See Stories has implemented a steering committee composed of Archivists, Indigenous educators and creators, and an evaluator to plan and design curriculum, and instruct this professional development course. Steering Committee members include Yaari Walker (Cultural Consultant, St. Lawrence Island Yupik), Amber Webb (Artist, Educator, Activist, Yup’ik & Sugpiaq), Alberta Demantle (Elementary Educator in Akiak, Yup’ik), Hanna Sholl (artist, educator, activist, Sugpiaq), Rachel Cohen (Archivist & Rare Books Curator at University of Alaska Fairbanks), and Sarah Asper-Smith (Founder, ExhibitAK). One of the goals of this project is to prioritize Alaska Native scholars, culture bearers, and educators to engage and empower educators to implement meaningful lesson plans in their schools.

See Stories has also been working with Alaskan Native artists, educators, and culture keepers to convey Alaska’s rich history authentically from Indigenous perspectives. This collaborative effort, drawing from diverse primary sources and archival records, contributes to crafting illustrated curricula for 6th-12th grade educators. With the Steering Committee, See Stories aims to approach the history of Indigenous enslavement with a culturally sensitive lens for educators, students, and community members. 

One of these members is Sugpiaq artist, educator and activitist, Hanna Agasuuq Sholl. Hanna shares the significance of studying the topic of Indigenous enslavement and how important using primary sources has helped her to grasp a full picture of the history of Indigenous enslavement on Kodiak. Read that interview on the slides below.

Steering Committee Feature: Hanna Sholl

Steering Committee members include Yaari Walker (Cultural Consultant, St. Lawrence Island Yupik), Amber Webb (Artist, Educator, Activist, Yup’ik & Sugpiaq), Alberta Demantle (Elementary Educator in Akiak, Yup’ik), Hanna Sholl (artist, educator, activist, Sugiaq), Rachel Cohen (Archivist & Rare Books Curator at University of Alaska Fairbanks), and Sarah Asper-Smith (Founder, ExhibitAK). This project is funded by The National Historical Publications & Records Commission.

Find the rest of the responses from our Steering Committee on our Facebook or on Instagram! Follow us @seestoriesalaska