Joseph Marks

I am a Joint PhD candidate in Anthropology and Linguistics at the University of Arizona, with a minor in Teaching, Learning, and Sociocultural Studies. My Tlingit name is Koodéik’, and my English name is Joseph Marks. I belong to the Kaagwaantaan clan from Gaaw Hít, and I am a child of the Lukaax̱.ádi from Deishú. I am a first-generation college graduate from Southeast Alaska, and I am a Tlingit language speaker. My academic and community work is deeply grounded in Indigenous ways of knowing, being, and speaking.

 

My research focuses on Indigenous language revitalization and reclamation, language ideologies, and the sociopolitical factors that shape educational practices. I focus on how language reclamation efforts connect with broader struggles for sovereignty, identity, and cultural continuity. By emphasizing Tlingit cultural frameworks and oral traditions, my work aims to challenge colonial narratives and foster Indigenous-centered scholarship.

 

Alongside my research, I have taught Tlingit for over 10 years at elementary, middle, high schools, and university levels. My teaching philosophy centers on respect, balance, and community, creating spaces where students are encouraged to share knowledge, pose critical questions, and participate actively in collective learning. Through both scholarship and teaching, I aim to promote Indigenous self-determination and contribute to the broader fields of anthropology, linguistics, American Indian/Indigenous Studies, and education.