Some may not remember nowadays, but what was more fun -- learning the alphabet in elementary school with rote memorization of a singsong mnemonic device, or watching Elmo, Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch teach the alphabet in video form on "Sesame Street?"

Perhaps a high school class in the Southwest Alaska city of Kwethluk had the same question in mind when they produced a video illustrating the Yup'ik alphabet with scenes, people, activities and items found within the community.

Like many cultures around the world, preserving traditions in the face of perceived indifference from the younger generations is a concern of the Alaska Native community. This has led to some novel methods of carrying on some of the old ways, including a children's book in Tlingit, workshops in the nearly extinct Eyak language led in part by a self-taught French student, and even the potential of cell phone texting to encourage youth of any culture to utilize their native languages.

But perhaps the most technologically advanced of the modern methods of carrying on the old ways is represented by the Yup'ik Digital Arts class at the Ket'acik & Aapalluk Memorial School in Kwethluk, co-taught by Aaron Kennedy and Pauline Morris. According to Kennedy, the class is based in part on the Kwethluk school system's "Dual Language" program, which includes students and faculty at the high school encouraged to speak in Yup'ik every other day.

Kennedy and Morris's class has produced other videos illustrating traditional native crafts and practical knowledge, including one on how to create a grass mat, or to get a good steam going. You can keep track of the other videos produced by the class at the YouTube channel.

While "Sarah Palin's Alaska" has finished its eight-week run on TLC, Alaska Dispatch continues to take a look at the Last Frontier as it's experienced by residents across the state -- urban and rural, young and old, from all walks of life. You've seen "Sarah Palin's Alaska" -- now welcome to Our Alaska.