Our newest See Stories newsletter is live! It carries so much of what this past year has held for us: gratitude, resilience, learning, and the steady belief in the power of story and community.  In life and work, it’s the tough times that show us who we are and who our community is. Losing much of our funding in 2025 was challenging and even heart-breaking, but also reminded us that we are more than our funding. Our youth and teacher programs continue, even if in changed form. Our clarity around our mission has sharpened. We are especially grateful for our See Stories community. Because of you, our work did not stop. Young people continued sharing stories about their lives, histories, and homelands, and educators continued showing up for meaningful and sometimes difficult learning. This newsletter reflects moments of resilience, care, and connection from the past year, and I am so grateful to walk this work alongside you.

Here’s what you’ll find in this issue:

• Celebrating Youth Storytelling: This year showcased the creativity and courage of young storytellers across Alaska. Our Virtual Youth Film Festival highlighted diverse voices and powerful stories that connect culture and community. Youth filmmakers in Kake and Angoon created films rooted in their histories and environments, sharing important perspectives that inspire us all.
• Supporting Educators and Learning: We launched a new professional development course focused on Indigenous histories of enslavement and colonization, offering educators thoughtful tools and perspectives for teaching these critical topics. New resources and lesson plans are available now, with a free workshop planned to help teachers bring these resources into their classrooms.
• Building Stronger Communities: Partnerships with communities like Nulato and collaborations with Alaska Youth for Environmental Action enriched our work, providing space for youth to explore climate storytelling and deepen connections to place. These efforts strengthen the relationships that support our shared mission.
• Our Featured Story: Learning from the Clan House of Angoon

“Over the past year, Angoon High School’ principal Emma Demmert, who was born and raised in Angoon, expressed a desire to have the students learn and understand more about the history of their Tlingit Clans and Clan Houses. As she put it ‘We hear about the clan houses, but we don’t always hear the history or who is supposed to be taking care of the houses. If we don’t get this down, then we are going to lose it in some way…These students took their films, and the learning of their Clan’s histories, seriously knowing that it is not only their responsibility to take care of their Clan Houses, but also the stories of the Houses.” – Seth Bader, Youth Programs Manager, Excerpt from our featured story

Find our newsletter here or by clicking on the still below.

“When students are trusted to tell the hard stories of their own communities, they don’t just learn filmmaking — they learn that their voices matter.” – Roben Itchoak, Collaborator, Instructor, See Stories Supporter