Photos: Yup'ik Spelling Bee at Clark Middle School

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Peter Griggs, a student at Alaska Native Cultural Charter School, surprised himself with a correct answer Friday. Nine students from Clark Middle School and Alaska Native Cultural Charter School met for the Yup’ik Spelling Bee, held in the Clark library on Friday, March 27, 2015.

Nine students from Clark Middle School and Alaska Native Cultural Charter School met for the Yup'ik Spelling Bee, held in the Clark library on Friday, March 27, 2015. Ina Carpenter, a bilingual tutor at Clark who helped organize the event, said she has been holding Yup'ik spelling practices twice a week at lunchtime since November for several of her students, some of whom are bilingual. "We must never forget our past, never forget where we came from, never forget our traditions and customs in our Yup'ik culture, especially the language which we learned from our parents," she said to the students and families who attended. Students Emily Tunucuk and Taylor Kairaivak faced off in a tiebreaker in which they were asked to spell three words: kingutmun (going backwards), kenuurraq (light) and ernerpak (today). Tunucuk placed first.