Spring break was dedicated to getting to know Fairbanks closer. Despite the season for Northern Lights our main focus was to connect with citizens, conduct interviews, make observations and explore the local context to develop a grounded sense of place. The highlights of the trip was participation in the Tanana Chiefs Conference Annual Convention – a traditional tribal meeting of the 42 villages of Interior Alaska. The trip marked the importance of understanding Indigenous representation in the city and the effect of climate change on the daily lives of people.
Fairbanks is a city of many stories. By listening and learning from those living there each day—particularly members and representatives of Alaska Native groups—we gained perspectives on relationships between people, place and environment in a region where transformations are intensifying.
By Diana Khaziakhmetova
