FROM THE EDITOR
Oratory contest anniversary
If a picture is worth a thousand words, a speech by Tlingit storyteller Bob Sam must equal a museum-quality painting. As he gave brush strokes of inspiration to a roomful of aspiring orators, his voice wasn't filled with the up and down cadence of some sermons. It didn't thunder. It wasn't melodious. But it was steady and full of well-chosen words.
He encouraged them, like a cheerleader.
"You're the best of your people," Sam said to the 20 something mostly 20 somethings preparing to participate in the 10th annual Alaska Native Oratory Society's statewide tournament at the University of Alaska Anchorage this spring. "You're absolutely the best. You're all winners."
This, and none of them had uttered a word to be judged yet.
But as organizer Nancy Furlow explained, that wasn't the point.
More than 10 years ago, a communications professor named Dan Henry started the Native oratory contest after elders in Haines pursued him for almost two years.
"They would even corner him in the store to talk about it," said Furlow, who met Henry while teaching at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. "He couldn't escape them. They were convinced that this was important to keep the culture alive."
The oratories: Native language, storytelling, commemorative oration and difficult dialogues. The commemorative speeches put the words of heroes such as Elizabeth Peratrovich in youthful mouths. Difficult dialogues comes from a Ford Foundation initiative, Furlow said, and involves topics like climate change.
The practice, albeit not making everything perfect, is creating better young speakers. All the schools that participated this year had someone placing in the top three, Furlow said.
This would come as no surprise to Sam, a veteran storyteller of 20 years.
"Every one of you has an aura," Sam told the orators in a warm-up speech before their speaking. "You should carry yourselves with a lot of respect because you're the best of your people. I'm scared to be in front of you."
Last year's overall oratory winner, Kai Monture of Juneau, spoke to the competitors too. As he gave his keynote address, the talking stick stayed near him. This award, created by multiple-year winner Clinton Simeon, is passed from winner to winner from year to year. Each year, the top speaker adds something personal to the stick. Monture's addition is ermine fur, a symbol of leadership.
As Monture speaks, he travels down several minutes of communication in Tlingit, then backs up and interprets himself in English.
"They say that Tlingit oratory is like a man going along a stream," Monture tells the audience. "He goes along and puts a gaffe hook into the water and catches a salmon and makes a connection with that salmon. You speak out, and your words are like a gaffe hook. You speak out and your words make that connection."
Terzah Tippin Poe, whose story appears in this edition of First Alaskans, makes that connection as a survivor in so many ways. Moses Wassilie and Ariel Tweto have words of strength to offer as Alaska Native guides and actors in the animated film "Nanuq." And the leadership of Cook Inlet Region Inc. speaks boldly to change with an emphasis on cutting edge renewable energy projects. All these voices are waiting to be heard in the pages of this magazine. Read on, and make those connections.
Quyana,
—Tony Hall