September 1999

offered classes in Native arts and crafts including drum making and carving. Leonard, a registered nurse, was available when medical attention was needed and also shared her knowledge of local plants.

After one stretch of hot, windless days when the only clouds were those of buzzing and biting mosquitoes, Leonard said they needed to "call down the wind" and proceeded to demonstrate. The next day, a stiff breeze kept mosquitoes away, allowing everyone to focus on the care with which fragile seedlings have to be treated.

Mel Johnson, ANCRI field representative, had boxes of seedlings ready and waiting each morning. He made sure planting was done correctly and coordinated the work schedule with Head Counselor Janet Canyon.

According to Canyon, program coordinator for Salt Lake City School District's Title 9 Indian Education Program, the campers were a widely diverse group. She says the pilot program pointed out the value of consistent structure when working with these ages. Her enthusiasm

for the experience is evident when asked if she'd be interested in doing it again. "Absolutely!"

When the kids were asked what they would remember about camp, enthusiasm was high on the list and the answers diverse. Many of them, like Jolean Labs, a freshman at Bartlett High, and Deanza Hjalseth, a Service High junior, said they enjoyed meeting people.

Alyson Lucier, from Wasilla, added that aside from making new friends, she enjoyed canoeing. With a twinkle in his eye, Matt Camacho, a freshman at Anchorage's East High, said he liked tipping the canoes. Native arts and crafts were also a favorite. Anchorage's Peggy Selvester and Wasilla alternative school student Malcolm Henry spoke with pride about the drums they'd made. Henry's bore the signatures of staff and fellow campers.

Darryl Deacon and Angela Willson each spoke of being more aware of their own personal strengths and power. Deacon said camp gave him an opportunity to learn about self-management. Willson said the camp

environment taught her about the laws of society and external controls.

Being involved in the Peninsula's reforestation was important for many of the kids. Collin Peirce (Dillingham) thought it was "cool to be putting something back in the earth." Ryan Swanson (Anchorage) who attended with cousins Patrick and Darryl Deacon, agreed, adding it was "very good to be making a forest."

Justin Hatton, 18 (Anchorage), provided proof-positive that the experience will have a lasting impact. When asked what being in camp meant to him, he eloquently summed up the importance of reforestation, an involvement in his Alaska Native heritage, and a deeper knowledge of himself. Hatton spoke knowledgeably of the relationship between trees and humans. He pointed to the beauty of the land and his appreciation of it. He mentioned that his family comes from Ninilchik. And with an eye toward planning his future and wisdom exceeding his years, Hatton said, "I'm going to live here when I retire."

AFN to Host Annual Convention in October

The theme for the 1999 Annual Convention of the Alaska Federation of Natives is Alaska Native Cultures and Communities: Into a New Millennium. The convention will kick off in Anchorage on Wednesday, Oct. 20 at 1 p.m. and continue through Saturday, Oct. 23.

AFN's 33rd Annual Convention will once again bring together the Native people of Alaska to discuss important statewide issues. The convention activities are mainly held at the Egan Convention Center and include meetings, workshops, arts and crafts fair, a concert, and closing banquet.

Each year at the AFN convention, Alaska Natives are selected and presented with a variety of awards. The deadline for submitting nominations for the 1999 AFN President's awards and the AFN Citizen of the Year is Friday, Sept. 24 at 4:30 p.m.

For a complete convention agenda, award nomination forms, or more information, contact the Alaska Federation of Natives at (907) 274-3611.

Alaska Tribal Conference on Environmental Management Announced

The fifth annual Alaska Tribal Conference on Environmental Management is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 15 through Sunday, Oct. 17 at the Westcoast International Inn in Anchorage. This annual conference provides a forum for people from throughout Alaska to gather and share experiences and information on what is being done to improve environmental management in their villages. This year's keynote speaker is Ted Strong, former director of the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission.

Plenary sessions will focus on Creating and Celebrating Tribal Environmental Traditions. A five-part training track on building tribal environmental capacity will offer sessions on

strategic planning, grantwriting and fundraising, maximizing community involvement, and legal issues. Small group breakout sessions will also focus on a variety of topics including watershed protection, rural sanitation, military site clean-up, integrating traditional knowledge into environmental decision making, emergency response, and pollution control.

The registration deadline for the 1999 Alaska Tribal Conference on Environmental Management is Friday, Oct. 1 with a $20 registration fee. For more information, contact Conference Coordinator Marge Winkelman at the Alaska Native Health Board, (907) 562-6006 or via email at atcem@anhb.org.

Oral History Association Holds Annual Meeting in Anchorage at

Anchorage Hilton Hotel

October 7-10

Anchorage is hosting the Oral History Association annual meeting October 7 through 10, immediately following the Alaska Historical Society and Museum's Alaska annual meetings. The Oral History Association is a national association with members from anthropology, history, journalism, folklore, and sociology, as well as non-academics who record community and family memories for personal reasons.

The meeting will be a lively mix of practical how-to sessions, reports of ongoing work, and discussions about ethics, intellectual copyright, publication, and archiving recordings. In addition, workshops will be offered for college credit, and receptions held at the Alaska Native Heritage Center, the Anchorage Museum of History and Art, and Independence Mine. The Yup'ik a cappella doo-wop group Pamyua is the featured entertainment at the Saturday banquet. For more information, contact Patricia Partnow, at the Alaska Native Hertitage Center by calling (907) 330-8056.

Publication Features Alaska Native Writers, Storytellers & Orators

The Alaska Quarterly Review (AQR), a noted literary journal published by the University of Alaska Anchorage, recently released its latest anthology of Alaska Native literature titled Alaska Native Writers, Storytellers & Orators: The Expanded Edition. AQR's Executive Editor Ronald Spatz along with contributing editor's Jean Breinig, an assistant professor of English at UAA, and Patricia Partnow, vice president of educational and instructional programs at the Alaska Native Heritage Center, gathered and organized a wide assortment of new literary voices for the newly expanded edition. The last AQR anthology of Alaska Native literature was published 13 years ago.

Notable Native American author and scholar Gerald Vizenor of the University of California at Berkley provides the introduction for the new anthology. He states in his introduction, "Native stories arise in those magic moments of meditative associations wit nature, animals, shamans; and mythic stories are sustained in the many great language games of tricksters and visionaries. Native stories are the very spirit of creation on this continent, an interior vivancy."

Alaska Native Writers, Storytellers & Orators: The Expanded Edition should be available in Anchorage bookstores in late September, while a reading with several featured writers is scheduled for Wednesday, September 15 at 7:30 p.m. at the Anchorage Museum of History and Art. Writers Susie Silook, Diane Benson, and Anna Smith will be on hand to read their work.

On her writing, Silook states, "Writing for me is just a hobby at this point in my life. I write when I feel passionate about something or when I get caught up in the drama of everyday life. I like to write because it's a form of storytelling. Currently, I'm working on putting together a combination of essays, stories, poems and artwork. It's not something I'm making a conscious effort to do, but it's something I'm gradually working on."