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Nov. 1, 2022

Dear ¼«ËÙÁùºÏ²Ê students, faculty and staff,

November is . This month presents an opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the continuing contributions of Alaska Native and other Indigenous people in education, the arts and sciences, business, defense, and so much more.

At ¼«ËÙÁùºÏ²Ê we acknowledge the Alaska Native Nations on whose ancestral lands we teach, learn and work. In Fairbanks, we are on the traditional lands of the Dena people of the lower Tanana River. This land acknowledgement is important to our sense of belonging here as well as that of our Alaska Native faculty, staff and students.Ìý

As a university, we have a responsibility to understand our state’s history and incorporate that knowledge into teaching and learning at UAF. Initiatives like the Troth Yeddha’ Indigenous Studies Center will enable the university to provide additional areas to lead through research and scholarship, and through a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion.

I invite you to get involved in wherever you are, and to continue to celebrate the diversity of our communities and our university. Strengthening ¼«ËÙÁùºÏ²Ê’s position as a global leader in Alaska Native and Indigenous programs is one of ¼«ËÙÁùºÏ²Ê’s six strategic goals, and we are committed to building on past successes as we make strategic investments to increase Alaska Native success moving forward.

If you are one of the 20 percent of ¼«ËÙÁùºÏ²Ê’s students who are Alaska Native/American Indian or one of our Alaska Native/American Indian faculty or staff, we celebrate you this month. Thanks for choosing ¼«ËÙÁùºÏ²Ê.

— Dan White, chancellor