Effie Kokrine students learn traditional skills, including skinning
Published Saturday, May 3, 2008
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Keeping tradition alive in the modern world is often a tough task, but Effie Kokrine Charter School is trying to keep its students interested in the past by having Native elders, such as Marie Yaska, teach traditional components of village life.
Yaska’s lastest project involves teaching students how to prepare moose and caribou hide. After digging out the moose hide from the snow on a gray, wet day, a small group of students continued removing the fat and bits of meat from the hide. They had started work the day before, but plenty was left to be done. The moose hide rested on a student-built wooden stand as the students worked.
“It’s pretty fun,” student Devon Adams said.
Using a traditional scraping tool, Yaska showed the students how to work the hide properly, using a short downward motion to scrape with the tool. Yaska inherited the tool from her mother when she went back to her home village, Huslia, for a visit. The large blade of the scraper is connected to a blocky wooden handle with a nail and is tied together with rawhide. Although Yaska can’t spell the tool’s official name, she said the tool is named after its purpose.
“Can I try?” asked Rachel Kokrine after watching her schoolmates scrape thin layers of fat from the hide.
From time to time, Yaska stepped in so to remove some of the excess fat in order to make the job easier for the students.
Kokrine had never worked with a moose hide before, and said she didn’t know what to expect before taking the tool and starting to work on the hide.
Yaska has been volunteering at Effie Kokrine for two years and has lead students in Native crafts such as beading and skin sewing, but this is the first time she has led students on such a big project.
“The students are much more excited about projects where they can be outside,” Yaska said.
Because of a special request made by Yaska, Effie Kokrine teacher Josh Snow brought the hide back from a hunting trip during the summer.
Snow teaches a course at the school titled “Arctic Survival,” which encompasses skills and abilities needed to survive outdoors in Alaska’s unique climate. Earlier in the semester, Snow said his students participated in an overnight camping trip without sleeping bags and other modern camping equipment.
Although Snow is involved with the hide project, the preparation is open to all interested students at the school, not just those in his class. Snow said he isn’t surprised at the amount of interest in either the class or the hide preparation.
“Being hands-on is built in with the academics,” Snow said.
After removing the fat, the hair will be removed and the hide will then be bleached by the sun.
Although Adams has prepared the hides of beavers with his father and uncle, this is his first time working on a large hide.
“That’s a plus of Effie Kokrine — they offer classes about traditional ways and the outdoors,” Adams said. “It’s important, especially since we’re living in the city.”
Community Discussion
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How do the children at this school fare against others in the nation on silly little things...such as their SATs and ACTs and college acceptance?
I think its cool they do these things - but maybe instead of teaching them at school they could do it afterwards as some sort of a club or something....
I did work at one local school and instead of studying math, science etc they were making bows and doing cardboard cutout art...things like these cripple our young adults in the long run IMO
but then again...im probably just racist for wanting kids to learn math and science...as opposed to skinnning animals (things dad should teach them at home)
akguy, I couldn't agree more.
The whole concept of the school is to incorporate Native Culture in the curriculum. This school also participates in Early College Credit courses. These students are working up to FNSBSD standards. Effie Kokrine Charter School is a Charter School to incorporate Native Culture, that is what Effie Kokrine invisioned and that is what is being implimented. I am proud that students are being taught by volunteer elders. Ever heard 'It takes a village to raise a child'?These children are being taught respect for self, elders and others while participating in this native tradition. I'm sure this is a reason why these students parents have enrolled their children. I like the 'devil's advocate' approach that akguy takes here, but wouldn't your comments best be shared at a school board meeting or to the school itself?
Math & Science...History, Language, Social Science, Art, Physical Education all might be needed to develop a modern society of fit individuals. Effie Kokrine Charter School may have found a way to connect with Alaska Native Youth that the Public School system seems to have missed. Learning is a process, and becoming connected with relevant cultural background is an important step.
We should rejoice with cultural diversity and draw the best from each to advance our humanity.
I couldn't agree more. The "Westernized" approach doesn't work for every student. The curriculum evidently has culture infused in their math and science standards. Why rock the boat if it works? Keep up the good work at Effie Kokrine Charter School!
This school teaches them how to learn their culture which develops their identity as Indigenous Alaskan Athabascans. Plus, they have to learn the Westernized approach of math,science, etc.
This of course means they are learning two cultural perspectives of adaptation- which is twice the work of your average high school.
Amazing.
Rock on EFKS, keep on persevering. I want my children to go there as well.
akguy, not all those kids have a dad at home who can teach them these things. And that includes kids with a dad at home. For years Native students were removed from their homes and families in the name of test scores, math & English, and assimilation. There is a generation out there that was deprived of learning directly from their parents. Now the grandparents are reaching out to younger generations to teach those skills.
And at UAF I have worked with some Effie Kokrine students. The ones I have met have been quite successful in their UAF classes -- classes like English 111 and Econ 100, not the "fun" classes. So obviously they've learned something at Effie Kokrine!
To address AkGuy's remarks & corrine's agreement: I have two children attending EKCS and BOTH of them have GPA's above a 3.0, both have scored very high marks on their SAT's and both are very culturally connected! My youngest is already learning algebra 2 and pulling at the bit to take advantage of the early college courses, which she cannot participate in until next year's session.
I wholeheartedly support the teaching styles that EKCS has incorporated because its working for the youth that choose to attend there!
And an FYI, the children are not skinning the moose they are fleshing it in preparation for tanning.
People should do more research into topics before they state their opinion.. you would have known what EKCS offers and how it has changed many young people's lives and outlook on their education. These kids are TAKING COLLEGE CLASSES AT UAF DURING THE SEMESTER AND HAVE DONE INCREDIBLE.. Have hope for our children, and support them doing anything that is good for their well-being and personal growth, to experience life and Native practices gives them the ability to link their learning of animals, environment, and Native use while telling stories and cleaning a hide..This takes time and was a experience that was shared long ago.. Native people were always telling and teaching their ways thru oral lessons.. I hope akguy and corinne get the chance to experience the many lessons that our Native Elders tell before they are on to their next journey. I witnessed these kids working on the hide, and their enthusiasm was contagious.. They loved it and were loving being at school on a beautiful day.
i was upset when i read the first two comments on here but as i read down the page, i felt better for all the supporters that spoke their minds.
true, akguy really should research facts before stating a comment on a subject he doesn't even know about. whenever i see his comments on DNM, its always a downer on something and used to piss me off but then i realized, misery loves company. so if this paper is all he got, let him continue to bad mouth everyone and every idea.
anyways, i think it is a wonderful idea for that class and i am proud of it because when i was going to school (in a village) there wasn't a whole lot of time to teach modern day traditions to our young folks.
conflicts were the hours of being at school, homework, and house chores so all we had were weekends and that was even few and far in between too. basketball games, any after school programs, etc, there are just so many hours in a day, back when i was in school, that would have made my heart happy to learn my own traditions more in the winter months.
keep up the good work students, you're very lucky.
georgina-the fort
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