Partnership launches May 3 when ANSEP students help develop 3D models of 19^th century Tlingit Chilkat robe during Career Explorations Week

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – The Alaska Native Heritage Center, Alaska Native Science & Engineering Program and Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium have formed a new partnership to bridge the gap between culture and modern technology for the next generation of Alaskans. The Naaxein Teaching Partnership gets its name from the Tlingit word for robe, as a 19^th century Tlingit Chilkat robe is at the center of the collaboration.

The Naaxein Teaching Partnership’s first project will take place during ANSEP’s 2022 Acceleration Academy Career Explorations Week. From May 3 – 5, more than 20 students from ANSEP’s full-time Acceleration Academy high school component in Anchorage, the Mat-Su and Bethel will work alongside professionals to use advanced 3D modeling hardware and software to scan and create virtual reality versions of the delicate Chilkat robe at ANHC. Students will also work with ANTHC on a 3D imaging project based on a Koliganek water treatment facility. The students will learn how to turn scanned artifacts into objects viewable on phones, tablets and other devices. 

“We want our students to understand that tradition and culture aren’t separate from modern science and technology. They don’t have to choose one or the other. As evidenced by our projects with the Naaxein Teaching Partnership, the two are intertwined,” said ANSEP Founder & Vice Provost Dr. Herb Schroeder.

ANHC was recently gifted a 120-year-old intricately woven Chilkat robe. The robe’s journey to becoming a modern learning tool begins on May 3, when the team will use advanced modeling software to scan the delicate robe and develop a virtual reality copy that can be shared and studied around the world. 

“This Naaxein is a teaching robe,” said Emily Edenshaw (Yup’ik/Iñupiaq), ANHC President and CEO. “It’s remarkable to see that hundreds of years later we are able to uphold the purpose of this robe through technology.” 

Building upon that experience, students will use the same technology to model a water treatment plant for rural Alaska with training from the Trimble Education Program. An Environmental Health & Engineering project team from the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium will provide additional training and context for rural Alaska engineering and construction. ANTHC is also collaborating with the Trimble Visiting Professionals Program to show the intersection where scanning and surveying meet. The Trimble Visiting Professionals and ANTHC will teach the students the workflow from turning 3D scans into a 3D computer-aided design to build a water treatment plant.

“The Naaxein Teaching Partnership is an incredible opportunity for our community to highlight the brilliance of our youth,” said Valerie Nurr’araaluk Davidson, President and CEO of Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium. “This collaborative project allows students to use their skills in engineering, construction and problem-solving to preserve and advance our cultures while developing their careers.”

The initial 3D rendering of the Chilkat robe will be made available by the end of ANSEP Acceleration Academy Career Explorations Week. The robe itself will also be on display at the Alaska Native Heritage Center in the next year, following construction of a custom case to ensure good stewardship of this priceless cultural item. 

The Naaxein Teaching Partnership plans to collaborate on similar projects in the future to preserve cultural heritage, use technology to bridge the gap between the past and future and to open clear career paths for Alaska’s youth.

  chilkat, culture, nanxein, partnership, robe, technollogy