Atqa Nuta’aq Arnaq ili Kawisqaq Nasquq. Gui Alutiiq. Sullrianga Anchorage, Alaska. Maamaqa Angelique Oliveira cali Taatqa Nick Oliveira.
My name is Aranea Oliveira, and my Alutiiq names are “New Woman” or “Redhead.” I am Alutiiq and was born in Anchorage. My parents are Angelique and Nick Oliveira from Seldovia, Alaska. I am a senior at the University of Alaska Fairbanks studying Rural Development with a minor in Alaska Native Studies. I am the first in my family to participate in ANSEP’s programs. My first experience with ANSEP was in 2016 in the Middle School Academy, for the winter STEM program. We built bridges out of balsa wood, learned about earthquakes, and explored Alaska Native culture. I learned so much during this first camp, from professional socialising skills and how to think more critically about things. These skills are something I still utilise today. I returned to ANSEP for many more summer and winter programs, each time learning something new, constructing new things, learning more about the professional world, and making new connections with people whom I am still close to this day.
I had gone through my first year at UAF before I found out that they had an ANSEP club. I was thrilled! There, I met more people who had experienced the same amazing program I had, and some had attended the same camps that I had.
My favourite facet of these camps was learning about Alaska Native culture. I remember learning the song “I am Yup’ik” and the feeling of singing in an Alaska Native language was life-changing. Though it was not my ancestors’ language, it sparked a sense of community and warmth. I went on to learn many other Yup’ik and Inupiaq dances, but I never had the chance to learn my own tribe’s dances or language due to the lack of community. One of my friends in the ANSEP club, Nic, said he knew an Unangax dance group was coming to Fairbanks and encouraged me to come with him. That’s where I met the Atka Dancers. Seeing them dance and hearing them sing was a pivotal moment in my journey to finding out what I want to do with my career. I planned on going into Alaska Native language preservation and revitalisation, but in order to continue my journey, I needed the funding to do so.
The summer between my first and second year at UAF, I realised I couldn’t go back to school because I had no funding. I couldn’t finance my school myself, and I was determined to get through college debt-free. Through UAF’s ANSEP club as well as the Department of Rural Development and Alaska Native Studies, I was encouraged to apply for scholarships. This academic year alone, I have received more than enough to cover my tuition, supplies, housing, and then some. Without the encouragement of the people in both ANSEP and DANSRD, I would not have been able to continue my education. My next step after graduation is to take the Alutiiq language classes at the University of Alaska Anchorage and work with the Alaska Native Language Archive (ANLA) to offer more classes and make learning the language more accessible.
