At a Glance
I review books for the University of Alaska and other academic presses, so… I can’t tell you.
What charity or cause are you passionate about?
I really support traditional Native games. It does such great things for our Native youth and others.
What’s the first thing you do when you get home after a long day at work?
[She laughs] First thing I do is run and cook a pot of rice. Rice goes with everything.
What vacation spot is on your bucket list?
Rome.
If you could domesticate a wild animal, what animal would it be?
[She laughs] Probably a mountain goat. Not only have they great horns but they also have great wool.
At a Glance
I review books for the University of Alaska and other academic presses, so… I can’t tell you.
What charity or cause are you passionate about?
I really support traditional Native games. It does such great things for our Native youth and others.
What’s the first thing you do when you get home after a long day at work?
[She laughs] First thing I do is run and cook a pot of rice. Rice goes with everything.
What vacation spot is on your bucket list?
Rome.
If you could domesticate a wild animal, what animal would it be?
[She laughs] Probably a mountain goat. Not only have they great horns but they also have great wool.
Off the Cuff
osita Worl’s Tlingit name, Kaaháni, means “woman who stands in the place of a man.” During her life, Worl has made the place where she stands her own.
As an enthusiast for cultural survival with an eye toward changing institutions, Worl studied anthropology at Alaska Methodist University (now Alaska Pacific University) and then earned her master’s degree and doctorate from Harvard. She now leads Sealaska Heritage Institute, a nonprofit arm of the regional Native corporation for Southeast, preserving and promoting the traditions of the Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian people.
“I love to look out at our beautiful country here in Southeast, and it gives me great joy to look at our beautiful environment,” she says. “I’m sold on Southeast.”
Worl herself is a link to the past for her many grandchildren, whom she considers her greatest contribution to society. “Being able to see them and their development and their growth—to me that’s so exciting,” she says. “I’m so lucky to be able to be near my children and my grandchildren.”
Rosita Worl: I am compulsive about work, and my fun work has to do with reading fun stuff that relates to my work. The other big thing for me is I love to have Sunday family dinners. That takes me most of the day, cooking for ten to twelve people.
AB: What’s the most daring thing you’ve ever done?
Worl: People might think going whale hunting was daring. To me it was great field work… when I went to Baffin Island… I think that was probably the scariest thing I’ve ever done: ride on a snowmachine over sea ice that’s covered with seawater.
AB: What are you superstitious about?
Worl: We have some beliefs down here about Kóoshdaa Káa (Land Otter Man)… You have to be really careful when you go in the woods, otherwise you could be lured off by Kóoshdaa Káa. The scariest thing for me is thinking that I might have an encounter with Kóoshdaa Káa. Whether Kóoshdaa Káa is real or not… it’s just like bigfoot. None has ever been captured.
AB: What’s your favorite local restaurant?
Worl: McGivney’s… plus Donna’s. Donna’s is one of my favorite places here in Juneau, especially for breakfast.
AB: Dead or alive, who would you like to see perform live in concert?
Worl: The Ink Spots.
Worl: [She laughs] I kind of like to think I’ve gotten over it, but I don’t think so: I love jewelry… I love pearls, and I’m dying for Tahitian pearls.
AB: What’s your best attribute and worst attribute?
Worl: I don’t know if they say I’m a control freak, but I pay close attention to a lot of details. I’m reminded that I’m supposed to be up here at the policy level, but sometimes I worry about little things. That’s maybe my worst attribute… My best attribute? I like to think that I’m a friendly person and I like to meet all kinds of people. As I’ve grown older, I’ve really learned to appreciate people, just looking at people. I think I learned that from Dr. [Walter] Soboleff, where he saw the goodness in people. I like to look at people’s faces, and I love all of the diversity that we have, especially in Alaska. 
