2022 Indigenous Peoples’ Day Events

On May 22, 2011, the State of Alaska lost a great man--Dr. Walter Soboleff, a Tlingit leader, teacher, pastor, and traditional scholar. He was a beloved figure who served Native and non-Native people in too many ways to count. He served on Sealaska Heritage Institute's Board of Trustees since 1985 and as our Chair since 1988--he was a leader of SHI almost as long as SHI has been around. He was also a traditional scholar and fluent speaker of the Tlingit language. He was 102 when he Walked Into the Forest. He was 101 when he gave this welcome address at Grand Entrance, Celebration 2010.

Read more about Dr. Walter Soboleff

Dax̱kil.átch Kolene James, Aantooxu.aat Ronalda Cadiente Brown, and Dr. X̱ʼunei Lance Twitchell talk about the Indigenous Histories of the University of Alaska Southeaast, and about the Indigenous Futures they envision.

Made for Indigenous Peoplesʼ Day 2022 with assistance from the Spencer Foundation.

Our Journey Forward
Honorable people!
Gunalchéesh! Thank you for coming!

The University of Alaska Southeast celebrates Indigenous Peoples’ Day and acknowledges that we all teach and learn on Lingít Aaní.

Land acknowledgement is not an end unto itself. Land acknowledgment is but the bare beginning of our journey.

We must not let this land acknowledgment ring hollow. How do we do this?

We are coming together.
We are pulling together.
We are working together to put the canoe in the water for our journey forward.

We must listen to the stories of old from the people of this land. Lingít have a rich history which goes back to the time of legends.

Legends, the Lingít language, and traditions of the Lingít are intimately and intricately intertwined with the land.

To acknowledge the land is to acknowledge these other things and come to know them. Do this and land acknowledgements of the future will not ring hollow.

Hold this in your heart. The cultural bearers who have gone before us are still with us as we continue to speak ou rancestral languages, continue the traditions, and share these things with a new generation.

Yes, Charlie Joseph Sr, Ethel Makinen, Vida Davis, Naomi Kanosh, Herman Kitka, Mark Jacobs Jr, Isabella Brady, and so many Elders have shared their knowledge with us. We celebrate and honor that. We have been blessed that there are far too many respected people to name here on this short page. Every single one of us can think of many culture bearers that have touched our lives so deeply. We honor them now.

We are entering the canoe.
Ravens and eagles put their paddles in the water.
Everybody is invited to join us in the canoe.

Has Du Ítx̱ Yaa Ntoo.át Haa Shuká Aa Hás

We Are Following Them, The Ones Who Went Ahead of Us (Our Ancestors).

Our journey forward begins!"

- Yookhis'kookhéik (Dave Kanosh)
He who controls the tide

Clan Deisheetaan
Shdeenhit (Steel House)

00:00:00 Opening Slide Show
00:02:33 Opening Declaration
00:03:09 Opening Remarks - Yeidikook'áa (Dionne Brady- Howard)
00:07:45 Welcome by Sitka Campus Director Paul Kraft
00:12:38 Mary Peltola Introduction - Crystal Duncan
00:21:19 Mary Peltola Keynote Address
00:31:59 Noow Tlein Dancers & friends
00:50:21 Closing Credits