Alaska's tribal college wins federal money for students and food knowledge

Alaska's only tribal college has won federal money for two things that don't usually share a grant application: helping students stay in school, and teaching people to feed themselves in a place where food is expensive and the environment is shifting under them.

Iḷisaġvik College, in Utqiaġvik, received $352,000 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture this month across two awards, part of about $2.2 million the agency sent to Iḷisaġvik and the University of Alaska system.

The larger grant, $250,000 over three years, goes to a program called Sivuniksraq, aimed at students who are carrying a great deal at once. The award record describes the reality plainly: students balancing coursework against jobs, family, subsistence and community obligations, and those who move to Utqiaġvik for school facing homesickness, isolation and money pressure. The college will offer mentoring, referrals, wellness and cultural activities, and workshops on digital literacy and the responsible use of artificial intelligence, then track whether students stay and graduate.

The second, $102,000 over five years, funds Sayakturugut, an extension program built around Iñupiaq food and knowledge. It cites high food costs, food security and a changing environment, along with passing Iñupiat knowledge between generations. The work covers traditional foods and subsistence, nutrition, traditional plants, environmental stewardship and cultural arts, taught through hands-on workshops, intergenerational activities, village outreach and hybrid classes.

Iḷisaġvik recently bought land for a permanent campus. It also holds a $475,000 grant for traditional knowledge and language preservation that runs through next year.