Category: Wisdom

Today, I had the gratification of listening to Selina Everson, Linda Belarde, and David Katzeek. The journeys of their ancestors, children, and communities exposed many emotions and I am grateful to have listened to the people of Southeast Alaska. Just by listening and observing the interactions and communication between our guests, I could feel the power of respect and their passion of place…I hope to use their words and apply them to my teaching.

There was one experience that stuck to me the most as a means to understand students. Linda, a long time educator at an alternative high school, described a circle with the teacher (her) on one side and any particular student on the other side. A line was drawn down the middle of the circle as the divider of knowledge, background, and experience. She then proceeded to describe the interactions between her and the student as arrows that stopped at the half-way mark, but then continued on the side of the receiver. This struck me because it portrayed the amount of control a teacher will have on a student. As teacher, we can deliver advise and our words of wisdom as best we can, but in the end it is the student who receives it and can interpret it in his half of the circle. I hope to connect with my students in many ways while understanding their half of the circle.

It was inspirational to hear that our education has made an effort to integrate Native language, arts, and include specialists in the schools. This is part of our Alaska history and I believe Tlingit values should be incorporated into all classrooms. We still have a long way to go, but I hope to be active in my part as an educator inside and outside of the school.

I feel so fortunate to have listened to these three elders offer advice and share their experience. I felt going into this course that I had an understanding of what multi-cultural education is, but after just three days I realize how shallow my understanding was. Listening to Selina describe having her culture stripped from her as a child and seeing how deeply she feels that pain all these years later left a deep impression.

The advice Linda gave to a teacher in her story to “love your students” seems simple, but the context of her story made it much more profound: to love your students through respect and understanding of their diverse backgrounds and cultures, which will require a truly multicultural curriculum and classroom environment. Accomplishing this will take constant care and reflectiveness on the part of the teacher, but without it children – and, more broadly, entire cultures – can be acutely harmed.

Hearing Salina Everson, David Katzeek, and Linda Belarde this afternoon in many ways drew my mind back to my childhood, attending potlatch’s with my family, eating Tlingit food, and sitting patiently as an Elder spoke. As I grew older, I became more restless when listening to Elders. Perhaps I thought that they had nothing worthwhile to say to me. Of course, many years later I recognize the value of their wisdom.

What struck me most, however, about today’s presentation was the generational gap, however furtive it may have been, that was revealed by Peter’s question about gender roles in Tlingit culture. The answers I heard stood in stark contrast to contemporary views on gender roles and LGTB rights. Ms. Everson noted how women, traditionally, were not permitted to speak until either all the men had finished speaking, or they spoke only in response to a male questioner. While Tlingit society was matrilineal, that is, following your mother’s line, it was patriarchal in that men dominated. Matrilineal relates to how we are recognized, or our identity as clan members, not how much power the women have. Our clan identity is passed on via our mothers, but men held the power. Ms. Everson acknowledged that times are changing. Mr. Katzeek made an affirmation counter to current views of transgender identity. There is so much to learn from our Elders, they add value to every young person’s life, but while affirming the rights of all persons, there may potentially be areas of disconnect between traditional and contemporary world views.

What advice did you hear that resonated with you?

What implications might this have for you as a teacher?

When Linda talked about the students she knew that didn’t do well in school simply because they didn’t see how what they were learning related to them or why it was important. David also talked about this and how he did much better in school once he realized its usefulness and importance. This resonated with me because I see it so often in schools, when students don’t care about what they are learning they don’t do well. As often as I can I want to show students why the things they learn in school matter and how they can use the knowledge they are gaining. I also like the part where Linda talked about the kid who came up to her and realized that everything we learn in school is connected. I liked this part because it remained me of the times when I’ve seen students make similar connections, and how eager they are to share these realizations.

 

I’m very grateful for Angie allowing the three elders to share their lives and culture during class today. I have heard about the Tlingit people losing their language several times already, but I didn’t really sense the wound until Salina told us about the banning of the Tlingit language in person. Some may argue that missionaries had great intent on spreading the gospel to Alaskans, but I believe it wounded the people and the culture more than they helped. I am grateful how strong the culture is getting today and hoping it’s only going to get richer. Linda told the most recent history of the Tlingit history, which basically gave us a broader picture of history. It was sad to hear that the Tlingit culture and language classes weren’t offered for many years. I wouldn’t know how to cope with the loss of my own language and culture. I am also impressed with David’s knowledge and his ability to use stories as inspirations for our lives. It’s impressive how he went from the bottom of the class in high school to being the top student in college. Thankful they were willing to share before they pass on.

Another thing that was cool to hear was how Linda told us that the only thing we can control is what we hear and the words we say to another person. We can’t control who hears us or what they say to us.

I was struck and inspired by the value and appreciation our guests had for us as teachers. They believe in our power to educate their descendants with intention and respect. When Selina told her story about her experience at Sheldon Jackson college, being forbidden to speak her native language, I thought that memory maybe would have jaded her view and trust of educators, but she was so thrilled to speak to us about the improvement she has seen with Tlingit language in the schools. She was so passionate in sharing her story with people who can make that difference for students in the future.

David talked about how everything we need and all our students need to be successful is within us. “It is in you” was really empowering to hear, and definitely something I will pass on to empower my students. In a similar vein, Linda’s coping mechanism focused on the teacher’s boundaries and agency. She took away some pressure by saying we can only control our response to what we are given in the classroom, we can’t control how other people act or react. In that way, it is within us to choose our responsible, yet respectful boundaries. Having completed my student teaching already for the program, I feel fairly burnt out and without direction. Their wisdom was a source of strength today. They convinced me that I really do have it within me to teach 6 hours a week, take 9 credits of graduate school, and plan for what’s next in the next 3 weeks. I wish I could have had their words with me during times of my student teaching this year, when I really questioned whether I was cut out for this extremely hard job I’ve signed up for. Now I will carry it with me as inspiration and pass it along to my students, so that they know everyday that they are unique, precious, and capable of VERY much.