ERIC Number: EJ1421266
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: 21
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0273-446X
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Healing and Connectedness at Akhiok Kids Camp
Speridon Simeonoff Sr.; Judy Simeonoff; Teacon Simeonoff; Speridon Simeonoff Jr.; Sven Haakanson Jr.; Cheri Simeonoff; Balika Haakanson; Leilani Sabzalian
Rural Educator, v45 n1 p44-62 2024
Each August, Sugpiaq Elders, community members, and educators gather in Cape Alitak to host Akhiok Kids Camp, a week-long culture camp that provides a space for local Sugpiaq youth to learn and carry forward traditional lifeways and promotes youth's self-esteem, identity, and healthy choices. This article traces the legacy of the camp and outlines its ongoing vision and curriculum, including the Indigenous values and principles of education that guide camp activities. Of particular focus is the role of camp in fostering Sugpiaq youth's sense of connectedness to their homelands, waters, community, and culture, a focus that promotes healing, cultural resurgence, and wellbeing for Sugpiaq youth. This description of Akhiok Kids Camp highlights the valuable role that culture camps play in turning Indigenous youth toward the brilliance of their lands and lifeways, and the importance of respecting the knowledge and leadership of Indigenous families in this work.
Descriptors: Resident Camp Programs, Cultural Education, Indigenous Populations, Alaska Natives, American Indian Culture, American Indian Education, Self Esteem, Self Concept, Health Behavior, Health Promotion, Youth, Indigenous Knowledge, Quality of Life, Learning, Religious Factors, Cultural Maintenance, Language Maintenance, Traditionalism
National Rural Education Association. e-mail: theruraleducator@gmail.com; Web site: https://scholarsjunction.msstate.edu/ruraleducator/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Alaska
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A