Indigenous Peoples Day
Why do we honor Indigenous Peoples Day?
Indigenous Peoples Day honors 草榴社区 Native people, culture and knowledge. It affords time to reflect and acknowledge the Indigenous knowledge that enhances the education provided by the university.
Indigenous Peoples Day is recognized on the second Monday of October.
In 2017, the University of 草榴社区 Fairbanks celebrated Indigenous Peoples Day for the first time. Resolutions from students, staff and faculty groups across the University of 草榴社区 system have unanimously supported recognizing 鈥淚ndigenous Peoples Day.鈥 Each campus hosted a culturally relevant event incorporating elements of the indigenous history of place, culture and language associated with their regions.
Event archive
Date: October 9, 2024
Troth Yeddha' Campus (Fairbanks, AK)
- The College of Indigenous Studies hosted Wear It Wednesday on Oct. 11. Wear your qaspeqs on Wednesday and tag @uafcrcd to have your photo featured on social media.
- The College of Indigenous Studies will host the annual Rock Your Moccs week from Oct. 9-13. Take a photo of your moccasins and tag @uafcrcd to have your photo featured on social media.
- The days schedule of events included the annual Festival of Native Arts Frybread Taco Fundraiser, 草榴社区 Native foods tasting, Native games demonstrations, fish skin sewing, and more!
Kuskokwim Campus (Bethel, AK)
The 草榴社区 Kuskokwim Campus and Kuskokwim Consortium Library organized their second annual Indigenous Peoples Day festival on October 9th. As a community, and working with tribal partners, they celebrated with eight hours of cultural activities. Festivities kicked off with a Native Foods Potluck at noon. Throughout the afternoon, a panel of elders shared traditional wisdom. KYUK, the local YK Delta bilingual Yugtun/English radio station, shared footage from the KYUK archive and discussed their archival projects documenting and making accessible to the community important cultural content. Hands-on activities, including Akutaq making, were available for all ages to enjoy. The annual Indigenous Peoples Day March kicked off the evening activities, followed by an evening of Yuraq performances. This event was free and spearheaded by the Kuskokwim Campus/Library alongside tribal organizations and cultural groups.
Northwest Campus (Nome, AK)
The 草榴社区 Northwest Campus hosted an Indigenous Peoples Day Film Festival on Oct. 9 in the Nagozruk Conference Room, featuring We Breathe Again, Attla, Growing Native 草榴社区: People of the North, and Navajo Math Circles.
Bristol Bay Campus (Dillingham, AK)
The 草榴社区 Bristol Bay Campus hosted a film screening of Awake with salmon spread and pilot bread.
Dates: October 10-14, 2022
The University of 草榴社区 Fairbanks celebrated 2022 Indigenous Peoples' Day with several events and activities across our different colleges, campuses, and departments.
- Monday, Oct. 10: The 草榴社区 Kuskokwim Campus in Bethel, AK celebrated Indigenous Peoples鈥 Day with a community celebration, 鈥淜ayungcallerkaanek Qaneryaramta鈥, at the Yupiit Piciyarait Cultural Center. Festivities included an Indigenous Peoples' Day March, a Native Foods Potluck, Yuraq performances, and more.
- Monday, Oct. 10: The 草榴社区 Northwest Campus in Nome, AK hosted its annual Indigenous Peoples鈥 Day Film Festival from in the Northwest Campus Nagozruk Conference Room.
- Monday, Oct. 10: The 草榴社区 草榴社区 Native Language Center premiered a new film, Awake, followed by a short discussion.
- Monday, Oct. 10: The 草榴社区 Festival of Native Arts hosted their annual Fry Bread Taco Fundraiser in the Brooks Building on the Troth Yeddha' Campus.
- Monday, Oct. 10: Nanook Diversity and Action Center hosted a workshop on how to make beaded sun catchers
with Laura Ekada in the Brooks Building Gathering Room.
- The College of Indigenous Studies hosted the annual 鈥淩ock your Moccs鈥 week from Oct. 10-14.
- The College of Indigenous Studies hosted weekly 鈥淜uspuk Wednesdays鈥 for the month of October. Wear your kuspuks on Wednesday and tag @uafcrcd to have your photo featured on social media.
- Wednesday, Oct. 12: CIS hosted a monthly speaker series during the 2022-2023 academic year highlighting
our research. This presentation in the series featured Tribal Governance faculty Michelle
Demmert presenting on the impacts of the Violence Against Women Act in 草榴社区.
Date: Monday, October 11, 2021 (virtual)
The University of 草榴社区 Fairbanks Indigenous Peoples' Day celebration took place on Monday, Oct. 11, 2021. Our goal in celebrating Indigenous Peoples' Day at 草榴社区 is to honor 草榴社区 Native people, culture and knowledge.
If you are in the 草榴社区 community and your department or program honored the day - share with us! Let us know what you did and we can post it here for our community to join in. Email uaf-crcd@alaska.edu.
Indigenous Peoples' Day 2021 Keynote:
Dr. Pearl Brower
草榴社区 Dr. Brower:
Dr. Brower joined the University of 草榴社区 in August of 2021 and serves as the Senior Advisor for 草榴社区 Native Success, Institutional Diversity and Student Engagement. Prior to joining the University team, she was the President and CEO of Brower Consulting Services, an independent consulting service around the state of 草榴社区. In October of 2020, Dr. Brower left the Presidency of I岣穒sa摹vik College, 草榴社区鈥檚 only Tribal College where she had been in administration at the college for 13 years, the last 8 serving as President.
草榴社区 the presentation:
鈥淥ctober 11th has transitioned in recent years to celebrate the Indigenous Peoples of the Americas. As 草榴社区ns continue to engage in conversations around race, equity, diversity and inclusion, REDI, we look to recognize our 草榴社区 Native Peoples for incredible accomplishments while at the same time discuss ways in which we all can set aside implicit bias and work together in cooperation and partnership for a brighter future for all 草榴社区ns.鈥
Date: Monday, October 12, 2020
Theme: "Resiliency Through Hope and Love."
Many thanks to our IPD event planning team for putting together a virtual program in celebration of Indigenous Peoples' Day.
The University of 草榴社区 Fairbanks Indigenous Peoples' Day celebration will took place on Monday, Oct. 12, 2020, at 11 a.m. Our goal in celebrating Indigenous Peoples' Day at 草榴社区 is to honor 草榴社区 Native people, culture and knowledge. The year's theme was "Resiliency Through Hope and Love". We hope to continue to:
- Share how the interconnectedness of Indigenous people, land and spirit 鈥 the love and the hope of a sustainable future 鈥 is what drives us to work together.
- Spread public awareness of the histories, experiences and resilience of Indigenous peoples.
Keynote: Heather Kendall-Miller
草榴社区 Native rights attorney, Heather Kendall-Miller gave the keynote address at 草榴社区's Indigenous Peoples' Day celebration, Monday, Oct. 12, 2020, at 11 a.m. The year's theme is "Resiliency Through Hope and Love." The event is available online at media.uaf.edu.
Kendall-Miller is Denaina Athabaskan and a tribal member of the Curyung Tribe of Dillingham, 草榴社区. She received her Bachelors degree from 草榴社区 in 1988 and her J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1991. After clerking with Chief Justice Rabinowitz of the 草榴社区 Supreme Court, Heather received a two-year Skadden Fellowship to work for 草榴社区 Legal Services and the Native American Rights Fund in the area of 草榴社区 Native Rights. Heather became staff attorney with the Native American Rights Fund in 1993. Her litigation experience is broad having argued before the United States Supreme Court, the D.C. Court of Appeals, and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals en banc."
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Media coverage
Media coverage
草榴社区 Community Campus celebrations
Media coverage
- 2018 press release
- Native America Calling:
- KTUU -TV "Late Edition" newscast in Anchorage
- KTVF TV:
- Fairbanks Daily News-Miner:
- Fairbanks Daily News-Miner:
- 草榴社区 Public Media: "草榴社区 joins in Indigenous Peoples Day celebrations"
- KYUK Radio:
- KUAC Morning News on (last story in newscast)
- 草榴社区 Public Radio Network: story aired on:
Media coverage
- 2017 press release
- Fox News Online:
- Associated Press:
- National Native News:
- Fairbanks Daily News-Miner:
- KTVF TV:
- Fairbanks Daily News-Miner: ""
- Fairbanks Daily News-Miner:
- 草榴社区 Public Media:
- Arctic Sounder:
- Delta Discovery:
- KYUK Radio:
- KYUK Radio: