Brief History
In recent years, there have been many Indigenous Language school programs in Alaska. With the passage of Native Language Education, AS 14.30.420, the State pledged to establish Native language advisory boards in all districts where the Native population was over 50%. Since then, there has been progress. It has been slow, due to lack of institutional and financial support as well as remaining inter-generational trauma around schooling and US Boarding School policy.
Below are great models for language schools. More schools teaching Alaska Native languages are below--along with suggested resources for those interested.
Programs in Alaska
School Programs
K - 12 Alaska Native Language Programs
Since 1992, the Ya Ne Dah Ah School has striven to teach, preserve, and rejuvenate the Ahtna Athabascan language, culture, songs, dances, earth stewardship, and history of Chickaloon Village using traditional methods.
St Paul School
St. Paul School in the Pribilof School District teaches the Aleut language.
Tanana City School District
Maudrey J. Sommer School teaches Koyukon Athabascan
Preschool Programs
Cook Inlet Native Head Start
Building Strong Foundations with Alaska Native Families through Alaska Native Cutures and Education
Cook Inlet Tribal Council
CITC Yup'ik kindergarten in Anchorage teaches toddlers.
Tlingit Immersion Preschool
A new preschool language nest recently started in Juneau!
University Programs
Iḷisaġvik College offers an Iñupiaq Studies program.
Central Yup'ik is spoken by the largest number of people, and Inupiaq by the next largest. In these two languages major and minor curricula are offered. Courses are also regularly offered in Gwich'in Athabascan. For work in all other languages, individual or small-group instruction is offered in special topics. Thus there has frequently been instruction, seminars, and workshops also in Tlingit, Haida, St. Lawrence Island, Aleut, and Koyukon, plus comparative Eskimo and comparative Athabascan.
University of Alaska, Anchorage has a minor in Alaska Native Studies, and teaches introductory language courses in Iñupiaq, Yup'ik, Tlingit and Dena'ina.
UAS offers a variety of Alaska Native language classes, including a minor in Tlingit language.
As of 2022, UAA offers 7 different Alaska Native languages (Yup’ik, Tlingit, Ahtna, Dena'ina, Alutiiq, Inupiaq, & Unangam Tunuu). We offer three Occupational Endorsement Certificates - 1 OEC in Dena'ina; 1 OEC in Ahtna, 1 OEC in Alutiiq.
