Ilakucaraq means "being together" in Yugtun, the language of the Yup'ik people of Southwest Alaska.

(Pronounced: Ee-la-cou-jaw-ga-ck)

Ilakucaraq is a partnership between the Alaska Humanities Forum, the Alaska Native Heritage Center, and Mt. Edgecumbe High School.

The Alaska Humanities Forum’s Ilakucaraq youth programs are open to all Alaska Native high school students located anywhere in Alaska. Both rural and urban students are encouraged to participate.

One-Off Programs
Year-Long Cohorts

The Alaska Native Heritage Center’s Indigenous Awareness and Culturally Responsive Teaching Professional Development course for Alaska educators is also part of Ilakucaraq.

One-Off Programs

Ilakucaraq facilitates free educational programs for groups of Alaska Native youth in grades 9-12 to foster a strong sense of pride about who they are and where they come from.

Students value our programs.

I learned what culture shock was, and I had not known what that was. I didn’t know I had experienced it a lot. - Sealaska Heritage Institute Summer Camp student

I learned to never give up; you'll always find a way. - Kusilvak Career Academy student

I feel a lot more respected as an Alaska Native. - Sealaska Heritage Institute Summer Camp student

Program Offerings

Programs engage participants in self-reflection and discussion, strengthening connections between students. The programs complement each other, so the same group of students will benefit from doing both Program 1 and Program 2.

PROGRAM 1: REFLECTING ON CULTURE AND IDENTITY

Students share a personal story in small groups about something that has shaped them. These stories serve as the foundation for reflecting on cultural values and a discussion about positive cultural identity.

PROGRAM 2: CULTURE SHOCK AFTER HIGH SCHOOL

Participants learn about the concept of culture shock and consider how this may apply to them after they graduate from high school. They are exposed to a Native student’s experience with going to a college where other students did not understand her Native culture. This leads to a discussion about the challenges of leaving home and how students can better navigate their lives after high school when they are grounded in their cultural identities.

Program Length: 1 hour - 1.5 hours

Suggested Audiences: School classes, after school programs, career and education fairs, and any other groups of predominantly Alaska Native youth in grades 9-12.

Group Size: 5-25

We can adapt our programs to meet the needs of your students or event. Programs can be virtual or in-person. We may be able to travel outside Southcentral Alaska.

Contact our team at ilakucaraq@akhf.org or 907-717-1256 to discuss how we can bring these programs to your students or events.

Year-Long Cohorts

IP Cohorts bring rural and urban Alaska Native youth together to explore their heritages, share their cultures, and find strength in being Indigenous. The year-long experience allows each cohort to become a tight-knit community that supports one another as participants build confidence in who they are and their relationship to their cultures.

Mt. Edgecumbe High School Partnership

The Forum also leads Ilakucaraq programming for Mt. Edgecumbe High School’s Junior Advisory class. This class guides high school juniors through the process of identifying their values and post-high school aspirations.

Through multi-day intensives and virtual sessions, Junior Advisory students talk with Alaska Native role models about their experiences after high school, learn how a strong sense of cultural identity is related to college success, and further their understanding of how their identities are shaped.

Indigenous Awareness and Culturally Responsive Teaching Professional Development 

ED 55500: Indigenous Awareness and Culturally Responsive Teaching is an Elder Instructor-led course approved by the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development for teacher certification in Alaska. This 3 credit course for K-12 educators, including veteran teachers seeking recertification, is offered through a partnership between the Alaska Native Heritage Center’s Ilakucaraq Project and the Alaska Pacific University.

For more information, contact Alice Hisamoto at 907-802-0250 or Ahisamoto@alaskanative.net.

The Ilakucaraq Project is funded by the U.S. Department of Education's Alaska Native Education Program.

Meet the Team!