Tag: Shageluk

Alaska Native culture

Deg Hit’an Teacher – Carolyn Workman

Angela Gonzalez

Congratulations to Deg Hit’an Teacher Carolyn Workman of Shageluk! She recently celebrated 50 years of teaching, and her community held a celebration to honor her.

Enaa baasee’ to Principal/Teacher Joyanne Hamilton for sharing details about the celebration and Carolyn’s remarkable journey.

Honoring Carolyn by Joyanne Hamilton

I am Joyanne Hamilton, the principal/teacher at the Innoko River School in Shageluk. We had a large celebration here at our school Friday, January 17. We would like to share our video with you. 

We celebrated our parapro, Carolyn Workman’s 50th year of teaching. Our celebration was amazing. She is so deserving.

Our message:  ALL of our classroom aides and parapros should be honored in such a way for their years of service in our rural communities. They are the backbone of our communities, our schools, our reading programs, our school functions, etc. We don’t praise them enough. We don’t recognize their strength, dedication, and service enough. 

We are grateful for Carolyn Workman, our great-grandmother, grandmother, mother, wife, subsistence hunter-fisher-gatherer-processor-wood hauler, reading specialist, speech therapist, math tutor, store manager, airline agent, and preschool teacher. A previous superintendent did the math for us. She felt that Carolyn had taught reading to over 1,500 children in Shageluk since she began teaching 50-years ago.

Yes, our community is small, but we. have high standards in our families and school. I thank Carolyn Workman for setting those standards for us all.

Thank you so much for sharing our wonderful celebration.

– Joyanne Hamilton, Innoko River School, Shageluk

What a remarkable 50 years! Thank you to the students, community, family and school for sharing this wonderful tribute.

Video Credit:

This video was created and shown at the celebration, produced by Sonta and Chevie Roach. They have granted permission for its use. Additionally, all necessary permissions and authorizations have been obtained for the students and staff featured in the video.

Shared with permission by Joyanne Hamilton, Principal/Teacher of Innoko River School.

Alaska Native culture

Athabascan Values

Angela Gonzalez

What are the Athabascan values and what do they mean to people? My friend, Sonta Hamilton Roach, issued a challenge asking friends and family to post in February using the #AthabascanValues hashtag. Sonta is a teacher at Innoko River School in in Shageluk.

Here is Sonta’s challenge:
Anyone interested in participating in an Athabascan Values daily photo challenge? I’ve been inspired by my students this week as we did traditional art activities. This will be fun! Starting tomorrow, post and share a photo about the first value! Self-sufficiency and hard work could be many things! Berry picking, fishing, getting wood, etc.! And maybe what it means to you? I’ll be posting one each day going down the list of Athabascan Values! I’d love to see the interior turn out for this! Spread the fun! #AthabascanValues

Athabascan Values, courtesy of the Alaska Native Knowledge Network
Athabascan Values, courtesy of the Alaska Native Knowledge Network

Getting logs in interior Alaska. Photo by Sonta Hamilton Roach
Getting logs in interior Alaska. Photo by Sonta Hamilton Roach

Here is Sonta’s photo from day 1 of the Athabascan Values photo challenge:  Self-sufficiency and Hard Work. I thought about the value all day, reflecting on my hard working students, the hard work put in by our community members when others are in need, the new water and sewer project and tribal building…hard work is staying the course and persevering through obstacles and challenges. These are our house logs, a photo from almost 4 years ago now. Truly a process of hard work, dedication and hope, and building a solid foundation. ‪#‎AthabascanValues‬ photo challenge!! Join the fun interior!!

Shageluk Kashim. Photo by Sonta Hamilton Roach
Shageluk Kashim. Photo by Sonta Hamilton Roach

Here is Sonta’s photo from day 5 of the Athabascan Values photo challenge:  Village cooperation and the responsibility to village. I was reminded of fish fence times, the mask dance and tea partner processes, times when we’re healing and have to be together… times when work needs to get done… the community always pulls together without a doubt, and this commitment to others starts early — the first moose, passing out the soup, first ducks, taking care of our tea partners. This is the Shageluk Kashim. A place where everyone can come together, kind of a symbol of that. #AthabascanValues rock!!

What do Athabascan Values mean to you? Want to join in this month? You can post using the #AthabascanValues hashtag on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or other social media platforms. If you want other people outside of your friend’s list to see your shares on Facebook, be sure to set your privacy to public on the post.

Athabascan values also match other Alaska Native and other values, so please feel free to contribute no matter who you are. Thank you Sonta for sharing some Athabascan values! I know I will learn a lot from others and it will be fun.