Family

The Angasan family has opened its doors to children who needed a place to stay for decades. In the early years, they often hosted six or seven kids for a night, and occasionally they hosted as many as 18.

The Sealaska Heritage Institute announced this week it will be partnering with the Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Tribes of Alaska’s Head Start to offer the Baby Raven Reads program in Southeast communities.

“I don’t know if the gravity really is hitting everybody, but we’ve been arguing for recognition since statehood, and under this administration the attorney general has provided an opinion that, yes, tribes do exist, that we have inherent sovereignty,” said Richard Peterson, president of the Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska.

It aims to preserve Alaska Native culture by giving tribes and tribal organizations the ability to oversee local child welfare problems, rather than social workers coming in from outside their communities. That often results in children being removed from their communities.

Major illness is always stressful, but for families with young children, struggling with health challenges can be especially difficult. Mentors with Big Brothers Big Sisters make a difference for one family.

Four kids toddle around a cozy room. There are all the items typical for a pre-kindergarten classroom — stuffed animals, puzzles and teachers. The puzzles are the kind with a hole cut out for each piece, and each piece is labeled in Yup’ik.