“I went to school here. I did a few months at Sitka High then transferred over to—at that time it was called the alternative school, when Pacific High first opened.”

Mrs. Miller has the following preferences:

Schools: Elmenda would prefer to work with BMS, SHS, and PHS.

Days: As a seasonal employee, Elmenda is available for classroom visits M-F unless it is during tourist season (May—September).

Times: She has no time constraints and is willing to enter into the classroom anytime during the school day.

Children: Elmenda currently has two children in the SSD. Edward Miller—6th grade and Michael Miller—11th grade.

Areas of Activity

Regalia Demonstrations:  Elmenda demonstrates in the summer for SEAICC. She has been contracted by Sitka Tribe as well as SEAICC to make regalia pieces for display.

Food Demonstrations: She is willing to help out with a foods class by demonstrating how to make fried bread.

Presentations/Panel Discussion: She is comfortable being on a panel to discuss traditional artwork as well as teen issues.

Field Trips: She really likes the SJ museum and is available to assist with field trips to the museum and/or SEAICC.

Story Telling: Her husband used to travel with the Naa Kahidi theater group. She has a collection of stories from that experience and she is willing to share them with others.

Role in the Classroom

Mentor: Elmenda is open to mentoring any student that needs a parental figure in their life. Once a teenage mother, Elmenda would be more than happy to share the struggles she had as a young parent with students.

Cultural Instructor: Elmenda is willing to teach students how to construct regalia. She has experience working with students on regalia projects.

Prior Experience: Elmenda worked for the Sitka Native Education Program as a cultural/beading/drumming instructor. She also helped students at Blatchley construct banners.

Cultural Expertise

Sitka Native Education Program (SNEP): Elmenda is a graduate of the Sitka Native Education Program. She greatly valued the cultural education that SNEP provided to her and her husband.

Tlingit Dance Groups: Elmenda is currently a member of two dance groups: Noow Tlein dancers and Kaal.atk’ Kaagwaantaan dancers.

Tlingit Values: Once a teenage mother, Elmenda feels it is important to talk to students about the difficulties she encountered.  Being a mother at a young age impacted her greatly, including her educational experience.

Regalia Making Skills:

Song/Dance Instructor: Elmenda worked as a song, drumming, and dance instructor for the Sitka Native Education Program.

Elmenda would like to give credit to her Cultural Mentors: Ethel Makinen, Vida Davis, Terri Rofkar, Tommy Joseph, Herman Davis, and her grandparents Joe and Agnes Johnson.

Education and Life Experience

Education:

Elmenda did not have the best educational experience. She enjoyed school until 7th grade but then struggled. Perhaps one of the reasons she feels so strongly about working with BMS, SHS, and PHS kids. She spent some time at the Alternative School (now known as Pacific High) but did not complete her high school diploma. At present she is working to complete her GED through University of Alaska’s Adult Education Center.

Work Experience:

Elmenda’s work experience has always centered on her culture. She currently spends the summer months demonstrating for tourist at the Southeast Alaska Indian Cultural Center. Before that she worked as a dancer for Sitka Tribal Enterprises. She had a long tenure with STE, in fact she was one of the original dancers when they started in 1994.

A Brief Biography

Elmenda was born and raised in Sitka. She is the oldest of five children. She has three sisters and one brother. At a young age she married her high school sweet heart Chuck Miller. They are a family of 6 with 3 sons and 1 daughter.

Elmenda is most busy in the summer months. She works at the Southeast Alaska Indian Cultural Center. Elmenda balances work with outdoor activities, including softball which is her favorite and a family event for the Miller’s. Her family also spends a lot of time out on their boat enjoying the summer weather.