Indigenous Peoples Day
Why do we honor Indigenous Peoples Day?
Indigenous Peoples Day honors Alaska Native people, culture and knowledge. It affords time to reflect and acknowledge the Indigenous knowledge that enhances the education provided by the university.
Indigenous Peoples Day is recognized on the second Monday of October.
In 2017, the ϳԹ celebrated Indigenous Peoples Day for the first time. Resolutions from students, staff and faculty groups across the University of Alaska system have unanimously supported recognizing “Indigenous Peoples Day.” Each campus hosted a culturally relevant event incorporating elements of the indigenous history of place, culture and language associated with their regions.
Event archive
Date: October 9, 2024
Troth Yeddha' ϳԹ (Fairbanks, AK)
- The ϳԹ of Indigenous Studies hosted Wear It Wednesday on Oct. 11. Wear your qaspeqs on Wednesday and tag @uafcrcd to have your photo featured on social media.
- The ϳԹ of Indigenous Studies will host the annual Rock Your Moccs week from Oct. 9-13. Take a photo of your moccasins and tag @uafcrcd to have your photo featured on social media.
- The days schedule of events included the annual Festival of Native Arts Frybread Taco Fundraiser, Alaska Native foods tasting, Native games demonstrations, fish skin sewing, and more!
Kuskokwim ϳԹ (Bethel, AK)
The UAF Kuskokwim ϳԹ and Kuskokwim Consortium Library organized their second annual Indigenous Peoples Day festival on October 9th. As a community, and working with tribal partners, they celebrated with eight hours of cultural activities. Festivities kicked off with a Native Foods Potluck at noon. Throughout the afternoon, a panel of elders shared traditional wisdom. KYUK, the local YK Delta bilingual Yugtun/English radio station, shared footage from the KYUK archive and discussed their archival projects documenting and making accessible to the community important cultural content. Hands-on activities, including Akutaq making, were available for all ages to enjoy. The annual Indigenous Peoples Day March kicked off the evening activities, followed by an evening of Yuraq performances. This event was free and spearheaded by the Kuskokwim ϳԹ/Library alongside tribal organizations and cultural groups.
Northwest ϳԹ (Nome, AK)
The UAF Northwest ϳԹ hosted an Indigenous Peoples Day Film Festival on Oct. 9 in the Nagozruk Conference Room, featuring We Breathe Again, Attla, Growing Native Alaska: People of the North, and Navajo Math Circles.
Bristol Bay ϳԹ (Dillingham, AK)
The UAF Bristol Bay ϳԹ hosted a film screening of Awake with salmon spread and pilot bread.
Dates: October 10-14, 2022
The ϳԹ celebrated 2022 Indigenous Peoples' Day with several events and activities across our different colleges, campuses, and departments.
- Monday, Oct. 10: The UAF Kuskokwim ϳԹ in Bethel, AK celebrated Indigenous Peoples’ Day with a community celebration, “Kayungcallerkaanek Qaneryaramta”, at the Yupiit Piciyarait Cultural Center. Festivities included an Indigenous Peoples' Day March, a Native Foods Potluck, Yuraq performances, and more.
- Monday, Oct. 10: The UAF Northwest ϳԹ in Nome, AK hosted its annual Indigenous Peoples’ Day Film Festival from in the Northwest ϳԹ Nagozruk Conference Room.
- Monday, Oct. 10: The UAF Alaska Native Language Center premiered a new film, Awake, followed by a short discussion.
- Monday, Oct. 10: The UAF Festival of Native Arts hosted their annual Fry Bread Taco Fundraiser in the Brooks Building on the Troth Yeddha' ϳԹ.
- Monday, Oct. 10: Nanook Diversity and Action Center hosted a workshop on how to make beaded sun catchers
with Laura Ekada in the Brooks Building Gathering Room.
- The ϳԹ of Indigenous Studies hosted the annual “Rock your Moccs” week from Oct. 10-14.
- The ϳԹ of Indigenous Studies hosted weekly “Kuspuk Wednesdays” for the month of October. Wear your kuspuks on Wednesday and tag @uafcrcd to have your photo featured on social media.
- Wednesday, Oct. 12: CIS hosted a monthly speaker series during the 2022-2023 academic year highlighting
our research. This presentation in the series featured Tribal Governance faculty Michelle
Demmert presenting on the impacts of the Violence Against Women Act in Alaska.
Date: Monday, October 11, 2021 (virtual)
The ϳԹ Indigenous Peoples' Day celebration took place on Monday, Oct. 11, 2021. Our goal in celebrating Indigenous Peoples' Day at UAF is to honor Alaska Native people, culture and knowledge.
If you are in the UAF community and your department or program honored the day - share with us! Let us know what you did and we can post it here for our community to join in. Email uaf-crcd@alaska.edu.
Indigenous Peoples' Day 2021 Keynote:
Dr. Pearl Brower
ϳԹ Dr. Brower:
Dr. Brower joined the University of Alaska in August of 2021 and serves as the Senior Advisor for Alaska Native Success, Institutional Diversity and Student Engagement. Prior to joining the University team, she was the President and CEO of Brower Consulting Services, an independent consulting service around the state of Alaska. In October of 2020, Dr. Brower left the Presidency of Iḷisaġvik ϳԹ, Alaska’s only Tribal ϳԹ where she had been in administration at the college for 13 years, the last 8 serving as President.
ϳԹ the presentation:
“October 11th has transitioned in recent years to celebrate the Indigenous Peoples of the Americas. As Alaskans continue to engage in conversations around race, equity, diversity and inclusion, REDI, we look to recognize our Alaska Native Peoples for incredible accomplishments while at the same time discuss ways in which we all can set aside implicit bias and work together in cooperation and partnership for a brighter future for all Alaskans.”
Date: Monday, October 12, 2020
Theme: "Resiliency Through Hope and Love."
Many thanks to our IPD event planning team for putting together a virtual program in celebration of Indigenous Peoples' Day.
The ϳԹ Indigenous Peoples' Day celebration will took place on Monday, Oct. 12, 2020, at 11 a.m. Our goal in celebrating Indigenous Peoples' Day at UAF is to honor Alaska Native people, culture and knowledge. The year's theme was "Resiliency Through Hope and Love". We hope to continue to:
- Share how the interconnectedness of Indigenous people, land and spirit — the love and the hope of a sustainable future — is what drives us to work together.
- Spread public awareness of the histories, experiences and resilience of Indigenous peoples.
Keynote: Heather Kendall-Miller
Alaska Native rights attorney, Heather Kendall-Miller gave the keynote address at UAF's Indigenous Peoples' Day celebration, Monday, Oct. 12, 2020, at 11 a.m. The year's theme is "Resiliency Through Hope and Love." The event is available online at media.uaf.edu.
Kendall-Miller is Denaina Athabaskan and a tribal member of the Curyung Tribe of Dillingham, Alaska. She received her Bachelors degree from UAF in 1988 and her J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1991. After clerking with Chief Justice Rabinowitz of the Alaska Supreme Court, Heather received a two-year Skadden Fellowship to work for Alaska Legal Services and the Native American Rights Fund in the area of Alaska Native Rights. Heather became staff attorney with the Native American Rights Fund in 1993. Her litigation experience is broad having argued before the United States Supreme Court, the D.C. Court of Appeals, and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals en banc."
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Media coverage
Media coverage
UAF Community ϳԹ celebrations
Media coverage
- 2018 press release
- Native America Calling:
- KTUU -TV "Late Edition" newscast in Anchorage
- KTVF TV:
- Fairbanks Daily News-Miner:
- Fairbanks Daily News-Miner:
- Alaska Public Media: "UAF joins in Indigenous Peoples Day celebrations"
- KYUK Radio:
- KUAC Morning News on (last story in newscast)
- Alaska Public Radio Network: story aired on:
Media coverage
- 2017 press release
- Fox News Online:
- Associated Press:
- National Native News:
- Fairbanks Daily News-Miner:
- KTVF TV:
- Fairbanks Daily News-Miner: ""
- Fairbanks Daily News-Miner:
- Alaska Public Media:
- Arctic Sounder:
- Delta Discovery:
- KYUK Radio:
- KYUK Radio: