As part of a collaborative effort between the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF), the Tanana Chief’s Conference, and others, the Tribal Government Symposium, held this week, used discussion, panels, and partnerships to take an in-depth look at nation building.
Carrie Stevens, assistant professor of tribal management at UAF, defines nation building as a process to have self-determined community and economic development, and the increase in the ability to self-govern.
At the conference, which ended on November 16th, UAF used partners like the Tanana Chief’s Conference and others to help teach tribes about constitutions, justice, courts, public safety, and the self-governance of traditional hunting and fishing practices. She says it “helps tribe[s] be able to better provide for their tribal membership, creating healthier communities at all levels, which benefits, of course, tribal governments of Alaska and the state of Alaska as a whole.”
Over 200 Alaskans from all over the state attended the conference. Participants were a unique combination of members in tribal governments, academics, and state agencies. Stevens says that diversity can help create meaningful dialogue during session roundtables. “We really want people to share, to learn, and listen from one other and create some meaningful dialogue and movement forward in a neutral setting,” Stevens said.
The symposium was the second fall symposium UAF has put on. It was built out of a co-management symposium held last year. Stevens mentions, “it was very successful; we had very diverse viewpoints shared. Everyone walked away feeling like they had a much better understanding of the issue. And from that we were requested to hold a tribal government symposium.”
In the future, UAF plans to hold symposiums annually in the fall on a variety of issues.
