Senator Mark Begich recently visited Howard Luke’s Gaalee’ya Spirit Camp on the Tanana River, as Interior-Aleutians Campus Ten Hunee Daalo’ye Upward Bound (UB) students filled the air with Athabascan song. Todd Kelsey, a long time supporter of Howard Luke’s commitment to share his culture and encourage  young people, facilitated the senator’s visit, in coordination with IAC Director Teisha Simmons. Senator Begich and his staff toured the alternative energy resources recently installed at the camp by a collaborative project of IAC with Interior Regional Housing Authority and Gaalee’ya Spirit Camp; visited each of the UB classes from caribou tufting to emergency first aid/CPR; and listened. Howard Luke had an opportunity to talk about his vision for the camp’s important work, in partnership with IAC, to share the Athabascan culture, values and language. UB students presented Senator Begich with letters they had written to him in their English class and talked with him about the educational and personal impacts of UB, especially their annual stay at Gaalee’ya Camp. Also present were Tanana Chiefs Conference President Jerry Isaacs, Sarah Obed from Doyon, Inc., and UAF Oral History professor emeritus Bill Schneider.