Yakutat Tlingit Tribe→
Culture Camp Core Instructor (7 positions… at Yakutat… · Yakutat
Skills
Job Description
POSITION TITLE: Core Instructor
DEPARTMENT: Culture Camp
WAGE: Contract - $300.00 per day
FLSA STATUS: Non-Exempt
ESC CODE:
FUNDING SOURCE: Grant Funded
OPENING: July 2, 2026
CLOSING: July 12, 2026
Position Summary:
Core Instructors, also called Camp Counselors, serve as mentors, role models, and leaders for campers aged 11–17. These instructors lead daily activities, support cultural workshops, and guide youth through the camp schedule with an emphasis on leadership development, cultural learning, and building strong peer relationships.
Instructors work closely with artists, language leads, and cultural educators to integrate Tlingit language, values, and protocols into every aspect of camp life. They provide supervision, encouragement, and mentorship to youth as they participate in traditional arts, food gathering, outdoor skills, leadership activities, and daily cultural practices.
This role requires maturity, patience, and a strong ability to connect with teenagers in a culturally grounded and respectful way.
Essential Functions:
Ensuring that the Yakutat Tlingit Tribe’s Culture Camp is deeply rooted in Tlingit language, customs, and ceremonial practices.
Mentor and encourage youth, fostering self-confidence, teamwork, and respect.
These individuals will encourage the integration of daily Yakutat Tlingit language immersion, clan protocol teachings, and cultural etiquette across all camp activities.
Monitor camper well-being and ensure a safe and supportive environment, addressing minor conflicts or challenges with guidance and care.
Artists will teach traditional Tlingit art forms such as weaving, drum making, beading, regalia making, and formline design.
Workshops will blend technical skill-building with cultural teachings, emphasizing the importance of creativity, pride, clan identity, and cultural stewardship.
Design and lead hands-on workshops in a traditional Tlingit art form (e.g., weaving, drum making, beading, formline, regalia).
Support and assist guest instructors, artists, and camp leadership during workshops and special events.
They will offer language instruction, lead cultural reminders before and during workshops, and support the ceremonial flow of camp events such as openings, closings, honoring, and transitions between activities.
Help with daily camp set-up, clean-up, and preparation for activities.
Participate in camp planning sessions, orientation, and final camp clean-up.
Model Tlingit values such as respect, responsibility, humility, and reciprocity in all interactions with campers and staff.
Mandatory Reporter.
Performs other duties as assigned.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
Knowledge of:
- Working with Tribal programs, education programs, or youth programs is preferred.
- Safety protocols and hygiene standards and ability to follow them.
- The Tlingit History of Yakutat, Tlingit Arts and subsistence lifestyle is preferred but not required.
- Cultural knowledge of Tlingit practices, or willingness to learn and respectfully integrate traditional teachings into daily camp life.
Skill in:
Strong written and oral communication.
Strong teamwork and collaboration skills across multiple program areas.
Dependability and a strong work ethic.
Leadership, with the ability to guide and support young people respectfully.
Strong organizational skills and meticulous attention to detail.
Strong interpersonal and people skills, including the ability to work with parents, youth, Elders, and staff in a respectful and welcoming manner.
Problem-solving skills and the ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously.
Self-motivated and dependable, able to work independently or collaboratively.
Working well with others, to include public
Ability to:
Handle multiple tasks and work under short timeframes and attend to
Ability to adapt activities to meet a range of developmental needs and interests of older youth.
Serve as a positive role model
Be flexible, patient, and have a team-centered attitude.
Comfortable working with youth of all ages and backgrounds.
Meet physical demands to assist with set-up, clean-up, and carrying supplies between locations.
Provide support where needed and proactively offer support to instructors, cooks, and leadership staff.
Maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive information with care and professionalism.
Flexibility to adapt to shifting schedules or needs during Culture Camp operations.
Safely transport themselves to and from the Situk River camp site.
Work independently with brief verbal instructions, as well as prioritize workload.
Work Environment/Physical Demands:
The work requires some physical exertion, such as long periods of standing; walking over rough, uneven, or rocky surfaces; recurring bending, crouching, stooping, stretching, reaching, or similar activities; or recurring lifting of moderately heavy items. The work may require specific, but common, physical characteristics and abilities, such as above average agility and dexterity. The employee must be able to read, write, speak and hear.
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Supervisory and Management Responsibility:
This position has no formally assigned supervisory responsibility or authority.
Minimum Qualifications:
High school diploma or GED required.
Must be 18 years of age or older.
Experience working with teens or youth in an educational, recreational, mentorship, or cultural program setting.
Must be able to pass a National Criminal and State background check.
This position has been designated as having regular contact or control over Indian children and will require an additional FBI criminal background check.
Valid Alaska Driver’s License.
Disclosures:
We welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of their race, sex, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation, or age.
THE YAKUTAT TLINGIT TRIBE IS A DRUG FREE WORKPLACE. THIS POSITION MAY BE SUBJECT TO RANDOM DRUG TESTING AND CRIMINAL HISTORY CHECK.
Preference will be given to qualified Yakutat Tlingit Tribal Member and/or Alaska Native candidates.
NATIVE AMERICAN PREFERENCE WILL BE APPLIED TO HIRING OF THIS POSITION AS DEFINED IN TITLE 25, US CODE, CHAPTER 14, SUBCHAPTER V, SUBSECTION 273 AND 274. WE ARE AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER WITH PREFERENCE GIVEN TO QUALIFIED NATIVE AMERICAN/ALASKA NATIVE APPLICANTS IN ACCORDANCE WITH FEDERAL LAW AND TRIBAL POLICY.