The Katirvik Cultural Center (KCC) is very grateful to Kawerak for allowing departments to be placements for summer interns. In the summer of 2020, the KCC was privileged to host Yorise (Olson) Yakunin as a summer intern. Yorise generously shared a little about herself:
“I am Yorise (Olson) Yakunin from White Mountain. My parents are Luann and Daniel Harrelson of White Mountain, and Peter and Rachel Olson of Golovin. My grandparents are Willa and George Ashenfelter of White Mountain, and Katherine and John Olson of Golovin. My husband is Jonah Yakunin of Nikolaevsk. I received my Bachelors in English at the University of Alaska Fairbanks in 2017. I am currently enrolled in my second year as a full-time graduate student at UAF. Recently, I changed my major to a Masters in Indigenous Studies and moved from Fairbanks to my home village. I look forward to completing my master’s degree and enjoying my life at home with my husband.”
Yorise is an accomplished Indigenous scholar and leader, and we are grateful that she worked with the KCC last summer. We would like to share one of her many gifts with you…. She wrote a very powerful and beautiful poem that evokes memories and thoughts about our beautiful region and strong connection we have with our land. We would like to share it with our region.
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