The Alaska Rural Systemic Initiative (AKRSI) was established in 1994 under the auspices of the Alaska Native/Rural Education Consortium, representing over 50 organizations impacting education in rural Alaska. AKRSI's institutional homebase and support structure are provided by the Alaska Federation of Natives in cooperation with the University of Alaska, with funding from the National Science Foundation and the Annenberg Rural Challenge. AKRSI aims to implement a set of initiatives that systematically document the indigenous knowledge systems of Alaska Native people and develop pedagogical practices integrating indigenous knowledge and ways of knowing into all aspects of education. In practical terms, the most important objective is increased recognition of the complementary nature of Native and Western knowledge, so both can be utilized more effectively as a foundation for the school curriculum. This paper provides brief overviews of the demographic and economic context of rural Alaska, the recent history of rural schools in Alaska, and the development of AKRSI. Five sets of science and math initiatives and five sets of language and culture initiatives are implemented on a 5-year rotational schedule in each of five cultural regions of Alaska (Yup'ik, Inupiaq, Athabascan, Aleut, and Southeast regions). Twelve key AKRSI-sponsored activities are briefly described. (SV)