In March, four environmental public health students from Alaska Pacific University (APU) traveled to the Native Village of Napaskiak in southwest Alaska, a traditional Yup’ik community just up the Kuskokwim River from Bethel. Cultural practices and language are important to Napaskiak. Residents enjoy a subsistence way of life, hunting, fishing, and gathering with the seasons….
Alaskan Culture
Nursing programs receive national accreditation and commendation for cultural safety curriculum
Two Alaska Pacific University nursing programs have received accreditation from the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN). The announcement applies to the university’s associate degree and bachelor’s degree in nursing, both of which train healthcare workers desperately needed in Alaska. The ACEN accreditation demonstrates that APU’s programs have passed an external quality review and recognizes…
Celebrating Alaska Native Heritage at APU
November is Alaska Native and American Indian Heritage Month. APU is a fully accredited four-year Alaska Native-serving and Tribally controlled university. At APU, we recognize and celebrate our Indigenous heritage every month of the year. Read on to see stories from the past year that celebrate Alaska Native knowledge and culture at APU. And don’t…
Alaska Pacific University announces three new academic programs
Alaska Pacific University (APU) will offer three new academic programs, ranging from an undergraduate certificate to a graduate degree. The programs were approved by the APU Board of Trustees in December and received accreditation from the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities and the Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education in April. The new program offerings…
Photo Book: 2018 Indigenous Peoples Day
The second annual Indigenous Peoples Day, celebrated Monday, October 8 on APU’s campus, was both a time of celebration and action. During the two and a half hour event, various performers and speakers took the stage. Among them were Governor Bill Walker, Anchorage mayor Ethan Berkowitz and state health commissioner Valerie Nurr’araaluk Davidson. Enjoy our…
APU To Hold Alaska Native Feast Tray Carving Class
APU’s Elder Artists-in-Residence, Joe and Martha Senungetuk, will be holding a workshop focusing on Alaska Native feast trays in August and September. The course is a sequel to their mask making class from the previous May-term. Students will learn wood carving techniques as they design and shape their very own feast trays. Also, the class…
Environmental Ethics in Alaska
“Environmental ethics” may sound like a chance to eat chia seeds while wearing Birkenstocks, talking about your favorite tree (there certainly is a bit of hippy tree hugger in the soul of any environmental ethicists), but it is, in fact, an academic field of study that investigates the normative dimensions of environmental problems and problem-solving….
Block Course Teaches Kayak Design, Cultural Understanding
Photos courtesy of Matt Allen Traditionally, kayak building was a rite of passage for young Alaska Native boys, a process that would mark the transition from boyhood to manhood. For a handful of Alaska Pacific University students, it’s also been the focus of a one-of-a-kind block course. Over the course of three weeks, Andrew Abyo…
First Alaskan’s Institute Racial Equity Summit Recap
By Aaron Tooyak On February 1st and 2nd I had the privilege of attending the Racial Equity Summit hosted by First Alaskans Institute (FAI) at the Egan Center. The main room held a wealth of wisdom and knowledge from dedicated leaders of all walks of life and professions in the racial equity movement. The event…
