Latest posts
Research Updates: Continuing collaboration with the Metlakatla First Nation
By Alyssa Bader, Sealaska Heritage Postdoctoral Fellow As a National Science Foundation postdoctoral research fellow at Sealaska Heritage Institute, I will be working under the mentorship of Dr. Rosita Worl to explore the relationship between diet and the community of bacteria living in our mouths, called the oral microbiome. Through the oral microbiome, I hope to [...]
Naa Sháade Háni (Clan Leader): Stepping into the Office of Clan Leader
Naa Sháade Háni (Clan Leader): Stepping into the Office of Clan Leader In December 2019, after several months of deliberation, Sealaska Heritage's Council of Traditional Scholars developed this Clan Leaders statement to offer the minimal qualities of character and knowledge that they collectively see as necessary for clan leaders. It does not propose to include all [...]
Meet Tsimshian scholar Alyssa Bader
SHI Postdoctoral Fellow studying impact of Native food on people One of Alyssa Bader’s strongest connections to her culture has always been food. That she is studying how traditional Southeast Alaska Native foods impact health, then, is not too surprising. Dr. Bader, who is Tsimshian, received her doctorate in anthropology from the University of Illinois. [...]
When passions rise, our sacred objects can soar out of reach
When our sacred items go up for auction, we walk a fine line in our effort to get them back. If the public hears our outcry—that sometimes backfires, as buyers may perceive an item to be more valuable if a tribe says it is sacred. The price can quickly soar out of our reach and [...]
A field trip to the museum with master weaver Delores Churchill
Sealaska Heritage is sponsoring a spruce-root weaving mentor apprenticeship program in an effort to revitalize this ancient but endangered art form of spruce root weaving. Students this week visited the Father Andrew P. Kashevarof State Library, Archives and Museum with master Haida weaver Delores Churchill to view the state’s extensive collection of traditional baskets. The visit [...]
Q & A with Rosita Worl: Slavery among the Tlingit
At Sealaska Heritage, we field a lot of questions from the public, researchers and the media about Northwest Coast cultures. SHI President Rosita Worl, who is from the Shangukeidí Clan and a Tlingit anthropologist, spends considerable time answering these. Because the answers to some of these questions are of general interest, we’ve launched “Q & A with Rosita Worl” on our [...]
Roundtable: A discussion about art with some of the most renowned Native artists around
In conjunction with Sealaska Heritage’s first statewide exhibit, Alaska Native Masks: Art & Ceremony, SHI invited nine artists who had loaned masks and whose work is featured in the exhibit to discuss some of the main themes explored in the show, as well as broader topics related to their work as Alaska Native artists. [...]
Q & A with Rosita Worl: When is it okay to use Northwest Coast formline designs and crests?
At Sealaska Heritage, we field a lot of questions from the public, researchers and the media about Northwest Coast cultures. SHI President Rosita Worl, who is from the Shangukeidí Clan and a Tlingit anthropologist, spends considerable time answering these. Because the answers to some of these questions are of general interest, we’ve launched “Q & A with Rosita Worl” on our [...]
Q & A with Rosita Worl: Tlingit views on death
At Sealaska Heritage, we field a lot of questions from the public, researchers and the media about Northwest Coast cultures. SHI President Rosita Worl, who is from the Shangukeidí Clan and a Tlingit anthropologist, spends considerable time answering these. Because the answers to some of these questions are of general interest, we’ve launched “Q & [...]
Photo essay: Educators learn about core cultural values, brain research and hear a personal appeal from Lt. Governor
Sealaska Heritage Institute’s first education conference continued Friday at Juneau Douglas High School with a welcome address by Sealaska CEO and President Anthony Mallott and a keynote speech from national education consultant and author Zaretta Hammond. Breakout sessions led by keynote speakers and others continued throughout the afternoon. In his welcome, Mallott gave attendees an [...]
Education conference: Understanding childhood trauma through ACES
On the last day of Sealaska Heritage’s first education conference, Our Cultural Landscape, keynote speaker Dr. Christopher Blodgett spoke about childhood trauma and described best-practice recommendations for responding to it in an educational setting. Blodgett, a clinical psychologist and a faculty member at Washington State University, is the director of the CLEAR Trauma Center at [...]
Photo essay: SHI’s first-ever education conference kicks off
Sealaska Heritage’s first-ever education conference got off to an exciting start on Thursday with keynote speeches and opening remarks from distinguished guest speakers including Ilarion Larry Merculieff, Libby Roderick, and US Senator Lisa Murkowski. The three-day event, called “Our Cultural Landscape,” is being held at the Juneau-Douglas High School through Saturday. Introduced by SHI Education [...]
Chilkat continuum: Juneau weaver hopes art form becomes globally recognized
Tlingit weaver Lily Hope, Sealaska Heritage’s current artist-in-residence, celebrated the completion of her first full-sized Chilkat robe Tuesday afternoon in the clan house at the Walter Soboleff Building with a public event that included singing, dancing, and gift giving. (Lily Hope with husband, Ishmael Hope) (Lily Hope hands the robe to Mike Murawski, director of [...]
Photo Essay: Tlingit Culture, Language & Literacy Program celebrates 5th grade promotion
Harborview Elementary’s Tlingit Culture, Language & Literacy Program (TCLL) held its fifth grade promotion ceremony Thursday at the Walter Soboleff Building, celebrating the event with oratory, singing and dancing. The program, launched by SHI in 2000 and now integrated into the Juneau School District, incorporates Tlingit language and culture into academic teaching for Harborview students [...]
Disturbing statements in opinion piece need clarification
By Rosita Worl President, Sealaska Heritage Institute In recent days, we have received complaints about an opinion piece published in the Alaska Dispatch News titled “Russian extremists want Alaska back.” The piece, written by Dr. Steve Haycox, professor emeritus of history at the University of Alaska Anchorage, included some statements that appeared to be outrageous [...]
