Togiak, Alaska

Math in a Cultural Context, University of Alaska Fairbanks (storybooks told by Annie Blue)

Problem

Fractured identity and "decline stories" sap motivation. People don't see themselves (or each other) in the town's story.

Solution

Annie Cungauyar Blue (1916-2013), a Yup'ik elder and storyteller from Togiak, told traditional stories that the University of Alaska Fairbanks Math in a Cultural Context (MCC) project recorded, transcribed, translated and rewrote as illustrated bilingual storybooks for elementary classrooms, each paired with an MCC math module. Seven MCC storybooks credit her as storyteller and are published free under a Creative Commons license.

Patterns used: Shared Cultural Story

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