iPod Carts

Title VII's iPod Carts!

UPDATE!

We are excited to announce that we have updated our carts with a new playlist for Elizabeth Peratrovich Day! Our audiovisual playlist is as follows:

1. "Being Tlingit" (Anash Interactive)
2. "Elizabeth Peratrovich Rhyme" (Kenneth White, Southside Totems)
3. "Elizabeth Peratrovich: Birth of Civil Rights" (Blueberry Productions)
4. "Family Ties and Traditions" (Anash Interactive)
5. "I am Indopino" Excerpt #1 (Gene Tagaban)
6. "I am Indopino" Excerpt #2 (Gene Tagaban)
7. "I am Indopino" Excerpt #3 (Gene Tagaban)
8. "I am Tlingit" (Anash Interactive)
9. "The Importance of Potlatch" (Anash Interactive)
10. "Raven Dance"
11. "The Raven Story" (ECHO Space)
12. "Tlingit Traditions" (Southside Totems)
13. "Tsu Heidei Shugaxtutaan" Part I (Nicholas Galanin)
14. "Tsu Heidei Shugaxtutaan" Part II (Nicholas Galanin)
15. "Who We Are" (Nicholas Galanin)

BONUS: "With a New Generation, an Opportunity to Heal" (W.K. Kellogg Foundation and First Alaskans Institute)

This playlist is also available to our tutors! If you have a Title VII staff member at your school, ask them for a copy! You can download an info sheet that explains each item on the playlist here.

As a teaser, here are two of the video installations we've included from Tlingit artist Nicholas Galanin (you may have trouble viewing them with a District internet connection):




Pretty cool, huh? Here's what other people had to say:

"Tsu Heidei Shugaxtutaan (We Will Again Open This Container of Wisdom That Has Been Left in Our Care)," from 2006, presents two black-and-white videos, each five minutes long, in which a single dancer performs. In one video, a break dancer in casual clothes performs to traditional Tlingit drumming and chanting, while in the second, a Tlingit dancer in native dress performs to a throbbing techno beat. By contrasting performances that are mirror opposites, the videos draw attention to what is contained in a culture and the means by which it is contained. (Newbury News)

The viewer is led to question "what is modern?" and "what is traditional?" all the while remarking upon how the different music and movement actually pair quite well together. (Minnesota Public Radio)

Also, be sure to check out Elizabeth Peratrovich Day resource page. We are available to come into schools for staff trainings and facilitated discussions in partnership with First Alaskans!

What's this iPod Cart thing about?

Title VII has six iPod carts available for check-out, with approximately 30 iPods each (a classroom set). All of the iPods are loaded with material relating to our Two Old Women curriculum, developed by District Language Arts teachers.

What is Two Old Women?

Two Old Women by Velma Wallis is the story of a Gwich'in Athabascan tribe who, because of food shortages and a harsh winter, make the decision to leave behind two elderly women, 75-year-old Sa' and 80-year-old Ch'idzigyaak. The two women in the story, however, decide that it would be better to die making an effort to survive than to die without trying. Described as "tragic and shocking," you won't want to miss the surprise ending!

Two Old Women is based on an ancient Athabascan legend passed down from mother to daughter. The book won the 1993 Western State Book Award.

>> Preview Two Old Women on Google Books!

What's on the carts?

You can preview the Two Old Women curriculum by downloading our sample PDF here. The materials on our iPods include songs, videos, and audio recordings that supplement the curriculum and engage students further in the story. Press "play" to hear one of the audio recordings included on the iPod, Inuit throat-singing:




Great! How do I request a cart for my school?

If you would like to check-out an iPod cart for your school, please fill out our online form here. If you have questions, click "contact" in the navigation bar!