FARMINGTON – Fifteen people braved a snow storm on Dec. 9 to hear a talk about Alaska’s bush teachers by William Gilliland. William and his wife, Leslie, who now reside in Farmington, spent 11 years teaching in Indian and Eskimo villages in the remote Alaska bush. Both earned their bachelor degrees in elementary education from the University of Maine at Farmington. The presentation was one of the classes offered by the Gold LEAF Institute Senior College at UMF.
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The Gilliland’s spent eight years teaching in the Indian and Eskimo villages north of Fairbanks, and three years in two Yup’ik Eskimo villages located in the heart of the Kuskokwim Delta. They returned to Farmington in the summer of 2007.
The culture of the Alaskan Native has never truly been assimilated by American mainstream culture. For the last 100 years missionaries and government social programs have tried to change the native traditional lifestyle. The result has been a dramatic failure. Alaskan Natives are now realizing that, if they are to retain their way of life, they must determine their own destiny. There is a tremendous need in the villages for bush teachers – teachers who are willing to commit for a number of years, and to offer education without imposing social judgment.
Gilliland’s slide presentation outlined the challenges of bush teachers living and working in the Native subsistence cultures that populate rural Alaska. He also displayed items reminiscent of their life in America’s wildest state, including Eskimo and Athabascan mukluks, gloves and hats made out of caribou, moose, beaver and marten. Some of the Athabascan items were decorated with beautiful, intricate beadwork.
Gold LEAF (the acronym stands for Lifelong Education at Farmington) Senior College is a member-run organization affiliated with the University of Maine Farmington, and dedicated to lifelong learning opportunities for anyone age 50 or older. There are no educational pre-qualifications required to become a member. Unlike a university, classes are not for credit, and learning is in a stress-free environment, without tests. For more information about Gold LEAF, view the Web site at goldleaf.wikispaces.com, or call the office at 778-7063.
