Riverbend Elementary is officially renamed Kax̱dig̱oowu Héen

Riverbend Principal Elizabeth Pisel-Davis poses in front of the school on Feb. 28, 2022.
Kax̱dig̱oowu Héen Principal Elizabeth Pisel-Davis poses in front of the school on Feb. 28, 2022. (Photo by Bridget Dowd/KTOO)

Juneau’s Riverbend Elementary is now called Kax̱dig̱oowu Héen.

Tuesday night, the board of education passed the proposal to give the school a Lingít name.

Kax̱dig̱oowu Héen translates to “going back to clear water.” It’s used to refer to a part of the Mendenhall River.

 

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Unlike other Juneau schools, the name won’t be added to the end of “Riverbend” but will replace it entirely. 

Students have been practicing the new name for months. It was proposed to the district Board of Education in April. 

Kax̱dig̱oowu Héen is now one of six schools in Juneau with a Lingít name. There are another seven schools in the Juneau School District that don’t yet have proposed name changes. 

Yvonne Krumrey

Local News Reporter, KTOO

Juneau is built on hidden and assumed layers of power and access, influencing how we interact with identity, with the law and with each other. I bring you stories of the gaps in access to power, and those who are working to close those gaps.

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