Chancellor's Advisory Committee on Alaska Native Education

CACANE Priorities: Updated 02/20/2025

• Priority 1: Indigenous Student Success 

  • Goal 1: Indigenous Orientation 

  • Goal 2: Survey Students to help with student success and support 

• Priority 2: Indigenizing the University 

  • Goal 3: Research develop onboarding documents for new hires 

  • Goal 4: Request information from programs and departments on Alaska Native Student Success 

• Priority 3: Support Indigenous Community Connections 

  • Goal 5: Invite community connections to CACANE meetings 

  • Goal 6: Plan 1-2 events to establish connections 

• Priority 4: Shaping our Indigenous Identities 

  • Goal 7: Make a recommendation that UAS funds a campaign for BAIS 

  • Goal 8: Visually Indigenize classrooms 

Background

The University of Alaska Southeast mission promotes student learning enhanced by the cultures and environment of Southeast Alaska. UAS values associated with the mission highlight the special importance of the histories, cultures, languages, and arts of Alaska Native peoples, and to promote cultural safety, eliminating disparities, and preventing discrimination on our campuses.

The UAS Chancellor's Advisory Committee on Alaska Native Education (CACANE) provides advice to UAS leadership about fulfilling this mission and acting on these values. In doing so, the committee's work is guided by the following:

Cultural Safety

• Individuals have the right to define themselves independent of the stereotypes of others
• Individuals have the right to define what is safe for their well-being
• Institutions operate conscious of historical traumas and current inequities

Elimination of Disparity

• Our goal is to make systemic changes within the university to ensure that success rates are similar for all students.

Increasing the Presence of Indigenous Languages and Cultures

• Our committee works to ensure that the Lingít (Tlingit), Smʼalgya̱x (Tsimshian), and X̱aad Kíl (Haida) languages are living languages that belong on our campuses and within our institutional documents.
• Our committee also works to ensure that Indigenous peoples, histories, cultures, and ways of knowing are integral parts of all things being taught on our campuses

Committee Mission

The CACANE is charged with advising UAS leadership in the following areas:

• Supporting and improving Alaska Native student recruitment, retention, and program completion

• Developing meaningful partnerships with tribes, Native corporations and non-profits, and other entities that share similar goals in fostering Alaska Native education

• Advancing respectful recognition of Alaska Native heritage

• Promoting and enhancing academic programs, pathways to student success, and student support services in the context of its mission, vision, and values

• Ensuring that UAS coordinate training for administration, faculty, and staff about Alaska Native peoples, histories, languages, arts, and cultures that highlight restorative practices and teaching methodologies that contribute to Alaska Native success

The CACANE shall provide written recommendations to the Chancellor and executive leadership.

Committee Leadership

Current CACANE Chair Members

Davina Cole (she/her)

Northwest Coast Arts Program Coordinator

View profile and contact info

Éedaa Heather D. Burge, B.L.A., M.A.

Assistant Professor of Alaska Native Languages

View profile and contact info

Committee Membership

Membership on the Committee shall include, but is not limited to, UAS Alaska Native faculty, staff, students, and alumni at any of UAS' three campuses. In addition, membership may be extended by mutual agreement of the co-chairs and committee members to Elders and representatives from Alaska Native organizations.

Éedaa Heather Burge (Co-Chair) Assistant Professor of Alaska Native Languages

Davina Cole (Co-Chair), Saak.adoo, Northwest Coast Arts Program Coordinator

Akléi Helen Dangel, Academic Advisor / Title IX Liaison

DáxKílatch, Kolene E. James, Multicultural Services Manager

Forest S. Haven, Goi'pa Sha Hana'ack, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Anthropology and Alaska Native Studies

Janelle Cook, Panruk, Director of Financial Aid 

Jennifer Brown, Assistant Professor of Anthropology

JoMarie Alba, Alaska Native Student Retention Specialist

Judith Dax̱ootsú Ramos, M.A.T., Assistant Professor, Northwest Coast Arts

Ronalda Cadiente Brown Aantooku.aat, M.A., Associate Vice Chancellor for Alaska Native Programs and Director of PITAAS

S'aḵjayéi Yarrow Vaara, Term Assistant Professor in Alaska Native Languages

Wendy K’ah Skáahluwaa Todd, Assistant Professor of Indigenous Studies & Occupational Endorsement

Xéetl’ee Katelyn Stiles, Term Assistant Professor of Indigenous Studies

X̱’unei Lance Twitchell, M.F.A., Ph.D., Professor of Alaska Native Languages

Meeting Frequency and Format

The committee will meet at least three times during the academic year. An agenda will be prepared in advance of each meeting, with prior notification of the date and location of meetings. Provisions will be made allowing for participation at a distance from Ketchikan and Sitka campuses. Meetings for Spring 2025 are held the first Friday of the month from 1:30-2:30PM. 

Meetings in AY25:

• 9/23/24 1-2PM
• 10/28/24 1-2PM
• 11/25/24 1-2PM
• 2/7/25 1:30-2:30PM
• 3/7/25 1:30-2:30PM 
• 4/4/25 1:30-2:30PM 
• 4/17/25 All Day Retreat

UAS Land Acknowledgement