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The University of Alaska Southeast’s Anderson Building now has a second name: G̱athéeni Tʼaaḵ Hít. The name, given by X̱’unei Lance Twitchell, Ph.D., a UAS professor of Alaska Native languages, means "house beside sockeye stream,” for the salmon that return each summer to nearby Auke Creek.

“It is wonderful to see our language in use, especially in ways that honor the original and sacred names on the lands of the Áak’w Ḵwáan,” Twitchell said.

“Everyone can be part of the life and health of our language and become closer to the land by using the names that belong to this beautiful place.”

The Anderson Building–now also known as G̱athéeni Tʼaaḵ Hít–houses courses and labs for students studying biology, including marine biology, as well as fisheries and chemistry. It overlooks the spot where Auke Creek empties into Auke Bay–where sockeye salmon migrate back into their natal freshwater after years at sea.

The Áak’w Kwáan Tlingit settled in Auke Bay in part because of the annual sockeye run, explained UAS Biology Professor David Tallmon, Ph.D. He and other faculty members who work in the building unanimously requested the second name to align with Áak’w Tá Hít, the environmental sciences building that opened next door in 2024.

Faculty are also collaborating to feature Northwest Coast art in the building’s main entry and student study area. “We want to show current and future students that we respect and acknowledge the Traditional Ecological Knowledge and wisdom of the Áak’w Kwáan Tlingit,” Tallmon said.

“G̱athéeni Tʼaaḵ Hít reminds us that our classrooms are not limited by walls,” said Carin Silkaitis, dean of the School of Arts and Sciences. “The creek, the salmon and the language of this place all teach us. This name connects science, culture and community in a way that only UAS can.”

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