‘Nome-Beltz Middle High School Celebrates Indigenous People’s Day, Highlighting A Local Civil Rights Hero’ by Rosa Wright and Sam Jordan
- Our Alaskan Schools Blog
- Nov 12, 2024
- 2 min read
On a snowy October 15th, 2024, afternoon, students at Nome-Beltz Middle High School filed into the school gym, gathering to collectively celebrate Indigenous People’s Day. The assembly brought together students and community members to share stories, give advice, and empower Nome Nanook youth.
Speaker Melanie Bahnke focused on the story of Nome civil rights pioneer Alberta Schenck (Adams). Mrs. Schenck (Adams) was an Alaskan civil rights activist who, at the age of 16, challenged racial segregation in the 1940s. As a mixed-race Indigenous and white woman, she stood up against discrimination when she was forcibly removed from a “whites only” section of the Dream Theater in Nome, Alaska.
Story49: Voices From the Dream Theater, including an interview with Alberta Schenck (Adams)
Her actions and subsequent arrest sparked attention to civil rights issues in Alaska and contributed to early anti-discrimination legislation in the state. Mrs. Schenck (Adams)’s courage played a significant role in the eventual passage of the Alaska Equal Rights Act of 1945, one of the first anti-discrimination laws in the U.S.
Students were challenged to embody Mrs. Schenck (Adams)’s stance of justice and acknowledge that there are still many injustices to be resolved in the lives of Native people and in the rural communities of Alaska.
Other speakers were Oliver Hoogendorn, an Inupiaq Nome-Beltz alum who has summited Denali, biked across South America, and appeared (and won) on the reality TV show Race to Survive Alaska. He encouraged students to take care of their mind, body, and spirit. Cameron Piscoya, city council member, Kirsten Timbers, president of the Native Village of Solomon Board, and Crystal Pengegsiqaghhaq Toolie shared messages of being leaders in the community. Deilah Johnson, a staunch advocate and event planner for the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) movement spoke about the importance of being an advocate for injustices. Majorie Kunaq Tahbone, a mixed media artist, regalia/fashion designer, and traditional Inuit tattooist ended the assembly with a scary traditional story as a nod to Halloween and the upcoming spooky season.
To learn more about the story of Alberta Schneck (Adams) and the Dream Theater, see:
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