If you want to learn an Alaska Native language, the cost will no longer a barrier. The University of Alaska Southeast is offering courses for free.
On this Tuesday’s Juneau Afternoon, how this program came about – and the role UAS hopes it will play in its Native language revitalization efforts.
Also, on this program.
- An ode to summer solstice. Perspectives from an astronomer, astrologer and poet.
- From a pet parade to a Prom, SEAGLA has a full week of Pride Month events.
Rhonda McBride hosted this Tuesday’s program. You can catch Juneau Afternoon,Tuesday through Friday, live at 3:00 p.m. on KTOO Juneau 104.3. The rebroadcast airs at 7:00 p.m. on KTOO. You can also listen online at ktoo.org.
For more information about Juneau Afternoon or to schedule time on the show, email juneauafternoon@ktoo.org.
Part 1: UAS: The healing power of Alaska Native languages now accessible to all.
Guests: X̱ʼunei Lance Twitchell, UAS Professor of Alaska Native Languages. Carin Sylkaitis, UAS Dean of Arts & Sciences.
This fall, you can take an online class from the University of Alaska Southeast in Lingít, Haida or Tsimshian. And it won’t cost you a thing, as long as you’re not taking it for credit.
For X̱ʼunei Lance Twitchell, an Alaska Native language professor at UAS, it’s been a longtime dream to give people free access to learning Indigenous languages.
Twitchell says, it doesn’t seem right for Alaska Natives to have to pay for classes, when you consider that their language was stolen from them. He hopes the courses will help to heal trauma from language loss.
In this segment, KTOO’s Rhonda McBride and Claire Stremple talk with Twitchell and Carin Sylkaitis, UAS Dean of Arts and Sciences, about how the program will work.
Part 2: Steve Kocsis: The science behind solstice.
Guests: Steve Kocsis, Marie Drake Planetarium. Steve Kocsis, a Marie Drake Planetarium volunteer, talks about when summer solstice will occur in Juneau.
Part 3: Juneau poet Linda Buckley celebrates solstice and summer.
Listen to a few poem’s from Linda Buckley’s new book, “Made of Rain,” which includes a haiku about summer solstice. Her books are available on her website: lindabuckleyalaska.com.
Part 4: Summer solstice 2022: A time to awaken our consciousness.
Guests: Nicoli Ann Bailey, Astrologer.
Nicoli Bailey, a longtime Alaskan, retired recently, so she could spend more time pursuing her passion for astrology. She talks with KTOO’s Rhonda McBride about the significance of summer solstice from an astrological perspective. Bailey says this year, solstice arrives amid a line-up of strong planets that will work to awaken our consciousness. Bailey’s website is: nicoliannbailey.net.
Part 5: Juneau Pride Month: Focus on community.
Guests: Abi Spofford, SEAGLA volunteer. Emily Mesch, SEAGLA Board Member. How this year’s Juneau Pride Month events are designed to draw families and young people.
