Doyon Foundation is pleased to welcome the newest member of our team: Jordan Lee Craddick. Jordan joined us as our new Doyon Languages Online project manager in early 2021.
In this role, Jordan is responsible for the coordination, implementation and evaluation of the Doyon Languages Online II project, which is developing online lessons for Deg Xinag, Dihthaad Xt’een Iin Aanděeg’ (Tanacross), Dinak’i (Upper Kuskokwim) and Nee’aanèegn’ (Upper Tanana). Once completed, these lessons will join the online courses for Benhti Kokhut’ana Kenaga’ (Lower Tanana), Dinjii Zhuh K’yaa (Gwich’in), Denaakk’e (Koyukon) and Holikachuk, which are currently available for free to all interested learners on our website, www.doyonfoundation.com.
“I chose to join Doyon Foundation because the work they do is vitally important,” Jordan says. “Fostering the next generation of Athabascan leaders via academic support while also working to preserve our heritage through language revitalization are necessary functions that will ensure the longevity and sovereignty of our people. I am optimistic about the continued growth of the Foundation and I hope to find ways of recording and preserving our proud history in the years to come.”
While new to the Foundation staff, Jordan is very familiar with the Foundation, as he has received several scholarships throughout his educational career. A trained historian who focuses primarily on Alaska Native history, Jordan received his bachelor’s in history from the University of Alaska Anchorage and his master’s in northern studies from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Currently, he is in the process of writing a dissertation for his Ph.D. from the University of Washington.
“My success in school can be attributed, in no small part, to Doyon Foundation,” Jordan says. “The financial and moral support I received from the Foundation was crucial and I always appreciated how the staff at Doyon Foundation thoughtfully engaged with my educational goals.”
A Doyon, Limited shareholder of Deg Hit’an and Tlingit descent, Jordan was raised throughout Southeast Alaska, but he considers his hometown to be Juneau. His parents are Steve and Vicki Craddick. His paternal grandparents are Randy Kalkins and Caroline Demientieff, while his maternal grandparents are John Kristovich and June Parsons.
As for his interests outside of school and work, Jordan shares, “I’ve been in graduate school for so long that I’ve forgotten what it’s like to have hobbies. Given my profession, I read a lot, though to unwind I enjoy watching movies and playing Xbox games. Now that my educational journey is near its end, I hope to take fencing classes, learn photography and hike more.”
Learn more about Jordan and Doyon Languages Online at www.doyonfoundation.com, or contact the Foundation at 907.459.2048 or [email protected].