Posts

Posted on

Qinavyuk’s Rural Development Journey: RD Capstone Synthesizing Paper Excerpt

By Dana Diehl, 2026 RD MA Graduate. Dana completed RD 691 Seminar in Rural, Community, and Indigenous Development Issues in the spring.

Author Dana Diehl smiling at her 2026 graduation ceremony, wearing a black mortarboard with a gold '2026' tassel, black graduation gown, lavender master's hood, red Alaska Native heritage sash, and beaded earrings. A drum kit and crowd are visible in the background.
Author Dana Diehl at the 2026 UAF graduation ceremony.

Dana’s Final RD Portfolio

Introduction

Yagheli du? Alexandria Bobby schida ghila, Fritz Donhauser schada’a ghila. Emma Diehl schida ghila, Richard Diehl schada’a ghila. Esther Diehl shuntda nlan, Dave Diehl shtutda nlan. Qinavyuk or Dana sh’izhi qilan. Yupik and Dena’ina eshlan shida. Aniak shugu shqayeh qilan da. Q’udi Nukelehitnu shugu yeshdu da. Michael Martz shqen nlan. Chin’an.

Is it good? My maternal grandmother was Alexandria Bobby, my maternal grandfather was Fritz Donhauser. My paternal grandmother was Emma Diehl, my paternal grandfather was Richard Diehl. My mother is Esther Diehl, my father is Dave Diehl. My name is Qinavyuk or Dana. I really am Yupik and Dena’ina. My village is Aniak. Now I live in Eagle River. My husband is Michael Martz. Thank you.

I chose to start my final synthesizing paper with my written Dena’ina introduction because a significant part of my growth throughout the Rural Development program has been connecting to who I am as a Dena’ina person and learning my introduction in the Inland Dena’ina dialect. Throughout the paper, I discussed the key concepts of Indigenous Leadership, self-determination, praxis and community-based development assets and I end with my rural development model and how I plan to continue applying these concepts to my personal, professional and academic growth.

My Rural Development Model

The concepts of Indigenous leadership, self-determination, praxis and community-based development assets create the foundation to my rural development model. I use a birch tree in Figure 1 as a metaphor for this model. The roots of the tree represent how the core values of Indigeneity (relationality, responsibility, reciprocity and redistribution) will keep me grounded and true to who I am as a Yupik and Dena’ina woman from a rural community.

A conceptual diagram depicting a birch tree set against a rural landscape with mountains, a river, and forest. The diagram is divided into two sections by the ground line. Above ground — labeled "Community Development Assets": The tree's branches and leaves are labeled with seven asset categories: Social, Human, Financial, Political, Physical, Cultural, and Environmental. Along the trunk — connecting roots to branches: Two bridging concepts are labeled on the trunk: Praxis and Self-determination, representing the link between the core values and the community development assets. Below ground — labeled "Core Values of Indigeneity": The tree's root system is labeled with four core values: Respect, Reciprocity, Relationality, and Redistribution. The tree serves as a visual metaphor where Indigenous core values (roots) connect through Praxis and Self-determination (trunk) to support community development assets (branches), within a rural development framework.
Dana’s Rural Development Model connecting the core values of Indigeneity to community development assets through the concepts of praxis and self-determination. Developed using a personal photo and providing prompts in Canva AI. 4/27/26.  

            Harris and Wasilewski (2004) define relationship as the sense that humans are related to each other and all things including animals, plants, rocks, and all creation. Responsibility reminds us that we have a responsibility to care for all of our relatives. Reciprocity is the understanding that in nature things are circular, based on relational dynamics and seen as ‘kin’ to each other. Redistribution is the sharing obligation including redistribution of material and social goods to keep everything in circulation. What these core values mean to me in the context of my rural development model is that regardless of what job I have and what community I live in, as an Indigenous leader I am always accountable to the people, our ancestors, the land, and all living things, and I have a responsibility to take good care of human and non-human things, to give back in material and non-material ways, and to respect all things. These core values align with the Dena’ina values my mother instilled in me. She specifically taught us to respect all things, take care of each other, and to share. Although these values have been instilled in me since childhood, I understand that to actively live them and keep my roots grounded, I have a responsibility to intentionally practice them every day.

            The trunk of the tree represents self-determination and praxis. I chose the trunk because the trunk is what creates a framework and a connection between the roots and the branches (community-development assets). In order to make meaningful changes in a community, it is my responsibility to use the framework of praxis in a way that is rooted in self-determination. When the trunk of the tree sways one way or another, and encounters threats, self-determination will ensure I stay committed to responding to the needs of the community, protect it from outside influences by advocating for what is right, and remember that what we do is bound together in one unity of action.

            The branches of the tree represent community-development assets including physical, human, social, financial, environmental, political and cultural. In order for the branches to have leaves that bloom every season, the community needs support from the roots, the trunk and the branches to help the tree capitalize on the assets of the community. For example, a leaf might represent culture as a community-based asset. When the community sustains an initiative to support its culture, the leaf is healthy and in full bloom. When the leaves drop in the fall, it is a representation that the rural development model is cyclical and that continued investment into its assets will ensure future sustainability. The leaves also represent the importance of balance and how focusing on multiple assets in a community, not just one will keep the tree healthy and thriving.

Conclusion

As I reflect on my journey through the Masters in Rural Development Program including my original statement of interest to enter the program in 2021, I feel fortunate to have enhanced my understanding of various key concepts but especially Indigenous leadership, self-determination, praxis and community-development assets. My goal at the time of entering the program was to enhance my understanding of how to support the health and economic well-being of rural, Alaska Native communities while staying true to our values as Alaska Native people. Each class has helped me work towards achieving this goal and I am especially grateful for the emphasis on rural, Indigenous communities and the cultural relevancy of the program. I have been able to apply much of what I learned in all aspects of my life, especially at work.

Another benefit of completing this program is that I have gained confidence in my abilities as a leader and feel that I am more equipped today to advocate for the self-governance of Alaska Native people and our Tribal organizations, and to participate in meaningful decision making as described in the UNDRIP definition of self-determination. As I move into the next phase of my rural development journey, I plan to take these key concepts with me as I strive to be an Indigenous leader that stays rooted in my core values of Indigeneity. Chin’an, thank you to all of my professors, classmates, family and friends that have supported me along the way.

Reference

Harris, L.D. and Wasilewski, J. 2004. Indigeneity, an alternative worldview: four R’s (relationship, responsibility, reciprocity, redistribution) vs. two P’s (power and profit). Sharing the journey towards conscious evolution. Syst. Res., 21: 489-503. https://doi.org/10.1002/sres.631

Posted on

Rural Development Capstone: RD 691 Seminar in Rural, Community, and Indigenous Development Issues

Many rural development graduate students have worked for years in rural development contexts. For others, the program may be some of their first encounters with the principles and practices of rural and community development. In either case, when rural development M.A. students graduate from the program they formally enter the role of rural development practitioner. Since 2022 the rural development master’s program has included a capstone course where both research and non-research pathway students review key concepts from the core courses in the M.A. program and develop a graduate portfolio illustrating their application in rural development contexts. A key part of the course is creating a synthesizing paper or video that connects the key concepts of rural development with their work and lives, develops a model for rural development practice, and examines how they might apply this model to their future work.

The design of this course is intended to function as a review and synthesis of rural development key concepts, but it is also designed to embrace students unique perspectives and strengths, especially around how knowledge is created and shared. For that reason, students are allowed to choose how they present their knowledge and experience – through websites, traditional papers, videos, or other formats. Every year we discover new creative opportunities and new challenges. This year, with their permission, we are highlighting the work of some of our RD MA graduates.

Posted on

Nothing About US Without US!

Sharing the Indigenous Participants Statement from the International Conference on Arctic Research Planning IV (ICARP IV)

By: DANSRD Professor Charleen “Daazhrąįį” Fisher, PhD

Group Photo ASSW 2025 copy 2

Click on the photo from the original post shown above or read the full Indigenous participant’s statement on the ICARP IV website at: https://icarp.iasc.info/news/statement-from-the-indigenous-participants-of-the-icarp-iv-summit.

Indigenous professors/knowledge bearers and Arctic researchers gathered at the Arctic Science Summit Week (ASSW) in Boulder, CO on 20 -28 March 2025 to advocate for Arctic research to be inclusive of Indigenous peoples, research protocols, and many beautiful cultures and languages around the circumpolar north. The International Conference on Arctic Research Planning IV (ICARP IV) was a part of this larger conference along with several other gatherings.

The UAF College of Indigenous Studies (CIS) had several attendees and it was a nice to see everyone. Pictured here are the Indigenous Studies PhD graduates with our Professor Dr. Beth Leonard. From right to left are Dr. Fisher, Dr. Hyslop, Dr. Gordon, Dr. Leonard, Dr. Collin, Dr. Topkok. Mahsi’ (ty) Heather for the photo!

The strong statement, “Nothing about us, without us” was translated into several languages. Gwich’in language keeper, Allan Hayton translated this to Alaskan Gwich’in as diinehdan ji’ duuyee diineenjit geegeheekhyaa that literally means, “If without us, then no speaking on our behalf.”

The Indigenous participants, mostly Arctic researchers collaborated on the published statement which was read at the closing ceremony by the renowned, Dr. Norma Shorty. Find the statement from the link here:

“We, the Indigenous Peoples from the Arctic region, united by our deep connection to ancestral lands and waters, feel compelled to address urgent concerns about our future. As everyone knows, the Arctic has been our homeland for thousands of years. Our knowledge is central to our survival, to the integrity of our communities and to the delicate balance and biodiversity of the region.

The ever-increasing external pressures on our communities and the natural world upon which we depend are immeasurable. For example, unregulated resource extraction, loss of biodiversity, increased shipping, and the climate crisis. They are compounded by present attempts to diminish our distinct status as Indigenous Peoples with inherent rights affirmed in international and national laws, policies, and constitutions.

Therefore, we extend the following requests to all engaged in Arctic research in order to prioritize and accommodate the inclusion of our distinct status and our right to “maintain, control, protect and develop” our knowledge through fair and equitable co-production of knowledge. We seek to promote the interconnected nature of our knowledge, culture, arts, language, and identity in addressing and responding to Arctic change.

We appreciate the past contributions of IASC and Indigenous Peoples. We are grateful for the space to actively participate in the plenary sessions, Research Priority Teams, and related processes. Yet, more must be done to increase the direct engagement of Arctic Indigenous Peoples to guide the ever-increasing research agendas implemented across our Arctic homelands.

Our effort to Indigenize Arctic research is sourced in our collective right to self-determination. This distinct political right is recognized as a prerequisite for the exercise and enjoyment of all other human rights. Therefore, scientists must also acknowledge and advocate for our self-determination in Arctic research.

We have consistently stated that our knowledge will improve science, but we must be able to participate on an equal basis and consistent with both moral and legal imperatives that often challenge researchers, universities, funding agencies, and organizations.

Regarding our future participation, we call for a continuing formal role within the ICARP process or more broadly a permanent role within IASC itself, one collaboratively designed with Indigenous Peoples. The same consideration should be given to the International Polar Year (2032-33). This may require adjustment of procedural aspects and removal of structural, financial, and other barriers. We remain concerned about the compressed time constraints for our involvement; language barriers; and other hurdles that stifle our direct role.

Intersecting issues include safeguarding data sovereignty and supporting youth involvement; and addressing the lack of compensation for Indigenous Knowledge Holders and Indigenous researchers. There are many more concerns surrounding Indigenous Knowledges, but it is our hope that, through our direct participation, we can alter the course of Arctic research towards equitable futures for Indigenous Peoples and all of humanity.

In this way, we can help to shape actual research objectives and identify concrete steps to embed Indigenous Knowledge, equitable co-production of knowledge, Indigenous values, and our priorities within research frameworks and outcomes.

In conclusion, for decades, we have “invited you to our table” and underscored the value of our “intricate knowledge.” Through the manifestation of our rights, we can help all others to ensure sustainable, healthy, and vibrant Arctic communities. We must be able to determine and define the well-being of the Arctic from our own perspectives. We must be able to exercise our right to free, prior, and informed consent in relation to Arctic research. We share our requests within the framework of our collective human rights. These rights serve as our standards, our lens, our desires, and our self-determination.”

I encourage our readers and students to learn more about policies that impact research and funding in the Arctic. The ICARP IV research planning process leads to the International Polar Year and will impact funding priorities all across the north. Find out more about this process at here and the ICARP IV Summit Statement news release on 28 March 2025: https://assw.info/news/the-icarp-iv-summit-marked-a-critical-moment-to-shape-the-future-of-arctic-research

Posted on

Collaboration with Tribes and Alaska Native Organizations Vital

My Inupiaq name is Iñukualuk and my Denaakk’e name is Tł’oyenaadleno. My English name is Jennifer (Maguire) Adams. I am originally from Allakaket, Alaska. My grandparents are the late Johnson and Bertha (Nictune) Moses of Allakaket and Alatna. My parents are the late Bob and Cora Maguire of Allakaket/Fairbanks.

I was hired by the University of Alaska Fairbanks College of Indigenous Studies as an assistant professor in the Department of Alaska Native Studies and Rural Development in September 2023. I believe that one of the reasons I was hired is because of my involvement with Alaska Native organizations and Tribes. My service on the board of directors for the Doyon Foundation offers a collaborative pathway for education projects with the University of Alaska, as well as the consultative work with my Tribe (Allakaket) on infrastructure and grant projects. Some of my colleagues are also engaged in Tribal projects that bring us closer to Tribes and Indigenous people in Alaska.

Examples of other collaborations that can help both the University and Tribes are: 

  • language revitalization,
  • workforce development, 
  • Tribal education projects, 
  • self governance,
  • Indigenous knowledge,
  • infrastructure projects,
  • cultural security and wellbeing,
  • state and federal government advocacy, 
  • problem-solving research that advances Native communities, etc.

These types of collaborations create two-way benefits for all involved – good for the University and good for the Tribes. For example, if the University collaborates with a Tribe to increase capacity in workforce development, there are funding streams and grants that can benefit both entities.

US Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland spoke about the disconnect between education and tribal communities in her 2022 commencement speech at Haskell Indian Nations University. Higher education institutions can be agents of progressive change if they collaborate more with tribal communities. 

Tribal College Journal (TCJ) points out that an expert leader (of which Alaska Native tribal communities have many) needs to be identified to help produce the partnership effectively. TCJ also advises that when creating and sustaining a mutually beneficial partnership for all parties, it is also important to identify what should be done by other local government entities like boroughs, local chapters and schools.

Steps forward can start with identifying issues of common interest and developing resources that can be transferred. Alaska Native people, organizations and Tribes should have input into what types of career programs are most in demand, to help shape University offerings. Traditional knowledge should also be incorporated into higher education wherever and whenever possible. Drawing from the wisdom of Alaska Native Elders can only enrich the University. 

Applied research that will contribute to actual rural Alaska community development should also improve living conditions for those communities. The Nature Conservancy points out that Indigenous “communities collectively manage at least one-quarter of the world’s lands, 17% of all forest carbon, and vast stretches of freshwater and marine habitats. Their stewardship and management often achieve greater conservation results and sustain more biodiversity than government protected areas”. There is a lot to learn from Indigenous people about managing the environment.

Another example is at Arizona State University, where

the combined efforts of American Indian Studies and the School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning have helped support communities in the Navajo Nation in developing land use plans, updating older land use plans and supporting discussion and community education for economic development efforts and planning for new infrastructure projects.

ASU also has a mixed-reality game project called WaterSIMmersive where Indigenous students start a dialogue with tribal and rural community members…to better understand and voice their water concerns.

An example at the University of Alaska Fairbanks is the Tamamta Program, which is “centered on elevating 14,000+ years of Indigenous stewardship and bridging Indigenous and Western sciences to transform graduate education and research in fisheries and marine sciences”. 

It is not hard to imagine how the University can increase the benefits by cooperating with Alaska Native organizations and communities. Tribal people and communities can benefit as well. There are many exciting possibilities!

I look forward to bringing my students into this type of real-world community development, since it is beneficial to their learning and beneficial for Tribes to have a new generation to assist them with collaborative projects. 

If you know of an Alaska Tribe that has a project they would like to collaborate or request assistance with, please contact us at the Department of Alaska Native Studies and Rural Development (DANSRD) in the College of Indigenous Studies! Our email address is uaf-dansrd@alaska.edu and our website is https://www.uaf.edu/dansrd/.

Posted on

The Co-Create Collaborative 

A Department of Alaska Native Studies and Rural Development Blog Post

March 2024

By: Charleen Fisher, PhD

Gwich’in Introduction

Drin Gwinzii! Shoozhrii Charleen Fisher, PhD oozhii. Beaver, Alaska gwats’an ihlii. Shii Dinjii zhuh oozhii Daazhrąįį. Assistant Professor Department of Alaska Native Studies ts’à’ Rural Development ihlii. 

English Introduction

Good day! My name is Charleen Fisher, PhD. I am from Beaver, Alaska. My native name is Daazhrąįį. I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Alaska Native Studies and Rural Development. 

This DANSRD Blog post shares about the Co-Create Collaborative and the work they do to contribute to and highlight ethical norms for working with Indigenous people in the circumpolar north. The group are like minded individuals who work together when it is important to do so. 

The Co-Create Collaborative is an unstructured group of Indigenous rights holders and Indigenous and non-Indigenous researchers who come together to write papers, organize and host workshops and presentations, and meet to share knowledge. I have worked with this group on several projects and will share about them here, please feel free to access the links and cite as you see fit. 

January 2022 (published paper) – Shaping Arctic’s Tomorrow through Indigenous Knowledge Engagement and Knowledge Co-Production

Shaping Arctic’s Tomorrow through Indigenous Knowledge Engagement and Knowledge Co-Production

This Sustainability, 2022, 14(3) 1331 publication is a foundational article that was worked on by researchers in 2021 and published in January of 2022. This paper advocated for co-creation or co-production of knowledge with Indigenous people and non-Indigenous researchers to be a priority and made recommendations for practical steps to be taken.

June 2022 (published paper) – Improving the Relationships between Indigenous rights holders and researchers in the Arctic: an invitation for change in funding and collaboration

Improving the relationships between Indigenous rights holders and researchers in the Arctic: an invitation for change in funding and collaboration – IOPscience

This article recommends strategies for transformative ways to integrate ethical research for meaningful collaboration in the area of research funding. There were 10 co-authors including Indigenous researchers and allies from the circumpolar north and Europe. The paper was published in Environmental Research Letters, Vol 17, No. 6 on June 10, 2022. The introduction was written by advocate Elle Merete Omma and highlights the Sápmi experience. This paper is steeped in helpful references and has a table with clear recommendations to research funders.

July 2022 (workshop) – Gwich’in fur mitten workshop & need for collaboration in research

Gwich’in fur mitten making and the need for collaboration in research

I was lucky enough to participate in a summer workshop in Potsdam, Germany with the Co-Create Collaborative. I held a workshop about identity, sewing, and research from an Indigenous perspective with co-create members and other people affiliated with the Research Institute for Sustainability – Helmholtz-Centre Potsdam (RIFS). I shared a presentation, my sewing and then we worked on a beading project.

November 2022 (presentation) – CRCD Research Speaker Series

CRCD Research Speaker Series: Dr. Charleen Fisher

The UAF College of Rural and Community Development (CRCD) initiated the CRCD Research Speaker Series and I was asked to share. I was joined by Dr. Döring and we spoke about the current co-creation collaborative events of that time.  

August 2022 (published paper) – Shijyaa Haa Research: Reflections on positionality, relationality, and commonality in Arctic research by Charleen Fisher & Nina Nikola Döring

https://ethicalspace.pubpub.org/pub/8gsn9s8h/release/4

Dr. Döring and I worked on this paper for a couple of years and we were lucky enough to be published in the special issue of Ethical Space: Indigenous Communications Landscapes, Vol. 20, Nos. ⅔. The dialogic style presented a conversation between myself and Dr. Döring discussing our perspectives on co-creation issues and identity.

October 2023 (workshop) – A Week of Exchange: Ethics and Methods in Arctic Transformative Research 

a week of exchange: ethics and methods in arctic transformative research

WEMA III had so many great workshops with over 40 attendees at Oulu University in Oulu, Finland. I co-led a session titled Indigenous Knowledge, Language, and Positionality in Indigenous Research, facilitated by Ellen Marie Jensen (independent researcher) and Sigga-Marja Magga of the Giellagas Institute at the University of Oulu. I was so happy to share about the language work that I am involved in at the Tribal level. I shared the partnership website: https://gwichinlanguage.org/ and the materials that we work on and then did a hands-on sensory experience making a keychain with moose hide scraps, duck feathers, and glass beads. A report will be made available soon summarizing our workshop.

Upcoming: Co-creation collaborative website! 

Mahsi’ choo or thank you for taking the time to read this Department of Alaska Native Studies and Rural Development Blog post!

Posted on

Letter to Students – Professor Jenny Bell Jones

May 2016 DANSRD Graduation Celebration.

Greetings to you all! By the time you read this my journey on our beautiful planet will be over and I will have taken my last walk into the forest. I want you all to know what a huge honor it has been to be a part of your lives. You, and in many cases your families as well, have brought great joy to me through the years that we worked together, and especially during my last years when illness made me homebound. It is not the Native way to say goodbye, and this isn’t a goodbye, it is a “I’ll see you later” or “hágoónee’”.

No more grading papers late into the night for me, no more sending out just one more email trying to make sure that everybody got their assignments in on time. No more developing those quizzes and writing those lecture notes that I’m sure some of you groaned about when you found how much reading they would require. Those things I will not take with me. The things I will carry along are the wonderful memories I have from each time I saw one or another of you have another success. Sometimes those successes were small, sometimes they were large, it never mattered to me, just seeing them was what counted. Nobody was happier about your good grades than I was!

Sometimes I was aware that you were struggling with incredible challenges in your lives. Some of you came to me and talked to me in confidence about those challenges and that confidence has never been shared. Sometimes I sat up all night like a worried grandma trying to figure out how best I could help you. Sometimes there were things I could do, and other times all I could do was pray but I want you to know that I was always there doing it.

Know that you can succeed. Do your best work and then try to make it just a tiny little bit better. You don’t have to be perfect just do your best. Take what you have learned in our classes and programs and use it wisely. Be proud of your successes, and forgive yourselves when you do not do as well as you had hoped … you are often your own worst critics, chances are the rest of us think you did pretty well!

When I was diagnosed with ALS in 2010 I was told I had just a year or two. I had a choice. I could have resigned my position, filed for disability and let the illness take over. Or I could continue working for as long as I was able. I chose the second option because of all of you. And those of you who I have worked with through these last 12 years they had told me I would not have, have given me a gift that I cannot repay. You gave me a purpose and reason to keep fighting. A reason to keep loving life for as long as I possibly could.

So, now it is time for you to pick up that fight. Sing for me, dance for me, eat some Native food for me, spend some time out on the land with me, but please do not be too sad for me. I have been blessed with many good years and especially the ones I have spent with you. I am at peace now, please be at peace with me. Remember when we walk on, we do not walk away. If you want to talk to me, go sit outside somewhere and be very quiet and listen … I’ll be there.

Enjoying the sunshine. July 2020 at the UAF Georgeson Botanical Garden.

Posted on

“DANSRD Remembers Dr. Gordon L. Pullar Sr.” by Jenny Bell Jones

On behalf of the Department of Alaska Native Studies and Rural Development staff, faculty and students I extend our deepest condolences to the family of Dr. Gordon L. Pullar Sr. who took his final walk into the forest on April 18th.  His family including his son, Gordon Pullar Jr. his daughter in law Diana Rose Pullar, his grandson Little Gordy, his wife, Flossie Leavitt-Pullar, daughter Tracy Pullar Cascio and all other family members are in our thoughts and prayers.

Dr. Pullar was a huge part of DANSRD and UAF for 20 years. He retired in 2014 with Emeritus status after serving first as Director of the Alaska Native Human Resource Development Program and then as Director of the Department of Alaska Native and Rural Development (now DANSRD), but he continued to work on some in progress graduate committees into 2016. He was revered not only for his academic brilliance that shone through in a long list of scholarly publications, but also for his willingness to help all students no matter what the question was, and most of all for his overall kindness to everyone he encountered. He served on my graduate committee and then, when DANSRD hired me, insisted that I drop the “Dr.” and just call him Gordon. A difficult task for someone who had placed him on a very high pedestal but I am remembering it here and will honor his request for the remainder of this piece.

Gordon’s focus on teaching came about because of his commitment to students and his strong scholarly interests – – especially in leadership, in the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act and the events leading to its passing, and in cultural preservation and documentation.  He was known internationally for his work in those areas.  With those areas of expertise, he created the graduate symposium on Circumpolar & Indigenous Leadership, which was to serve as a foundation course for graduate students in Rural Development.

Gordon touched the lives of so many both within DANSRD and in the larger Alaskan community. He served on the Tangirnaq Native Village Tribal Council, the Koniag Education Foundation, the Alaska Federation of Natives Board of Directors, and as President of the Kodiak Area Native Association. He guided so many of us through graduate programs and then continued to mentor us as we went out into the world. We always knew we could count on him for feedback or answers to all the crazy questions that grad students come up with. His lessons were well learned by many, and he left a legacy of coursework and good solid advice which will be used long into the future.

We are happy that Gordon got to spend his last years with a wonderful wife and was able to take some nice vacations that were shared on Facebook. Those who met him along the way know that he had worked long and hard for that time off. Gordon was an athlete as well as a scholar and there will be no limits on that now. May his spirit soar with the eagles and his feet run forever free!

Service will be on May 5th at 3p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church in Anchorage.

Posted on

DANSRD congratulates ANS graduate Sharon Hildebrand: by Jenny Bell Jones

DANSRD would like to congratulate ANS graduate Sharon Hildebrand on her election as Vice President of Tanana Chiefs Conference.  Sharon is a 2013 graduate from our program who then continued her education and earned a Master’s of Public Administration from UAS in 2018. She was a stellar student who refused to let numerous challenges prevent her from reaching her educational goals.

Sharon is originally from Nulato but has made Fairbanks her home with her husband and sons where we are lucky to be able to call them neighbors. She is currently employed by Doyon Limited as their Village Outreach Liaison.

She has an exemplary record of public service and leadership and currently serves on the Board of Fairbanks Native Association in addition to her new position with TCC. She has been involved with youth hockey in Fairbanks and has raised her sons to be hard working respectful young men that we can all be proud of. She has been involved with the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District as a curriculum review committee member and she is active with Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. She serves on her Village Corporation Board of Directors and as a board member for Get out the Native Vote. She has a passion for singing Denakka songs of Nulato & Kaltag and is a strong advocate for the Indigenous languages. She is active with the Denakkanaaga Elders organization … and these are just the major highlights.

Sharon took the tools that both traditional and western education gave her and used them for the benefit of so many. We wish her all the best and when anyone asks where they might go with an ANS degree I will tell them to look no further than Sharon and do their best to follow in her shoes. She has provided a fine example for all to follow.   

Posted on

“The Alaska Historical Society Guide to Sources for the Study of ANCSA” by Dr. Charleen Fisher and Dr. William Schnieder

With the 50 year anniversary of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA), the Department of Alaska Native Studies and Rural Development (DANSRD) would like to share the Guide to Sources of Study for ANCSA as developed by the Alaska Historical Society (AHS). This blog entry will include an overview of the guide as well as highlight an example. We recommend that you use the Guide in your research activities.

The Alaska Historical Society is quickly moving from annotating sources to include in the master Guide to Sources on ANCSA to the next stage, formatting and managing the 700 plus page document. Karen Brewster is ably managing this compilation. The Guide will contain six sections:

  1. An introduction explaining the scope of the project and how the Guide is organized. 
  2. A second section lists collections by archive or holding institution.
  3. A third section that actually describes the content of collections at each site that relates to ANCSA. This third section is indexed down to the box and folder level when possible and is meant to give researchers a path to content that relates to their area of interest. To access the actual content they will need to go to the archive where it is held. 
  4. The fourth section of the Guide is an annotated bibliography of sources that are readily available in published or printed form in library holdings. 
  5. A fifth section is a listing of key players in the ANCSA movement. A one or two sentence describes each person’s role. 
  6. The sixth and final section of the Guide is a compilation of curriculum that has been developed over the years with a listing of key discussion topics for educators teaching this topic. 

An Example of How to Use the Guide 

Photo title: “Chiefs’ Conference at Tanana”, 1962. Bear Ketzler Collection, UAF Archives. Photo dated 1962. Photo number UAF 1992-202-18. 

One of the collections featured in the Guide is for Al Ketzler Sr., an Interior Native leader who worked for land claims. A collection of material was deposited at the Rasmuson Library, Alaska and Polar Regions Archives and is described in the Guide to Sources on ANCSA in sections 2 and 3 of the Guide.

Section 2

Al Ketzler Sr. Collection

Al Ketzler Sr. is an Athabascan leader from Nenana, Alaska who actively worked for the recognition of Native rights and was instrumental in organizing Native leaders in the Interior in the 1960s about land ownership issues prior to the Alaska Native Land Claims Settlement Act. The collection covers the years 1961-1977, and topics of particular interest addressed by this collection include:

  • Material and correspondence from the first Chiefs Meeting in Nenana and subsequent meeting in Tanana in 1962, and the Dena’ Nena’ Henash (Our Land Speaks) organization that Ketzler was chairman of and its conference in Tanana in 1963; 
  • Material and correspondence related to the Alaska Native Rights Association; 

Correspondence and supporting reference to key people involved in early Native land claims efforts: Kay Hitchcock (English Department, UAF); Sandra Jensen (local Fairbanksan involved in helping the people of Nenana with their “land problem”); Charles Purvis (whose daughter, DeLois, was married to Al Ketzler and was a local Fairbanksan involved in helping the people of Nenana with their “land problem”); Grant Newman (Director of the Alaska Native Rights Association); Henry Forbes, LaVerne Madigan and William Byler of the Association of American Indian Affairs (AAIA) in New York City that supported Ketzler’s land claims efforts and helped provide funding; and William L. Paul, Sr, who was Tlingit and a Native rights attorney.

To see the listing of sources, researchers go to section 3 of the Guide where they find the following description:

  1. Al Ketzler, Sr. Collection 

Box 4: Alfred Ketzler Sr., Alaska Native Land Claims Settlement Collection (Accession 84-044)

Box 4

Folder 10

“Chiefs’ Conference, Tanana, Alaska, June 24-26, 1962”

“Dena’ Nena’ Henash” (Our Land Speaks)

Posted on

“Reflections on the Impacts of ANCSA over the past 50 years” by DANSRD Director Emeritus Miranda Wright

In the following piece, Director Emeritus of the Department of Alaska Native Studies and Rural Development, reflects on the fight for land claims in the Interior and the impact of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. Professor Wright joined the then Department of Alaska Native Rural Development in 2001 and was the director of the department from 2010 to 2014. Professor Wright brought tremendous knowledge, education, experience, and passion to the department and was the force behind the department’s “ANCSA Impact Series.” She has served on the Doyon, Limited Board of Directors since 1995 and is currently the treasurer. We are honored that Professor Wright took the time to share her reflections with us.

Reflections on the Impacts of ANCSA over the past 50 years

by Director Emeritus Miranda Wright

Fifty years since the historic passage of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act offers the opportunity to reflect on the past and to speculate on our path forward.  Indigenous peoples have lived in Alaska for tens of thousands of years.  Contact with Western cultures over the past century brought stress on natural, cultural and wildlife resources.  This stress came to the forefront in Interior Alaska in 1915 when plans surfaced to build a railroad from a coastal port in southcentral Alaska to the northern terminus at Nenana in Interior Alaska.  The Native village of Nenana witnessed their traditional cemetery excavated and moved by the federal government to accommodate the construction of a railroad and railroad bridge across the Tanana River.

This encroachment on traditional/cultural lands and land ownership claims caused enough concern among Athabascan tribes from the lower Tanana River that a meeting was called with federal officials.  This first meeting of the Tanana Chiefs marked the beginning of tribal and government relationships for Interior Alaska.  The meeting was held in Fairbanks with Judge James Wickersham, Alaska Territorial delegate to Congress, presiding. At this meeting, the Chiefs expressed the importance of sustaining our lifestyle through employment, education, health care, and land protection.  Land protection was specifically discussed as managing access to lands and traditional subsistence hunting and fishing.

The Alaska Railroad and later the proposed Rampart Dam are two major government efforts that rocked the Athabascan communities.  Then came statehood in 1959 and a massive land grab. The feeling of being transparent or downright invisible to the newly established State government, resulted in thirty-two interior tribal villages convening a meeting in 1962 to protect our lands.  The meeting was held in Tanana and adopted the moniker Tanana Chiefs Conference (TCC).  Twenty-Four of the represented villages signed a petition that was hand carried to Washington DC.  This led to Secretary of the Interior, Stewart Udall to freeze further land selections by the State of Alaska. 

Nearly every Indigenous region across Alaska were experiencing similar land selection pressures and folks began asking “Who owns Alaska?”  These concerns resulted in a statewide meeting in 1966 of seventeen Native organizations and over 400 Alaska Natives to address aboriginal land rights.  Labeled the Alaska Federation of Natives, this three-day conference became the unifying voice for all Alaska Natives in the fight for land claims.  After years of debate, compromise, and frequent travels to and from Washington DC by Alaska Native leaders, the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) was signed into law by President Richard Nixon on December 18, 1971.

ANCSA redefined federal Indian policy in Alaska and mandated that both regional and village corporations be owned by Alaska Native shareholders.  This governing structure placed corporate ownership into the hands of Alaska Natives.

Here in the interior, Doyon, Limited took on the monumental task of land selection and analysis of areas designated for future resource development, which would be protected as sacred and historic sites, and mapping out subsistence areas.  Much have changed with ANCSA over the past fifty years.  Corporate stock can no longer be sold, several corporations, including Doyon, have opened enrollment to Alaska Natives born after 1971.  Alaska Native Corporations are major economic drivers in Alaska and continue to make strides in becoming visible in the decision-making process that impacts all Alaskans.