Project Grant P24AP00279

This Project Grant award from the National Park Service Alaska Region under the Pacific Northwest and Hawaiian Islands Arts Program (CFDA 15.071) provides $804,217 to the Sealaska Heritage Institute to implement the "Building Bridges" initiative. The project will recruit four Alaska Native young adults to complete a 450-hour Northwest Coast arts carving pre-apprenticeship program, a 1,350-hour mentor-apprentice program to carve a totem pole, and earn 18 university credits toward an Associate's degree focused on Northwest Coast arts. The anticipated project benefits are aligned with the institute's core cultural values of strengthening Alaska Native youth, preserving traditional knowledge, honoring the land, and promoting cross-cultural understanding. The grant period runs from May 1, 2024 to April 30, 2029.