Eyak Language Revitalization
Revitalization of dAXunhyuuga’ - the Eyak Language - is critical to reclaiming cultural sovereignty and strengthening landback claims. Native Conservancy works in partnership with the 501(c)3 Eyak Cultural Foundation (ECF) and expert linguists Guillaume Leduey and Gary Holton to revitalize Eyak language, culture, and history. We are implementing fundamental language education for four generations of Eyak descendants and hiring an Eyak person full-time to lead the language program and act as a liaison with the ECF, creating a joint advisory council. We are increasing the number of participants in online workshops and language lessons and designing new curricula and recordings, as well as developing an accessible Eyak Grammar book and 24 new language lessons annually over three years.
In order to truly revitalize and preserve dAXunhyuuga’ the community has identified the need to assist at least six Eyak people in becoming fluent in their own language. Through this project, six Native Eyak language-learners will be compensated to work closely with Guillaume, Gary and a support network of other language learners, including Eyak Elders, to attain fluency. Ultimately, this revitalization effort will train Eyak people to become teachers of their own language, so that it may be passed on for generations to come.
Youth Programs
Our Youth Programs include the bi-monthly Eyak Culture Camp for Native Youth in Eyak (Cordova). Further expansion of our programs will include community boat trips utilizing Native Conservancy’s fleet that enable Native Elders who may not have access to their own boats to fulfill their subsistence fishing quotas. We envision multigenerational groups led by our Restoration Manager and Youth Coordinator, facilitating the important tradition of passing on knowledge from Elders to Youth and boosting the positive impact of intergenerational learning within our communities.
Cultural Mapping
No comprehensive research and documentation of Eyak cultural sites or place names has been undertaken to date. Native Conservancy’s project partners with the Eyak Preservation Council and includes community research and expeditions throughout traditional Eyak Homelands, especially on the vast delta of aanguu’nAw (the Copper River. Research targets for this long-term, collaborative Eyak Cultural Mapping project will include traveling to Katalla (Point Martin) and the Bering River Chilkat Village sites with a cultural Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping crew and Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) system. Mapping Eyak and Tlingit village sites, burial sites, and refuse sites and cross-referencing our findings with local Indigenous Knowledge will illuminate cultural significance of traditional place names and strengthen landback claims with official documentation and recognition. Imagery, formal archaeological reports, TEK/stories/cultural knowledge, ecological assessments, and historical data will be integrated into an online, interactive atlas platform. Intellectual property rights will be carefully adhered to regarding documentation and protection of sensitive stories, artifacts, and sacred sites.