Alaska Native students learn about heritage through internship at Sequoyah National Research Center

Ajani Oyindamola — Wed, 11 Jul 2018 13:40:09 +0000

Two Alaska Native students are getting in touch with their heritage by serving as interns at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s Sequoyah National Research Center.�� The goal of the Native American Student Internship Program is to provide students an experiential learning environment in which to acquire an understanding of the value of archives and the research potential of the collections of the center and to engage in academic research and practical archival activities related to tribal culture, society, and issues. The interns work 25 hours a week from June 4 to July 27 and receive on-campus housing and a $2,000 stipend. Recent ��Vlog��ý Little Rock graduate Heidi Davis and senior Stephanie Rabaduex, who are continuing internships from last summer, spend their internships archiving an important part of their Native Alaskan heritage. They are both Alaska Natives who are members of the Haida and Tlingit tribes. In 2014, the center acquired the, which included 1,263 videos. Thanks to a $24,000 grant from the Arkansas Natural and Cultural Resources Council, Rabaduex and Davis now decipher the videos, cataloging names, dates, places, and issues for the center’s archives. While growing up in the small village of Kake, Alaska, Davis, 29, fondly recalls tuning into “Heartbeat Alaska” as a child to watch the show’s host, Jeanie Greene, broadcast heartfelt stories of Alaska.

Heidi Davis works on digitizing photos of the Jeanie Greene collection on Alaska Natives at the Sequoyah National Research Center.��

“I would have been happy to do anything interning here, but the Jeanie Greene productions were special,” Davis said. “I grew up watching her shows in Alaska. Jeanie Greene actually babysat my dad, so my dad can tell me stories about her, but she is like a celebrity to me since I never met her.” Davis, who graduated in May with bachelor’s degrees in criminal justice and political science, will attend William H. Bowen School of Law in the fall. One day Davis would like to return to Alaska to represent Alaska Natives in the court system. Davis worked for the Alaska Court System before she and her husband moved with their two small children to North Little Rock, following her husband’s return from the Coast Guard. While she enjoys living in the Natural State, working on the Jeanie Greene collection gives Davis a little piece of home. “It was pretty hard to adjust the first couple of years I was here and then I found Sequoyah and they kept reaching out to me,” Davis said. “I’m all the way in Little Rock working on a project that is close to my heart, so it’s amazing. I have family members on these videos who have passed away, so anytime I am watching and come across a family member, it is really exciting. It definitely gives me a new perspective because I grew up in southeast Alaska, but my kids will not grow up there, so it’s important for me to keep informing them on who they are.”

Stephanie Rabaduex works on digitizing photos of the Jeanie Greene collection on Alaska Natives at the Sequoyah National Research Center.��

On the other hand, Rabaduex, who will graduate this summer with a Bachelor of Art in English with an emphasis in creative writing, grew up in Ward, Arkansas. Her mother was adopted from Alaska and grew up in San Diego, so Rabaduex sees the Jeanie Greene project as a way to learn more about her heritage. “I didn’t know anything about my heritage. I have never even been to Alaska,” Rabaduex said. “Having the opportunity to see the videos, I’ve learned so much, so it’s important for everybody who wants to learn about the cultures of the Alaska Natives to have access to the videos.” Rabaduex, who also works at Baptist Health, learned about Sequoyah National Research Center when she took a tour during a mythology class. At first, she didn’t know the center also did research on Alaska Natives. “Erin Fehr (archivist) mentioned all these scholarships and the summer internships, and I never realized they would accept me, so that is a real thrill,” Rabaduex said. “I like the atmosphere here. Everyone makes you feel at home, like you are just part of this place since day one. It was an amazing opportunity for me to experience, not just my culture, but Alaska Native culture in general. I encourage anyone who has Native American background should come check out the Sequoyah National Research Center. You never know what you might find.” For more information about the Sequoyah National Research Center, contact Erin Fehr at ehfehr@ualr.edu or 501-569-8336. In the upper right photo, the Sequoyah National Research Center has selected four students for its 2018 Native American Student Internship Program. The interns (L to R) include Kevin Briceland, from Southern Methodist University, Courtney Peyketewa, from Oklahoma Central University, Heidi Davis, and Stephanie Rabadeux, both from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. Photo by Ben Krain/��Vlog��ý Little Rock Communications.

Native American students selected for internship program at Sequoyah National Research Center

Ajani Oyindamola — Fri, 06 Jul 2018 13:16:24 +0000

Two Native American students are getting in touch with their heritage by serving as interns this summer at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s Sequoyah National Research Center.�� Kevin Briceland, a doctoral student studying American history at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, and Courtney Peyketewa, a graduate student studying adult higher education at the University of Central Oklahoma, Edmond, have been selected for the center’s Native American Student Internship Program. The goal of the program is to provide students an experiential learning environment in which to acquire an understanding of the value of archives and the research potential of the collections of the Center and to engage in academic research and practical archival activities related to tribal culture, society, and issues. The interns work 25 hours a week from June 4 to July 27 and receive on-campus housing and a $2,000 stipend. Interns are expected to demonstrate the value of their experience by either a summary report of work, finding aids for collections, or reports of research or other written work that may be shared with their home institutions. Peyketewa, a member of the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma, is working on the center’s World War I project with SNRC Director Dr. Daniel Littlefield and Archivist Erin Fehr. “We are working on modern warriors of World War I,” she said. “The has asked the center to help identify the 12,000 American Indian servicemen who served in World War I. We are collecting names, their enlistment records, and any medals or honors they have received. In honor of the centennial, we wanted to honor those who served and recognize them for their service.” The center will also create a website where the public will be able to access the records. “It is very interesting. I am learning stuff every day that I didn’t learn about before,” Peyketewa said. “Currently, I am contacting all the tribes to ask them if they have any information or memorials on their tribe members who are WWI veterans to be able to obtain that information.” After Peyketewa earns her Master of Education, the 27-year-old Oklahoma City native plans to work in student affairs at a university. She also hopes to learn more about her family history while working at the center. “It was awesome to be selected for this opportunity. I feel like I am filling in information for people, and that it is a way of giving back,” she said. “I plan to learn about my family heritage by talking to Dr. Littlefield. He tells me tidbits of information. I also hope to be able to trace my family tree and learn more about my family.” Briceland, a member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, is processing the manuscript collection of SNRC Director Littlefield. He said working at the archives will help prepare him for his dissertation research. “As an historian in training, it will help me to have a working knowledge of an archive,” Briceland said. “I plan to do a lot of my dissertation research here, so this is a good introduction. I like that I am getting two months of complete access to the materials I know I am going to use down the road.” Briceland is planning to write his dissertation on race and policy in Indian Territory from the post-Civil War era through the 1920s. “I think it is a very interesting period of time that often gets overlooked,” he said. “In Indian Territory, you have a lot of different ethnic groups coming together in a complex way. Plus, I grew up there. The people have demonstrated a resiliency and adaptability to change that is important to understand. Being a member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma gives you an outlet to connect with the history and culture.” For more information about the Sequoyah National Research Center, contact Erin Fehr at ehfehr@ualr.edu or 501-569-8336. In the upper right photo, the Sequoyah National Research Center has selected four students for its 2018 Native American Student Internship Program. The interns (L to R) include Kevin Briceland, from Southern Methodist University, Courtney Peyketewa, from Oklahoma Central University, Heidi Davis, and Stephanie Rabadeux, both from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. Photo by Ben Krain/��Vlog��ý Little Rock Communications.��

- University News Archive - ����Vlog��ý Little Rock

Alaska Native students learn about heritage through internship at Sequoyah National Research Center

Native American students selected for internship program at Sequoyah National Research Center

- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock