First Alaskans Institute: a helping hand to natives: teaching business skills, leadership and even etiquette, programs exist to help Native Alaskans in the professional world.

• Author: West, Gail

Among university internships across Alaska, the one offered by First Alaskans Institute stands out for its effort to straddle the fine line between cultures. Created in 2003, the internship program found a home in First Alaskans' Alaska Native Policy Center, and furthered the Policy Center's goal of impacting the education, economic and social policy issues that affect Alaska Natives.

"Byron Mallot started the program with a U.S. Department of Labor grant that Willie Hensley helped us get," said Janie Leask, First Alaskans' president and chief executive officer, "and it focused on the oil and gas industry. The first year, we had four interns. From that number, we've jumped to about 30 in 2006 and we anticipate 30 again this year."

LEADERSHIP KEY

Although this program, like others, has a large work component--hands-on experience in the students' fields of interest--it has a second aspect that sets it apart. According to Leask, it's called "Leadership Fridays," and offers students a connection with the history of their culture.

"We want these young people to develop leadership skills, as well as a profession," Leask said. "We want them to go back and create healthy communities, be successes in their communities."

During the 10-week summer internship, First Alaskans brings all the students in the program together every Friday. Through personal presentations or through webcasting, they hear speakers on a variety of cultural topics-from the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANSCA), politics, the state's constitution and business topics to traditional leaders talking about cultural issues. They also find out about the legislative process from the Bush caucus, and about boards and commissions.

"In addition to the knowledge they get," Leask added, "they also have the opportunity to network among the speakers and among each other. They form their own special cohort."

EVEN ETIQUETTE

Leask said they surveyed their interns to see what they wanted to learn. "Interestingly, one of the first things they wanted was etiquette training. They said they wanted to know how to go to lunch with their mentors, which fork to use, and so on. So we invited a speaker from the university to give them etiquette training."

Two of the 2006 interns, Raina Thiele from Pedro Bay and Maniksaq Baumgartner from Barrow, paid particular tribute to the Leadership Fridays.

"I'd always had an interest in Alaska Native policy and federal government policies, in particular," Thiele...