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The Organization

Hands Across Alaska is a partnership formed in 2002 by Patricia H. Partnow and Vernon Chimegalrea for the purpose of helping rural and urban Alaskans increase their knowledge about one another, reinforce positive attitudes toward one another, and learn effective cross-cultural communication techniques. With these tools in hand, Alaskans can improve personal and business relationships within and across our state.

Who We Are

Vernon is a lifelong Alaskan originally from Bethel. He has a foot in each of two worlds: his ancestral Yup’ik culture and the Western culture as practiced in urban Alaska. He is an artist, performer, teacher, linguist, and communicator extraordinaire. He has worked for universities, rural organizations, arts organizations, and cultural organizations throughout the state.

Pat is a longtime Alaskan (30+ years), originally from a nomadic military family. She is an anthropologist who has devoted her professional career to learning about and experiencing cultures in Alaska. She is also an educator, writer, curriculum designer, researcher, teacher, and perennial student. She has worked for school districts, museums, cultural organizations, and as a consultant for many non-profit organizations throughout the state.

What We Do

A. Workshop Series

Vernon and Pat have worked together for four years refining a set of workshop designs that help Alaskans bridge the urban-rural divide. They design each workshop with a specific clientele in mind, including, in the past, federal and state government agencies, private businesses, educational organizations, non-profit groups, and the military. Many workshops feature presentations by additional individuals who possess special knowledge and skills appropriate to the needs of the clients.

Examples of workshop topics include:

	Overview of Alaska Native cultures
	The biggest causes of trouble in cross-cultural communication and how to deal with them
	Looking at Alaska’s history from a Native perspective
	Subsistence
	Etiquette in rural Alaska
	Visiting and working in rural Alaska
	Visiting and working in urban Alaska
	Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act
	Education in Alaska
	Governance in rural Alaska
	The criminal justice system in rural Alaska
	In-depth information on each of Alaska’s Native groups

B. Program Consultation

Pat and Vernon also serve as consultants to both urban and rural Alaskans undertaking projects in a culturally different setting. For instance, if an Anchorage-based company has been asked to provide a workshop in a particular village, Hands Across Alaska can help design workshop logistics, program content, and delivery methods to ensure cultural appropriateness and overall effectiveness.


Who Will Benefit

Hands Across Alaska Workshops are designed with the following in mind:

	Non-profit organizations and their staffs at all levels
	Board members of non-profit and cultural organizations
	Teachers new to the state or a given district
	University employees new to the state or a given campus
	Government employees whose work takes them to rural Alaska
	Urban-based businesses with contacts in rural Alaska
	Rural corporations or organizations that do business in urban Alaska