Photo (above) by Nobu Koch, courtesy of Sealaska Heritage Institute.

Extensions:

This page provides additional hands-on activities for teachers, students and/or families who are looking for more ways to deepen their knowledge of Lingít language and culture.

Lesson 1: Yéil Ḵa G̱anook Heení (Raven and Petrelʼs Water)

Draw a Raven: As you listen to the story of Yéil Ḵaa G̱anook Heení retold by Jinkasee.ee, practice drawing a raven from observation or from this video in preparation for Lesson 2 when you will receive a Haa Ḵusteeyí Journal. This journal will be used throughout the year to document your drawings, writing, summarizing, and Lingít language learning

Lesson 2: Haa Ḵusteeyí Chorus & Finger Knitting

Making yarn bundles and finger knitting are handwork activities all students can enjoy, especially for those who need to move to learn. It not only build fine motor skills, but also provides a calming, rhythmic activity that produces beautiful handmade gifts like bracelets. This weekʼs lesson review the Haa Ḵusteeyí chorus by connecting it to making yarn bundles and finger knitting.

Lesson 3: Haa Ḵusteeyí Journals: Tlél sh yáa yeedawóodliḵ (Donʼt be in a hurry)

Every child, Kinder - 5th grade, received a Haa Ḵusteeyí journal as part of their send home packets. This journal will be used to document our knowledge of Lingít values, stories and language.

This first series of videos outlines how the journals are to be used and how we will make visible lessons learned from the first two Raven creation stories that Jinkasee.ee (Rose Willard) told
  • Yéil Ḵa G̱anook Heení (Raven and Petrelʼs Water)- How Raven brought water to the world and how his feathers turned from white to black.
  • Yéilch Ana.óot Aaní Alyéx̱ (Raven Makes the Aleutians)

Lesson 4: Drawing from Observation

After hearing a story told and retold in English and then one read accompanied by illustrations through the Baby Raven Reads program, the 4th week focused on allowing students to hear the beauty of this language by a fluent elder, Kaasgéiy Susie James, students practiced the tribal value of Tlél sh yaa yeedawoodliḵ (donʼt be in a hurry) by sketching a wave pattern (explained in Lesson 3 above) that symbolizes the low and high tones of this tribal value or using the sketch by observation cycle from Nancy Lehnhart.

Lesson 5 & 6: Scavenger Hunt

As a culminating activating to review vocabulary, practice pronunciation, encourage students to explore outside and identify what they see in Lingít, Elizabeth Kent created this interactive scavenger hunt. This online version includes audio, but you can click here for a downloadable print version.

Weeks 10 - 14: Yéil Ḵa Tʼá Storybag - Puppetry, Play and Card Games

Thanks to the generous donation by Goldbelt Heritage Foundation of 450 drawstring backpacks, every K-5 child at Sitʼ Eetí Shaanáx̱ Glacier Valley and Riverbend Elementary Schools will have a Yéil ḵa Tʼá storybag with the following contents, which you can download here:

Weeks 15-18: Land Animals & Birds

Gunalchéesh to the Yakutat Tlingít Tribe and illustrator, Yanastát Joseph James, for creating these coloring books to help teach the Lingít language in a fun and engaging way.

The Lingít Book of Birds focuses on using the verb "to hear" while the Lingít book of Animals focuses on the verb "to see."