Watch: Learning From Indigenous Leadership for Regenerative Economies
Indigenous Peoples are at the frontlines of protecting the planet while also suffering the highest rates of environmental racism. In response, Indigenous peoples have also been at the forefront of innovative solutions for addressing social and environmental issues. In Alaska, where communities are experiencing the negative effects of climate change at a far higher rate than the lower 48 states, Native leaders are finding unique ways to address this crisis through business solutions. JumpScale Senior Advisor Alexis Bunten (Unangan/Yupik), Alana Peterson (Tlingit), and Dune Lankard (Eyak) discuss the future of Native-led regenerative enterprise, what non-Native business leaders can learn from organizational practices rooted in Indigenous values, and what they can do to support this growing network of regenerative Indigenous businesses.
To learn how Alexis can support your work, book a time with her here.
Alexis Bunten, PhD, Applied Researcher & Organizational Decolonization Expert
Alexis (Unangan/Yup’ik) serves as a JumpScale Senior Advisor and Co-Director of the Bioneers Indigeneity Program. She has served as a program director, media-maker, consultant and applied researcher for 20 years. Alexis’ areas of expertise include Indigenous-led economic development, organizational decolonization, and cross-cultural communications.
Alana Peterson, Spruce Root Executive Director
Alana’s Tlingit name is Gah Kith Tin, from Diginaa Hit, Luknahadi. She grew up and currently lives in Sitka, a small island community in Southeast Alaska. Professionally, Alana earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Business Administration at Charleston Southern University. After graduating from college she joined the Peace Corps where she served as a Small Business Development volunteer for two years on the southern coast of Peru. She obtained her Master’s degree in Business Administration from Northern Arizona University. She has continued to work in economic development in her current role as Executive Director at Spruce Root.
Dune Lankard, Native Conservancy Founder & CEO
An Eyak Athabaskan Native of the Eagle Clan, Dune grew up in Cordova, in southcentral Alaska. Born into a fishing family, his life education as a subsistence and commercial fisherman began at age five. He later earned a living as a fishery and processing consultant and commercial fisher in the Copper River Delta and Prince William Sound. The Exxon Valdez oil spill transformed him into a social change activist and Native Rights leader. He had founded/co-founded several key organizations, including the Eyak Preservation Council, the FIRE Fund (Fund for Indigenous Rights and the Environment); the RED OIL Network (Resisting Environmental Degradation of Indigenous Lands), and the Native Conservancy. His work helped win the preservation of more than 1 million acres of the Copper River Delta and wide recognition, including Time magazine’s Hero of the Planet; and fellowships with the Ashoka Foundation and Hunt Alternatives Fund, Future of Fish, among others. Learn more about Nature Conservancy’s work here.