Land Acknowledgement Statement

We acknowledge the Alaska Native nations upon whose traditional lands our field station operates. In Fairbanks, our Logistic Offices are located on the traditional lands of the Troth Yeddha' Dena people of the Lower Tanana River. We acknowledge that Toolik Field Station and the surrounding areas are located on the ancestral hunting grounds of the Nunamiut, and occasional hunting grounds and routes of the Gwich’in, Koyukuk, and Iñupiaq peoples. Toolik Field Station recognizes, and is grateful for, the Indigenous people who inhabit and steward this land. 

We are endeavoring to become better stewards of the land that we research. When you visit Toolik Field Station, we invite you to join us in offering respect and gratitude to the Nunamiut and their ancestors that have resided and hunted in this area.  Please take a moment to consider the impact of colonialism to the Nunamiut through the legacies of displacement, migration, and settlement over the past century. The Nunamiut primarily live in Anaktuvuk Pass, a community about 65 miles (103 km) to the southwest of Toolik Field Station.

We request that all visitors to the station be respectful of any artifacts found or uncovered while traveling through, or conducting research in, the Toolik Field Station area. If you discover a potential artifact, please forward photographs and the GPS coordinates to the Toolik Field Station GIS department and they will contact the appropriate authorities and the archeologists from the Bureau of Land Management. This will help to ensure the integrity and preservation of these archeological sites.