Tlingit Language Class starts up again Tuesday after its summer hiatus. Students of all ages and levels of ability are welcome.

  Joanne Elsie Spud leads the class, which meets from 6:30 to 8 p.m. every Tuesday at the Sheldon Museum until May.

  Museum education coordinator Scott Pearce said eight to 12 people typically show up for class. Students are welcome to drop in sporadically and shouldn’t feel pressure to make every session, he said.

  Students also shouldn’t feel deterred from coming if they aren’t Native, or if they have no experience with the language, Pearce said. “Some are elder, traditional speakers, and some are 5-year-old white kids,” he said.

  The Sheldon Museum’s Tlingit Language and Culture program, which has been in existence for more than two decades, received a Coming Up Taller national award in 2006. The awards recognize and support outstanding community arts and humanities programs.

  The class is free, refreshments are served, and books, learning CDs, and sound enhancement aids are available.

Call 766-2366 for more information.

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