Relating to this Land

Relating to this Land is made up of several programs and conversation toolkits that explore how Alaskans relate to the land in our state. These include ANCSA at 50 conversations, toolkits that explore how race and culture shape how we relate to land, and more.

PROGRAM CONTACT

Taylor Strelevitz

Director of Conversation Programs
Email Contact

Here are the current programs that are a part of Relating to This Land: 

Past programs:
 

A Hostile Climate: A Podcast

Reframing our climate change conversation in search of empathy and understanding

Understanding what we can do about climate change is not just about taking the temperature, but also about communicating across place, culture, and experience. Well, that’s where philosophy can help - by using environmental ethics to explore the values and passions behind climate change science, policy, and problem solving. We check in with other philosophers as well as climate scientists, activists, politicians, athletes, artists, and people living in front line communities to explore how we think about nature and our place in a warming world.

Hosts: Simona Capisani (she/her) and Alex Lee (he/him).

Website: https://www.ahostileclimate.or...
Hostileclimateblue 2
Listen here!
 

Related Kindling Conversation toolkits

Host your own conversation! 

The Forum's Kindling Conversation Program provides themed toolkits, host support, and $250 of funding to Alaskans interested in hosting short, thoughtful community conversations tailored to connect people across difference and foster inclusive conversational spaces throughout the state.

Here is another toolkit that focus on relating to land:

Homeless in the great land

Guiding question: What do we expect from ourselves and our government when it comes to homelessness?

Conversation Guide     →
Springboard     →
 

PAST PROGRAMS
ANCSA AHF 2022

ANCSA@50

What was possible then? 

What is possible now? 

How do we define ourselves?

Following the 50th anniversary of the Alaska Native Settlement Claims Act (ANCSA), the Forum hosted a series of conversations that were aimed at exploring our relationship to one another and the policy. These local and statewide conversations were grounded not in academic or professional expertise, but in lived experiences. The Forum’s ANCSA@50 conversation series was a time for our community to gather, share stories, and imagine the possibilities the next 50 years hold. 

Community Facilitators
Crystal Jackson

Crystal Jackson

Crystal Jackson is a Customer Experience Manager and an active member of the Diversity, Equity, and inclusion team for GCI. In addition, Crystal is also an Inupiat painter and small business owner. Passionate about mental health, Crystal is NAMI Juneau board member, a certified suicide prevention trainer, and a volunteer with Big Brother Big Sister of Juneau.

Pronouns: she/her
Brianna Gray

Brianna Gray

Brianna is originally from King Cove, Alaska. Her grandparents are the late Lydia and Ernest William Mack of King Cove; her parents are Dorene Bunch Mack-Bunch and Chris Bunch of North Pole, and Lavelle and Silvia Webb of Seattle. She has two children; Aaliyah and LaCross III. She obtained her undergraduate degree in Rural Development from AF, a graduate degree in Leadership and Human Resources, and is currently working on her Ph.D. in Organizational Psychology (Social and Diversity Change). She enjoys spending her time outdoors gardening, hiking, fishing, and berry picking. She also enjoys a good book and dancing with her children.

Pronouns: she/her/they/them
Casey Goat

Casey Groat, Baayin

Casey Groat, Baayin, is a Tribal citizen of Naknek Native Village where her and her four sisters were raised by their parents, Guy Groat IlI, from Bristol Bay, and Darlene Groat (Ivanoff), from Unalakleet. Casey received her Bachelor's Degree in Human Services and minor in American Cultural Studies from Western Washington University and has worked in the human services field for the past 16 years. One of Casey's passions is healthy identity development and ensuring children have lifelong connections to their culture.

Pronouns: she/her
 

WE ARE OF: A weekend of relating to race and land

The We Are Of weekend brought together folks from across Alaska to engage in open space conversations about how our race shapes how we relate to land. Guest facilitator, Mistinguette Smith of the

Black/Land Project joined us for this two day experience in August 2022.

We Are Of Race and Land 08 07 22 79

The Kindling Conversation program as a toolkit that corresponds to We Are Of programming. Check out the toolkit below, and you can apply to host this conversation yourself: https://www.akhf.org/programs/...

We Are Of: Race, Land, and Culture

Guiding question: how do our race and culture shape our relationship to the land? How does that shape the decisions we make about it?

Conversation Guide     →
Springboard     →
 

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Alaska Humanities Forum

The Alaska Humanities Forum is a non-profit, non-partisan organization that designs and facilitates experiences to bridge distance and difference – programming that shares and preserves the stories of people and places across our vast state, and explores what it means to be Alaskan.

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