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Last week, UAF co-hosted a symposium with Doyon Limited which focused on the past, present and future of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. Passed by Congress in 1971, ANCSA extinguished aboriginal title in Alaska in exchange for the retainment of 44 million acres to be held in corporate ownership through newly established regional and village Alaska Native corporations. It also included $962.5 million in compensation for land lost in the settlement agreement. Fifty years later, those Alaska Native corporations have contributed billions of dollars to Alaska’s economy and employ a workforce of 16,000 Alaskans and more than 57,000 employees worldwide.  

What a nightmare job search says about equity and the academy.  In both academic hiring and student admissions, educational affirmative action invites a critical and charged policy debate, divided along partisan lines and fueling healthy disagreement within politically aligned groups. Some argue for programs that emphasize race as a factor, and others for special consideration of economic disadvantage. Then there are factors of gender and geography.  In a diverse, pluralistic society, these are fair questions to ask. But the debate must also consider the toll of diversity programs on applicants of color. What is the obligation of a university, beyond declaring a self-serving interest in racial inclusion? Are all institutions deserving of the diversity initiatives they seek to promote?

Pronouncing a student’s name correctly is the first of many steps in creating an inclusive classroom. Getting a student’s name wrong, or not attempting to pronounce it correctly, can be a microaggression. Here’s a primer on saying names right the first time.

An initiative launched a decade ago to create an Indigenous Studies Center received a major boost Tuesday with a $1 million donation from Kinross Alaska to the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

As Pierce College deepens its commitment to racial equity, it is of the highest priority that we focus our tenure-track faculty hiring process to seek faculty with the expertise to lead our institution in serving Black and Brown students. 

Dannielle Carlson, UAS alumni class of 2017 and Rural Admissions Counselor for UAS is assuming a new position at the University of Alaska Southeast. 

Samantha Wade, who is of Inupiaq descent, is a senior pursuing a B.S. in biological sciences with a concentration in physiology. Wade is a fourth-year BLaST Scholar and holds an officer title in the UAF Pre-Medical Society. 

Yatchmeneff is a civil engineering professor at UAA, and executive director for Alaska Native Education and Outreach, where she works alongside current ANSEP students, helping provide them a place to call home.

Many Alaskans report that they initially learned about ANSCA as an adult – through a college course, an ANCSA-related job, or their own research. For those who did learn about ANCSA earlier in life, it was often through a family member or similar channel. Rarely though, did people recall learning about it in class.

Founded in 2020, the AKNS A.A. program was established to provide students a critical perspective on Alaska Native cultures, histories, politics and organizations. 

Dr. Charlene Stern will serve as UAF’s vice chancellor for rural, community and Native education (VCRNE) effective Jan. 2, 2022. As the VCRCNE, she will oversee the College of Rural and Community Development and the Community and Technical College.