When Arnaq Esther Ilutsik began working as the Southwest Region School District’s Yup’ik Studies Director 12 years ago, she helped develop the district’s entire K-12 curriculum for Indigenous culture and language. She also worked alongside Yugtun language instructors to create lessons on Yup’ik values in the classroom for everyone across the district.
“For example, we have…respect for our land and resources,” she said. "So each of the Native and non-Native teachers focus on that value just for a few minutes. How do we respect our land? What do we do? How do we respect our resources?”
Ilutsik and the district’s other language instructors designed program lessons that teach through active storytelling, called “total physical response” storytelling. They taught with stories from the region. They developed materials to teach parents about the lessons and even published a children’s book with a traditional tale, called Cuukviinkuk Kayutak-Ilu or Pike Fish and Bullhead.
They also used students’ Yup’ik names. Ilutsik said the name reflects their family line and history, and helps students know who they are within a Yup’ik context.
“All our students have to come in with a Yup’ik name. And if they don't have one we call their parents. If the parents don't know, we ask the grandparents,” she said.
Ilutsik said they worked with each student’s family and community to identify their Yup’ik name and to help them understand the history behind it. Traditionally, she said, children are named after a relative who’s passed on. In the program, each child learns about the good characteristics of that person.
“I know that when I first went out, I'd asked the students what their Yup’ik names were and they wouldn't know,” she said, referencing when she started the program in 2011. “But now they say it with pride that my Yupik name is – and it gives them a sense of identity.”
Ilutsik’s daughter, Atkiq, said she saw the impact of her mother’s work at Aleknagik’s graduation last month, when each student’s Yup’ik name was displayed during the ceremony.
“I've worked as a teacher in the past, with Native students that didn't have that and were wanting that - wanting a Native name, and didn't grow up with one and feeling that void,” she said. “So for her to make sure every student in this district knew their Yup’ik name and we're proud of it - I think that’s really awesome.”
Ilutsik has a long history in education. She’s worked as a teacher, principal and professor. She also authored and edited several books in Yugtun and English that captured elders’ stories, memories and traditional knowledge. Atkiq remembers Ilutsik, her mother, teaching in her class.
“She made sure that she actually came into the classroom, to my elementary school classroom, and shared with all the students our knowledge from the region, making sure song and dance were being taught, stories, traditional activities, all of that,” Atkiq said.
Ilutsik also fostered Atkiq’s love of yuraq, traditional song and dance. At a recent retirement party for Ilutsik, Atkiq led the Dillingham high school dance group in a performance.
Going forward, Ilutsik hopes to hear more people speaking Yugtun. She said the program needs funding and hopes the parent handbook on it will encourage parents to participate - especially those who did not have the opportunity to grow up learning about their language or culture.
“That's why we put this thing together, to see if the parents might be interested in learning the language and maybe putting classes together,” she said. “‘This is what your child is learning this week.’ If you want to help them, this is what you do. And then learn at the same time.”
At Ilutsik’s retirement party last month, she celebrated with a room full of colleagues, family and friends. Her classroom legacy means her successors have a complete curriculum to continue teaching Yugtun and Yup’ik culture.
Get in touch with the author at christina@kdlg.org or 907-842-2200.
