Nov. 1, 2022

Dear UAF students, faculty and staff,

November is National Native American Heritage Month. 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 UAF 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. 

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 heritage month activities wherever you are, and to continue to celebrate the diversity of our communities and our university. Strengthening UAF’s position as a global leader in Alaska Native and Indigenous programs is one of UAF’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 UAF’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 UAF.

— Dan White, chancellor