![Rosita Worl, president of Sealaska Heritage Institute, gives a talk titled "ANCSA: A Path to Assimilation or Cultural Survival" during a brown bag lecture Monday at Sealaska Heritage Institue boardroom. Michael Penn/Juneau Empire](http://jun-cdn.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/superphoto/10709177.jpg "Rosita Worl, president of Sealaska Heritage Institute, gives a talk titled "ANCSA: A Path to Assimilation or Cultural Survival" during a brown bag lecture Monday at Sealaska Heritage Institue boardroom. Michael Penn/Juneau Empire")
“Our Tlingit tradition is an oral tradition, said state Sen. Albert Kookesh as he introduced Sealaska Board Vice Chair and President of Sealaska Heritage Institute Rosita Worl — the final speaker in the Native American Heritage Month lecture series.
“And she is very, very versed in that area,” Kookesh said.
Kookesh said Worl has peformed academic work at Harvard should be commended. He called her a great orator and a great leader.
Worl said her speech would be primarily about assimilation. Her research comes from part of a National Science Foundation study.
One of four study components, Worl’s component was Cultural Conservation and Revitilization Strategies.
She said her study focused on the question of Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act impact on the assimilation and cultural survival of Indians of Southeast Alaska.
Worl has taught ANCSA courses at the University of Alaska.
Worl’s Tlingít names are Yeidiklats’akw and Kaa haní. She is a Lukaax.ádi yadi, or child of the Sockeye Clan.
Worl’s speech covered the legal principals governing Alaska Natives, responses of Tlingit and Haida to colonialism and Alaska Natives’ initiative to integrate Native Values into the act.
Much of the discussion by previous speakers at Sealaska Heritage Institute lecture series on the act has been around the need for collaboration between Native corporations and tribes.
Worl discussed the act’s effects on the cultures that bind all Natives.
Worl questioned whether ANCSA strengthened or weakened southeast Alaska Native culture.
The act was a new approach to Native lands claims, Worl said. However, it still had aspects designed to assimalate Alaska Natives into western culture. An example was the provision that Alaska Natives born after 1971 would not be granted shares the new Native Corporations. It was believed that assimilated Native youth should not rely on their native cultures for support. Sealaska and other native corporations have subsiquently voted to internally overturn that provision.
Dr. Rosita Worl is the president of the Sealaska Heritage Institute, a member of the Alaska Federation of Natives board, and on the board of the Indigenous Languages Institute. She serves on the Alaska Conservation Foundation Native Writers Award Subcommittee, the Smithsonian Arctic Studies Center Examination Advisory Panel, the board of trustees for the National Museum of the American Indian, and as the NAGRPA Review committee chair.
To learn more about Rosita Worl visit http://www.sealaska.com/page/rosita_worl
Monday’s brown bag lecture by Rosita Worl was formally titled “ANCSA: A Path to Assimilation or Cultural Survival.” This talk was part of an annual lecture series sponsored by the institute to celebrate Native American Heritage Month. The 2011 lecture series was sponsored by MRV Architects and series friends McDowell Group and Kathy Ruddy.
Watch the video of Rosita Worl’s brown bag lecture at http://vimeo.com/32816841
• Contact reporter Russell Stigall at 523-2276 or at russell.stigall@juneauempire.com.
Comments (8)
Add commentMarsha, marsha, marsha..
Its all about me.. me..me..
And why does this...
And how does all her crudentials, help out my natives friends? Its like look at me.. Marsha, marsha, marsha..
Assimilation...
does not have to come at the expense of culture or language. A common language solidifies communications in a nation with a myriad of cultural backgrounds. ANCSA was a more modern approach to assimilation with a seemingly fairer outcome than the old way of doing things, i.e. reservations. As the conquering machine moved west, it swallowed up lands and displaced inhabitants and introduced more cultures with no sense of fairness. But, it is what it is. A massive wealth distribution that takes everything and gives nothing in return. But a nation is the result. If culture is lost, then somebody should have written it down. All cultures had an oral tradition until someone figured out a means to record it.
The title of her speech should have been...............
"How can Native people be assimilated in western culture on less then a dollar per day in dividends?" Or "Your kids want to visit her museum and her kids want new cars with twenty inch rims."
Talking about traditional values is one thing
honoring them is another. Sealaska Board is aware of my claim regarding my Grandfather's land, to which they hold the patent to. My Grandfather was the former clan leader of the Shangukeidi (Thunderbird).
Talking about ANCSA and land ownership, then contradicting this violates Haa Aani, and everything else in our cultural.
I did have oppertunity to
I did have oppertunity to visit Rosita at her office. I was inquiery about the Council of Elders for Sealaska Corporation? Requirements, etc? I told her I was a Elder of my Clan and was interested of getting on their Elder's Council.
Rosita said they wanted learnered Tlingit Elders that know their history and culture...I was set back! To say the least, I am Gaanax adi Clan of the Taan ta Kwaan (Sealion People) The Gaanax adi Clan is the Oldest Clan in the Tlingit Nation. I just laugh. She insulted me and my Clan and Rosita didn't know it...sad.
You want to talk Assimilation! Just look at Sealaska Corporation. They teach only Greed and Mis-trust among our own people.
Like rayuser, Sealaska took titles to our lands to Village Island and Tongass Island village site. You would think Sealaska would give the titles to our respected Tribes?
Taan ta Kwaan still owns all its traditional lands and our history. Sealaska never talks about...why? Because we don't have any Elders on the Elder's Council of Sealaska thats why. No representation. Shame of them...they have no Values nor sense of Tradition...yet Juneau Empire thinks they do. Sealaska Corporation is NOT a tribe nor do they any rights to speak for me, my Clan or Tribe. I am just getting fired up now! More later...
My Indigenous Taan ta Kwaan opinion.
this is what i mean
Its like look at me, I get paid well, my people starve, who is this women, and how does she think she is a leader? From reading what is said about her in the comment section sound like she is getting NO love from her people and it is about show boating . I am so sick of the me, me , me with this lady, give it a rest, lets see some really good. Hey Juneau Empire.. Why not try to focus on the real work being done.. ANS and ANB the real people who try to make a difference in Native Culture!! Give Marsha a rest.. if I see another article.. I am gonna give her the name of Plastic girl.. or wanna be barbie.
She is not lukaax.adi yadi!
She is not lukaax.adi yadi! The elders say she's been using that clan for years. And by being based on a matriarch, why doesn't she list her clan to begin with, not her fathers clan....