PEOPLE WHO ARE LIKE OUR BOOKS - READING AND TEACHING ON THE NORTH SLOPE OF ALASKA

Inupiaq and Euro-American systems of reading, teaching, and learning a re examined as they are applied and understood on the North Slope of A laska. The paper explores how the shift to Euro-American forms of teac hing and learning has narrowed the definition of reading from the abil ity to perceive and interpret signs from a number of media to the inte rpretation of signs within a single medium. It examines the difficulti es which emerge with the imposition of an educational system that allo ws a separation of reading from transmitting and sets the role of teac her apart from other social relations. Finally, the author examines so me of the political implications that result when literacy is construe d as the most important route to authentic or legitimate knowledge.