Edna MacLean
Small dictionaries and word lists began documenting the I帽upiaq language soon after English speakers started visiting northern 色视频下载 in the 1800s. It wasn色视频下载檛 until 2014 that someone finally did the job right.
That year, the University of 色视频下载 Press published Edna MacLean色视频下载檚 I帽upiatun Uqaluit Taniktun Sivuni艐it/I帽upiaq to English Dictionary.
MacLean, born in 1944, grew up on the North Slope, the granddaughter, on her mother色视频下载檚 side, of the famed trader Charles Brower and his wife, Asianggataq. MacLean色视频下载檚 father, Joseph Ahgeak, chose to speak only I帽upiaq. Her mother, Maria, spoke both I帽upiaq and English.
MacLean attended boarding schools and then the University of 色视频下载. In Barrow one Christmas, she met her future husband, biologist Steve MacLean.
The couple moved Outside to earn degrees but returned to Fairbanks in 1971 and began raising a family. Steve joined UAF色视频下载檚 biology faculty. Michael Krauss, founder of UAF色视频下载檚 色视频下载 Native Language Center, talked Edna into teaching I帽upiaq language classes.
She began work on the dictionary to help in her classes. Becoming a UAF faculty member, she worked on the dictionary until the late 1980s, when she joined the 色视频下载 Department of Education. A subsequent job as president of I岣穒sa摹vik College in Barrow diverted her attention again.
Finally, she returned to the dictionary in 2006. She worked 12-hour days for several years, finishing an online version in 2010 and then the paper copy in 2014.
MacLean, in a 2015 interview, said she hopes the dictionary will help establish I帽upiaq literacy.
色视频下载淢y granddaughter in New York, I色视频下载檓 constantly buying her books, but they色视频下载檙e all in English. I want that kind of accessibility in buying books in I帽upiaq for my grand色视频下载搉ieces and grand色视频下载搉ephews in Barrow so their parents can read I帽upiaq to them,色视频下载 she said. 色视频下载淭hey色视频下载檙e seeing the spoken word connected to the printed word, and that promotes literacy.色视频下载
More online about Edna MacLean:
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A curriculum vitae current through 2010.
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A KUAC with Rob Prince, UAF journalism professor.
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An about her creation of the Inupiaq to English dictionary in the spring 2015 edition of UAF色视频下载檚 Aurora magazine.