-"'Your tribe? Come on, Freckles.
You aren't really part of a tribe,' one laughed."
-Storytime at Lockwood Elementary
brings characters off the page into real life.
-"...said Freckles with a cheeky grin."
-Today's tale, "Journey of the Freckled Indian,"
is about Freckles.
It's based on author Alyssa London's discovery
of her native heritage
when she was sitting right here as a student 25 years ago.
-In my Tlingit language...
[ Speaking Tlingit ]
So, in Tlingit, I just said that I'm from the Tlingit tribe,
that I'm Eagle Killer Whale,
and that my family is from the village of Angoon, Alaska.
"Angoon kwáan" is how I said that.
-Like most children who grow up in a multicultural home,
London's life in Seattle as a kid included Native events
like tribal picnics and powwows.
-I didn't realize it was something different
until, really, the memory that precedes the start of this book,
which was sharing about Tlingit culture with my parents
during a show-and-tell
where they showed a video of "Raven and the Box of Daylight,"
which is our creation story for Tlingit and Haida people.
And at recess then,
like we say in the book, the kids made fun of me.
-Through the book, Freckles becomes a relatable character
for mixed-race children,
reflecting the challenges London faced on the playground.
-"'Do you know your heritage? Do you know all the cultures
that your family members come from?'
Her classmates looked at each other, confused.
'Well, if you don't know where you come from,
it's hard to know where you're going.'"
-This theme in the book is London's theme in life.
She learned about where she came from through family,
spending time with her Tlingit grandfather in Alaska
to understand her roots.
-There's a grandness to Alaska that is hard to describe.
-That summer trip charted the course
for her life's work -- to advocate the importance
of honoring multicultural identities.
She's traveled to more than 30 countries
and earned a degree in race and ethnicity
from Stanford University.
-Just in your own language, tell that story,
and then it'll be a permanent record.
-In 2018, she founded her media company, Culture Story.
London says there's more that connects us than divides us
in the mixed-race world we live in.
Through Culture Story, she creates videos,
workshops, and books to showcase the beauty
and vitality of indigenous cultures all over the world.
-It is one of my favorite things
to talk to, really, anyone about.
I love to ask, "What's your culture story?"
And what I mean by that is,
"Tell me about the the core tenets
or the themes that really define your culture
and therefore define parts of how you live your life
as a -- as a person who identifies with that heritage."
-London says the core tenants are food, faith, family,
fashion, and the arts, which includes song and dance,
one of her favorite ways to teach kids about culture.
-[ Chanting in Tlingit ]
-Once the wiggles are out,
it's a quick lesson in linguistics.
-So, it kind of sounds like "cottage cheese,"
but repeat after me. "Gunalchéesh."
-Gunalchéesh.
-Oh, thank you! You did awesome!
-It's these cultural interactions
she hopes will help childhood be more inclusive.
-From a young age, be interested
in knowing about their own culture
and having a strong sense of personal identity
but then, almost even more important,
being open to people from other cultures.
You're German. Perfect.
See? We're already getting the thought patterns going
on what we can talk about in our classrooms later on, right?
-After excited commentary from kids
about their Native identities,
London leads them through affirmations
as a confidence booster...
-I am proud!
-...and hopes these phrases instill personal pride
of being multicultural,
something she says can be really tough growing up.
-I mean, I struggled with being a mixed-race Native girl,
basically until I went to Miss USA
and had this moment in front of millions of people
with the Tlingit gown,
where it was, like, a very strong, definitive moment
of "I am Tlingit, Tlingit áyáxát."
I got to say that on national television.
There are 229 different tribes.
Tlingit áyáxát. I am from the Tlingit tribe.
That was profound for me
because it -- it took that big of a moment, honestly,
to basically heal
from having to explain to so many people,
even through college, like, "Yes, I'm Native American.
That's why I'm helping out with Stanford Powwow,"
for example, or --
I didn't like having to explain my --
my connection to my culture over and over again.
-In 2017, London was a top-10 finalist
at Miss USA. -That name is "Alaska."
-Her evening-gown robe had her clan crest, the killer whale,
and was designed in the Tlingit red tribal color.
-It was the only time in the pageant
that I wasn't incredibly nervous
because I was just really proud and centered,
and I just felt like
I had my whole community on stage with me.
-Newspapers in Alaska proudly put her on the front page,
celebrating this achievement for indigenous people.
-That made people emotional, too,
because, I mean, the newspapers in Southeast Alaska
are written in English.
It hadn't been a Tlingit headline.
-London's national pageant platform
was to showcase the vitality of indigenous cultures
and mixed-race heritage.
-When I was Miss Alaska,
I got to go to, like, some hospitals
and I got to go do school visits,
and, at that time, you know, kids would listen to, like,
whatever I wanted to -- had to -- say
'cause I had a crown on my head.
It was fun times. [ Chuckles ]
But I didn't have my own book.
I was reading other books that I either found in the classroom
or I started to bring some along with me,
but I didn't find a story that helped land my message.
-Now with her own book to spread her message,
whether she's wearing a crown or native regalia,
just like Freckles says...
-"Tlingit áyáxát. That means I am Tlingit,
and no one can take that away from me."
-...she hopes through her story, Freckles inspires these kids
to proudly display their culture story
on the pages of life they write,
no matter where the journey takes them after school.
Alyssa recently hosted a special