Alaska Humanities Forum

🤩Way to go Unalaska Alaska History Day students Wesley Gruenhagen and River Zaochney for winning the Captain Ken Coskey Naval History Award at National History Day in DC last week! The award is sponsored by the United States Naval Institute.

Like so many History Day wins, this one is also thanks to an incredible teacher, Dena Royal, who started Unalaska's first History Day club in 2025.

Wesley & River were recognized for their Junior Group Website "Bombardment of Angoon - Reactions to a Cultural Clash and Delayed Reforms." This site examined the cultural misunderstandings connected to the 1882 bombardment of the Tlingit village of Angoon by the United States Navy, leading to the U.S. Government's apology nearly 150 years later.

See their project here:
https://site.nhd.org/88364600/home See less

On behalf of Alaska Historical Society, we want to wish a huge congratulations to Unalaska students Wesley Gruenhagen and River Zaochney and teacher Dena Royal for winning the Captain Ken Coskey Naval History Award at National History Day , sponsored by the United States Naval Institute.

They have been recognized for their Junior Group Website "Bombardment of Angoon - Reactions to a Cultural Clash and Delayed Reforms." This site examined the cultural misunderstandings connected to the 1882 bombardment of the Tlingit village of Angoon by the United States Navy, leading to the U.S. Government's apology nearly 150 years later.

See their Project here:
https://site.nhd.org/88364600/home

Congratulations to our Board Chair Renée Wardlaw (left) on her Ebony Aurora Award from the Alaska Black Caucus - ABC! Renée received this year's award for her advocacy, leadership and community engagement work to uplift and empower diverse voices in Anchorage and in the legal profession.

If you've heard Renée speak at a Forum event, you know she is inspired by her parents, who immigrated to the US from Jamaica, and she's committed to building a deeply connected, equitable and vibrant Alaska for her two young daughters. We know from Board meetings that Renée has a rare gift for keeping important work moving forward, while also inviting others in with her humor, her stories and her warm presence.

Renée serves as the Senior Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer for Bristol Bay Native Corporation, and co-owns 3 Queens Beauty Supply in Anchorage.

Renée, we're lucky to work with you. Congratulations to you and your family! ✨

We're excited to share an incredible professional development offer for Mat-Su residents and people who work full-time in the Valley:

Thanks to a generous partnership with the Mat-Su Health Foundation, the full cost of attending our summer workshops at the Nudlaghi Leadership Institute can be covered if participation supports the professional needs of your team! The $1,650 fee includes roundtrip airfare from Merrill Field to NLI's lodge near Lake Clark (two half days and one full day), meals, lodging, the professional development experience, and access to outdoor activities like fishing once sessions wrap up for the day.

We're offering three workshops at NLI this summer:
- Courageous Leading, Following, and Building Trust, July 20-22
- Executive Leadership in Complex Times, July 22-24
- Leadership in a Polarized World, July 29-31

Learn more & sign up at https://www.akhf.org/events/

In the first half of 2026, we put on a record 16 Story Works workshops in Anchorage high school classrooms and served 540 students!

This year we are supported by a Municipality Alcohol Tax Prevention Grant, which has allowed us to hire a new program coordinator and Teaching Fellows to help meet demand for classroom workshops.

Shout-out to our amazing Story Works Classroom Workshops Team! As one student said, "Don't be nervous to share because they are here to help you."🎉