The BSNC Board of Directors was pleased to approve a donation of $10,000 to Kissaq Kingikmiuraguqtuat, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving the language and culture of communities along the Seward Peninsula, founded by Richard Atuk, Joe Senungetuk, Martha Senungetuk and Shannon Hawkins. Kissaq Kingikmiuraguqtuat held their first Language Reclamation Workshop in Anchorage at the Alaska Native Heritage Center March 17-19, 2023. More than 40 people participated in person and via Zoom. Recently, Kissaq Kingikmiuraguqtuat held a three-day Northwest Seward Peninsula Language Reclamation Workshop June 23-25, 2023 at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Northwest Campus in Nome, Alaska. The goals of the workshop were to:
1. Discuss how we are approaching preserving regional dialects.
2. Share and refine our teaching materials in our regional dialects.
3. Demonstrate ways we are learning and teaching our dialects.
BSNC expresses its deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of shareholder and founding member of Kissaq Kingikmiuraguqtuat Joe Senugetuk, who recently passed away. Senungetuk was a gifted artist, teacher and culture bearer who was instrumental in language preservation efforts. He and his wife Martha served as Elder Artists in Residence at the Alaska Pacific University (APU) where they hosted weekly in-person language sessions. In honor of Joe’s memory, a celebration of his life will be held at APU. Our heartfelt sympathies go out to Joe’s family and loved ones during this difficult time.