Rosita Worl, president of Sealaska Heritage Institute, was presented with a 2023 National Humanities Medal by President Joe Biden in a ceremony at the White House at 1:30 p.m. Monday.
The award from from the National Endowment for the Humanities “honors an individual or organization whose work has deepened the nation’s understanding of the human experience, broadened citizen engagement with history and literature or helped preserve and expand Americans’ access to cultural resources,” according to a press release issued by SHI on Monday before the ceremony.
“I am honored to receive this award, but I owe a debt of gratitude to my mother, Bessie Quinto, who instilled in me that I have a responsibility to work for our people,” Worl said in a prepared statement. “She devoted her whole life as a union organizer to secure economic equity for our people, among many other things.”
She has served as the president of SHI since 1998, and been active in numerous other activities including as an anthropologist conducting research in Alaska and the Arctic, according to SHI. She’s also credited with a major expansion of the institution’s activities, including presiding over the opening of its downtown Juneau cultural campus and the debut of the Kootéeyaa Deiyí (Totem Pole Trail) along the Juneau waterfront.
Worl is among 10 recipients receiving such an award for 2023. Among the others are Anthony Bourdain (posthumous), LeVar Burton, Roz Chast, Nicolás Kanellos, Robin Wall Kimmerer, Mellon Foundation, Dawn Porter and Aaron Sorkin.
Nine winners were also honored at the ceremony for the same award in 2022.
The winners met with Biden in the Oval Office where they were presented with their medals before the public ceremony and subsequent reception.
Biden, in a speech during the ceremony offering general praise for the achievements of the awardees, also engaged in some politicking with the presidential election 15 days away that pits Vice President Kamala Harris against former President Donald Trump.
“This is a very consequential time for the arts and humanities in America,” Biden said. “Extreme forces are banning books, trying to erase history, spreading misinformation. But because of you…we keep our books open. You make history. We combat lies with truth. This administration supports the arts and humanities as essential pieces of American might and dynamism, whether it’s helping local venues and theaters get through the pandemic, or opening the White House for a range of groundbreaking concerts and exhibits.”
The ceremony can be watched at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hweFDtOPfc.
The first National Humanities Medal was awarded in 1996, according to The White House. A total of 225 medals have been awarded, including 207 to individuals and 18 to organizations.
• Contact Mark Sabbatini at mark.sabbatini@juneauempire.com or (907) 957-2306.
Sealaska Heritage Institute president Rosita Worl smiles while welcoming dancers and the audience to the start of Celebration 2024 on June 5. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire file photo)
