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March 19, 2026
Dear UAF community,
Over the last several days, I have listened to the concern, passion and support for
the ÐÓ°ÉÔ°æ Native Language Center. I share that passion and support for ANLC, as does
the leadership of UAF. I thank everyone who has reaffirmed how important ANLC is to
the people of ÐÓ°ÉÔ°æ — and, indeed, to people across the United States and abroad.
The center is a critical part of UAF, not just to the Troth Yeddha campus, but to
our rural campuses and the communities we collectively serve. The center has a clear
and vital mission codified in ÐÓ°ÉÔ°æ Statute by the legislature in 1972. Its statutory
mission is to:
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study languages native to ÐÓ°ÉÔ°æ;
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develop literacy materials;
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assist in the translation of important documents;
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provide for the development and dissemination of ÐÓ°ÉÔ°æ Native literature; and
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train ÐÓ°ÉÔ°æ Native language speakers to work as teachers and aides in bilingual classrooms.
So, I reiterate here what I have said in both public and private settings: The ÐÓ°ÉÔ°æ
Native Language Center is not closing, nor is its capacity being reduced.
In accomplishing its statewide mission, ANLC preserves and advances culture and identity.
Language is a pillar of culture, and the pressures of colonization have put ÐÓ°ÉÔ°æ
Native languages in danger of disappearing. That is why the legislature created the
center. That is why ANLC’s budget has nearly doubled over the last decade, despite
severe budget cuts to the university, as well as the lingering financial impacts of
the pandemic and other financial pressures.
In a time of constrained resources that forced significant reductions in programmatic
offerings and capacities throughout UAF, leadership chose to invest in ANLC. UAF chose
to move the center from the College of Liberal Arts to the College of Indigenous Studies
to better align missions. This was all accomplished without additional state-appropriated
funds to support the center.
Today, the center has two tenured faculty members, one tenure-track faculty member
and two term faculty members. Additionally, three staff members and a team of adjunct
professors located throughout the state conduct and support research and offer courses
spanning at least a half dozen languages. Those languages include Inupiaq, Yup’ik,
Upper and Lower Tanana Athabascan, Gwich’in, and Siberian Yupik. Additionally, there
are plans to teach Unangam Tunuu in the fall. We hope to expand course offerings and
delivery methods in the future.
ANLC’s structure and administrative functions are similar to other centers at UAF
and at universities throughout the country. As I noted, the faculty composition of
the center includes tenured, tenure-track, term and adjunct instructors, which is
the norm throughout higher education. What sets ANLC apart is its unique ability to
draw upon Indigenous experts and elders and leaders in the ÐÓ°ÉÔ°æ Native community.
Collectively, they teach, explore, preserve and advance ÐÓ°ÉÔ°æ Native languages.
UAF is also committed to advancing ÐÓ°ÉÔ°æ Native language research and publications.
I am very pleased with the growing relationship between ANLC and UA Press. This relationship
allows ANLC to leverage the distribution and marketing provided by UA Press. This
will bring more attention to ANLC’s critical work and provide more support for its
authors.
ANLC has grown in the last decade. Ten years ago, it was a $560,000 enterprise. In
FY25, the center’s budget topped $1 million, much of that due to funding reallocations
invested by the College of Indigenous Studies. These decisions demonstrate UAF’s commitment
to this important work, which will continue far into the future. This is a solid foundation
to build upon. Our time to grow is now.
I want to thank everyone who has reached out asking what they can do to help. My consistent
answer has been: Help me realize a vision that moves beyond sustaining ANLC, to enabling
it to thrive.
If we could rally all of this energy behind increasing ANLC’s budget with new external
funds, that vision could be a reality.
I have heard the passion. I have heard the fears. I have heard the needs. ANLC’s work
must continue. I agree. It must continue. It will continue. That is a commitment from
me and from this institution.
Sincerely,
Mike
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