To our kin,

We write to introduce you to a landscape of mighty power, drastic climatic shifts, and determined Indigenous communities. We share with you the sound of songbirds singing throughout the twilight-lit night, the smell of salt and the sound of waves lapping against a boat hull. We share with you the heartbreak and fear rippling across our state as Typhoon Merkok slammed the Western coasts, devastating our villages. We write to introduce you to our home.

It is true that our home is in crisis– our peoples recognize the signs of what our elders called “hungry times.” We know that Alaska is already at the forefront of the climate crisis, the geopolitical race for the Arctic, and the fallout of the soon-to-be crashing oil and gas industry. Professionally, we each bring deep understanding, rigorous research and strategic analysis to greet these challenges. As young Indigenous women that have navigated both the rhythms of our own communities and the dynamics of Arctic political science, we are uniquely situated to bring our worlds together. We know that our best solutions lie within the bridging of our traditional lifeways and values and contemporary economic solutions.

We have turned our efforts toward this home-grown initiative that nests at the intersection of regenerative economy, cultural preservation, climate resilience, community healing, and food security. This effort will incorporate land-back and oceans-back as we invest in Indigenous sovereignty and steward a Just Transition for Alaska’s extractive commercial fishing industry.

We are delighted to share our vision with you in the hopes of working together. This project is growing rapidly in new and exciting ways and we hope to keep you updated with changes as they come, but it all must start and end with you—our community.

Join us and create with us. Lead us toward salmon, toward security, toward sovereignty.

with love and reverence,

Deenaalee Hodgdon Chase (Deg Hit’an Dene and Sugpiaq) & Ruth Łchav’aya K’isen Miller (Dena’ina)

Smokehouse Collective Co-Directors