Annauk Olin

Annauk Olin is an Inupiaq language educator and a tribal member of the Native Village of Shishmaref. Outside of her summers in Shishmaref, she was raised in Utqiaġvik, Fairbanks, and Massachusetts, and today lives on Dena’ina lands in Anchorage. Annauk graduated with a Masters of Science in Linguistics from the MIT Indigenous Language Initiative, and wrote curriculum in North Slope Iñupiaq "Iñupiatun Miqłiqtuvut Iñuguġlavut" and in Kigiqtaamiutun "Atikaa Aġlizaqlaut Uiviilaut Inupiatun" (Let Us Raise Our Children in Inupiaq) as her masters thesis. Annauk is not only an Inupiaq language consultant and immersion methods teacher for the Northwest Arctic Borough School District and an Indigenous Translation Consultant for AKPIRG, but she also is raising her two young children to speak Inupiaq at home.

AKPIRG has been truly honored to work with Annauk in the development of the Alaska Native Language Translation Protocols, a collaborative document meant to help Indigenous translation experts and partners ensure reciprocal and equitable relationships. Annauk was a principal architect of these Protocols – without her, we would not have this invaluable resource.

“Being a part of the AKPIRG language access team has connected me with a supportive group of friends who have become like family,” said Annauk, “I feel the most peaceful, rooted, and strong when I am speaking Inupiaq amongst our growing language community.”

We thank Annauk for working every day to keep Alaska Native Languages alive and for her indispensable partnership and friendship in AKPIRG’s language work. Quyanaqpak!

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