SHI accepting proposals from presenters for 2026 education conference
Author, Former Poet Laureate Ernestine Hayes to deliver keynote at annual educator gathering
March 2, 2026
Sealaska Heritage Institute (SHI) is accepting proposals from presenters for its ninth annual education conference.
SHI is soliciting proposals from educators in Alaska and worldwide to present. Early childhood, K–12, university and community educators are encouraged to submit proposals for presentations related to topics detailed in the application.
The deadline to submit proposals is May 1, 2026. Successful proposals will emphasize participant engagement, creativity, and demonstrated expertise related to the topic. All presentations will be reviewed and considered. The conference will offer both in-person and virtual strands.
The 2026 conference is scheduled for Aug. 4-6 at the Elizabeth Peratrovich Hall and SHI campus in downtown Juneau and is open to all educators and community members interested in culturally relevant education. The conference will feature a keynote address by Ernestine Hayes, who belongs to the Kaagwaantaan clan of the Tlingit nation.
Hayes, recipient of a Rasmuson Distinguished Artist Award (2021), United States Artists Fellowship (2023) and Luce Indigenous Knowledge Fellowship (2024), served as Alaska Writer Laureate 2016-2018. Her works include “Blonde Indian, an Alaska Native Memoir” and “The Tao of Raven.” She will reflect on the relevance of ancient stories to today’s challenges, focusing on lessons of shared history and exploring the opportunities of a shared future.
The conference is part of SHI’s education program Thru the Cultural Lens, which was founded in 2012 to provide cultural orientations for educators.
For more details about the conference, visit conference.sealaskaheritage.org or contact Kayelina Publico at kayelina.publico@sealaskaheritage.com
Sealaska Heritage Institute is a tribal organization founded in 1980 to perpetuate and enhance Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian cultures of Southeast Alaska. SHI also conducts scientific and public policy research that promotes Alaska Native arts, cultures, history and education statewide. The institute is governed by a Board of Trustees and guided by a Council of Traditional Scholars, a Native Artist Committee and a Southeast Regional Language Committee.
CONTACT: Kathy Dye, SHI Communications and Publications Deputy Director, 907.321.4636, kathy.dye@sealaska.com.