Chugachmiut Receives Bureau of Indian Affairs Tribal Climate Resiliency Grant
Tag: chugachmiut
Chugachmiut received a $249,636 Tribal Climate Resiliency award from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. This funding will support the creation of a Tribal Climate Justice Commission to guide the growth of Chugachmiut’s climate education initiatives. This Commission, led by Chugach Tribal leadership, will play a vital role in integrating Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) with climate science to foster new approaches to understanding and addressing climate challenges.
The Chugachmiut Tribal Education Department will manage the grant and will support the development of its education and leadership programs by emphasizing the harmony between TEK and climate science. Commission members and regional leaders will convene in Anchorage to study and address climate issues in our communities. Their work will include analyzing existing research, collecting new data, and preparing a strategic report to identify opportunities for advancing climate education.
Elders will play a central role as knowledge-keepers and advisors, ensuring that cultural wisdom and traditional practices guide our climate resiliency efforts. This approach honors the fundamental connection between Indigenous knowledge and environmental stewardship.
Chugachmiut will also collaborate with organizations and partners who have recently completed climate resiliency studies, leveraging their insights and expertise for the commission’s success. Upon completing this project, Chugachmiut may qualify for additional funding opportunities as part of a broader effort to secure federal and state climate justice grants.
Chugachmiut is excited to announce that our Education Department has received a $5.8 million Education Innovation and Research (EIR) grant from the U.S. Department of Education. This five-year grant will fund the Chugach Identity Project to support Alaska Native high school students in grades 9-12. By fostering resilience and cultural identity through social-emotional learning activities, the project will serve 75 students in rural and remote schools, including those in the Native Village of Nanwalek and Qutekcak Native Tribe in Seward, Alaska.
The Chugach Identity Project will adapt the Identity Project curriculum and educator program using Sugpiaq and Eyak traditions. Materials from this project will be openly available to the public to encourage educational innovation and equity. Students enrolled in these classes will strengthen their cultural connections, enhance their academic engagement, and develop storytelling skills rooted in their heritage.
We are excited to collaborate with the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District and the Identity Project to deliver this program. Additionally, we are working with Dr. Heather Gordon and the Alaska Technology Development Group to evaluate its effectiveness.
Cama’i! Chugachmiut’s Higher Education Scholarship application deadline is approaching. Download the Applications for Services application below and fill out the “Higher Education Scholarship” section. Then email it to 477applications@chugachmiut.org. The application deadline for the fall 2025 semester is June 30.
Application for Services – This application includes: • Child Care • General Assistance • Vocational Tuition Assistance • Higher Education Scholarships
Chugachmiut’s Nupuat Newsletter Winter Edition is available!
Topics in the Nupuat Newsletter
Career Opportunities
Chugach Regional Writers
Christmas Card Design Contest Winners
Community Spotlight – Nicole Norman
FCC Licenses for Port Graham and Nanwalek
Fire Crew Tree Cookies
Fred Meyer Community Rewards
Health Services Division News
Jason Williams Appointment
Mark Hiratsuka Receives ILI Award
Nunaka Wins an Anthem Award
Realty Hosted Trust Manager’s Meeting
Scholarship and Vocational Support
📸About the Cover: Quyanaa to everyone who joined us for the Chenega Health Fair in October! This fall, we enjoyed connecting with community members at health fairs in Nanwalek and Chenega. Photo by Angela Gonzalez.
Nupuat is a quarterly publication of Chugachmiut, the tribal not-for-profit organization serving the Alaska Native peoples of the Chugach Region. If you need to update your mailing address, please email us at media@chugachmiut.org. To submit ideas, articles, stories, poetry, and pictures for use in the Nupuat, please email media@Chugachmiut.org. Call for submissions.
Chugachmiut is pleased to announce that Jason Williams, Director of Information Technology and Corporate Security, has been appointed to a three-year term on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Native Nations Communications Task Force. This Task Force is dedicated to fulfilling the FCC’s commitment to increasing access to broadband and other communications infrastructure deployment and services on tribal lands.
Mr. Williams brings a wealth of experience and a deep understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities facing Native Nations. His appointment underscores our ongoing efforts to ensure all communities have the connectivity they need to thrive in the digital age.
We congratulate Mr. Williams on this significant appointment as he embarks on this crucial mission to enhance broadband access and communications services for tribal lands.
Please send any comments or suggestions regarding broadband in your community to Jason Williams at jasonw@chugachmiut.org.
Cama’i! Quyanaa and AwA’ahdah to all the talented artists who dedicated their time and creativity to this year’s 2024 Christmas Card Design Contest! We are thrilled to announce the winners of this year’s competition.
Grand Prize Winner:Valentina Eluska from Nanwalek! Valentina will receive a $200 cash prize, and her beautiful design will be featured on our official 2024 Christmas card.
Runners-up:Carmella Tanape from Tatitlek and Melonie Kashevarof from Chenega! In recognition of their amazing entries, both will receive a $50 cash prize.
Thank you for sharing your talent and creativity with us!
We are hosting our annual Christmas Card Design Contest with a chance to win one of three prizes! The grand prize winner will be featured on our 2024 Christmas card and will also receive a cash prize of $200. Additionally, there will be two – runners-up who will receive a cash prize of $50 and acknowledgment in Chugachmiut media outlets. Submissions must tie in the 50th anniversary theme: Self Determination at its best: 50 years of Service to the Chugach Region; Building The Next Generation.
Artwork must be submitted digitally and include an artwork release form. Submit artwork to media@chugachmiut.org by Friday, November 15, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. (AKST).
The contest is open to everyone of all ages. Once submitted, Chugachmiut assumes all rights to the artwork, including the right to sell, destroy, and/or reuse it.
Christmas Card Contest Rules
The contest is open to all ages. Minors must have a parent or guardian’s approval.
Special consideration may be given to entrants that reside in or are a member of one of the seven (7) Tribes Chugachmiut serves: Chenega, Eyak (Cordova), Nanwalek, Port Graham, Qutekcak (Seward), Tatitlek, or Valdez.
Only electronic submissions will be accepted. Submissions can be emailed to media@chugachmiut.org and should include “Christmas Card Contest” as the subject.
All submissions must include an artwork release form. For minors, a parent or guardian must sign the form.
You must be the creator of the art you submit. If it can be submitted electronically, artwork is not limited to a specific media.
Artwork must be able to fit on a 5×7 card.
Artwork should reflect the 50th anniversary theme.
Lower-quality images can be entered for the contest as long as a high-quality image can be provided upon request of winning.
There will be three prizes. One grand prize: The grand prize winner will be featured on our 2024 Christmas card and receive a cash prize of $200; there will be two runners-up who receive a cash prize of $50 and acknowledgment in Chugachmiut media outlets.
November 20, 2024 Contact: media@chugachmiut.org, 907-334-0160
ALASKA NATIVE GAME CELEBRATED FOR LANGUAGE REVITALIZATION New Mobile Game Featuring Sugt’stun Language Wins Award
Anchorage, AK – Since its 2023 release, Chugachmiut’s game Nunaka: My Village – Where Language Comes to Play has won four educational video game awards and received two additional nominations. This 3D learning app engages children in the Sugpiaq culture and Sugt’stun language of Alaska’s Chugach region. It serves as an early childhood introduction to cultural heritage while supporting essential school readiness goals for Chugachmiut’s federally funded Head Start program.
In recent competitions, Nunaka was honored with the following:
Silver in the “Education, Art & Culture—Education or Literacy Platform” category at the 4th Annual Anthem Awards, 2024
Winner in the “New product or service (Pre-K)” category of the 2024 EdTech Awards
In addition, Nunaka received two notable nominations, including the 2024 Kidscreen Awards, Best Learning App – Original, Finalist, and 2024 Games 4 Change, Diverse Voices – New Stories Contest, Nominee.
Chugachmiut incorporated Nunaka into its Head Start centers in Nanwalek and Port Graham, where most of the children are of Sugpiaq heritage. The game is a supplemental tool, engaging children through interactive adventures that promote enthusiasm for their community, the Sugt’stun language, and Sugpiaq cultural values. It features culturally relevant games such as berry picking, sea creature identification, and qayaq riding, designed to improve fine motor skills and cognitive development.
To ensure cultural and linguistic authenticity, FableVision collaborated with the Nanwalek IRA Council and Port Graham Village Council in 2022. Elders provided voice recordings for scripts, and young Sugt’stun speakers tested the game for Chugachmiut’s Head Start program. Their voices are included in the final product.
“We are grateful for the invaluable input from Elders and Sugt’stun language bearers in developing this culturally relevant learning platform for the Chugach region,” says Angela ‘Jan’ Vanderpool, Executive Director of Chugachmiut. “With Nunaka, children can connect to their culture, language, and environment while achieving key school readiness goals.”
“There were a lot of intricacies of working with Sugt’stun. This language has been passed down via oral tradition rather than as a written language, and there is an extremely small number of master speakers remaining, many of whom have lost some of their knowledge of the language over time,” said Anne Richards, VP of FableVision’s audio division.
Explore Nunaka’s vibrant visuals and activities in the trailer and introductory video. Nunaka: My Village is free to download from the Apple and Google Play app stores. The app was made possible with generous support from the U.S. Department of Education.
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About Chugachmiut
Chugachmiut is a 501(c)3 non-profit established in 1974 to serve and promote the self-governance of the seven Native tribes of the Chugach Region of Alaska. Chugachmiut offers a range of services to its seven constituent tribal communities, including primary care, dentistry, behavioral health, addictions counseling, trust and land management, heritage preservation, and wildland firefighting. Learn more at www.chugachmiut.org.
Help shape the future of education! Please take our short survey about education and schools. This survey will take about 5 to 8 minutes and will give us valuable feedback on how to support learning. Your responses will help guide the creation of new education programs and services.
Chugachmiut is excited to offer a unique funding opportunity for teachers to support innovative, student-centered projects during the 2024-2025 academic year. We are inviting teachers to submit proposals using our online form for projects that provide unique experiences to Native students in grades K-12 who live in the Chugachmiut communities of Nanwalek, Port Graham, Seward, Tatitlek, Chenega, Valdez, and Cordova.
Proposals will be accepted on a rolling basis until 5:00 PM on April 30, 2025. We encourage bold and creative submissions.
This grant provides students with opportunities to learn in a wide range of environments. Teachers, schools, community leaders, and other education providers can submit proposals. Project proposals must request at least $5,000, with no ceiling on the reasonable amount that can be requested (a maximum of $5000 per Native student).
Applicants are encouraged to think creatively in bringing a wide range of educational experiences to Alaska Native children. Please see examples of proposed projects at the end of this form.
Funding will be awarded to proposals that meet the criteria of the grant.
Project Timeline
Proposals will be accepted on a rolling basis through our online form until 5:00 PM, April 30, 2025. If funded, projects should be implemented within the 2024-2025 academic year, with all activities completed by no later than July 30, 2025. Applicants will be notified of funding decisions within two weeks of their proposal submission.
Submission Details
Please complete the Project Proposal Form HERE. If assistance is required, please contact either of the Key Contacts to receive technical assistance.
Responsibilities for funded projects
Teachers and/or schools receiving funding will be responsible for clearly outlining their project activities and demonstrating a reasonable budget plan in their proposals. Each proposal must indicate the number of Native students who will be impacted by this project. Project staff and volunteers will require a federal background check with Chugachmiut, and basic demographic data and Tribal enrollment will be required from the student participants.
Regular progress updates will also be required throughout the project timeline.
Proposal Timeline
RFP Distributed
October 4, 2024
Proposals due to Chugachmiut
Accepted on a rolling basis
Evaluation of Proposals
Evaluated on a rolling basis
Evaluation Criteria
Chugachmiut will evaluate proposals on the following criteria:
a)
Clear and reasonable budget plan
35
b)
Clear and reasonable project activities
35
c)
Level of community involvement (Elders, families, parents, etc.)
15
d)
Strategies to engage and involve students in the project
15
Key Contacts
Following are key contacts for information you may seek in preparing your proposal:
Paul McDonogh Department of Education Director paul@chugachmiut.org (907) 562-4155
Project: Funding for Creative Learning Projects and Activities Proposal Accepted on a Rolling Basis Until: 5:00 PM, April 30, 2025
Background of Chugachmiut
Chugachmiut is an Alaska Native Tribal consortium providing healthcare, social services, and education & training to the Chugach region. The Internal Revenue Service recognizes Chugachmiut as a charitable, tax-exempt organization pursuant to section 501(C)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. We serve the Prince William Sound and Kachemak Bay areas comprised of the following tribes: Qutekcak (Seward), Nanwalek, Port Graham, Tatitlek, Eyak (Cordova), Valdez, and Chenega. Chugachmiut was founded in 1974 with a defined mission to promote self-determination to the seven Native communities of the Chugach region, adopted in May 1994.
The Chugachmiut Tribal Education Department (CTED) is a new addition to the Chugachmiut community that is expanding with educational services activities through federal grant administration. The CTED incorporates the Chugachmiut Heritage Programs, which have a twenty-year history of documenting, recording, and teaching about the histories of our region’s Sugpiaq and Eyak communities. We partner with four school districts and provide educational services that improve whole learning.
Join us on Wednesdays at 11 am for our Recovery Group at the Qutekcak Native Tribe in Seward. Open to all adults, with confidentiality assured. Contact Giovanna Atkins, LMSW, at Giovanna@Chugachmiut.org or (907) 224-4914 with any questions.
Chugachmiut
Heritage Preservation
Llangarlluni: Becoming Aware
Our vision is to revitalize the traditional Chugach Native culture and language. The goal is to make Sugpiaq/ Eyak history and heritage a part of the regular school curriculum with support and direction from our Elders’ traditional ecological knowledge (TEK).