There are 37 tribal colleges in the United States. Barrow, Alaska is home to one of them. Ilisagvik College was founded in the 1980s but didn’t become an independent, accredited tribal school until the 2006. Now it offers a blend of traditional college classes, technical trade training, and Inupiaq culture that gives students from around the North Slope the chance to get ahead -without leaving their identities behind.
For the next several weeks, APRN will be airing a series that looks at how Alaskans describe what makes their way of life unique. Whether you live in a village or a city, everyone has a culture and we’re going to bring you stories of how both urban and rural Alaskans define and live theirs. The series is funded by a grant from the Alaska Humanities Forum Rose Urban Rural Exchange.
Anne Hillman is the healthy communities editor at Alaska Public Media and a host of Hometown, Alaska. Reach her atahillman@alaskapublic.org. Read more about Annehere.
