Alaska History or Alaska Studies is a graduation requirement in the state of Alaska, so all school districts across the state must provide this course to their students. While it may seem like a given that Alaska Native knowledge and perspectives would be part of any Alaska History or Alaska Studies course, Alaska Native cultures and histories are often only included in these courses in a token or cursory way.
This presentation offers one high school social studies teacher’s thoughts on how to “Indigenize” Alaska Studies courses in order to structure teachers’ approaches around Indigenous perspectives and make sure that Alaska Native worldviews and histories are fully integrated into this graduation requirement. Multiple approaches for how to structure the course will be outlined, including one for 9th-graders and one for 12th-graders.