Federal funding to support arts, culture and educational programs will help fund the construction of two dugout canoes located in Southeast Alaska.
Goldbelt Heritage Foundation, the non-profit branch from Goldbelt, Inc., will instruct Alaska Native youth how to create canoes using nearly quarter million dollars in grants through the National Park Service. The aim is to educate Lingit culture, while applying fundamentals of engineering, science, technology and math in the making of canoes.
The National Park Service awarded the grant of $243,457 to the Goldbelt Heritage Foundation on Aug. 15, 2023.
Desiree Jackson, Goldbelt Heritage Foundation executive director, explained that the four-year grant will be the beginning of a continuous education program that will preserve the canoe legends that underlie the ancient use of the canoe.
“We are looking to increase the movement of youth paddling as well as the making use of the Yaak’w (canoe) as it is yet another activity that kids should be involved with,” she said.
Goldbelt Heritage Foundation will create programs based around the construction of canoes dugouts.
“There is a lot of undocumented knowledge about navigation,” she said. “How did we utilize the stars? What was the best waypoints we could use?
The program is known as “Daak Yaylatsaak” meaning “push away the boats” within the Lingit language. Jackson explained that the idea is to have the program be offered to classrooms in Southeast Alaska during school, which she says is essential for Alaska students as a part of education based on location.
The group plans to organize a youth-focused canoe event in the region in the near future.
The award is part of the initial round of awards under the Native Hawaiian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development grant program. The National Park Service administers the grant on behalf of Secretary of Interior, Deb Haaland, through the use of funds appropriated by Congress.
National Park Service Director Director Chuck Sams said the project will offer educational programming, in addition to traditional practices for the youth of Southeast Alaska.
“The National Park Service is dedicated to assisting Native Hawaiian and Alaska Native arts and culture programs, including traditional as well as modern expressions of history, language art, performing and visual arts, and craft,” said Sams.
The National Park Service awards the grants for the research and teaching of current art and culture, in order to develop education programs that can will lead to degree programs within Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian cultural and art programs or to promote arts within the community. Private, non-profit organizations who predominantly serve Native Hawaiian or Alaska Native communities and are recognized by the governors in Hawaii and Alaska are qualified.
