Last month, several Alaska Native leaders attended a Fairbanks City Council meeting to advocate for the adoption of a standing Native land acknowledgement at the start of Council meetings. Leaders from Denakkanaaga, Inc., the Fairbanks Native Association (FNA), and Tanana Chiefs Conference (TCC) spoke in support of the ordinance, emphasizing the importance of recognizing the original stewards of the land on which Fairbanks is built.
The ordinance, which was originally submitted by Denakkanaaga, Inc., calls for the City of Fairbanks to formally acknowledge that it sits on the ancestral lands of the Lower Tanana Dena people. After hearing testimony from Native leaders and community representatives, the Fairbanks City Council voted to pass the ordinance on December 15.
Chief/Chairman Brian Ridley of Tanana Chiefs Conference testified before the Council, highlighting both the historical significance and present-day importance of a land acknowledgement.
“Fairbanks sits on the ancestral lands of the Lower Tanana Native people, who have lived, governed, raised families, and cared for this place for over ten thousand years,” said Chief Ridley. “For many decades, there has been strain between the City of Fairbanks and the Native community. A land acknowledgement is one small but meaningful way to begin bridging that gap. It is an act of respect that says, ‘We hear you, we see you, and you are part of this community.’”
Tanana Chiefs Conference would like to thank Denakkanaaga, Inc. for bringing forward this important ordinance and for their leadership.