By Alyssa Peterson, UAS Intern
Title: Sealaska Heritage Institute Operational Recordings, 1982-present
ID: MC/032
Primary Creator: Sealaska Heritage Institute
Extent: 0.0 Boxes
Date Acquired: 00/00/1982
Subjects: Haida Indians--History., Tlingit Indians--History., Tsimshian Indians--History.
This collection contains the audio/visual recordings associated with the programs operated by Sealaska Heritage Institute from 1983 to the present. The records represent the efforts towards language and cultural knowledge preservation through various programs and councils. The collection has been arranged into seven series:
Series 1: Council of Traditional Scholars
Series 2: Latseen Leadership Academy
Series 3: Sealaska Meetings and Reports
Series 4: Language Department Recordings
Series 5: Celebration Presentations
Series 6: Sealaska Heritage Foundation Elders Meetings
Series 7: Special Events Recordings
Series 8: Naa Kahida Theater Recordings
The Sealaska Heritage Institute (SHI) is a regional Native non-profit organization founded for the Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian people of Southeast Alaska. SHI was established in 1981 by Sealaska Corp., a for-profit company formed under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA). SHI, formerly Sealaska Heritage Foundation, administers Sealaska Corp.'s cultural and educational programs.
SHI was conceived by Clan Leaders, Traditional Scholars and Elders at the first Sealaska Elders Conference in 1980. During that meeting, the Elders likened Native culture to a blanket. The late George Davis (Kichnáalx—Lk’aanaaw) of Angoon, spoke these memorable words: “We don’t want what you did here to only echo in the air, how our grandfathers used to do things… Yes. You have unwrapped it for us. That is why we will open again this container of wisdom left in our care.” These wise traditional leaders told the new leaders that their hands were growing weary of holding onto the metaphorical blanket, this "container of wisdom." They said they were transferring this responsibility to the Corporation. In response to this directive, Sealaska Corporation created its non-profit arm, Sealaska Heritage Institute, to administer cultural and educational programs for the Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian.
During its first decade of operation, under the leadership of David Katzeek, SHI began to administer its Scholarship Program from funds set aside by Sealaska Corporation for this purpose. The second major focus at that time was the documentation of oral traditions, a project led by Tlingit scholar Dr. Nora Marks Dauenhauer and her husband, Dr. Richard Dauenhauer. Over nearly a 20-year period, these efforts led to several major publications by the Institute of the Dauenhauer’s work, including: “Because We Cherish You…” Sealaska Elders Speak to the Future, in 1981; Haa Shuká, Our Ancestors, Volume I of our Tlingit Oral Narratives (1987); Haa Tuwunáagu Yís: for Healing our Spirit. Vol. 2, Tlingit Oral Narratives. (1990); the Third Edition of Beginning Tlingit in 1991; Haa Kusteeyí, Our Culture: Tlingit Life Stories (1994); and Aan Aduspelled X’úx’, Tlingit Spelling Book in 1999. A number of these publications were co-published by the Institute and University of Washington Press. During this period, the Institute also created Naa Kahídi Theater, which won national acclaim for its dramatic presentation of Native legends.
One year after SHI was founded the Institute sponsored the first United Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian Traditional Celebration, held in Juneau. Celebration '82 was so popular that our Board of Trustees decided the festival should become a biennial event. New dance groups began to form in response to Celebration, and every other year, the festival grew. Today, nearly every community in Southeast as well as Anchorage, the Seattle area, Hawaii and Canada, are represented by roughly two-thousand dancers in nearly fifty dance groups. During Celebration, workshops on various aspects of traditional culture and history also occur. Because SHI is the only major region-wide organization dedicated to cultural preservation, its Board of Trustees has mandated that Celebration be dedicated solely to honoring our traditional culture.
More recently, while continuing to honor the Institute's mission statement, “To perpetuate the Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian cultures,” the Trustees in 1997 adopted language restoration as the foremost priority of the Institute. Few funds were available initially for this objective, but the Institute launched an aggressive fund-raising campaign, and today, SHI sponsors and supports numerous language and culture programs across Southeast Alaska. The Institute also sponsors archival projects, historical research, and new publications. Since SHI’s founding, it has had four presidents; David Katzeek (1980-1991), Dennis Demmert (1992-1996), Ted Wright (1996-1998), and Rosita Worl (1998-present).
Repository: Sealaska Heritage Institute Archives
Acquisition Source: Sealaska Heritage Institute
Acquisition Method: The material in the collection was generated by SHI since SHI’s creation and the collection will continue to grow as SHI creates more recordings of this nature and adds them to this collection.
Audio recording of Tlingit songs and chants, July 2004. CD.
Moving image recording labeled ‘Lingít X’éináx sá! Say it in Tlingit Phrasebook Computer Video Ch. 1 & 2’, 2005. DVD.
Moving image recording labeled ‘Beginning Lingít Language; Total Physical Response Computer Video’, 2005. DVD.
Moving image recording labeled ‘Tlingit Language & Cultural Class’, January 2008. Harborview Elementary School. DVD. 2 copies.
Moving image recording labeled ‘Language video’, August 2008. DVD.
Moving image recording of Language Department Programs Overview, 2008. Labeled ‘Native Language Revitalization in Southeast Alaska; An overview of efforts to document and revive Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian languages’. DVD. 8 copies.
Audio recording labeled ‘Shaan Yaak’utlaax read by David Katzeek’, date unknown. Story belongs to the Kiks.ádi clan. CD. 2 copies.
Audio recording labeled ‘Shaan Yaak’utlaax final draft’, date unknown. Speaker is David Katzeek. Story belongs to the Kiks.ádi clan. CD.
Audio recording of Walter Soboleff speaking about Tlingit values, January 2004. Both Tlingit and English spoken. CD.
Mini Disc. 7/14/05. Final evening Angoon Immersion. Clarence
Jackson, Peter Jack, Albert Kooshesh, David Katzeek.[1]
Item 11: Mini Disc. Labeled: 3-25-04. Tlingit word Committee 18t day. Disc one.
Item 12: Mini Disc. Labeled: Tlingit Word Community Disc 2, first day. 3-25-04.
Item 13: Mini Disc. Labeled: Tlingit Word Disc 3. 3-25-04.
Item 14: Mini Disc. Labeled: Tlingit Word Committee disc 4, 18t day. 3-25-04.
Item 15: Mini Disc. Labeled: Tlingit Word Committee disc 5, day 1. 3-25-04.
Item 16: Mini Disc. Labeled: Tlingit Word Committee disc 1, day 2.3-26-04.
Item 17: Mini Disc. Labeled: Tlingit Word Committee meeting disc 2, day 2. 3-26-04
Item 18: Mini Disc. Labeled: Tlingit Word Committee meeting disc 3, day 2. 3-26-04.
Item 19: Mini Disc. Labeled: Tlingit Word Committee disc 4, day 2. 3-26-04.
Item 20: Mini Disc. Labeled: Ruth Demmert. Lesson on Posters/ Stories from assessment test (?) 7/12/05.
Item 21: Mini Disc. Labeled: Ed Gamble. Angoon Immersion Retreat. Clarence
Jackson. 7-17-05.
Item 22: Mini Disc. Labeled: Kaagwaantaan tunic reception SHI lobby. #4 Frank
White. 10/6/05.
Item 23: Labeled: Tlingit Immersion Angoon, Lydia George. 7/10/05.
Item 24: Labeled: Friday, CTS [Council of Traditional Scholars] mtg. 11am-12am.
Item 25: Labeled: Jordan. Fri Aft. CTS mtg.
Item 26: Labeled: George [Ramos].
Item 27: Mini Disc. Unlabeled.
Item 28: Mini Disc. Unlabeled.
Item 29: Mini Disc. Unlabeled.
Item 30: Mini Disc. Labeled: Hoonah. Immersion. Not much Tlingit, 3 hours.
Item 31: Mini Disc. Labeled: Dinner Time. Goonxax, shaxaawu, shaatkisgani.
9/13/03.
Item 32: Mini Disc. Labeled: Sneaky Sounds run through. 2 of 2. 5/1/06.
Item 33: Mini Disc. Labeled: CTS mtg. H. Kitka, P. Jack, C. Jackson. May 1,2003.
Item 34: Mini Disc. Labeled: Meeting of Communities. Immersion evaluation. Disc 3. 9/26/05.
Item 35: Mini Disc. Labeled: Meeting of the communities. Immersion Evaluation.
Disc 2. 9/25/05.
Item 36: Mini Disc. Labeled: Ed Gamble. Angoon Immersion. 7/9/05.
Item 37: Mini Disc. Labeled: CTS morning. May 2.
Item 38: Mini Disc. Labeled: Clarence Jackson. Tlingit Words. 17 April, 2004.
Item 39: Mini Disc. Labeled: Dog Point Immersion Retreat. 2004. Tues Aug 17 night, Wed Aug 18, morning.
Item 40: Mini Disc, Labeled: Songs from 8 up (?), July 2004.
Item 41: Mini Disc. Labeled: Salmon Boy script- Johnny & Roseanna.
Item 42: Mini Disc. Labeled: Jenni Jim. Lydia George, Clarence Jackson, Angoon
Immersion.
Item 43: Mini Disc. Labeled: CTS mtg. H. Kitka, P. Jackson, C. Jackson. 2/2. May 1, 03.
Item 44: Mini Disc. Labeled: Meeting of the communities. Immersion Evaluation.
Disc 1. 9/25/05.
Item 45: Mini Disc. Labeled: Anna Katzeek on words for Gold Medal Cards.
Item 46: Mini Disc. Unlabeled.
Item 47: Mini Disc. Unlabeled.
Item 48: Mini Disc. Unlabeled.
Item 49: Mini Disc. Unlabeled.
Item 50: Mini Disc. Unlabeled.
Item 51: Mini Disc. Unlabeled.
Item 52: Mini Disc. Unlabeled.
Item 53: Mini Disc. Unlabeled.
Item 54: Mini Disc. Unlabeled.
Item 55: Mini Disc. Labeled: George Ramos greetings. Aret a kings (?). 12/17/04.
Item 56: Mini Disc. Labeled: Helen Swabia (?) TKE. Berry Unit! Family m (?).
12/6/04.
Item 57: Mini Disc. Labeled: Tracks 1-50 Lingit Alphabet D.K. Tracks 51-58.
Item 58: Labeled: Introductions by traditional scholars. 12/17/04
Item 59: Mini Disc. Labeled: Beading class? Dancing and singing. 9112103.
Item 60: Mini Disc. Labeled: Tlingit Alpha & Johnny's David K. Phrases for games.
Item 61: Mini Disc. Labeled: Closing comments, Tlingit Language Immersion Retreat. 23 Aug 2002.
Item 62: Mini Disc. Labeled: Frank White telling a story with Linda Belarde. 8/SKP.
