The annual Yup'ik spelling bee held last weekend in Anchorage, which now includes Inupiaq, seems to have planted seeds of hope in communities across the state — that language can be saved if you work at it.
Fourth grader Darrel Tuuya Owen from Akiak did not seem fazed by the crowd. He spelled out his words in a loud, clear voice.
Sammy Canguayar Jackson III and Darrel Tuuya Owen from Akiak await their turn to spell at the Yup’ik spelling bee. Debra Jackson, the Akiak spelling bee coach, gives last-minute advice to Sammy Cunguayar Jackson III. Dan also included exercises for the students and information about the Yup’ik alphabet system, which isn’t easy to learn, because it uses apostrophes, symbols and combinations of letters to produce sounds that aren’t in the English language.
“A lot of kids have a hard time with public speaking and getting up in front of a crowd. So, in that way it’s been good for her,” Williams-Carl said. “She’s a very quiet and very shy student, but she is really determined.” Perfection in spelling, especially for Indigenous languages, takes persistence. And the spelling bee takes that into account.
The spelling bee came full circle this year for many, who have been involved since it began 12 years ago.
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