Salmon Peoples: Cross-Cultural Connections and Community Geography in Arctic Alaska

This presentation by professors Chie Sakakibara and Andre Ortega shares an ongoing collaborative project. The project connects Alaska Native and Filipino communities in coastal Alaska through their shared relationships with Pacific salmon. 

We highlight salmon not just as a resource, but as a living presence that supports food, culture and everyday community life.  As climate change reshapes salmon habitats and fishing conditions, we explore how caring for salmon can inspire new ways of thinking about environmental knowledge, responsibility and justice. 

Grounded in community geography and Indigenous research approaches, and drawing on 2024 fieldwork, we reflect on alliance-building, participatory mapping and shared concerns, offering early insights and inviting conversation and feedback.

This talk is part of the Colloquium Speakers Series, presented by the Geography and the Environment Department.