Alora Wassily, Trista Wassily and Harmony Larson are seventh grade students who have worked for over a year to change the name of a local creek that included a slur against Indigenous women. Now, they are being recognized for their work.
The students stood at the front of the packed Dillingham gym on a recent Friday morning.
“There were over 100 nominations, and I'm proud today to announce that Trista, Alora and Harmony won the statewide Spirit of Youth Award in the humanitarian category," said Dillingham school’s federal programs coordinator, Robyn Chaney.
The statewide Spirit of Youth awards aim to “highlight young people and unsung heroes” in Alaska. The humanitarian category recognizes youth who have worked to make their community a better place or are active in government, and Alora, Trista and Harmony did both.
The students were in fifth grade when they first became aware that the names of a local creek and road included a slur against Indigenous women during a presentation at the Curyung Tribal Council. They began to work with their teachers, the tribal administrator and other mentors to change that. They presented to the school’s parent teacher advisory council, the school board, and the Tribal Council. Chaney said they had to garner public support.
“Part of that was being really brave in educating adults, and educating elders who came through a time when, you know, the best thing you could do was to assimilate and to learn English and to accept all these things that might not be quite right," Chaney said. "And they did it so patiently and so respectfully, and they were going to take their time through this process.”
They were working with the tribal and city governments when Interior Secretary Deb Haaland moved to ban the word from federal lands in the fall of 2021. Chaney said the girls were ready.
“Their process went from this very respectful process, to we're doing it now — 90 days," she said. "They follow the tribal process. They hosted community forums, they brainstormed.”
The students participated in a tribal consultation with the federal government, helping to represent the Curyung Tribal Council and talk about their work.
“We are very proud to announce that the creek that used to start with S-Q- down by the airport that goes from the bay all the way up Lake Road is now called Amau,” Chaney said to cheers from the crowd. Amau means "great-grandparent" in Yugtun.
Alora, Trista and Harmony were all a little shy standing at the front of the crowded gym — Chaney said she didn’t know why, since they’d talked to so many officials since they began this work two years ago. But Alora did want to thank those who had helped them in this process.
“The Curyung Tribe, JJ Larson, Dora Andrew, Courtenay Carty, Choggiung Ltd. Chair Inez [Bielefeld], Stephanie Jenson our fifth grade teacher, Mr. Schollmeier our elementary school principal, Amber and Tiffany Webb, our parents and guardians and Robyn Chaney, our sponsor and mentor,” Alora said.
Chaney and Tribal Administrator Courtenay Carty presented the students with three green street signs bearing the new name: Amau Creek.
The Spirit of Youth award comes with a $1,000 grant. Chaney said the students are going to arrange a meeting with the Department of Transportation and want to put that money toward replacing and updating the signs around town.
They also wanted to share a message with fellow students, Chaney said.
“One thing they want to share with their peers, with their classmates and especially Indigenous youth is that if you see something that bothers you, you know it's not right, you find help and you can make a change,” she said.
And Alora, Trista and Harmony showed that change can start in our own communities.
The Spirit of Youth recognition ceremony will be held May 6 onZoom.
This article was updated to specify that Amau means 'great-grandparent' in Yugtun.
Get in touch with the author at izzy@kdlg.org or 907-842-2200.
