Newsletter - October, Page 1

The Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge has proved to be a successful addition to CIRI's tourism portfolio since it opened for its first summer season last May. Built on 35 acres of CIRI entitlement land, the 50-room lodge and its adjacent four guest lodges sit only one-and-a-half miles from the town of Talkeetna.

Upon entering the main lodge, guests are warmly welcomed to a gracious lobby and sitting area where a grand rock fireplace is the focal point, rising 52 feet

through the vaulted birch tongue-and-groove ceiling. To the west of the lobby run three floors of comfortable guest rooms. To the east, visitors find the Foraker Dining Room and the adjoining Base Camp Lounge. Three meeting rooms are also found within the main lodge, accommodating groups of 15 to 175 people.

Mt Mckinley

The Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge commands a breathtaking view of Mt. McKinley.

While the lodge was designed to provide comfort for guests during the summer and winter, it is actually the lodge's spectacular view of Mt. McKinley that reigns as the true attraction. Visitors are treated to views of the Grande Dame of the North American continent, whether they are viewing it from the north-facing guest rooms,

picturesque dining room, grand sitting area, or from the nearly 3,700 square-foot deck. continued on page 7

lodge

The Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge is located conveniently between Anchorage and Denali National Park

With a grant from the U.S. Department of Education, Cook Inlet Tribal Council's Alaska Native Teachers for Excellence (ANTE) Project has made an impact on the hiring of Alaska Native teachers in the Anchorage School District.

The project stems from the belief that a Native child's education is influenced positively by the presence of role models with similar cultural identifications. Current statistics show that 12 percent of the District's student population is Alaska Native or American Indian, whereas only 3.5 percent of the teachers in the District are Native. The goal of the ANTE project is to increase the percentage of Native teachers to 7 percent by September 2000.

Cook Inlet Tribal Council subcontracts with The CIRI Foundation and the District's Indian Education Department. The CIRI Foundation hired two Teacher Mentors to carry out the task of recruiting Native teachers and providing interview skills coaching. The Anchorage School District's Indian Education Department also hired two Teacher Mentors. These Native teachers have their own classrooms in the morning, then provide support services to newly hired Native teachers in the afternoon. During the summer of 1999, CITC created a new position called the Teacher Recruitment Liaison and hired a retired Anchorage School District principal to act as a liaison between the

District's personnel office and potential teacher candidates.

CITC CIRI shareholder Dale Evern is one of 10 Alaska Native teachers recently hired by the ASD.

During the 1998/99 school year, the Anchorage School District offered its teachers an early retirement incentive that resulted in a large reduction in the veteran teacher force in the District. Eleven Native teachers retired from the Anchorage schools. However, with heavy recruitment, the Teacher Mentors were able to facilitate the hire of 31.2 Native teachers in Anchorage schools. For the 1999/2000 school year, with a much smaller pool of qualified candidates and fewer positions to fill in the District, the Teacher Mentors were successful in assisting 10 additional Native teachers to gain employment with the District.

With 41.2 new Native hires in the past two years, the participants in the project believe that this will not only make a significant impact on Native children but will help to perpetuate the unique perspective of Native peoples in the state of Alaska.

For questions about the project, please call Sheri Foss at (907) 265-4219.