May 5, 2023

Dear UAF community,

In May 2021, President Biden designated May 5 as Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day to honor the lives of American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian people who have experienced violence.

At the University of Alaska Fairbanks, we are committed to promoting diversity, inclusion and caring, and to providing an environment where all students, faculty, and staff can thrive. Indigenous people have long experienced disproportionately high rates of violence, and on this day we remember these victims and their families. 

One way we can support our Indigenous family, friends and peers is educating ourselves about the topic of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons. Two resources available nationwide are the Strong Hearts Native Helpline at 1-844-7NATIVE (762-8483), and the National Human Trafficking hotline (1-888-373-7888, text "BeFree" (233733), or live chat), which are both available 24/7 to listen. All conversations over phone, text, and online chat are confidential and anonymous, and callers can get referrals to state or local resources if they would like.

Let us recommit ourselves to creating a more inclusive and caring society and to being supportive resources to our Indigenous friends, family, and colleagues.

Thank you for choosing UAF.

Dan White, chancellor