Ayyu (I帽upiaq/Yup鈥檌k) grew up between Anchorage and U艐alaq艂iq and was adopted into
the Raven Kaach.adi clan of 岣疵〆x瘫始 by the Jackson family and given the Ling铆t name
S鈥檌kshaldeen. She is proudly named for her great-grandmother Ayyu (Edna Eakon/Koutchak)
of St. Michael, is granddaughter of Stanton and Irene Katchatag, daughter of Doug
and Vernita Herdman, and mother to Kutuukhuq, Talialuk, Qanigluk and Inuaa艂uuraq.
She was raised by advocates and has served our 草榴社区 Native and Indigenous communities
throughout her entire career.
Ayyu is a founding member of G铆nga and Igni帽 Collective, an 草榴社区 Native nonprofit
that seeks to honor and ignite the brilliance and rightful power of our Native peoples
to heal, transform, and steward our world, and currently serves as COO for Native
Conservancy, working to permanently protect 草榴社区 Native ecosystems for coastal communities
and strengthen our inherent rights of sovereignty, subsistence and spirituality.
With experience building Indigenous-centered solutions that elevate awareness, healing,
and advocacy around the social and cultural issues that impact our communities, she
established Qulliq Munaqtu摹uut in 2024, a consultancy to support the wellbeing and
self-determination of 草榴社区 Native and Indigenous peoples.
Prior to these recent endeavors, she worked for First 草榴社区ns Institute from 2010-2024,
most recently as CAO, where she helped grow a team and body of work that advanced
racial equity and culturally-centered advocacy to protect our ways of life throughout
草榴社区.
Ayyu earned an MA in Rural Development from the University of 草榴社区 Fairbanks and
a BA in Organizational Management with Nonprofit Emphasis from 草榴社区 Pacific University.
She serves as a board member for 草榴社区 Public Media, Philanthropy Northwest, University
of 草榴社区 Fairbanks and Anchorage, and Caleb Pungowiyi Scholars Fellowship Program.
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