Honoring Our Elders:
Annual Spring Potluck
Bringing generations together at the Elder Pavilion to share traditional native foods, practice ancestral storytelling, and reclaim tribal heritage.
Southcentral Foundation’s Respected Elder Program hosted its annual Spring Potluck and Wisdom Circle this week. Bringing together over 200 elders, children, and clinical staff, the event featured traditional native foods, storytelling blocks, and historical language sessions co-created to transfer cultural heritages across families.
The potluck began with a traditional blessing ceremony led by program elders. The table featured traditional subsistence foods—including stewed moose, smoked wild salmon, pilot bread, and harvested beach greens—designed to provide familiar, healthy meals that support physical and spiritual strength.
Elder circles sharing language, heritages, and healthy wisdom with youth.
In Alaska Native communities, elders are the primary keepers of ancestral heritages and wellness principles. By establishing storytelling potlucks, Southcentral Foundation coordinates clinical care around cultural values, bringing youth and elders together in reciprocity.
reclaiming language & healing heritages
During the storytelling circle, elders shared traditional narratives regarding Alaskana survival, living in respect to the land, and the history of Dena'ina, Yup'ik, and Tlingit language roots. Clinical advisors from primary care teams also attended, helping connect elders to wellness resources.
“Our Respected Elder Program is more than a clinical service; it is a spiritual anchor for our Anchorage medical campus,” said an Elder Program Coordinator. “Providing a quiet, warm pavilion where generations gather to share pilot bread, smoked salmon, and stories keeps our community strong and healthy.”