The students and staff of Little Fireweed Academy would like to thank Jack Dalton for a fabulous week of storytelling. Jack is a gifted Yupik storyteller, who continues the mission of his elders, more specifically his grandfather, through storytelling.

Our students were mesmerized with the story of a young Yupik child, “The Boy Who Ate Too Much.” Students recalled the characters, setting and sequence of the story as Mr. Dalton created a story board. They reenacted the story with puppets that they had created, based on those characters.

 We were a captivated audience with Jack’s stories, whether in a yurt or around a campfire. We also learned to tell stories through dance, using dance fans that the students designed. Jack sang stories in his native language, while our young students retold it through movement. Our week flew buy in anticipation of what this gifted artist would share with us next. We brought closure to our week with a presentation for friends and family.  

A huge thanks also goes to Asia Freeman with the Bunnell Street Arts Center’s Artist in Schools Program and its sponsors, the Alaska State Council on the Arts, National Endowment for the Arts, Rasmuson Foundation, Jazzline and Alaska USA.

The students and staff at Little Fireweed Academy were so fortunate to have Mr. Dalton as our artist-in-residency this year. Thank you, Jack, we loved having you and are richer because of our experience with you. 

Debbie Schmidt, AIS coordinator 2013-14

                                     Little Fireweed Academy