Project Grant

A Journey To What Matters- Old Harbor’s A Time to Dance Again

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Project: A Time To Dance Again
Grantee: Old Harbor Alliance
Written by: Melissa Berns

‘A Time to Dance, Again’ is a program that was developed by the Old Harbor Alliance, our local non-profit, through a grant with the CIRI Foundation, Alaska State Council on the Arts, and many sponsors and supporters. Melissa Berns, Alliance Board Member and OHNC Project Manager coordinated the program in Old Harbor.

This program allowed for youth and community members to participate in regularly instructed Alutiiq dancing, ivory carving, headdress making, regalia making, drum making and mask making workshops all leading up to a dance festival. From July 2016 through March 2017 the Old Harbor Alliance held regularly scheduled Alutiiq dance practice led by Lena Amason-Berns.

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A Journey To What Matters and ASCA Partnership- ARTShops 2016 Constructing Traditional Kayaks

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Project: ARTShops 2016 Constructing Traditional Kayaks Alaska State Council on the Arts Partnership Written by: Cheri Simeonoff, ARTShop Participant The ARTShops program is a collaboration between the Alaska State Council on the Arts, the Alaska Arts and Culture Foundation and The CIRI Foundation’s A Journey to What Matters: Increased Alaska Native Arts and Culture grant … Read more

A Journey To What Matters- Akhiok Kids Camp at Native Village of Akhiok

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Project: Akhiok Kids Camp Grantee: Native Village of Akhiok Written by: Speridon Simeonoff Jr. Photo by: Sven Haakanson Jr.  The camp for the project was located at Cape Alitak with the permission of Akhiok-Kaguyak Inc. All campers/supplies must be transported to the location by skiff. Here materials were gathered from the beach for the Sugpiat Kayak … Read more

A Journey To What Matters- Traditional Material Arts at Elders and Youth

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Project: Traditional Material Arts at Elders and Youth
Grantee: First Alaskans Institute
Story and Photo by: Lena Jacobs, Participant

I, along with my four children between the ages of 2 and 13 and my husband, attended the Athabascan beadwork and red and yellow cedar weaving workshops at the 2017 First Alaskans Institute Elders & Youth Conference. I was so thrilled to have the opportunity to participate in hands-on arts activities and to have my children participate as well. We learned new technical skills for tangible arts (I had never woven cedar before), but we also gained cultural knowledge to help guide our weaving and beading and understand when and how these activities should be done. We met new people as we were at large round tables and interacted with both Elders and youth from all over the state. The camaraderie and willingness of people to help each other and share new knowledge created a beautiful exchange, and I know that some of these people going home with this new knowledge will share it with others. We were so grateful to have this opportunity, and I look forward to more!

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Heritage Project Grant- Professional Production and Development for Alaska Native Playwrights

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Project: Professional Production and Development for Alaska Native Playwrights Grantee: Perseverance Theatre Story by: Frank Henry Kaash Katasse This was what I told a group of students in the International Club at East High School. This room was filled with kids from all across the globe. I wondered if any had ever thought that writing … Read more

A Journey To What Matters Project Grant- First Light at Mt. Edgecumbe

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Project: First Light at Mount Edgecumbe Grantee: First Light Alaska Story and Photo by: Loulare Moore It was an honor and a pleasure for me to participate in the Mount Edgecumbe classes this spring. Not only was I allowed to share some of what I have within me, I gained a broad respect for the students … Read more

A Journey To What Matters Project Grant- Ilanka Cultural Arts

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Project: Ilanka Cultural Arts Grantee: Native Village of Eyak Story and Photo by: Brooke Johnson Our village was able to receive a grant from The CIRI Foundation in 2016 to study our local masks and work on making our own stained glass mask, a medium that was new to almost all of us. This was a … Read more

Heritage Project Grant- Radio Series on “50 Years: Reflect, Refresh, Renew” at the 2016 AFN Convention Photos

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Project: Radio Series on “50 Years: Reflect, Refresh, Renew” at the 2016 AFN Convention
Grantee: Koahnic Broadcast Corporation
Photos by: Koahnic Broadcast Corporation

These images show the AFN broadcasts and the “Youth Media Makers” sessions from the Elders and Youth Conference.

Alaska’s Native Voice

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Heritage Project Grant- Radio Series on “50 Years: Reflect, Refresh, Renew” at the 2016 AFN Convention

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Project: Radio Series on “50 Years: Reflect, Refresh, Renew” at the 2016 AFN Convention
Grantee: Koahnic Broadcast Corporation
Story by: Joel de Jesus

I had the opportunity to participate in a Koahnic Broadcast Corporation project that was funded by a Heritage Project Grant from The CIRI Foundation. We attended the 2016 Alaska Federation of Natives event in Fairbanks, AK. I helped, along with several other people, teach our future generation the art of making sound modules that consisted of audio they captured throughout the Elders and Youth portion of AFN.

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A Journey To What Matters Project Grant- Traditional Alutiiq Skin Sewing and Beading Education

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Project: Traditional Alutiiq Skin Sewing and Beading Education (2015)
Grantee: Native Village of Afognak
Story and Photos by: Nina Gronn

The Native Village of Afognak (NVA) was awarded A Journey To What Matters grant from the CIRI Foundation. NVA used the funding at our Dig Afognak Youth camps for two separate traditional Alutiiq art projects.

Our first project was completed at our Traditional Harvesting and Adventure Earth camp, where the youth created fur pouches that replicated the traditional Alutiiq pouches that our ancestors used. The second project was completed at our Cauyaq (“Music” / Language) Camp, where the youth created Alutiiq head bands. The head bands were used as regalia for their Alutiiq dancing performance at the end of the 6-day long camp.

Both projects were taught by both lecture and hands on learning from a master skin sewer.

Quyanaa!

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