Lessons on the Land: The Role of Kaska Elders in a University Language Course

Abstract

The 13 Kaska Elders who participated in a recent university-level Kaska language
course held in three locations on the land took different approaches to teaching than
those associated with institutional settings. The diversity of Elders facilitated the
modeling of gender roles, the mentoring of family members, and the representation of
dialect diversity. They demonstrated a depth of experience and knowledge including a
particularly wide-ranging knowledge of narrative traditions, prayers, and cultural
practices. They provided balance to academic modes of instruction by communicating
orally; by providing models of complex, extended use of native language; and by
using the language in the context of daily activities.