Unlearning and celebrating, today and everyday This was my fourth time in Alaska but it was the first time I feel most connected to the Indigenous people there. Not simply because of my visit to the heritage center (did it in Fairbanks my first time around). But because my lenses have been opened these past few years to different perspectives and voices. Quite honestly, it has changed the way I view a number of things throughout my bucket list and national park journey. Founders, figures, and the land itself Grateful for the ability to continuously learn and be compassionate to those who came before us. No denial. Just pure admiration of their resiliency. It is estimated that in the 130 years following first contact with the Europeans, Native America lost 95 percent of its population. 95 percent, y’all. It is so humbling 🙏🏽 Swipe left for the student performance at the @akheritagecenter Alaska's indigenous people, who are jointly called Alaska Natives, can be divided into five major groupings: Aleuts, Inupiat, Yuit, Interior (Athabascans) and Southeast Coastal (Tlingit and Haida). These groupings are based on broad cultural and linguistic similarities of peoples living contiguously in different regions of Alaska #IndigenousPeoplesDay #Alaska #AlaskaNative • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • #thebucketlisttraveler #nationalparkgeek #nature #naturelovers #bucketlists #instagood #travel #travelingram #travelgram #getoutside #exploremore #explorepage #outdooradventures #adventuretime #letsgoplaces #roamtheplanet #welltraveled #reimember #womenwhohike #weekendwarrior #heritage #history #holiday #indigenouspeople #indigenousculture #unlearnandrelearn #mythbusters