This is the inaugural installment of a new series highlighting the events, achievements, and milestones of our Cook Inlet region villages and Tribes.
Congratulations to the Kenaitze Indian Tribe (KIT)! In August, KIT’s Tułen Charter School opened its doors to welcome students and families for the first time.
The school has been decades in the making, with Tribal Council Chair Bernadine Atchison noting it has been a priority “for over 30 years.”
During a special meeting held November 2024, the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District’s (KPBSD) Board of Education approved KIT’s application for a five-year period. Before gaining approval from KPBSD, Tułen’s Academic Policy Committee (APC) met several times with the district’s Charter School Oversight Committee, comprised of school board members, district leadership and principals at area charter schools. The committee provided feedback throughout the application process—essential to crafting a quality application. Following approval from the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development, the final hurdle was authorization by the State Board of Education. On March 10, the board voted unanimously to allow KIT to open for the 2025-2026 academic year.
Kyle McFall, KIT’s education director, said the APC worked diligently to select the school’s academic programs, emphasizing innovative curricula that integrates Indigenous practices with Western pedagogies. One such program is Raven Writes, a program of Sealaska that aims to improve language and literacy skills through engaging activities that connect Alaska Native students with their cultural heritage. The APC also sought to incorporate behavioral programs that promote the inclusion of trauma-informed practices to support all students’ well-being and success. Finally, Tułen is partnering with Kenaitze Education staff to offer Dena’ina dance, drum, language and Native Youth Olympics to all students.
Tułen means “the current is flowing/the river will flow” in Dena’ina. The K-3 school is housed in the Tribe’s Kahtnuht’ana Duhdeldiht Campus in Kenai, Alaska. McFall said the plan is to add a grade each year, up until sixth grade. “We also plan on expanding our language program as we develop Dena’ina language speakers throughout the school,” he added. “We also are in talks with Sealaska to continue to work with them to modify Raven Writes curriculum so that it better represents Dena’ina culture and values.”
