Chilkoot Indian Association secures two grants to revitalize Tlingit culture
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TweetChilkoot Indian Association (CIA) secured two federal grants to assist the tribe in revitalizing local Tlingit culture.
One of the grants will go toward a one-year project to plan and lay the groundwork for a Tlingit language program. The other grant, titled “Chilkoot Cultural Journey,” guarantees three years of funding to establish a Tlingit art education and economic development program. Both grants came from the federal Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Native Americans.
“It’s the first step in reviving our cultural traditions and local expertise in our traditional arts,” said CIA tribal administrator Harriet Brouillette. Both projects are part of the tribe’s long-term strategic plan. The tribe was awarded both grants in the last month and a half.
“The tribe has come a long way,” Brouillette said. “We have come from being in a precarious position to having some clean audits and financial success in a short amount of time. That success is allowing us some time to focus on language and art rather than trying to keep our heads above water.”
The cultural journey grant amounts to $200,000. Brouillette said the tribe’s goal with that grant is to enhance art education through apprenticeships, to support tribal members that want to learn about and practice art at home, as well as to develop economic opportunities for those who want to make a living as artists.
“There are a lot of people who have been making money off Tlingit art, and I think it’s our turn to provide an opportunity for our artists,” Brouillette said.
The language grant of $82,609 will help CIA gather information about local Tlingit language speakers and gauge interest in developing a language education program. In the coming year, CIA will build a library of local and regional Tlingit language resources and will conduct surveys of tribal members to identify the prevalence and ability of local speakers.
“It is an exciting time for us,” Brouillette said. “Any success we achieve will be for the benefit of the whole community.”
