"Chamai" is an Eskimo greeting that conveys warmth to individuals and groups. The expression was selected by Alaskan high school students as the descriptive title of a curriculum approach to developing communication skills, primarily speaking and listening. Involving students in grades seven through twelve, the program emphasizes student responsibility for the investigation and documentation of their particular communities and cultures. Although the program involves the students in efforts to publish the materials that they find and produce, its aim is primarily for communicative competence rather than for developing careers in journalism. Included in the guide to the Chamai program are the following: a course design used at an Alaskan regional high school, short histories of the Chamai programs at other Alaskan schools; the listings of the instructional methods used to develop skills in speaking, listening, writing, organization, and interpersonal relationships; and a concluding section entitled "An Attitude" that recommends methods for teachers to manage a culturally and community based program. (RL)