Radio check, anybody copy? Hello Quaqtis, I’m Alice Qannik Glenn. This is Episode 23: History of Boarding Schools in AK, featuring the Alaska Native Heritage Center’s Indigenous Researcher Benjamin Jacuk on Coffee & Quaq. Coffee & Quaq is a podcast I created to celebrate and explore contemporary native life in Urban Alaska. This episode focuses on the history of assimilation schools in Alaska, Sheldon Jackson’s ties to other assimilative institutions in the lower 48 and around the world, and some discussion on healing and learning from our collective past. This is a sensitive topic for many, and while most of this episode doesn’t necessarily focus on trauma, please take your time, take care of yourself, and listen only when you feel ready and willing.

Summary

Introduction to this episode. 0:00
- Episode 23, history of boarding schools in Alaska.
- Alaska is ground zero for all Indigenous peoples.
- Churches are the biggest landowners in the world.
- What land back means for the churches.
- Native heritage in Alaska, Australia and New Zealand.
- Favorite Native food in Alaska.
What is a boarding school and what does it mean? 7:04
- Lessons learned in the short time they have known each other.
- The main goal.
- Negative implications of boarding schools.
- The importance of understanding the truth.
- What a boarding school is in Alaska.
- What boarding schools are in Alaska.
Criteria of a boarding school. 13:43
- Four criteria for a boarding school in Alaska.
- Housing, educational aspect, and religious training.
- The use of reindeer in Alaska.
- Reindeer as a food source in the 1970s.
- The history of boarding schools in Alaska.
- The ecclesial era, the modernization era and the Carlisle era.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs. 21:23
- The third era, the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
- Alaska-specific boarding schools and timelines associated with them.
- Anglican episcopalian involvement in the area in the 1850s.
- Americanization and Christianity in Alaska.
What did Sheldon Jackson learn from his time in Oklahoma? 27:23
- How Sheldon Jackson became the superintendent for the Presbyterian church.
- The importance of resource extraction.
- Establishing the first Presbyterian school in Alaska.
- The history of splitting up land in Alaska.
- Assimilation of people to the resources.
- Alaska predates the comity plan of Canada.
Sheldon Jackson’s influence in Alaska. 35:02
- Sheldon Jackson and his influence in the world.
- Militarization of boarding schools in Alaska.
- Methodists and Presbyterians are all about systems.
- The Christian nationalistic movement has its roots in boarding schools.
- The connection between religion and nationalism in Roman culture.
- The link between Christianity and religious imperialism.
Religious universities and nationalism. 42:45
- Nationalism and religion are synonymous.
- The leader of Liberty University in Florida.
- Prior to the implementation of religious schools in Alaska.
- Life for native students in boarding schools.
- Failure is okay and a stepping stone to learn.
- Education in Alaska.
The diversity of boarding schools with elders. 50:00
- Diverse experiences in boarding schools with elders.
- Understanding and defining what consists of a good experience.
- The importance of having a trigger warning.
- Levels of civilization and abuse.
- Systems of abuse throughout the state.
- The evil of abuse becoming systematized.
The dehumanization of our elders. 57:01
- Dehumanization of elders and physical abuse of children.
- Unmarked graves in south-central Alaska.
- The removal of children from their communities.
- The humanization of non-Americanized children.
What is the heritage center doing around boarding schools? 1:02:48
- What the Heritage Center is doing around boarding schools.
- Research program on boarding schools in Alaska.
- Know what you need healing from.
- Native history does not begin with colonization.
- How to tell the story that elders never were able to.
- The importance of doing it responsibly.
Education for native peoples in Alaska. 1:10:35
- Thoughts on what education for Native peoples looks like today.
- The future of education in Alaska.
- Dehumanization and higher rates of suicide.
- Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women crisis today.
- The worst way to do cultural education.
- Language revitalization in Alaska.
Importance of languages and tourism. 1:17:01
- Languages are a reflection of one's own culture.
- Schools in Alaska are influential.
- Sheldon Jackson and his work with eco-tourists.
- What the next generation of kids should know.
- What it means to be native in Alaska.
- The legacy of Alaska is greatness.

Quyanaqpak Benjamin Jacuk for taking the time to sit down with me, helping us all better understand the historic systemic approaches of Boarding Schools in AK. I hope all you listeners are taking care of yourself!

I’m Alice Qannik Glenn, over and out.

To learn more about the Alaska Native Heritage Center, visit https://www.alaskanative.net/

Coffee & Quaq

Coffee & Quaq

Episodes

Clips featuring Coffee & Quaq

For the best of Hark in your inbox, sign up for our newsletter.