Land Acknowledgment
Bunnell Street Arts Center is situated within the sovereign tribal boundaries of Ninilchik Village Tribe,* lands that have been stewarded for thousands of years, since time immemorial, by the Indigenous people of this region– Dena’ina, Sugpiaq, Yup’ik and Kachemak peoples before them. Chin’an, Chiqinik, Quyana, Thank you! We are committed to resisting colonialism by partnering with Indigenous artists and supporting Indigenous-led practices.
Bunnell Street Arts Center’s Land Acknowledgment is a Living Document. We offer this statement with good intentions. It is not our intent to offend and we welcome feedback on how we can continue to improve our efforts on this journey.
*Learn more about the mission and history of the Ninilchik Village Tribe.
A new generation of Alaska artists leads equity and inclusion
Chin’an, Chiqinik, Quyana, Thank you Indigenous artist leaders and advisors: Emily Johnson (Yup’ik Nation); Amber Webb (Aleknagik); Melissa Shaginoff, Nay’dini’aa Na Kayax (Chickaloon) Tribe; Argent Kvasnikoff, Niqnalchint (Ninilchik) Tribe; Joel Isaak, Kenaitze Tribe (Ch’aghałnikt); Sally Ash, Sugpiaq (Nanwalek) and many more.
Decolonizing Alaska
The goal of land acknowledgment is education, equity and healing. It is public recognition that Alaska Native people have stewarded this place for thousands of years, long before Russia claimed to discover Alaska in 1741, before Seward convinced the U.S .to purchase from Russia unceded lands called Alaska in 1867, before American settlers began naming towns and cities after themselves…” – Asia Freeman, Artistic Director more in Homer News Point of View: Land Acknowledgment Work Toward Racial Justice.
