION WE KNOW FOR A FACT THAT NATIVE CHILDREN DO BETTER ACADEMICALLY WHEN THEY KNOW WHO THEY ARE--WHEN THEY ARE FAMILIAR WITH THEIR HISTORY, LANGUAGE, AND CULTURE. SEALASKA HERITAGE WORKS WITH UNIVERSITIES, SCHOOL DISTRICTS, TRIBES, AND OTHER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS THROUGHOUT THE REGION AND THE LOWER 48 TO TEACH PEOPLE ABOUT SOUTHEAST ALASKA NATIVE CULTURES, AS EVALUATIONS HAVE SHOWN THAT INTEGRATING CULTURE INTO SCHOOLS HAS IMPROVED ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT. SHI ALSO PROMOTES EARLY LITERACY IN ALASKA NATIVE CHILDREN, PUBLISHES CHILDREN'S BOOKS, OFFERS SUMMER CAMPS, AND OPERATES A NATIVE LANGUAGE PROGRAM. SHI ALSO DEVELOPS TEACHING MATERIALS, INCLUDING BOOKS AND CURRICULUM RESOURCES, AND PROVIDE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TO TRAIN TEACHERS TO USE OUR MATERIALS AND ON CULTURAL ORIENTATION. SEALASKA HERITAGE INSTITUTE PROVIDES SCHOLARSHIPS TO ALASKA NATIVES WHO ARE SEALASKA SHAREHOLDERS AND DESCENDANTS FOR COLLEGE, UNIVERSITY, VOCATIONAL SCHOOLS AND TECHNICAL SCHOOLS.

LANGUAGE AND CULTURAL ARTS SEALASKA HERITAGE INSTITUTE PROVIDES THE FOLLOWING LANGUAGE AND CULTURE PROGRAMS: CELEBRATION, HAA SHUK COMMUNITY LANGUAGE LEARNING PROJECT, SOUTHEAST REGIONAL LANGUAGE COMMITTEE, MASTER APPRENTICE PROGRAM, NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH LECTURE SERIES AND OTHER EVENTS, LATSEEN LEADERSHIP ACADEMY, LATSEEN HOOP CAMPS, ONLINE AND PRINTED CURRICULUM RESOURCES, EXHIBITS, REPATRIATION OF AT.OOW AND CULTURALLY SIGNIFICANT OBJECTS, THE BOX OF KNOWLEDGE SERIES, TLINGIT NATIONAL ANTHEM, TLINGIT PROTOCOLS, THE TLINGIT MEMORIAL PARTY, WALTER SOBOLEFF BUILDING AND HAIDALANGUAGE.ORG. SEALASKA HERITAGE INSTITUTE PRODUCES NATIVE LANGUAGE CURRICULUM RESOURCES AND OTHER EDUCATION TOOLS THROUGH ITS LANGUAGE AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS. THE INSTITUTE ENCOURAGES STUDENTS AND TEACHERS TO USE ITS ONLINE RESOURCES TO PERPETUATE AND REVITALIZE TLINGIT, HAIDA AND TSIMSHIAN LANGUAGES. SEALASKA HERITAGE CURATES EXHIBITS AND DEVELOPS AND OVERSEES SCHOLARLY RESEARCH PROJECTS THAT SUPPORT SHI'S MISSION. THESE PROJECTS CONTRIBUTE TO THE INCREASE OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT TLINGIT, HAIDA, AND TSIMSHIAN CULTURES AND HISTORY. THE INSTITUTE ALSO MAINTAINS AN ARCHIVES AND ETHNOGRAPHIC COLLECTION IN A STATE-OF-THE-ART FACILITY AND SUPPORTS A BROAD ARRAY OF RESEARCH.

ART PROGRAMS SEALASKA HERITAGE INSTITUTE OPERATES NUMEROUS PROGRAMS TO PERPETUATE NORTHWEST COAST ART--ONE OF THE MOST DISTINCTIVE ART FORMS IN THE WORLD. THE GOALS ARE TO: "PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR NATIVE ARTISTS' PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT; "EXPAND DEMAND FOR NATIVE ARTS THROUGH DEVELOPING NATIVE ARTS MARKETS; "PROVIDE NATIVE ARTS CROSS-CULTURAL EDUCATION AMONG THE GENERAL PUBLIC; "ADVOCATE FOR ARTISTS' ACCESS TO TRADITIONAL MATERIALS; AND, "RESEARCH, PRESERVE AND PERPETUATE NORTHWEST COAST ART. SUSTAINABLE ART PROGRAM THE INSTITUTE IS BUILDING ON TRADITIONAL ECONOMIES AND THE USE OF NATURAL RESOURCES THAT ARE ABUNDANT AND READILY AVAILABLE IN SOUTHEAST ALASKA TO REVITALIZE TRADITIONAL ARTS AND CRAFTS PRODUCTION: WE CALL THIS THE "SUSTAINABLE ART PROGRAM." THE INSTITUTE PURCHASES RAW MATERIALS FROM NATIVE HUNTERS, SUPPORTS THE TRAINING OF NEW ARTISTS THROUGH MENTOR- APPRENTICESHIPS, AND PRODUCES ARTS-RELATED CURRICULUM RESOURCES AND OTHER PUBLICATIONS TO SUPPORT CONTINUING EDUCATION. THE INSTITUTE IS ALSO DEVELOPING MARKETING STRATEGIES TO INTEGRATE NORTHWEST COAST AND ALASKA NATIVE ARTS AND CRAFTS INTO THE CAPITAL ECONOMY WHILE RESPECTING AND RETAINING OUR TRADITIONAL VALUE OF "HAA AAN" - HONORING AND UTILIZING OUR LAND AND RESOURCES. THESE EFFORTS ARE PROVIDING ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALASKA NATIVES IN SOUTHEAST ALASKA AND SUPPORTING TRADITIONAL CULTURAL PRACTICES WHILE ALSO INCREASING THE CREATIVE VITALITY OF THE REGION.

OTHER PROGRAMS INCLUDING THE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM, TRADITIONAL CELEBRATIONS AND THE SEALASKA HERITAGE RETAIL STORE.