UA Foundation Hosts Celebration of ÐßÐßÊÓƵNative Partners
June 8, 2023
The University of ÐßÐßÊÓƵFoundation Board of Directors hosted the Celebrating Alaska Native Partners dinner on June 6, 2023. It was an extraordinary event that brought together ÐßÐßÊÓƵNative corporations, education foundations, tribes, and businesses with UA Foundation board members, UA regents, UA system office leadership, and leaders and students from UAA, UAF, and UAS . The evening kicked off with a performance by the Aciquq dance group, leading the attendees from the reception to dinner.
Roald Helgesen, COO of Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska, a UA Foundation board member and UAA alum, took the stage to welcome everyone and express his pride in the partnership between the UA system and ÐßÐßÊÓƵNative corporations, tribes, and nonprofits. He highlighted the impact that ÐßÐßÊÓƵNative people have had on education and their contribution to building a world-class university system in Alaska.
Aaron Leggett, president of Native Village of Eklutna Tribal Council and UAA alum, delivered a land acknowledgement, recognizing the Indigenous heritage of the land.
Laura Bruce, chair of the UA Foundation Board of Directors, expressed gratitude to the attendees for their support in surpassing $224 million in funds raised through the For ÐßÐßÊÓƵcampaign. The philanthropic campaign has created numerous scholarship opportunities and endowments, making higher education more accessible to ÐßÐßÊÓƵstudents.
Emily Edenshaw, president and CEO of the ÐßÐßÊÓƵNative Heritage Center and a UAA alum, shared her insights and goals in promoting education and cultural preservation.
UA President Pat Pitney emphasized the importance of integrating Indigenous knowledge and values into UA’s culture. She highlighted the ÐßÐßÊÓƵNative Success Initiative and its leaders at the three universities in ensuring the representation and success of ÐßÐßÊÓƵNative students, faculty, and staff.