Indigenous language teacher will share book, board game and insights

Teacher Holly Wofford will showcase her work in Indigenous language education and creative storytelling from 11 a.m.-12:45 p.m. March 19 on the University of Alaska Fairbanks Troth Yeddha’ Campus.

Wofford will speak in the Rural Student Services Gathering Room in the Brooks Building. The event is open to the public and will also be accessible remotely via Zoom.

Wofford will offer insights into how students can leverage their academic experiences to launch meaningful careers. Attendees also can celebrate the launch of “The Story of Tobaan Etseh,” a book Wofford illustrated that tells the Koyukon Athabascan legend of the same name. And they can experience a board game Wofford created that explores Alaska Native culture and words.

Wofford earned a bachelor’s degree in Alaska Native studies from UAF. She works as a Native language teacher for the Yukon-Koyukuk School District, which provides K-12 schooling in rural communities across western Interior Alaska.

Wofford grew up in a subsistence-based lifestyle in Nulato and Koyukuk, villages on the central Yukon River. She aims to inspire young artists and language learners in rural communities.

The event is part of “A Place for Knowledge Exchange,” a monthly speaker series co-hosted by the UAF College of Indigenous Studies and the UAF International Arctic Research Center. The series highlights collaborative research, education and real-life community-based practices in rural Alaska.

Register for the in-person or Zoom events. For more information, visit A Place for Knowledge Exchange.

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