Legislature(2023 - 2024)BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
05/06/2024 03:30 PM Senate EDUCATION
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB266 | |
| HJR17 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | SB 266 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | HJR 17 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
HJR 17-SUPPORT FED TRUTH AND HEALING COMMISSION
3:44:09 PM
CHAIR TOBIN announced the consideration of HOUSE JOINT
RESOLUTION NO. 17 Urging the United States Congress to pass the
Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies
Act.
3:44:32 PM
CHAIR TOBIN stated HJR 17 has a zero fiscal note. She suggested
members and the public read pages 25-26 of the May 2022 Federal
Indian Boarding School Initiative Investigative Report regarding
initial federal policies towards Indian education. The report is
available on the Alaska State Legislature website.
3:45:52 PM
CALLAN CHYTHLOOK-SIFSOF, Staff, Alaska State Legislature,
Juneau, Alaska, spoke on behalf of the sponsor of HJR 17. She
turned to slide 2 and began delivery of the presentation House
Joint Resolution 17 "Urging the United States Congress to Pass
the Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding Schools
Policies Act":
[Original punctuation provided.]
HJR17
• Support US Senate Bill 1723
• Federal Truth & Healing Commission on Indian
Boarding School Policies Act
2022 Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative
Investigative Report findings
• Alaska Native Heritage Center Lach'qu Sukdu Research
Program database/research
• Alaska Federation of Natives Resolution 23-14 in
support of S.1723
3:46:40 PM
MS. CHYTHLOOK-SIFSOF stated that the portions of the sponsor's
presentation that speak to the Alaska Native Heritage Center's
body of work would be addressed by Mr. Jacuk.
3:47:55 PM
MS. CHYTHLOOK-SIFSOF turned to slide 6 and said U.S. Senate Bill
1723 has 29 Bi-Partisan Co-sponsors. She said Alaskan Native
leaders and Senator Lisa Murkowski are involved in the drafting
of U.S. Senate Bill 1723.
3:48:27 PM
MS. CHYTHLOOK-SIFSOF moved to slide 7 and said for
Representative McCormick, herself, and others the systemic abuse
relatives faced is intergenerational.
3:49:25 PM
MS. CHYTHLOOK-SIFSOF turned to slide 8 and thanked the committee
for hearing HJR 17. It is a very personal piece of legislation
for Representative McCormick, herself, and others.
3:49:38 PM
SENATOR STEVENS said the presentation only mentioned four
boarding schools, but he is aware that boarding schools existed
statewide. He asked if the study and resolution include all
boarding schools in Alaska or just some.
3:50:39 PM
MS. CHYTHLOOK-SIFSOF replied that Mr. Jacuk's presentation
includes over 100 Native boarding schools in Alaska. She said
downtown Juneau has buildings with architecture that resemble
the four boarding schools she mentioned. Those buildings elicit
images of violence and cultural elimination for Native people.
3:51:31 PM
SENATOR STEVENS said he is glad the study and legislation is
inclusive because Alaskan's have heard horrible stories of abuse
from institutions statewide.
3:51:48 PM
CHAIR TOBIN asked about the intersection between HJR 17 and the
work taking place by the Alice Spotted Bear and Walter Soboleff
Commission on Native Children.
MS. CHYTHLOOK-SIFSOF expressed that although she isn't
acquainted with the commission itself, the Alaskan Federation of
Natives has supported HJR 17, suggesting Native leaders are
unified in their support of HJR 17. She stated her belief that
the commission also supports HJR 17.
3:53:02 PM
CHAIR TOBIN announced invited testimony on HJR 17.
3:53:38 PM
BENJAMIN JACUK, Indigenous Researcher, Alaska Native Heritage
Center, Anchorage, Alaska, introduced himself and mentioned that
his current area of research focuses on Native boarding schools
in Alaska. He moved to slide 2 of the Sheldon Jackson and
Frameworks of Violence presentation and stated that his reason
for conducting research on Native boarding schools is to tell
the stories of Native Elders who were never able to share their
experiences. He quoted his grandfather as saying, "The only way
to know what to heal or how to heal is to know what we need
healing from." Truth is essential to understanding what healing
entails. The history of boarding schools impacts every Alaskan
Native. Research indicates that Alaska is ground zero for the
boarding school policies listed in the Boarding School
Initiative, Volume I.
MR. JACUK stated the learning objectives of the presentation
are:
[Original punctuation provided.]
•Alaska Boarding School History
•Historical/Source Criticism in conjunction with Alaska
State History
•Structural Violence Model
•Recognizing the Structures of Violence that Impact
Alaska Natives Today
3:57:09 PM
MR. JACUK moved to slide 3:
[Original punctuation provided.]
Boarding School Facts
• Assimilation project meant to "domesticate" Native
children of North America
• ~500 US Alaska Native/American Indian Boarding
schools, day schools, boarding home schools, and
asylums
• Government-funded while being church-run
• Alaska Native/American Indian children were
• forcibly abducted by Indian Agents
• sent hundreds of miles away
• beaten, starved, or abused
• Holy Cross, Alaska
• 10,000s did not return
MR. JACUK stated that it is important to recognize that the
intent of the assimilation project was to gain access to
resources and land by taking away students' Native identity and
replacing it with an American identity. He said he expects to
find unmarked graveyards throughout the state as his research
continues. In Holy Cross, Alaska, there was a 20 percent
mortality rate that was not connected to epidemics. He opined
that there is not one Native Alaskan alive today that has not
been affected by the history of boarding schools.
3:59:46 PM
MR. JACUK moved to slide 5 and said the U.S. Department of
Interior in its May 2022 Federal Indian Boarding School
Initiative Investigative Report provided definitions that give
direction to the conversation on boarding school research:
[Original punctuation provided.]
Definitions
-Missions
-Day School
-Boarding Schools
-1. Housing The institution has been described as
providing on-site housing or overnight lodging. This
includes dormitory, orphanage, asylum, residential,
boarding, home, jail, and quarters.
-2. Education The institution has been described as
providing formal academic or vocational training and
instruction. This includes mission school, religious
training,
-3. Federal Support The institution has been
described as receiving Federal Government funds or
other Federal support. This includes agency,
independent, contract, mission, contract with white
schools, government, semi-government, under
superintendency, and land or buildings or funds or
supplies or services provided.
-4. Timeframe The institution was operational before
1969 (prior to modern departmental Indian education
programming including BIE).
4:00:36 PM
MR. JACUK moved to slide 8 and emphasized that understanding the
history of Native boarding schools in Alaska requires looking
back to the 1493 Doctrine of Discovery. Access to land was often
conditioned upon forced education or conversion. This doctrine
facilitated the transfer of lands to Western European empires
through forced education or conversion and was brought to North
America by Protestant settlers, where it was reinterpreted by
Charles Hodge and Archbold Alexander. The reinterpretation
evolved the Doctrine of Election into a tool to promote
ideological agendas.
4:03:29 PM
MR. JACUK moved to slide 9 and stated that the policy for
Protestant and Catholic boarding schools required indigenous
people to either assimilate fully into American culture or face
death. Protestants initially experimented with this policy in
Oklahoma. In 1940, Robert Loughridge began institutionalizing
boarding schools because he believed that for change to occur,
students needed to be removed from their homes. Around 1950,
Sheldon Jackson, under Mr. Loughridge's tutelage, became the
superintendent of all boarding schools west of the Mississippi
and established many schools.
4:05:38 PM
MR. JACUK moved to slide 10 and stated that a Wyoming news
article referenced Jackson's recognition of conflicts over
resource extraction and proposed assimilated schools as a means
of gaining access. The article indirectly mentioned the use of
force by acknowledging nearby barracks of 1,200 men. He noted
that forced assimilation was a recurring theme within Jackson's
work.
4:07:05 PM
MR. JACUK stated that Jackson came to Alaska in 1877. Until
recently, few primary sources on the Native boarding schools
were known. The map in slide 11 is an example of inaccuracies
created due to a lack of primary sources. ANHC has since located
a map from a primary source that a peer-reviewed journal will
publish in June.
4:08:45 PM
MR. JACUK moved to slide 12 and said the Comity Plan began in
1880 and entailed splitting Alaska into sections for resource
extraction and assigning a religious denomination to each
section. He named various Christian denominations and the
resources and areas in which they had assigned interest. He
stated that it was the first time in history that Catholics and
Protestant denominations agreed on something, which was the
forced assimilation of Native children for monetary gain. He
further stated that as an ordained religious leader, he has seen
little evidence that conversion was a motive for assimilation.
4:12:08 PM
MR. JACUK moved to slide 13 and said Native boarding schools
were created in other areas of the world and a congressional
body was created to sway their development. He quoted John Reed
as saying, " It is cheaper to convert the Indians than it is to
shoot them."
4:13:34 PM
MR. JACUK moved to slide 14 and discussed the monetary gains of
the schools. He stated that at the Eklutna Industrial Indian
School in South Central Alaska, teachers and principals owned
plots of land where children worked and trained. Records were
found showing children ages birth to 14 years old were signed
into indentured servanthood by non-English speaking parents,
making the conversation not only about assimilation but also
about slavery. Records also show that the American Baptist
Church, which controlled Kodiak and South-Central Alaska,
reported making over $7 million in 1895. Statewide estimated
profits reach billions of dollars.
4:15:57 PM
MR. JACUK moved to slide 15 and discussed Sheldon Jackson's
influence and militarization of boarding schools. He said it is
a period where Native Boarding Schools are considered Native
prison camps, not just in Alaska but elsewhere in the United
States, such as Carlisle Indian Industrial School in
Pennsylvania. Although never explained, Jackson is referred to
as the preserver of culture even though evidence is to the
contrary, for example viewing Alaskan Native languages as
retarding development.
4:17:51 PM
MR. JACUK moved to slide 16 - 17 and discussed the recruitment
of teachers through Protestant women's societies. He noted the
portrayal of a Native boy in traditional clothing as an "Eskimo
boy in a savage state," but once his hair is cut and he wears a
suit, his picture is captioned with his name "David Skuvinka" to
show he is deserving of a name. The next image shows a photo of
a white teacher and her daughter living in Bethel, dressed in
clothing similar to the boy when he was dressed in his "savage
state." He opined that this represents Native culture being evil
only when in the hands of Natives.
4:20:01 PM
MR. JACUK moved to slide 20 and said in the lower-48 the
government attempted to turn Native Americans into poor farmers.
Since farming was not conducive to Alaska, Jackson established
reindeer herding to domesticate, assimilate Natives, and feed
extraction workers.
4:20:56 PM
MR. JACUK moved to slide 21 and said it is important to take a
historical and source-critical approach when doing research.
4:21:26 PM
MR. JACUK moved to slide 22 and stated that physical and sexual
abuse did not occur on an individual basis; rather, it was
systematic because the actions were deliberate. The only known
location proven to have children wear dog tags is Alaska.
4:22:21 PM
MR. JACUK moved to slide 23 and said the photo of handoffs and a
child sleeping chained to a bed, titled "A prisoner," is an
internal document from a Methodist Episcopal church.
4:23:45 PM
MR. JACUK moved to slide 24 and said most people do not know
about or acknowledge Native Boarding School history and said a
Presbyterian professor opined that forgetting the history was
intentional:
[Original punctuation provided.]
Historical Amnesia
• No state-wide Curriculum that teaches about the
atrocities and cultural genocide that took place at
Sheldon Jackson Boarding School, Wrangell Institute,
or any other Boarding School in Alaska.
• Most people do not know about or acknowledge the
Boarding Schools in Alaska (especially the Churches)
• No real education about Sheldon Jackson
• Unable to connect structural violence w/ what has
happened
• Taking Children and cultural genocide is enough
4:24:28 PM
MR. JACUK moved to slide 25 - 26 and spoke to the Structural
Violence Model used by ANHC:
[Original punctuation provided.]
Structural Violence Model
• Structural Violence- the cause of the difference
between the potential and the actual, between what
could have been and what is.
• Structural Violence & Historical Trauma
• Community vs. Individual
• Affects all Indigenous Peoples
• Recognizes the structures put into place that
institutionalizes violence for Indigenous peoples
• Lets us know we are never alone
Structural Violence Model Applied
• To be defined as the cause of the difference between
the potential and the actual, between what could have
been and what is.
• Violence that is "Psychological" and/or "Physical,"
which turns into a cycle
• Violence that was "positively" or "negatively"
influenced.
• "At least we gave you
• Violence if "there is a hurt object that exists."
• Unseen Pain • Visible "subject that acts"
• Abuse of one vs. Many instances
• Whether this event was unintended or "intended" by
the "subject."
4:26:11 PM
MR. JACUK moved to slide 27 - 28 and discussed the importance of
internal and external identity, specifically how Alaskan Natives
see themselves and how society perceives them.
[Original punctuation provided.]
Data Tells a Story
• More than 4 in 5 American Indian and Alaska Native
(AI/AN) women (84.3 percent) have experienced
violence in their lifetime.
• One out of every two AI/AN women have experienced
sexual violence in their lifetime
• 40 percent Native Incarnation Rate - Alaska Native
men and women are more likely to be arrested than any
other race in Alaska. From a national perspective,
AI/AN are more likely to be arrested than any other
race.
• 60 percent Native children in Foster care
• Suicide rate 4 times the national average
• Homicides twice the national average, rape of Native
women at a third higher than the national average,
and underreported and accidental deaths by Natives
disproportionate to their numbers.
4:27:38 PM
MR. JACUK moved to slide 29 and said the Boarding School
Initiative, volume I, and the Federal Indian Boarding School
Initiative Investigative Report are two pieces of work that are
important to understanding the realities of assimilation. The
ANHC is the only entity that has found primary sources through
church records and local locations. He described the recent
primary sources ANHC has located.
4:29:10 PM
MR. JACUK moved to slide 30 and said within the last 20 years
only two individuals have written exclusively on boarding
schools in Alaska. It is important to tell individual stories
and the story of Alaska.
4:30:10 PM
MR. JACUK moved to slide 31 and said the point of research is to
look at the wound and identify truth so healing can occur. He
said taking off the band aid and identifying the truth will
bring healing to the living and the dead. Healing is needed to
move from surviving to thriving.
4:32:10 PM
SENATOR STEVENS asked for an explanation of intergenerational
and historical trauma and how it affects people.
4:32:55 PM
MR. JACUK said ANHC uses the structural violence model to
understand the ongoing impact of historical trauma on Native
communities. This approach links the broader structural issues
to the individual experiences of intergenerational trauma. A key
aspect is the transmission of identity; if Native individuals
lack a positive self-identity, it can lead to various long-term
issues. The speaker emphasizes that it's not just about isolated
incidents but about how these realities shape the upbringing of
Alaskan Natives, leading to cycles of abuse and substance
misuse. Studies, including those on epigenetics, show that
parental experiences of abuse can make their children more
vulnerable to similar abuses, as evidenced by extensive research
in Canada.
SENATOR STEVENS replied how trauma affects the mind and is
perpetuated generationally is not fully understood but appears
to be true.
4:36:54 PM
MS. CHYTHLOOK-SIFSOF stated she wanted to share her experiences
as a Native person growing up in modern Alaska. She stated she
is an Olympic snowboarder who has encountered racism her entire
life, with slurs like "homeless drunks" aimed at her and her
family. She highlighted that she is not alone in these
experiences and that her family has been victims of
institutional violence. She noted that while boarding schools
ended in 1969, the impact is still felt by many Alaskans. She
referenced Drs. Charles and Worl, who spoke at a House Tribal
Affairs hearing, sharing previously unheard first-person
testimonies. She encouraged people to watch the hearing to learn
about intergenerational trauma, stating that these testimonies
and the research of ANHC validated her own feelings.
4:40:12 PM
SENATOR BJORKMAN noted that the state mandates all teachers to
complete Alaska cultural coursework and students to earn a half
credit in Alaska Native Studies. He highlighted the need for
curriculum development and inquired if ANHC has taken any steps
to provide such curriculum or coursework.
4:41:08 PM
MR. JACUK mentioned that ANHC currently offers a 3-hour class
for teachers and is in the process of developing a more
comprehensive curriculum. He emphasized that the real question
isn't about who will write the curriculum but rather who will
actually teach it.
CHAIR TOBIN said recent changes to the Alaska Reads Act now
require school districts to quantify the professional
development days dedicated to culturally relevant curricula. She
suggested it is a good time for ANHC and school districts to
find synergy.
4:42:01 PM
SENATOR BJORKMAN responded that history teachers teach Alaska
Native studies every year. Sheldon Jackson and the Nelson Act
are specifically called out in the Alaska history content
standards. He stated he has taught this history to high school
students. Many people make commentary about what is and is not
taught in K-12 classrooms. He requested that people not make
blanket statements about what is taught in classrooms. He
suggested partnering with the creators of the Alaskool website
and the Alaska Humanities Forum, that have attempted to maintain
a foundational curriculum for stories on boarding schools. He
opined that teachers around the state would appreciate the
partnership in providing curriculum on this subject.
4:43:35 PM
MR. JACUK replied that he was speaking of the need for statewide
teaching of boarding school history. He stated that he has
participated in over 100 classes, and approximately three
teachers were aware of the history. He mentioned that the Kenai
Peninsula Borough School District informed him that it does not
have a policy to teach this history. He stated that while some
educators even deny Alaska's boarding school history, he is
grateful for the individual teachers that do teach it.
4:46:00 PM
CHAIR TOBIN opened public testimony on HJR 17; finding none, she
closed public testimony.
4:46:18 PM
At ease
4:46:32 PM
CHAIR TOBIN reconvened the meeting.
4:46:37 PM
MS. CHYTHLOOK-SIFSOF thanked members for their time and stated
Representative McCormick wished he could have attended the
hearing.
4:47:25 PM
CHAIR TOBIN solicited a motion.
4:47:29 PM
SENATOR STEVENS moved to report HJR 17, work order 33-LS1019\U,
from committee with individual recommendations and attached
fiscal note(s).
4:47:44 PM
CHAIR TOBIN found no objection and HJR 17 was reported from the
Senate Education Standing Committee.