HUMANITIES ALASKA

In Focus from Humanities Magazine

2009-09-15T13:53:00.001-08:00

From Humanities Magazine

IN FOCUS
Alaska’s Gregory W. Kimura
HUMANITIES, September/October 2009Volume 30, Number 5

BY DAVID HOLTHOUSE
Half a century before Alaska became a state, Gregory Kimura’s great-grandfather left Japan for the United States, where he worked his way up the west coast before landing in Anchorage, a frontier port and burgeoning tent city that was rife with entrepreneurial opportunities.
“I like to say that he was the first Japanese American to start up a Chinese laundry in Anchorage, and the first to open a Chinese restaurant,” says Kimura, president and CEO of the Alaska Humanities Forum. “Fortunately, he was successful. He sent back to Japan for a wife, and my family’s been here since.”
Even after his entire family was forced into an internment camp in Minidoka, Idaho, following the attack on Pearl Harbor, they chose to return to Alaska after the war. The place also drew Kimura back.
“I’ve lived elsewhere, gone to school elsewhere, but I’m first and foremost an Alaskan,” he says. “The land, the people. It’s a matchless place.”
An ordained Episcopalian priest, Kimura holds a master’s from Harvard Divinity School and a doctorate in the philosophy of religion from Cambridge University. He served as a parish priest, university chaplain, professor, and the chair of the Department of Liberal Studies at Alaska Pacific University before joining the Alaska Humanities Forum in 2006.
“When this opportunity presented itself, I went for it immediately. The Alaska Humanities Forum is different from most state councils. It punches big for its weight,” he says. “We’re nimble enough that we’re one of the very few organizations or institutions that can deliver high-quality humanities-based activities across the vast geography and cultures of Alaska.”
Kimura points out that people in the Lower 48 may not be aware of how diverse Alaska is. “We’re really our own country. We have almost one hundred languages spoken in the Anchorage School District, everything from Hmong to dozens of Alaska Native dialects.”
Some of that diversity, however, can be attributed to the rural and urban worldviews that have defined Alaska since the beginning. “It’s clear from talk-radio discourse in Alaska that a vast disparity exists in people’s understanding of what it means to be rural in Alaska, which really means practicing a traditional subsistence lifestyle, and urban Alaska, which is much like any section of urban America, with the exception that wilderness is fifteen minutes from your door.”
Gregory W. Kimura
—Chris Arend
To bridge what he terms “a vast disparity of understanding,” Kimura points out the AKHF-sponsored “Rose Urban Rural Exchange,” in which students and teachers from forty rural and urban “sister schools” traded places and experienced each other’s worlds.
“The effect has been to break down stereotypes in both directions,” says Kimura. “RURE, of all our programs, has had the most profound effect on changing people’s lives.”
Also since taking over the Alaska Humanities Forum, Kimura has played an integral role in developing the Alaska State History Curriculum, a state history proficiency requirement that as of 2009 is mandatory for all graduating high school seniors. “The curriculum is available online. It had to be created from scratch, as there is no basic Alaska history textbook. Now it has three million visitors a year. We want it widely accessible because we’re trying to cultivate an overarching understanding of our common history,” says Kimura.
This year marks the fiftieth anniversary of Alaska’s statehood. To commemorate, the Alaska Humanities Forum is publishing Alaska at 50: The Past, Present, and Next Fifty Years of Statehood, a collection of essays by artists, politicians, and activists selected by Kimura, who edited the work.
“Certainly, any ethos is also partly mythos,” he writes in the collection’s introduction, “As much as Alaskans like to tout our distinctiveness, you can still get McDonald’s hamburgers and Starbucks lattes in mid-sized towns all over the state. . . . And yet, Alaska truly is different. Bigger, wilder, with the tallest mountains. . . . Some historians and critics seek to overthrow such myths. I believe exactly the opposite. I think of myth in the anthropological sense: myth as a story with power, a story with a kernel of truth or moral that survives the falsification of any particular facts that may constitute it. . . . And yet, it seems that only myth has the imaginative power to explain the ‘Alaskan difference,’ what makes Alaska, ‘Alaska.’”
David Holthouse will always call Alaska home. His work has appeared in Rolling Stone, the Village Voice, and the Nation.
HUMANITIES, September/October 2009, Volume 30, Number 5

New grant for post-secondary success

2009-09-15T13:51:00.001-08:00

The Alaska Humanities Forum has been awarded a three year $1.62 million competitive grant from the US Department of Education for a new program leading to post-secondary educational success. The new program targets rural Alaska students as they move from village high school to university and professional training.
This new program follows the successful model of the Alaska Humanities Forum’s “Rose Urban Rural Exchange,” aimed at middle and high school students. RURE has operated since 2000, with close to 1,000 graduates from every corner of the state.
“AKHF is delighted to receive this new grant that will allow us to expand the good work of RURE to include a post-secondary track,” said Dr. Greg Kimura, Alaska Humanities Forum president and CE0. “The new program will cultivate the remarkable and talented students in Alaskan villages and prepare them to meet the challenges they will face post-high school.
“It will give them the tools they need to succeed, whether in college or specialized training.”
Two recent University of Alaska papers highlight the difficulties in making the transition. They point to the issue of the cultural leap made between village and urban educational setting, which the new program bridges (cf. “Alaska Native Graduates of UAA: What can they Tell Us? [UA Research Summary, no. 11] and “The University of Alaska: How is it Doing?” [UA Research Summary, no.] 12). The new program will partner with the University of Alaska, Job Corps, the Lower Yukon School District, the Lower Kuskokwim School District, and other Alaskan organizations.
“The Alaska Humanities Forum is extremely grateful to the Alaska Congressional delegation for its unwavering support,” said Dr. Kimura. “Their work has secured essential funding for RURE and other Forum programs with a positive educational impact across the state for all Alaskans. This new program would not be possible without their help.”
“I am pleased to see the Alaska Humanities Forum’s efforts to help Alaska’s students make the transition from home community to college campus or job training,” said Sen. Murkowski. “This is a logical extension of what the Forum has accomplished with the Rose Urban Rural Exchange.”
“Preparing our young people to be the next generation of leaders is important for the well-being of all Alaskans,” said Sen. Begich. “This new program will help to make that possible.”
Rose Urban Rural Director Laurie Evans-Dinneen, who authored the grant, will oversee the new program. The grant was determined through a competitive application process of the US Department of Education, with the support of the Alaska Congressional delegation.

Humanities and the Great Recession

2009-08-04T14:25:00.000-08:00

Alaskans will remember 2008-09 as the 50th anniversary of statehood. As Alaskans reflect on the meaning of being American, most Americans will associate this year with the beginning of the most serious financial crisis since the Great Depression.
I refer to these events as a reminder that the study of history – and of the humanities in general – centers us amidst the swirl of crises that buffet the world. How we confront and overcome crises speaks to character, borne out over time, informed by reflection upon those civic virtues that make us who we are.
It is not so much, following George Santayana, that “those who don’t study history are condemned to repeat it,” as if we could scientifically map a future that is free of crisis or conflict; it is rather as Faulkner wrote: “The past is not even past.”
We must learn our history because it is constitutive of our character. This knowledge guides us to our greatest heights as a nation and sustains us through difficult times, which will always come. In fact, it is during difficult times that we become acutely aware of how important history is.
History and all the humanities are indispensible during downturns. History tells us that this financial crisis, credit crunch, “Great Recession” -- or whatever we call it -- is not a short affair. It will take a decade or more to recover. There will be a lot of human suffering along the way. We as a people must be prepared to courageously address it.
We won’t be able to simply or painlessly “innovate” our way out of this crisis, and it is not enough to rely on technical or professional knowledge of so-called “value-free” market forces to guide the way. This model delivered us to our present mess.
A striking agreement on both sides of the aisle is the acknowledgement that the crisis is due in part to corporate arrogance and greed. Since most Americans are invested somehow in the market, this is an indictment of all of us (a point politicians may not be as enthusiastic to point out, or we to countenance.)
Greed, of course, is a term of ethics and values, which are at the heart of the humanities. This economic crisis should be a time for all Americans – and especially Alaskans in this golden anniversary year – to reflect on the collective values to which we aspire, and which have sustained us through the past.
The unrelenting study of the meaning of our values is the purview of the humanities. Too often values and ethics are seen as add-ons to technical or professional education – such as a class like “business ethics” to satisfy a graduation requirement. Rather, they should be the framework upon which technical and professional knowledge hang. And not just in university, but starting much earlier.
Would a broad education in ethics, civics, and history have prevented the current crisis? Perhaps a survey of human nature would not render a favorable judgment here either. Yet, the humanities exert a counter-force to the easy answers and economic-political jargon that too quickly abstract from human struggle and minimize real suffering.
The humanities’ central subject matter is human nature, and when it comes to what got us into the crisis and what may get us out, I’m reminded of a quote from one of America’s greatest writers on the subject of economic woe, “Grapes of Wrath” author John Steinbeck:
“Man is the only kind of varmint sets his own trap, baits it, then steps in it.”

Kachemak Bay Writers' Conference, 2009

2009-06-17T10:01:00.009-08:00

The 2009 Kachemak Bay Writers' Conference just wrapped up (June 12-16). Before all the dust settles, I wanted to congratulate K-Bay Campus of UAA Director Carol Swartz, all the faculty, and the attendees for another successful year.

The summer is full of writers' conferences. You can head to NYC, Sewanee, New England, even Hawaii to hone your craft with writers of record. However, I have come to appreciate the K-Bay Conference for a number of reasons.

First, it is in a place of matchless beauty. Homer and the surrounding Kachemak Bay area is one of the most breathtaking locations to spend time. I hit Homer 4-6 times a year. I've spent the New Year there, spring, fishing season, and fall. It is always restorative -- yes, even in that temperate rainforest drizzle.

Second, the community itself is extraordinarily supportive of the conference, and the life of the arts, culture, and humanities in general. The Pratt Museum has won a national award and the Bunnell Street Art Gallery (er, Art Center) is one of the best in the state. It seems like half of the places in town host First Fridays. A number of well-known artists and writers with national reputations live or have lived in the area: Jewel, Tom Bodett, Ron Senungetuk, Daniel Coyle, Dana Stabenow.

Third, and this is not to be underestimated, Homer is a quirky place. It brings together crusty fishermen, eco-tourists, Spit rats, socialists, libertarians (the first elected to a state legislature), ocean kayakers, and some of the best bakeries I've ever been to (why can't we get this in Anchorage?). Oh, and one of best boutiques anywhere -- Home Jeans. Quirkiness is another word for interesting. Supposedly, Homer was a model for the TV show 'Northern Exposure.' I can believe it.

Finally, the K-Bay Writers' Conference itself. This is a signature Homer event, meaning that it is laid-back, with less attitude and more real interaction amongst attendees and faculty. This cannot be stressed enough. I've been to three of them, so far, and have observed an unheard of access to the keynote speakers, for example. This is a small thing, but it points to a larger 'friendliness' and supportive atmosphere that makes this conference stand out. It is truly enjoyable.

This rubs off on the keynoters, like Li-Young Lee this year. He is clearly a shy person (same with Annie Lamott, last year), but folks made him feel comfortable. His opening talk at Land's End was one of the most substantive talks on the philosophy behind writing that I've heard anywhere -- and what he said was largely off-the-cuff. Same thing with the public reading at Homer High on Saturday night. Li-Young buried his face in his books and notebooks, but read so well, and with such a mellifluous voice, that I heard people around me weeping.

I heard some grumblings when Li-Young Lee was announced. Clearly, he is not as well-known outside of writers' circles as some of the other K-Bay keynoters. Now that I've read all four of his poetry collections, I see why he is considered a writer's writer (a poet's poet?). It is clear that his best poems will be read for generations. I'm not sure that can be said of the more pop. writers who have been at the Conference....

New Harmonies: Celebrating American Roots Music -- Alaska

2009-04-28T15:57:00.002-08:00

The Smithsonian is coming to Alaska.

The Alaska Humanities Forum is pleased to announce that the Smithsonian Institution’s ‘Museum on Main Street’ program is coming to Alaska for the first time ever. The exhibit, titled “New Harmonies: Celebrating American Roots Music”, features blues, gospel, bluegrass, folk, and, for the first time in MoMS history, traditional Alaska Native cultural music, as a locally-developed part of the program.

From www.museumonmainstreet.org

Listen to America's music and hear the story of freedom. It's the story of people in a New World places they have left behind, and ideas they have brought with them. It is the story of people who were already here, but whose world is remade. The distinct cultural identities of all of these people are carried in song -- both sacred and secular. Their music tracks the unique history of many peoples reshaping each other into one incredibly diverse and complex people -- Americans. Their music is the roots of American music.

Museum on Main Street is collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution and Federation of State Humanities Councils. It is designed to bring the highest quality exhibitions to smaller museums that normally would not be able to access the international-class resources of the Smithsonian Institution. Small museums provide programming and content on the local perspective and that material becomes incorporated in the larger national travelling exhibition.

After a competitive national application, the Alaska Humanities Forum was awarded “New Harmonies” for 2009. Almost twenty small or rural Alaska museums applied to participate. After a highly competitive statewide process, four museums in disparate communities were selected: the Alutiiq Museum and Archaeological Repository, Kodiak; the Sheldon Museum and Cultural Center, Haines; the Dorothy G. Page Museum and Historic Town Site, Wasilla; and the Pratt Museum, Homer.

“New Harmonies: Alaska” kicks off with the official opening reception 4-6 pm, Friday, May 1 at the Alutiiq Museum and Archaeological Repository, 215 Mission Road, in Kodiak. Opening performances include the choir of St. Herman’s Russian Orthodox Seminary and local Sugpiat drummers and dancers. Educational programming over the course of the exhibition in Kodiak include local folk music histories, historic instruments, Native drum making classes for children and adults, and Alutiiq singing classes. For more information, visit www.alutiiqmusuem.org.

“‘New Harmonies: Celebrating American Roots Music’” is an opportunity for Alaskans to tell their history and their story through the music that moves us,” says Dr. G. W. Kimura, President and CEO of the Alaska Humanities Forum. “This is a tremendous honor for Alaska to be awarded this Smithsonian Exhibition.

It is a great chance for us to show the rest of the US our distinctive Alaskan culture – in all its diversity – through the wonderful music we all enjoy.”

The exhibition schedule is as follows. Visit the museum websites for more details of local activities and programs to accompany “New Harmonies.” Also visit www.akhf.org for more information and the “New Harmonies: Alaska” page on Facebook (www.facebook.org) for updates, or call the Alaska Humanities Forum at 907/272-5341.

· Alutiiq Museum, Kodiak (www.alutiiqmuseum.org) -- 4.28 - 6.6

· Sheldon Museum, Haines (www.sheldonmuseum.org) -- 6.26 ~ 8.8

· Page Museum, Wasilla (www.cityofwasilla.com/museum)-- 8.24 ~ 10.30

· Homer (www.prattmuseum.org) -- 11.13 ~ 12.30

The Museum on Main Street “New Harmonies” exhibition in Alaska is made possible through generous support from the Alaska Humanities Forum, the Harper Arts Touring Fund of Rasmuson Foundation, Lynden, and the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES).

Acting NEH Chair Carole Watson

2009-03-16T09:58:00.004-08:00

Acting NEH Chair Carole Watson addressed a group of state humanities councils advocates in the Montpelier Room, Madison Building, Library of Congress at the annual 'Humanities on the Hill' reception, Monday, March 2.

Amongst those in attendance were Rep. David Obey of Wisconsin; David Ramseur, chief of staff for Sen. Mark Begich of Alaska; and Jeremy Bernard, NEH Director of White House and Congressional Affairs. Text is below:

Remarks by NEH Acting Chairman Carole Watson
March 2, 2009
Welcome to Washington.
I want to start with a thank you.
Thank you staff and members of the national network of state humanities councils for coming to Washington - as you do each and every year - to make the case for the humanities. I want you to know how much we appreciate your efforts.
I stand proudly before you as NEH's Acting Chairman. And my pride stems not just from the honor I feel to have been charged by President Obama to lead the agency in the coming weeks and months, but also because I absolutely know the Endowment and its achievements. And for years I also have closely followed the work that you do - in all its amazing variety.
I know - and you know - that this work is critically important for the health of our democratic society. The work that you do has value, certainly beyond the number of jobs that it can generate: the families, students, teachers that you reach, the programs that enable citizens to reflect on and to discuss the most pressing issues of the day, the programs that help us to understand our place in the world and in the flow of human history, the programs that help us understand our nation's culture and its history. I proclaim the value of this work as we embark on the adventure of a new presidential administration.
NEH is proud of programs you mount for the people of your state, but we are also proud of something else -- the amazing capacity state councils have developed over the years -- to make the humanities available literally to every corner of and community in this country. (And, to every Congressional district, I might add.) You do this - through a process of local decision-making about what is actually needed and where. The network that state councils individually and collectively represent, and that capacity to deliver on this public good, is part of the story you will be telling tomorrow.
In the Chairman's Office at NEH - 44 years later - is a framed photograph of President Lyndon Johnson, taken on the occasion when he signed our founding legislation into law. Surely, President Johnson was convinced then - as later Presidents have been - that the humanities are important not only in the American academy but also as an active force in the nation's civic life.
The words in the document that President Johnson signed are profound and still inspire today. You know them: The Congress finds and declares, "The arts and the humanities belong to all the people of the United States." And: "Democracy demands wisdom and vision in its citizens."
That means: people of all ages, people of all income levels, all people everywhere. That means, in good economic times and in the midst of dire economic crisis, such as we are living through today. The Endowment can and does do its part, but the statement about reaching all the people of the United States has special relevance when we at NEH think of our partnership with you.
While state councils have gone from strength to strength - intellectually, creatively, institutionally - as you define ways to best serve the people of your states, the stresses of recent years have made your lives quite difficult. I am fully aware of the severe financial strains you've endured in recent years. And tonight, I want to reassure you about the stability of your federal funding from NEH - and that the Endowment's commitment to the state humanities councils is firm. In addition, I am very hopeful about increased financial support of our work in the near future.
In light of that, I hope that you are aware - and fully appreciate - the role that the Federation has played consistently in bringing your case to all parties that matter, including at the NEH. I hope you know that that has not always been easy. I especially want to thank Willis Lott, Paul Hunter, Esther Mackintosh, and John Matthews for the advocacy role they have played both inside and outside the Endowment. And special thanks also to Joe Kelly for his leadership of the Federation's Legislative Committee.
Let me take the opportunity to introduce NEH's new Director of White House and Congressional Affairs, Jeremy Bernard. I have every confidence in him and hope you will take the opportunity to meet him this evening. Let me also acknowledge your other internal NEH advocates, Edie Manza, Kathleen Mitchell, and Dwan Reece.
So, I believe that you have a great case to present to your representatives tomorrow. Good luck with your visits. Thank you.

FOR THE RIGHTS OF ALL, NEW YORK CITY

2009-02-23T18:43:00.005-09:00

Dateline: NYC

On Tuesday, February 17, New Yorkers were treated to a sneak preview of FOR THE RIGHTS OF ALL: ENDING JIM CROW IN ALASKA. The film, supported by a number of organizations including the Alaska Humanities Forum, previewed at the Cantor Film Center at New York University's famed film school.

Produced and directed by long-time Alaskan Jeff Silverman, FOR THE RIGHTS OF ALL recounts the history of Alaska's struggle for civil rights. Legislation passed by the Territorial Legislature and signed by Governor Ernest Gruening in 1946 was the first civil rights/anti-discrimination law in the United States -- beating the New York State Legislature by a mere two weeks and the U.S. Congress by nearly two decades.

Silverman's film tells the story in a combination of first-person narrative and historical reconstruction with Alaskan actors. I was able to attend and help introduce the film and, at several points in it, turned around in the theatre to see people weeping as the story progressed.

FOR THE RIGHTS OF ALL is Silverman's first film for national release, and is scheduled to show on PBS in November in conjunction with American Indian/Alaska Native Month. I see the long-term value of the film in Alaska as a resource for students and citizens to reflect on how the Alaskan story of civil rights anticipated and prefigured the US story, and how, in this way, the Alaskan story speaks to the larger American story of struggling with race, identity, respect, and tolerance.

Perhaps the most stirring part of the evening, post-fim came during the q and a when Alaskan actor and Native Alan Hayton, who portrayed Roy Peratrovich spoke about the impact of the film and his pride in the accomplishments of people like Roy, Elizabeth Peratrovich, and others, who paved the way for all Alaskans today. Bravo!

Drivers of the Alaska Economy -- ISER report

2009-01-05T08:47:00.004-09:00

Back in 2008 (December), I heard a presentation by Prof. Scott Goldsmith of the Institute of Social and Economic Research reviewing this new study.

This is the best nontechnical summary of the dynamics of the contemporary Alaskan economy, examining everything from the role of petroleum to congressional earmarks. It should be required reading for every Alaskan and for folks in the Lower 48 who are quick to criticise our state.

Back to basics: ISER study analyzes drivers of Alaska economy
By: Staff Dec 19, 2008
‘30,000-foot’ view shows feds, oil industry fuel 2/3rds of all economic activityANCHORAGE, AK – A new study of the Alaska economy by the UAA Institute of Social and Economic Research is unlike any previous study because it analyzes the underlying drivers of the economy to find out what makes it tick.According to an ISER summary (PDF) of the study, “Instead of looking just at jobs in a specific activity – seafood processing, for instance – we allocate all the jobs throughout the economy to the basic sectors that support them. The method gives a clearer picture of the structure of the economy, but it may produce different numbers than other methods.” Said Scott Goldsmith, an ISER economist who led the study and authored the 140-page report, “Structural Analysis of the Alaska Economy: What are the Drivers? (PDF)”:“To my knowledge, it’s the first study that’s looked from 30,000 feet at the whole economy and asked the questions, What are all the drivers of the economy, and how important is each one, and by implication, what might we expect in the future from each of these drivers – which ones are likely to stagnate, which ones are likely to grow, which ones can we foster growth in by some set of policies? Consequently, where are our opportunities? Where are our constraints?”Taking the broadest analytical view is to return to a fundamental economic question: What brings money into the state, and what economic (multiplier) effects does that money have? The study finds that 14 sectors and industries – private and public, large and small – drive Alaska’s economy. Often the number of Alaskans they employ directly is small compared with the number of jobs they support indirectly. Remove any one, and the economy would contract by a certain percentage. What makes the economy tick – what fuels 2/3rds of all economic activity in the state – are the United States government’s spending in Alaska through both defense and non-defense agencies (fueling 35 percent of the state’s economy), and the petroleum industry (31 percent), according to the study.If there were no oil industry in Alaska, there would be nearly 108,000 fewer jobs in the state, and Alaskans as a whole would be earning almost $7 billion less, according to the study. For the federal government, the numbers are larger still: Without Uncle Sam, nearly $10 billion in personal income and 131,000 jobs would disappear. (These are 2005 figures. Averaged over the years 2004-2006, the petroleum sector was responsible for 110,000 jobs, the feds 125,000.)Each of the two major sectors currently are contributing less to the Alaska economy than previously because of lower oil prices and shrinking federal spending in Alaska. But the state can still weather the current U.S. recession, providing the recession doesn’t last for too long, Goldsmith said.What cushions Alaska is “a lot of money in the bank,” he said.The study is part of a new ISER initiative, “Investing for Alaska’s Future,” funded by a grant from Northrim Bank and in partnership with the UA Foundation. It is the first of several reports on the Alaska economy to help Alaskans understand it and plan for the future. A podcast of Scott Goldsmith discussing the state economy is available on the UAA Web site.

US News and World Report article mentions 'Alaska's Statehood Experience' grant programme

2008-12-19T14:37:00.004-09:00

The upcoming 'Year in Review' issue of US News and World Report includes an article on Alaska's 50th anniversary of statehood.

The article, titled '50 Ways to Improve Your Life in 2009: Visit Alaska', mentions 'Alaska's Statehood Experience' $1 million grant program, a partnership between AKHF and Rasmuson Foundation. The article also includes a quote from President/CEO Dr. Greg Kimura on the rich cultural diversity Alaska brings to the US context.

The US News and World Report 'Year in Review Edition' is available now in digital edition form, and will be available at newsstands Monday, December 22. The article may be found at:

http://www.usnews.com/articles/news/50-ways-to-improve-your-life/2008/12/18/visit-alaska.html

Baranov's Castle

2008-10-01T08:57:00.004-08:00

Check out this trailer for a video supported by funds from the Alaska Humanities Forum/NEH.

Giinaquq -- Like a Face, Pt. II

2008-09-30T08:55:00.004-08:00

'Giinaquq - Like a Face' is the historic exhibit on the return of Sugpiak/Alutiiq masks to Alaska from Chateau Musee in Bologne sur Mer, France. It is currently showing at the Alutiiq Museum in Kodiak, but will transfer to the Anchorage Museum at Rasmuson Center, Oct. 12-Jan. 4, 2009 (just in time for AFN, which will be held in Anchorage this year).

From the Exhibition brochure: 'In 1871 a young Frenchman traveled to Alaska to study Native cultures. Alphonse Pinart spent the winter on Kodiak Island, visiting Alutiiq villages by kayak. During his journeys, Pinart collected Alutiiq objects, including 70 ceremonial masks. Pinart recognized both the artistic and cultural value of these rare religious objects, recording the names and songs associated with many. He eventually deposited the collection in a small French Museum -- the Chateau Musee in Boulogne-sur-Mer -- where it miraculously survived two world wars. Pinart's collection contains the largest known set of Alutiiq masks, carved in the traditional style, by some of the last artists to learn their trade through apprenticeship. For Alutiiqs, these masks are an unmatched store of ancestral information and inspiration.'

The Alaska Humanities Forum recognizes the immense importance of the return of these masks -- and this historic exhibit. (I was honored to attend the opening of the exhibit in Kodiak, which was a truly moving experience.) Now even more Alaskans will be able to see these masks as they travel to Anchorage.

AKHF sponsored a couple of media pieces in conjunction with 'Giinaquq'. One is an hour-long radio documentary, produced by two-time Peabody-winning producer Dmae Roberts, which ran on public radio. The other is a short video by Earthsongs titled 'Coming Home: The Return of the Alutiiq Masks.'

Check out the video at: http://www.earthsongs.net/cominghome/index.html

More info about the masks and exhibits at: http://www.alutiiqmuseum.org

and http://www.anchoragemuseum.org

Chairman Cole and 'Picturing America'

2008-09-19T11:10:00.012-08:00

The Alaska Humanities Forum was also honored to host Dr. Bruce Cole, Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities, Mrs. Doreen Cole, and Ms. Mindy Berry and Ms. Annie Hsiao from the NEH Washington, D.C. office.

Chairman Cole visited Alaska during the third week of August. It was his first visit to the state in his six years as head of the NEH. Alaska did not disappoint!

Amongst the highlights of the visit was a dinner train ride with other foundation leaders along the picturesque Turnagain Arm of Cook Inlet (Alaska's version of the PCH -- see picture above off the caboose, with Annie, Mindy, and Doreen) and a whale- watching/glacier- viewing tour of Resurrection Bay on the Kenai Peninsula. Chairman and Mrs. Cole witnessed a rare superpod of over 30 orcas -- no doubt chasing the famous Seward coho salmon!

The Chairman visited numerous NEH partners, attended the University of Alaska, Anchorage College of Arts and Sciences Faculty Convocation where he announced a $500,000 challenge grant awarded to the 49th State Fellows program, and delivered a lecture on 'Informed Patriotism' at UAA. AKHF Board Director Dr. Doug North, President of Alaska Pacific University, graciously hosted a pre-lecture reception at his home. Many guests from across Alaska's cultural and humanities community were in attendance. They were treated to good company and stunning views of the Chugach Range.

Chairman Cole was visiting Alaska principally to promote his 'Picturing America' initiative. He held a media event with past AKHF Board Director Carol Comeau of the Anchorage School District at College Gate Elementary (above). All the Anchorage School District schools are participating in 'Picturing America', as is much of the rest of the state. With the next phase of 'Picturing America' awards taking place, it is quite possible that every public school and library in the state could take part.

'Picturing America' is an innovative and exciting program, featuring forty iconic images of US artworks, along with an instruction guide and website with suggestions for using these artworks to teach across grade levels and subjects. Every teacher I have spoken with is thrilled about these high-quality posters and resources and how they can be incorporated into classroom teaching.

to find out more visit www.picturingamerica.neh.gov

A True American Hero

2008-09-19T11:10:00.005-08:00

The Alaska Humanities Forum was privileged to host Sen. Daniel K. Inouye and his wife Irene Hirano Inouye for a cultural tour of Anchorage on August 4.

Senator Inouye is the third most senior member of the U.S. Senate. He is renowned for his record as a legislative leader, including serving on the Watergate Committee and as Chairman of the Iran-Contra Committee.

In the Japanese American community, he is nothing less than a living legend and a true American hero. Senator Inouye was a member of the storied 'Go for Broke' 442 Regimental Combat Team during WWII. The 442nd, which was comprised of Japanese Americans, fought valiantly in the European theatre while their relatives were locked up behind the barbed wire of America internment camps in their own country. The 442nd is probably best remembered for rescuing the 'Lost Battalion' from Texas, which was surrounded by German forces in the Vosges Mountains of France, in one of the bloodiest battles of the War. The 442nd suffered over 400 casualties -- nearly half its roster -- rescuing the 230 members of the Lost Battalion. The 442nd became the most decorated unit in US military history. Senator Inouye lost his right arm in 1945 fighting near San Terenzo, Italy. His Congressional Medal of Honor Citation states: 'With complete disregard for his personal safety, Second Lieutenant Inouye crawled up the treacherous slope to within five yards of the nearest machine gun and hurled two grenades, destroying the emplacement. Before the enemy could retaliate, he stood up and neutralized a second machine gun nest. Although wounded by a sniper's bullet, he continued to engage other hostile positions at close range until an exploding grenade shattered his right arm. Despite intense pain, he refused evacuation and continued to direct his platoon until enemy resistance was broken and his men were again deployed in defensive positions.'

Senator Inouye's story was featured in the Ken Burns PBS series 'The War.'

Mrs. Inouye recently retired after twenty years as head of the Japanese American National Museum, in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles. During her tenure, the Museum went through two expansions, and built a gorgeous new modernist Pavilion. She serves as vice chair of the National Association of American Museums and is a board director of the Ford Foundation and Kresge Foundation.

During their cultural tour of Anchorage, Sen. and Mrs. Inouye were given a back-of-house tour of the new Anchorage Museum at Rasmuson Center (see picture above). They were also treated to a private showing of the First Friday exhibition of Sonya Kelliher-Combs recent work at the International Gallery of Contemporary Art. That showing was led by Sonya herself and gallery director Julie Decker. Later that evening, they were treated to a private tour of the Alaska Native Heritage Center, with performances by several Alaskan traditional dancers. A reception to celebrate the Inouye's visit was also held (see picture with Sen. Inouye, Mrs. Inouye, and Catherine Stevens).

Celebration 2008

2008-07-30T12:48:00.002-08:00

The Alaska Humanities Forum

Alaska Book Festival -- 2008

2008-07-14T15:49:00.004-08:00

The second annual Alaska Book Festival took place June 12-14 in sunny Fairbanks. The temperature hit 75, the Legislature was in town for testimony on AGIA, but book-lovers of all ages and from around the state were treated to some wonderful panels and public readings.

Check out the photos, including featured writer, artist, T-shirt designer ('Spawn till You Die'), and rock star Ray Troll!

2008 Kachemak Bay Writers' Conference

2008-06-16T14:23:00.006-08:00

Homer, Alaska --

Anne Lamott, award-winning novelist and non-fiction writer, was the featured speaker at this year's Kachemak Bay Writer's Conference. Over 120 conference attendees (and a waiting list of 75+) were treated to several talks by Lamott on the craft of writing, June 6-10. The public lecture and reading (mainly reading) attracted 500 to the Homer High School Auditorium -- another standing-room only event.
The Conference included many instructive seminars by other national and Alaskan authors, including Alaska State Writer Laureate John Straley, Sherry Simpson, Jo-Ann Mapson, Rich Chiappone, and others. A New York literary agent picked up a couple of manuscripts -- so we might look forward to the next big Alaskan writer from the ranks of the attendees!
KBWC is distinctive as a writers' conference. Compared to many, folks here have an extraordinary degree of access to the featured writer (even the normally reclusive Annie Lamott estimated she shook the hands of the first 150 people to show up at the public lecture). KBWC is also more laid-back -- which, I guess, is a Homer trademark. This is not to say that the Conference is not serious. In fact, a number of faculty remarked at the higher level of literary competence amongst attendees this year. This is a great development -- a sign that KBWC is maturing and finding its stride. It has always attracted national-class presenters; now it is bringing out the best aspiring writers who, in turn, are raising the bar for the the conference as a whole. Many, many thanks are due to Carol Swartz, director of the Kachemak Bay campus of the University, who oversees the Conference.
Speaking of raising the bar, I ran into Miranda Weiss, development director for the Pratt Museum, at the public reading. Her first book -- a non-fiction account of moving to the state -- will be published by HarperCollins. Miranda is too modest to say so herself, so I will: this is A Very Big Deal. Besides Annie Lamott, no other author at this year's conference publishes at such a well-known and respected house. Maybe this will be the 'Coming into the Country' for Gen X....

One of my favorite pastimes in Homer is to walk along Bishop's Beach taking pictures of tidepools and birdlife. Between sessions of the conference I found my way there and ran into a couple of crazy local kids skimboarding the incoming tide. (I don't know what the ambient temperature was, but most people on the beach were wearing winter jackets.) Check out the slideshow above. Also check out the photos of Annie, Jo and Peter Michalski (who once again graciously hosted a donor reception for Annie), and Writer Laureate John Straley with Alaska State Arts Council ED Charlotte Fox.

Giinaquq: Like a Face

2008-06-04T11:19:00.006-08:00

I was privileged to attend the opening fundraiser and reception for 'Giinaquq: Like a Face' at the Alutiiq Museum in Kodiak, Alaska. This exhibit marks the return of a collection of ceremonial masks to their ancestral home after an absence of 137 years. In 1871, Frenchman Alphonse Pinart visited Kodiak, the Aleutian Islands, and other coastal areas of Alaska and brought back numerous artistic and anthropological pieces. Amongst those pieces were a collection of Alutiiq masks that have resided in the Chateau Musee in Bologne-Sur-Mer. Through the painstaking and exhaustive work of many folks -- but especially Dr. Sven Haakanson who worked for over six years on the project-- these masks returned to their home in the exhibition 'Giinaquq: Like a Face'. It will remain in Kodiak and then travel in October to Anchorage, in time for the Alaska Federation of Natives conference where they will have even wider viewership.

Dr. Haakanson's observations on the process of bringing the masks back were made in a stirring informal speech he delivered at the gala dinner. Later, the day after, I was in his office with him and Mrs. Helen Simeonoff, the Alutiiq elder to whom the exhibit book is dedicated. Her emotions ran the gamut from joy and amazement that the masks are back home in Alaska to a contemplative sorrow that they ever left. She expressed how it will take years for the significance of this return to settle in to the collective consciousness. Overall, I would say that the mood of the exhibit is one of quiet pride in the success of bringing the mask back and a deeper cultural pride in their original artistic and spiritual accomplishment. They really are exquisite.

Above, are several photos, including pictures of AKHF Board director Mary K. Hughes, Ms. Anne Claire Laronde (director of the Musee Chateau, and Dr. Haakanson; the Rev. Dr. Michael Oleksa of the Russian Orthodox Diocese and Dr. Haakanson; representatives of the Anchorage Museum at Rasmuson center, including Museum director James Pepper Henry and AKHF Board director and head of the Pratt Museum Heather Beggs; and, finally, a photo of Mary K. Hughes and her father John, who celebrated his ninety-third birthday and who was specially recognized at the gala dinner. Visit: www.alutiiqmuseum.org for more information.

VoS: Voice of the Shuttle

2008-05-17T20:32:00.006-08:00

I have been trying to track down the title and publication date of J.J. Connolly's new novel. Connolly, a noir British writer, is best known for 'Layer Cake', which was made into a movie starring Sienna Miller and Daniel Craig (apparently, Craig's performance won him the lead as the new James Bond; Miller is simply luminous as the gangster moll). LC was a brilliant movie and fun read and I've been anticipating this new novel for a couple of years. But I digress.
After using every literary database I could find with no luck, I was about to look up an old Cambridge acquaintance who writes reviews for the Guardian and Sunday Observer. Then I happened along Voice of the Shuttle, a humanities web portal out of UCSB.
VoS is the best web resource of its type that I have found that links visitors with the vast world of the humanities. It is apparently old (at least in net terms) and has retained something of its original unflashiness which is now comes across as a strength (see: Google).
I was wondering if folks had visited this site and/or if they have other favorite portals/search engines for the arts, culture, and humanities?
www.vos.ucsb.edu/

ASE Kids Spot

2008-04-21T09:37:00.002-08:00

30 Second Statehood Founders spot

2008-04-08T09:08:00.002-08:00

60 Second ASE Spot with Founders

2008-04-05T19:00:00.000-08:00

This advertisement features Constitutional Convention Delegates Jack Coghill and Vic Fisher and Convention Secretary Katie Hurley.
It is remarkable looking back on that history to see how these two towering figures of Alaskan politics -- occupying the furthest poles on the ideological spectrum -- came together together to create our Alaska Constitution. Politicians today have much to learn from their example.

New Alaska's Statehood Experience Video #2

2008-04-05T18:55:00.000-08:00

Check this one out. It has a Mike Meyers-
'So I Married an Axe Murderer' vibe.

Alaska's Statehood Experience video

2008-04-05T18:04:00.000-08:00

Check out one of four new high quality advertisements running on KTUU and NBC statewide. The voiceover is by Aluutiq artist, community leader, and recently retired executive Perry Eaton.

Othello -- AK Native-Style

2008-03-27T15:29:00.000-08:00

David Edgecombe’s Othello: An Instant Alaskan Classic
By Don J. Rearden

David Edgecombe’s powerful adaptation of Shakespeare’s Othello, set in Russian period Alaska, establishes itself as an instant Alaskan classic from the opening scenes. The gut-wrenching impact from the original story of jealousy and racism transfers to 1840’s Alaska with alarming ease.
Allan Hayton embodies a convincing and memorable Othello. Hayton’s portrayal of Othello, an Aleut in command of Russian troops, and married to a Russian lord’s daughter (Desdemona – smartly played by Tamara Rothman Miller), reveals the complicated machinations of an Aleut torn between his culture, his duties as commander, and his wife. Hayton manages to deliver Othello’s torment of jealousy and rage with a stage presence that makes his character and the awful situation he confronts all too real.
As a stageplay, the success of any reenactment of Othello hinges on Iago, the ever devious and divisive villain. Edgecombe’s choice in casting Paul Schweigert was as flawless as his adaptation of the play itself. Schweigert’s delivery of an almost-likeable Iago, as a Russian soldier capable of being anything but honest, makes this inescapable tragedy almost fun to watch.
The secondary characters add life and humor to a play wrought with turmoil. Mark Stoneburner delivers a convincing Cassio, and Tim Tucker’s singing and jesting as the Slavic Clown is simply hilarious.
The costumes and the characters transport theatergoers back to early Russian Alaska. The colorful, yet simplistic set-design allows the audience to imagine the setting for themselves, while the story and the acting make this a drama that reveals an untold and important facet of Alaskan history.
Shakespeare’s plays delve into the complexity of human nature in ways that continue to touch and inspire us all. Hayton’s Othello, and Schweigert’s Iago, force us to question our own motives, desires, biases, and loyalties. David Edgecombe’s adaptation begs viewers to consider the matters of heart, but also of our Alaskan history and heritage.

An Historic Day for Alaska

2008-02-27T19:37:00.000-09:00

Dateline: Washington, D.C., Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Today, the Supreme Court of the United States of America heard the appeal of the $2.5 billion punitive damages case against Exxon resulting from the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill in Prince William Sound, Alaska. Between visits to Capitol Hill and the NEH for Humanities on the Hill, two members of the Alaska Humanities Forum -- Dr. Greg Kimura, President and Mrs. Laurie Evans-Dinneen, Rose Urban Rural Exchange Director -- were able to attend the hearing and be present during this historic event. Other AKHF-connected attendees included former Board Chair Talis Colberg, Attorney General of Alaska and former Board Director Dr. Sven Haakanson, Jr., Director of the Alutiiq Museum in Kodiak (see photos above).
The day began with a visit to Senator Lisa Murkowski's office to share the news about the $1 million Rasmuson grant to AKHF for 'Alaska's Statehood Experience.' While Greg made that appointment, Laurie stood in line for two hours in 40 degree windy Washington, DC weather holding place (thanks, Laurie!). Just in front of us was a group of folks from Chugach Alaska and Chugachmiut, including CA President Sherri Buretta, keeping up morale with a pro-plaintiff banner.
A pregnant moment occurred when Supreme Court police confronted the group, taking names and pushing the group off the steps of the Court. (Apparently, it is okay to protest on the sidewalk but no one even associated with the protesters may stand on the first step. This may sound like a small point, but when people have been waiting in the cold for hours, huddling together and jogging in place to keep warm, everyone in the long line was at one point standing on the steps or resting their legs sitting on them. The line, in fact, started on the steps and snaked down the sidewalk almost to the intersection with the Library of Congress.)
Greg took pictures of the confrontation (see above) and shared a laugh with Sherri afterwards, remarking the irony of having to explain to the police the First Amendment right to free speech in front of the very court charged with ensuring it. In the line behind, was a wife of one of the Exxon lawyers who was also a long-time Alaskan. So Alaskans on both sides of the fence who believe genuinely in the justice of their respective positions were present and not only civil to each other but also hospitable in true Alaska fashion. Perhaps all were equally exhausted and happy to see the case reach this final point after 19 years, whatever the outcome.
Greg and Laurie were able to sit in the back of the court during the plaintiff's testimony, hearing the interaction especially between the attorney and Justices Breyer and Kennedy, who both pressed questions regarding maritime law. After the hearing, a press conference was held -- yes -- on the steps of the Supreme Court, where Attorney General Colberg spoke to reporters. His trademark professorial tone was tinged with a bit of melancholy, as he pointed out the fact that some 8,000 plaintiffs -- one fifth of the total -- have passed away since 1989 and so not able to see justice carried out. Talis brought one of his daughters to the hearing, which is an indelible memory she will someday be able to share with her grandchildren.
After the press conference, Greg ran into attorney Lloyd Miller, husband of Heather Kendall Miller, the first Alaska Native to argue before the U.S. Supreme Court (for the Venetie 'Indian Country' case) and Dr. Haakanson, Jr., whose community and family were tragically affected by the spill.
The mood of the event was emotionally charged, and it was not uncommon to see folks weeping -- not only inside the courthouse but departing afterwards. The judgment of the Court is not expected until late June so, after almost two decades, Alaskans still will have to wait a few more months to have a resolution.
Talis' statements were covered on C-SPAN tonight and are available at www.c-span.org under the 'Supreme Court' link.