Heather Sauyaq Jean Gordon: Building Relationships with Indigenous Nations for Indigenous-led Land and Water Stewardship
Presentations
Join Heather Sauyaq Jean Gordon, Iñupiaq, as she shares her learning from the Inuit people in Greenland and the Ninilchik Village Tribe in Alaska. This talk addresses building relationships with Indigenous Nations for their leadership in nurturing and stewarding the land through Indigenous Knowledge. A report by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services found lands nurtured by Indigenous Peoples experience less species and ecosystems decline than other areas, yet in Alaska, Indigenous perspectives are rarely included in management. Heather discusses current land ownership and management practices in Alaska and how these differ from Indigenous approaches. She also addresses why the Indigenous approach is so different and what policies and laws can change to make sure the waters and lands are healthy and able to support generations in the future.
