Alaska Humanities Forum

05/29/2026

Congratulations, Dion! 🤩

Dion was a participant in the Tengluni program, a partnership between the Forum and Calista Education & Culture, back in 2020. We love to see these successes!

🎉 Dion is back and reaching even higher!

Dion Pleasant of the Native Village of Kwinhagak recently achieved his Associate of Arts degree in Elementary Education, and now he’s taking the next step toward an exciting new career path after being accepted into Yuut Elitnaurviat’s Aviation Mechanic Technician training program.

This week, Dion stopped by to visit Quinhagak TWD Navigator Kendra Brown and proudly shared his acceptance letter, a reminder that education and opportunity can open many doors. From earning his degree to pursuing specialized technical training, Dion’s journey shows what’s possible with determination and support.

👏 Please help us congratulate Dion as he prepares for this next chapter!

If you’re thinking about college, training, or career advancement, your local TWD Navigator is here to help guide you every step of the way. Reach out and start your journey today!
Click this link to view our list of Tribal Jobs Centers 👉 https://www.avcp.org/tribal-jobs-center/

05/28/2026

Congratulations, Leadership Anchorage alum JJ Jackson (LA26)! 🌟

Last week my heart is full celebrating our GED graduates. 🎓

Many students worked very hard while taking care of family, jobs, and many responsibilities. This achievement is not easy, and we are so proud of every one of you.

Thank you for believing in yourself and continuing your education. Your courage and determination inspire all of us every day.

Congratulations graduates! Your future is bright and this is only the beginning. ❤️

05/28/2026

"I loved being a part of this workshop! It was full of compassion, honesty, empathy, and support... it hit all the pieces that I find helpful. It allowed for personal reflection, it taught strategies, we got to practice and roleplay to build comfort, we explored the power of shared agreements within any convening, and worked on real scenarios that held deeper meaning to the participants. And we left the day with materials and tools to help us keep building our understanding."

Nicole Hallingstad, owner of A&A Solutions, recently took the Forum's Facilitating Through Conflict workshop. Read about how the workshop resonated with her professionally, as she helps Alaskan organizations navigate change, and personally, as someone deeply connected to her family's cultures: https://tinyurl.com/2s3j4w6u

📣Our next Facilitating Through Conflict workshop is August 27! Learn more at https://tinyurl.com/2hujm4f2

05/27/2026

Congratulations to 'Waats'asdiyei Joe Yates of Alaskan Films, whose Indigenous Resistance: Now & Then film just won three Telly Awards! 🥳

The film, produced with the Forum and historian Dr. Holly Guise, was created in 2023 and has gone on to win several awards and recognitions from film festivals around the world.

View the film at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcEklCtUFIM&t=221s

05/26/2026

A business owner, executive coach, and auctioneer, Jen Motyka is a true force of nature - and force for good - in Anchorage and beyond, and we love working with her on our Celebrating Leadership event every year.

Jen is the owner of Blitz Solutions and a partner at AK Promo Co, where she gets to deepen her relationships with local nonprofits and her own community involvement. She's a part of too many boards and initiatives to name here - just know that if we were all as involved, informed and connected as Jen, the world would be a better place!

Jen has been a mentor for the Alaska Literacy Program and our own Leadership Anchorage program, and is the first Korean-American Benefit Auction Specialist in the U.S. Each year, Jen runs the Fund the Forum part of Celebrating Leadership with deep love for the community in the room, an inspiring commitment of our mission, and a zing of energy that gets the whole room participating.

Jen, we appreciate you! ✨Thank you for another great year of partnership.

05/25/2026

Before he came to Alaska, nine-term Alaska State Legislator Clem Tillion served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He enlisted at age 17 and served in the South Pacific from 1940-1945.

After arriving to Alaska in 1947, Clem took up commercial fishing, built a home on Halibut Cove, and eventually served nine terms in the state legislature. He played an important role in policies from fisheries management to creating the Permanent Fund Dividend.

Clem passed away in 2021 at age 96 at his home in Halibut Cove. He is buried on Ismailof Island, overlooking Kachemak Bay next to his wife Diana.

Learn more about Clem, his family and his legacy through our Magnetic North: Clem Tillion short film, available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhthSEgwPac

Photo credit: Jason Sear

05/23/2026

At our midyear staff retreat this week, we braved the wind and rain to take a tour through our Ship Creek neighborhood with local historian (& 2023 Alaska Historian of the Year) David Reamer. Thank you David for painting such vivid pictures of life in early Anchorage, the beginning of the Alaska Railroad, and the all-powerful authority of the US Post Office in deciding what to call the fledgling city.

Find out more about David and his work at heyor.ca/IwW847

05/22/2026

Thank you former Story Works teacher (and new Leadership Anchorage graduate!) Alysyn for sharing this incredible testimonial at Celebrating Leadership!

05/21/2026

“Mix of sessions and exploratory time was perfect. I never felt like my time was wasted. The most welcoming staff and facilitators you could ask for. Just the best.”
- Nudlaghi Retreat Participant, Summer 2025

Looking for a new, inspiring professional development experience this summer? Registration is open for our three July sessions at Nudlaghi Leadership Institute, located at Silver Salmon Camp in stunning Lake Clark National Park. This year we are offering:

🎣Courageous Leading, Following, and Building Trust (July 20-22)
🎣Executive Leadership in Complex Times (July 22-24)
🎣Leadership in a Polarized World (July 29-31)

Learn more and sign up at https://www.nudlaghileadershipinstitute.org/

05/20/2026

We just wrapped up our first Indigenous Awareness & Culturally Responsive Teaching class, part of the new Ilakucaraq Project! Twenty-three teachers from these 16 communities participated in this course taught by Dr. Kimber Olson and Joni Kitmiiq Earp, and seven will attend culture camps this summer as part of a new, culturally immersive follow-up course.

One participant wrote:

"Through this course, I have learned that culturally responsive teaching is not an additional task or a separate component of instruction—it is an essential approach that ensures all students feel seen, respected, and valued in the classroom. This learning experience has significantly shaped my perspective as an educator. I now understand that teaching in Alaska requires more than mastery of subject content; it requires cultural awareness, respect, and intentionality."