Honoring traditions: UAF celebrates Indigenous Peoples’ Day
Story and Photos by Amber McCain
On Monday Oct. 13, UAF celebrated Indigenous Peoples’ Day honoring Native culture through song, story, games, and community.
Parker Kenick demonstrates the native game, the One-Foot High Kick, a traditional Inuit and Alaskan Native game that tests balance, coordination, and strength.
“It’s important to celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day because it honors our culture and the wisdom passed down through generations,” said Miranda Wright, one of the elders on a panel discussion held in the Wood Center. “This event helps keep our traditions alive and brings the community together.”
Wright, who first attended UAF in the 1960s when she said Native students could be counted “on two hands,” noted how much has changed since then. Joining her on the panel was Rachel Mayne and Caroline Bante. Together, the three elders shared stories of growing up, learning through experience, and having to balance Western education and Indigenous identity.
“Knowing who you are, and your identity is very important,” Wright said. “As an Indigenous person, passing those traditions on is part of it.”
Bante spoke about the survival skills she learned in summer camps, gathering wood, feeding dogs, sewing furs, and building fish camp cabins saying, “We teach others as we learn.”
Mayne shared her hope to see more songs and dances brought back into everyday life. “You’re dancing stories,” she said. “That is something that needs to be passed down.”
Audience members were invited to gather around for a photo with the elders, Miranda Wright, Rachel Mayne, and Caroline Bante.
Before the panel ended, all three women offered advice to young people. Mayne encouraged students to be patient with themselves and learn from their support systems. Bante emphasized the strength of family. Wright spoke of maintaining balance and self-respect.
Freshman Kate Krowne attended her first Indigenous Peoples Day at UAF and thanked the panelists between events. “It’s really an honor to hear from you,” she said.
After the elders panel, two dance groups performed. The Pavva Inuapiaq Dancers performed songs with dancers ranging from youth to professors. Their final dance came with an invite that brought audience members onstage to join in. Following their performance was a UAF student club, the Iñu-Yupiaq Dance Group.
Traditional Alaska Native games were demonstrated by Aries Bioff, Parker Kenick, Colton Ivanoff, Leah Evans, and Trevor Edwards. The group showed games like the swing kick, wrist carry, toe knuckle walk, and caribou wrestling, each rooted in physical skill and cultural tradition.
Members of the Pavva Inuapiaq Dance Group perform at the 2025 Indigenous Peoples Day celebrations held at UAF.
“Our games reflect our way of life,” said Evans. “They were about toughness, resilience, and strength. Being able to show that today means a lot.”
This year’s celebration came in the midst of national debate over the holiday’s meaning as President Trump issued a statement declaring he was “bringing Columbus Day back from the ashes.”
This was the first year that Montana also established Indigenous Peoples’ Day as an official state holiday.