Established 22 years ago by the Alaska Federation of Natives with the core mission to preserve and strengthen the “traditions, languages, and art of Alaska’s Native People,” the Alaska Native Heritage Center is now playing host to Drag Queen story hour.
As part of its youth programming for children the center will host a June 26 drag event that features three hypersexualized drag queens who will push “fluidity of gender concepts,” to children during a two-hour free public “story hour” that runs from 7-9 p.m.
The event is a collaboration between Alaska Native Heritage Center and Native Movement – a group that promotes Marxist ideas about wealth and land redistribution, dismantling of private property ownership and ending capitalism. It also pushes extreme environmentalist views such as the Green New Deal, attacks traditional views of human sexuality and embraces critical race theory.
The upcoming drag event is described as an occasion that “celebrates gender equality through inclusive activities connecting traditional values to the present. Come celebrate with us, all genders, at this family-friendly event hosted by Native Movement and the Alaska Native Heritage Center.”
To incentivize attendance, families that agree to attend the event will receive $50 gift cards. The event is being underwritten, in part, by funds from the U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services.
The featured drag queens go by the sexualized names of Ivanna Kishacok, Golden Delicious, De La Rosa.
Griffitts said pushing transgenderism on little minds disregards the beliefs of many Alaskan Natives who are Christian.
Typically, Heritage Center youth programming focuses on Alaska Native practices, languages, beliefs, art and history. It’s not clear how the drag performers fit into the center’s youth activities, which according to its website exist to empower future generation to “steward and promote Alaska Native culture and tradition.”
News of the upcoming event drew a sharp response from Rachelle Griffitts, an Alaska Native with family roots in Bristol Bay. She wrote an letter to leaders of the Heritage Center, urging them to reconsider hosting the drag event. The letter was also posted to Facebook.
Griffitts said pushing transgenderism on little minds disregards the beliefs of many Alaskan Natives who are Christian.
“I urge you to be careful with promoting this ideology. It may seem like a good thing but in the end it leads to destruction,” Griffitts wrote. “If it were up to me, I would not allow this type of event to happen in the Alaska Native Heritage Center. Let me ask you this, would you allow a Christian Group to come in and speak and share their teachings? Why or why not?”
ALASKA WATCHMAN DIRECT TO YOUR INBOX
She added that a drag event targeting children is not “appropriate for little minds or applicable to Alaska Native culture of today.”
“As you watch these people think about their names – Ivaana Kishacok, Golden Delicious, De La Rosa (of the rose). Are these appropriate names?” she said. “Pay attention when they introduce themselves, think about their names and if it really is appropriate for young minds.”
“Most importantly, look at the faces of the young children,” Griffitts continued, “from babies to five-year-olds, 10-years-olds, young teens – what are their facial expressions? I have seen them before, they are confused, one young child had an alarmed look on their face. Their spirit was telling them something was not right. I would like you to view the children’s expressions yourself.”
TAKING ACTION
Below are the contacts for leadership at the Alaska Native Heritage Center.
- President Emily Edenshaw: eedenshaw@alaskanative.net or (907) 330-8059
- Culture/Education Director Tara Bourdukofsky: tbourdukofsky@alaskanative.net or (907) 802-0905
- Marketing Coordinator Jamieann Bell: jbell@alaskanative.net or (907) 330-8003
- Click here to see who sits on the board of directors.
