UAA celebrates Alaska Native/Native American Heritage Month

by Green & Gold News  |   

Join us this November to celebrate Alaska Native/Native American Heritage Month. Native Student Services, Native Student Council, in partnership with the YouAA committee for Cultural and Heritage Month celebrations and a variety of other campus and community partners, have put together a wonderful month of events. See below for the complete schedule.

Please follow @UAANativeStudentCouncil on both Facebook and Instagram for the most up-to-date information on events and fun engagement through questions and videos all month long. In addition, you can visit the diversity website for information on events, read the history of the month and stay up to date on all our cultural and heritage month celebrations happening this year.

Upcoming events

Instagram Takeover with Native Student Council President Annmarie Iya
Nov. 24
Follow along on Instagram as UAA Native Student Council President Annmarie Iya takes over the @UAANativeStudentCouncil account.

T-Shirt Sales — all month long!
A fundraiser benefiting Native Student Council and the Canoe Project. Indigeneous resilient art created by Amber Webb in honor of Missing Murdered Indigeneous Women. To order a shirt, visit tinyurl.com/nscfundraiser.

Past events

Career Connections | Careers Supporting Alaska Native Communities
Nov. 3, 1–1:45 p.m.
What kinds of jobs are needed in our Alaska Native communities? What career paths can help people, especially now during COVID-19? Connect with professionals in your community to learn about how to build your network and develop meaningful careers. This virtual event will include a 30-minute panel discussion, followed by an open Q-and-A. Sign up at tinyurl.com/ANcareer.

Movie Screening of “Gather” & Panel Discussion - Take 1
Nov. 5, 5:30–7:30 p.m.
Join us for a free film screening of Gather and Indigenous panel discussion afterwards. This event is cohosted by Native Movement and Alaska Food Policy Council. Film Director Sanjay Rawal will give a brief introduction and host our post-screening, Indigenous-led panel. Registration is FREE, but required. Register here.

Spill Your Ink
Nov. 6, 6 p.m.
Please join us for an evening of Tattoo storytelling. We have a few featured storytellers who will be sharing their tattoo stories. This is also an open Zoom event for others to share their stories as well. This is a fun interactive story sharing event and we would love to hear your tattoo story. Register at tinyurl.com/spillyourink.

Indie Lens Pop-Up: Jonathan Scott's Power Trip
Nov. 10, 3–5 p.m. (*new date/time*)
Solar energy evangelist and “Property Brother” Jonathan Scott journeys all across the U.S. to uncover why clean, renewable energy isn’t available to all. While traveling to learn both the obstacles and opportunities for achieving energy freedom, Jonathan talks with conservatives fighting for solar freedom; sits down with farmers struggling to make ends meet; engages coal workers desperate for a new, healthy means of making an income; the Navajo Nation who built a utility-scale solar plant; religious leaders who made a desperate attempt to help meet their community’s energy needs; and politicians at the forefront of the battle for energy freedom. Sign-up details forthcoming.

Yuuyaraq: The Way of the Human Being & Discussion 
Nov. 11, 6 p.m.
Please join us in a viewing of “Yuuyaraq” via Vimeo link on your computer or tablet. The Zoom will be live throughout the screening for commentary. After the screening, we will host a discussion of the film and how we are healing and moving forward. Yuuyaraq PDF Book link | Vimeo link | Registration link

Decolonizing Beauty: Conversation with Alice Glenn
Nov. 13, Noon
Join Iñupiaq podcaster and creator of Coffee & Quaq Alice Glenn for a discussion and live podcast recording about decolonizing beauty standards. Glenn appeared in the viral “pass the brush” video created by Greenlandic Inuit artist Paninnguaq Lind Jensen, featured in Extra Tough: Women of the North. In the video, women affirm Inuit and Iñupiat beauty through regalia and traditional tattoos. The two women will discuss the process of decolonizing Western beauty standards with invited guests. Sign up at tinyurl.com/DeconalizingBeauty.

College Behind Bars
Nov. 13, Noon
Join UAA Student Success and Native Student Services in screening a 30-minute segment of the highly acclaimed College Behind Bars series. The virtual screening will begin at noon, followed by a live question-and-answer session with Sebastian Yoon, Bard Prison Initiative alum. Register at tinyurl.com/UAAcollegebehindbars.

Dena’ina Dance & Tsimshian Dance Lessons
Nov. 13, 6 p.m.
Steven Holly, Dena’ina Dance leader, will teach a Dena’ina song and dance or two. Following Steven, Marcella Asicksik and Theo Bayou (mother and daughter) will teach a couple Tsimshian songs and dances. Register at tinyurl.com/nscdancelesson.

A Virtual Conversation With Ernestine Saankaláxt Hayes
Nov. 16, Noon
Ernestine Saankaláxt Hayes belongs to the Wolf House of the Kaagwaantaan clan of the Tlingit nation (Lingít). Alaska Writer Laureate 2016-2018, her books include American Book Award winner Blonde Indian: An Alaska Native Memoir and The Tao of Raven: An Alaska Native Memoir. The conversation will be facilitated by Penny Gage. Gage was raised in Sitka, Alaska, and her mother's family comes from the Tlingit L'eeneidi (Raven Dog Salmon) clan. Register at tinyurl.com/ErnestineSHayes.

Games of the North & Discussion
Nov. 18, 6 p.m.
Learn about Alaska’s rich tradition of athletic competition as we watch four Inuit athletes travel across Alaska competing in the games of strength. Acrobatic and explosive, these sports are vital for survival in the hostile Arctic. As waves of change sweep across their lands, the Games are more important than ever. We will have a discussion following the screening with Native Games competitors Kyle Worl, Nicole Johnston, Andrew Kashevarof and Donna Bach, as well as Producer Jonathan Straton. Watch the trailer. Register at tinyurl.com/gamesnorth.

Traditional Yup’ik and Unangax Storytelling
Nov. 20, 6 p.m.
Quentin Ciissiar Simeon will perform a traditional Yup’ik story titled, “The First Yuk” from the Yukon-Kuskokwim region, and Haliehana Stepetin and Dustin Newman will perform a couple Unangax songs, dances and a story from the Aleutian Chain region. Register at tinyurl.com/AKstorytelling.

Movie Screening of “Gather” & Panel Discussion - Take 2
Nov. 23, 6 p.m.
To give thanks and honor Alaska Native/Native American Heritage, UAA Native Student Services, Student Life and Leadership and UAA Dietetics and Nutrition have partnered to bring you a second screening of Gather, which is "an intimate portrait of the growing movement amongst Native Americans to reclaim their spiritual, political and cultural identities through food sovereignty, while battling the trauma of centuries of genocide" followed by a panel discussion of Alaska Native and Native American scholars who have experience in nutrition, traditional foods and gathering. Sign-up details forthcoming.

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