Scholarships and Education

To support and administer its cultural and educational programs, Sealaska created Sealaska Heritage Institute (SHI) in 1981. The Sealaska scholarship program, as well as Celebration, the Heritage Study Program and other language and cultural programs are intended to preserve the cultural history of the people of Southeast Alaska, and are part of SHI.

In 1988, Sealaska Corporation created a $2.5 million endowment to provide a foundation for supporting the education of its shareholders and descendants well into the future. Scholarships awarded by SHI are given only to Native students who are Sealaska shareholders or shareholder descendants.

Judson L. Brown Scholarship
This scholarship is named in honor of the late Tlingit leader Judson Lawrence Brown, and was endowed with a generous personal grant from Sealaska president and CEO Chris McNeil and his wife Mary. The scholarship supports the higher education and leadership development of Sealaska shareholders and descendants. Administered by the Sealaska Heritage Institute, the fund awards $5,000 annually to a shareholder or shareholder descendant who demonstrates outstanding academic performance and leadership.

Brown, a member of the Alaska Native Brotherhood, was secretary of the camp that initiated the Alaska Native land claims and, upon the creation of Sealaska Corporation, was appointed to the board of directors. To learn more about the scholarship and Judson Lawrence Brown’s historic accomplishments for Alaska Natives, visit Sealaska Heritage Institute on the web.

Detailed information about SHI scholarships, the Heritage Study Program and other educational assistance available outside Sealaska, can be found on the SHI website.