“An Inuit in Arizona”
Story and Photo from: Peter DuBois
I am Yupik Inuit, and a CIRI descendant of James and Mabel Larsen, my grandparents, original CIRI shareholders and my mother, Katherine DuBois, also an original CIRI shareholder. I am a PhD candidate in American Indian Studies at the University of Arizona. I received my Bachelors in Mathematics and Bachelors in General Studies/American Indian Studies from the University of Washington and received an Masters in American Indian Studies from UCLA. My area of research is Indigenous land and resource rights in the context of mining and the primary case study for my dissertation is Pebble Mine in Bristol Bay. I plan on working as an American Indian Studies professor at a college or university after I complete the PhD program.
The CIRI Foundation has helped me every step of the way in my educational journey. I started out as a math major at the University of Washington, and I took all of the American Indian Studies courses that were offered. I double majored in Math and American Indian Studies, and I started asking my mom and my uncle and my aunt about Inuit culture and about family stories. I have learned about Indigenous Peoples in general through school, and I have learned about my family and my culture from my family. My area of research is how Indigenous Peoples can use mining to gain increased recognition for Indigenous land and resource rights, and how Indigenous land management increases carbon sequestration to reduce climate change and how Indigenous land management increases biodiversity.
Now I want to work as an AIS professor, to continue research on Indigenous land and resource rights and to teach others about Indigenous cultures and Indigenous ecosystem stewardship. If you are thinking about going to school, I recommend contacting The CIRI Foundation and asking for advice and asking about funding opportunities. TCF has helped me every step of the way