GCI recognizes 25th anniversary of Unalaska’s Camp Qungaayux with sponsorship
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – In Unangax culture, stories were passed down through spoken word, song, and dance for thousands of years. As time has passed, those methods for teaching younger generations traditional knowledge have evolved. For the Qawalangin Tribe, that led to the creation of Camp Qungaayux. At a recent community event in Unalaska, GCI donated $1,000 to support the program.
Camp Qungaayux offers classes covering a wide variety of topics, including Unangax dance, bentwood hat making, Unangam Tunuu (Aleut language), weaving, skin and gut sewing, salmon preparation, and more.
“Camp Qungaayux has flourished and matured into an important and irreplaceable venue for preservation of traditions of the Unangax people,” said Camp Qungaayux Director Anfesia Tutiakoff. “With community partners like GCI, we can ensure the development of culture and traditions, artistic skills, environmental awareness of our children, and give them the opportunity to understand traditional Unangax knowledge, language, and values.”
“GCI is proud to partner with the Qawalangin Tribe and support their efforts to preserve the Unangax culture,” said GCI Director of Rural Affairs Jenifer Nelson who grew up in King Cove. “Camp Qungaayux is an incredible opportunity for Unalaska’s youth to learn and experience generations of traditional knowledge and skills.”
The week-long camp is open to Unalaska residents only, who are going into the fourth through 12th grades, and will take place July 31 – August 6, 2022.
GCI is one of Alaska’s leaders in corporate philanthropy, donating approximately $2 million each year in cash, products, and connectivity to organizations across the state. GCI is committed to giving back to the communities it serves, and diversity, equity and inclusion are an important area of focus for giving for the company. Giving back is also a company value as employees receive 16 hours of paid leave to volunteer with local organizations.
For more information about GCI Gives visit GCI.com/gcigives.
About GCI
Headquartered in Alaska, GCI provides data, mobile, video, voice and managed services to consumer, business, government, and carrier customers throughout Alaska, serving more than 200 communities. The company has invested more than $4 billion in its Alaska network and facilities over the past 40 years and recently launched true standards-based 5G NR service in Anchorage, now the nation’s northernmost 5G service area. Learn more about GCI at www.gci.com. GCI is a wholly owned subsidiary of Liberty Broadband Corporation (Nasdaq: LBRDA, LBRDK, LBRDP). Learn more about Liberty Broadband at http://www.libertybroadband.com.