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Selawik and Shungnak
Focus on Tradition The Borough Economic Development Commission met last Friday in the new Assembly Chambers to review program activity and discuss grant proposals. The meeting was directed by Acting Chairman John Schaeffer, a member of our Borough Assembly. The meeting was the first for my two most recent appointees to the Commission, Kim Franklin and Lucy Nelson. Kim represents Wells Fargo Bank and Lucy is employed at KIC. A key feature of the meeting was approval of grants to a group of Selawik artists and Shungnak School. Both represent a movement toward traditional values and activity and local economic development. A Borough-sponsored carving and scrimshaw workshop in Selawik this past summer attracted over twenty residents. Since that time, we have encouraged those artists to find a building in the village that could be utilized by all the artists who would like to work cooperatively. At a meeting in Selawik last month, a group led by Diane Howarth and Wallace Gray announced that the Howarth family was donating use of a building to house an arts center. Volunteers are in the process of making needed improvements to the building and a substantial amount of material has been donated. The group asked for Borough support in providing funding for a monitor stove, some windows, electrical work and some equipment for the artists. The EDC approved a grant of up to $5,000 for those purposes. This is an exciting development for many reasons. Artists can only benefit from having proper equipment at their disposal and a place to observe others at work. It is also important to separate work that creates ivory, bone and antler dust from the home environment, where it is a health hazard to the inhabitants. Air quality can be controlled at the shop through the use of dust collection equipment. The Borough will continue to assist the Selawik artists in their organizational process. We will also help to find funding that will provide for heat and electricity costs until such a time that the artists can bear those costs on their own through the sale of their work. The funding for Shungnak School is the result of a recent decision by the local school advisory board to have all students wear atikluks to school at least one day per week. A grant of $1,600 was approved by EDC for the purchase of material with which to sew atikluks for over 70 students at that site. The student body will choose and order the material. The Kobuk school advisory board made a similar decision recently and will receive Borough grant funding for material soon. Ambler principal Frank Ramos has already ordered material for atitkluks at that school site. Kiana students have been sewing in teacher Chloe Copeland's classroom and taking on more of a traditional look at school. Students at Selawik are apparently interested as well! From a community "wellness" perspective, this desire to promote traditional culture and spirit is both promising and exciting. It can also lead to enhanced income opportunities for the people in the region who love to sew or have interest in learning. |