GOLDBELT HERITAGE FOUNDATION

THE FOLLOWING DESCRIPTIONS DETAIL ACTIVITIES FUNDED PARTLY BY FEDERAL FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AWARDED TO THE GOLDBELT HERITAGE FOUNDATION (GHF) THROUGH MULTI-YEAR GRANTS BEGINNING IN 2022 AND CONTINUING THROUGH 2028. GHF ACTIVELY PARTICIPATES IN REGULAR MEETINGS FOR LEADERS IN LANGUAGE REVITALIZATION, FACILITATED BY THE ALASKA ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL BOARDS. THESE MEETINGS HAVE FOSTERED A COALITION DEDICATED TO LANGUAGE REVITALIZATION (SEE ATTACHED LANGUAGE DECLARATION), UNITED BY A SHARED COMMITMENT TO REVITALIZING LANGUAGE AND KNOWLEDGE. THE COALITION IMPLEMENTS A UNIFIED APPROACH TO DEVELOPING FLUENT SPEAKERS AND COLLABORATES TO CREATE RESOURCES FOR LANGUAGE TEACHERS AND LEARNERS. THROUGH A GRANT FROM THE SEALASKA CORPORATION, GHF HAS SURPASSED ITS COMMITMENTS BY DOCUMENTING 17 FLUENT BIRTH SPEAKERS AND CAPTURING OVER 70 HOURS OF IMMERSIVE FOOTAGE. RESOURCES PRODUCED INCLUDE LINGT X?'INX? S (SAY IT IN LINGT), A "PHRASE OF THE WEEK" VIDEO SERIES. HISTORIC AND CONTEMPORARY VIDEO AND AUDIO CONTENT HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED INTO STANDALONE LINGT LEARNING RESOURCES, AVAILABLE ON PLATFORMS SUCH AS RADIO, SOCIAL MEDIA, YOUTUBE, AND HAA SHUK TUNDATANI (HSTLEARNING.ORG), A SITE DEDICATED TO OUR ANCESTORS' WAYS OF THINKING, LEARNING, AND KNOWING. ADDITIONALLY, GHF SUPPORTS CONTRACTOR-LED OPPORTUNITIES FOR LINGT LEARNERS, SUCH AS STUDY GROUPS AND RESOURCE PRODUCTION, ALL ALIGNED WITH GRANT OBJECTIVES AND GHF'S MISSION. THE HSTLEARNING.ORG PLATFORM SUPPORTS THE SUCCESS OF ALASKA NATIVE STUDENTS AND EDUCATORS BY PROVIDING CURRICULUM CONTENT AND MATERIALS. CURRENTLY, IT OFFERS 17 CURRICULUM UNITS FOR PRE-K THROUGH 12TH GRADE STUDENTS ACROSS THE STATE, WITH PLANS TO ADD 90 NEW UNITS OVER THE NEXT FOUR YEARS. THIS EXPANSION IS SUPPORTED BY THE CURRICULUM PEDAGOGY OVERSIGHT AND DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE (CPODC), ESTABLISHED IN 2021. CPODC ENSURES THAT ALL TEACHER AND LEARNER RESOURCES ARE REVIEWED FOR ACCURACY, ALIGN WITH A UNIFIED APPROACH TO FLUENCY, AND ARE ROOTED IN INDIGENOUS THOUGHT AND CULTURE. THIS INITIATIVE IS FUNDED THROUGH THE OFFICE OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION'S ALASKA NATIVE EDUCATION PROGRAMS (2022-2025) AND THE NATIVE ALASKA TEACHER RETENTION INITIATIVE, FUNDED THROUGH THE OFFICE OF INDIAN EDUCATION (2023-2028). THE LATTER PROGRAM AIMS TO SUPPORT MORE THAN 300 EDUCATORS IN JUNEAU ALONE. TEACHING AND PRESERVING TRADITIONAL TLINGIT ART FORMS REMAIN CENTRAL TO GHF'S APPROACH TO CULTURAL REVITALIZATION. IN THE FALL, STAFF LED MULTIPLE MOCCASIN-MAKING WORKSHOPS, SUPPORTED BY CONTRACTORS. ADDITIONALLY, WORKSHOPS ON SKIN SEWING, WOODEN SPOON CARVING, AND GIFT-MAKING REACHED OVER 100 ADULTS AND 200 YOUTH. THIS PROGRAM RECEIVES FEDERAL FUNDING THROUGH THE ALASKA NATIVE EDUCATION PROGRAM AND HAS SECURED CONTINUED FUNDING THROUGH 2027. GHF ALSO SUPPORTS THE JUNEAU ARTS AND MUSIC MATTERS (JAMM) PROGRAM, A TUITION-FREE INITIATIVE EMBEDDED IN CERTAIN JUNEAU SCHOOL DISTRICT SCHOOLS. JAMM FOLLOWS A POSITIVE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT MODEL AND OFFERS PLACE-BASED TLINGIT LANGUAGE AND MUSIC INSTRUCTION. THE SUCCESS OF JAMM'S HAA TO YI YATEE PROGRAM IS BOLSTERED BY GHF'S LANGUAGE PROGRAM PATHWAYS COORDINATOR AND A COHORT OF TLINGIT SPEAKERS, TEACHERS, AND ELDERS, WHO ENSURE LINGUISTIC CONTINUITY AND ACCURACY. THIS PROGRAM CURRENTLY SERVES 150 STUDENTS, THOUGH FUNDING SOURCES NEED FURTHER CLARIFICATION. THE AAN YTX'U SANI (NOBLE YOUTH OF THE LAND) PROGRAM PROVIDES A SAFE SPACE FOR ALASKA NATIVE/AMERICAN INDIAN (AN/AI) MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS (AGES 14-19) IN THE JUNEAU AND CHATHAM SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO SHARE TLINGIT KNOWLEDGE, TRADITIONS, AND RESOURCES. THE PROGRAM AIMS TO STRENGTHEN STUDENTS' CONNECTIONS TO THEIR CULTURAL HERITAGE WHILE IMPROVING THEIR EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES. CURRENTLY, IT SERVES 15 STUDENTS. GHF IS EXPANDING ITS PROGRAMMING FOR MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS BY PARTNERING WITH TWO GOLDBELT, INC. SUBSIDIARIES TO OFFER A ONE-WEEK CYBER SECURITY CAMP. THIS INITIATIVE WILL USE THE CYBERPATRIOT CURRICULUM, A NATIONAL YOUTH CYBER EDUCATION PROGRAM CREATED BY THE AIR FORCE ASSOCIATION TO INSPIRE K-12 STUDENTS TO PURSUE CAREERS IN STEM FIELDS. THE CURRICULUM TEACHES STUDENTS HOW TO SECURE VIRTUAL NETWORKS, AND MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WILL ALTERNATE BETWEEN CYBERSECURITY SESSIONS AND CULTURAL ACTIVITIES THROUGHOUT THE CAMP. BY INTEGRATING CULTURAL PROGRAMMING WITH TECHNOLOGICAL EDUCATION, GHF EQUIPS YOUTH WITH ACCESSIBLE PATHWAYS TO LUCRATIVE CAREERS WHILE NURTURING INDIGENOUS IDENTITIES. THIS APPROACH PREPARES STUDENTS FOR BOTH ACADEMIC SUCCESS AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC ADVANCEMENT, ALIGNING WITH GHF'S MISSION TO PROTECT THE CULTURAL IDENTITY AND DIGNITY OF SOUTHEAST ALASKAN NATIVE PEOPLE.