Thesis Chapters by Meribeth E Geiger
The issue of language revitalization is central to the viability of Alaska Native communities. In... more The issue of language revitalization is central to the viability of Alaska Native communities. In order to resist language loss and ensure that languages are transmitted to younger generations, immense social efforts are required. Immersion schools have the potential to create more self-determined educational paradigms that are defined by internal cultural values rather than external western ideals, while simultaneously working to create a new generation of fluent speakers. However, immersion education is hindered by state and federally-sanctioned requirements that reduce communities’ abilities to sustain immersion schools, which this thesis argues is an issue of social justice. These state and federal requirements are in conflict with international and national laws and agreements that guarantee Indigenous groups the right to self-determined educational paradigms in the language of their choosing. In 2015, legislation was introduced to support the creation of immersion charter schools in the State of Alaska. With Alaska’s assimilationist history, the very creation of such legislation signals a shift in Alaskan politics. Through interviews, textual and content analysis, participation observation, community action research, and grounded theory methodologies, I find that Tlingit efforts to establish immersion schools are hindered especially by: 1) dominant culture teacher certification, and 2) required monolingual standardized testing.
Papers by Meribeth E Geiger
The issue of language revitalization is central to the viability of Alaska Native communities. In... more The issue of language revitalization is central to the viability of Alaska Native communities. In order to resist language loss and ensure that languages are transmitted to younger generations, immense social efforts are required. Immersion schools have the potential to create more self-determined educational paradigms that are defined by internal cultural values rather than external western ideals, while simultaneously working to create a new generation of fluent speakers. However, immersion education is hindered by state and federally-sanctioned requirements that reduce communities' abilities to sustain immersion schools, which this thesis argues is an issue of social justice. These state and federal requirements are in conflict with international and national laws and agreements that guarantee Indigenous groups the right to self-determined educational paradigms in the language of their choosing. In 2015, legislation was introduced to support the creation of immersion charter schools in the State of Alaska. With Alaska's assimilationist history, the very creation of such legislation signals a shift in Alaskan politics. Through interviews, textual and content analysis, participation observation, community action research, and grounded theory methodologies, I find that Tlingit iii efforts to establish immersion schools are hindered especially by: 1) dominant culture teacher certification, and 2) required monolingual standardized testing. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I want to begin my acknowledgments with my gratitude to all of my interviewees, and those who helped steer me in the right direction along the way. Notably, X ̱ 'unei Lance Twitchell, gunalchéesh for a real history lesson in Alaska Native Social Change several years ago, for all the guidance and support that you have provided since then, and for all you and Miriah do. I would be doing an injustice to not praise Mark Baker's ability to simultaneously be an inspiring professor and program director, while also acting as a counselor to all of our cohort's daily issues. Mark, I cannot count the number of times that we as a group have talked about how lost we would be without you. In addition, Mike Hoyt somehow managed to find time in his crazy life to be a committee member, interviewee, and grad student commiserater-it was all enormously appreciated. Matthew Derrick deserves high praise and appreciation for taking what started as a partial idea and pushing me to actually have a thesis. I cannot thank you enough for the motivation, the reminders to suffer, and for tolerating the subsequent grumpiness associated with suffering. My decision to apply to the Environment and Community program is entirely credited to Sarah Ray. I could not ask for a better friend, confidant, mentor, and advisor. I do not have enough room in this document to tell you how much I appreciate the path you have helped me find. Thank you. v Parents, you have supplied never-ending emotional, and frequent financial support. Obviously, I would not be in this position without you. Dad, thank you for the flight changes when I foolishly thought I could make a flight the day after the semester ended, and had a teary meltdown instead. Mom, thank you for never allowing me to think people were doing enough to support others-full credit to you for helping me see when kids were being inconsiderate racists in ways that so many want to overlook. William, you are an inspiration. Thank you for the countless edits and questions answered. Mallory, thank you for putting up with both Will and me being terrible grad students at the same time, and, for that matter, putting up with either of us ever. Lastly, thank you to my cohort, especially Chisa Oros and Emma Lundberg, for whatever emotional stability I have remaining. Your support and presence have meant everything to me throughout this adventure. vi
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Thesis Chapters by Meribeth E Geiger
Papers by Meribeth E Geiger