Dear Students!The last time I spent time in Anchorage was almost four years ago. At that time, I was on my way to the Bering Sea Ecosystem Study on the USCG Icebreaker Healy. A lot has happened since that mission. Today I am getting ready and packing for a workshop that brings together of scientists, teachers, and community that surrounds the Bering Sea. Why? To share what we have learned from these research missions, and create a plan to learn and share with others.
If you squint your eyes while standing on the north shore of Maui, you can begin to see the ice covered mountains of the Aleutian Islands 1500 miles away. And on those
islan
ds are people, people who have called those islands home for thousands of years. These people have a cultural history that includes strong connections with the natural world. These people are the native people of Alaska. They have a history that binds them to the environment.You have a lot in common with these people. Knowledge of the moon cycles, limu
and fish, the ocean, plants; this all interconnected is what is learned to help them survive and thrive. Masks allow indigenous people to slip from spirit to human and back. The moon mask here is an example of such art. There is a wonderful collection of these cultural works at the airport in Anchorage. This is where we begin. Let us reach our hands out to another culture and in doing so, learn more about ourselves and our unique place on this planet called Earth.
The mask above is a moon mask. Native people of Alaska felt the importance of the moon just as native Hawaiians felt it's importance. Why not practice the Moon Haka that Kumu Makamae helped you learn? Here is the link. Click here and scroll way down to the bottom of the page to get the entire haka, with Kumu leading.
http://manaseekers.yolasite.com/mana-seekers-moon-chant.php
and fish, the ocean, plants; this all interconnected is what is learned to help them survive and thrive. Masks allow indigenous people to slip from spirit to human and back. The moon mask here is an example of such art. There is a wonderful collection of these cultural works at the airport in Anchorage. This is where we begin. Let us reach our hands out to another culture and in doing so, learn more about ourselves and our unique place on this planet called Earth.The mask above is a moon mask. Native people of Alaska felt the importance of the moon just as native Hawaiians felt it's importance. Why not practice the Moon Haka that Kumu Makamae helped you learn? Here is the link. Click here and scroll way down to the bottom of the page to get the entire haka, with Kumu leading.
http://manaseekers.yolasite.com/mana-seekers-moon-chant.php
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