Doyon Foundation is working with WGBH Boston to produce two dubbed episodes of the PBS Kids’ show Molly of Denali in two of the Native languages of the Doyon region: Denaakk’e (Koyukon) and Dinjii Zhuh K’yaa (Gwich’in). After reviewing the auditions submitted during the call for actors, we are pleased to announce the selected cast members for the Gwich’in episodes:
Episode 1: King Run
Molly: Adriel Ginnis
Tooey: To be announced
Grandpa Nat: Pete Peter
Kenji: Sam Alexander
Episode 2: Grandpa’s Drum
Molly: Adriel Ginnis
Tooey: To be announced
Grandpa Nat: Pete Peter
Mindy Moose: Princess Daazhraii Johnson
Mom Layla: Rochelle Adams
Dad Walter: Allan Hayton
Shyahtsoo: Mildred Allen
Cast selections are still being made for the Denaakk’e episodes; watch for an upcoming announcement about the Denaakk’e cast.
Rehearsals and recording is currently underway with the Gwich’in cast members. The audio will then be dubbed into existing Molly of Denali episodes and utilized in Doyon region language revitalization efforts.
The Molly of Denali project is one of the current efforts of Doyon Foundation’s language revitalization program. The 10 ancestral languages of the Doyon region, including nine Athabascan languages plus Inupiaq, represent half of the 20 Native languages in state of Alaska, and are all endangered. Through efforts such as Molly of Denali, Doyon Languages Online, and the Our Language grant program, Doyon Foundation works to revitalize the Native languages of the Doyon region and help endangered languages thrive for future generations.
For more information, please visit www.doyonfoundation.com or contact Allan Hayton, Doyon Foundation language revitalization program director, at [email protected] or 907.459.2162.