“Colonization Is Everywhere” – Gabriel Igaugaq Tegoseak”

Christian Stettler, a distinguished professor of Social Work at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, hosts

The Critical Social Worker” podcast. This podcast leverages the core values of Social Work to facilitate insightful discussions, sharing the stories and experiences of individuals from various walks of life. With expertise and passion for social justice, Professor Stettler initiates conversations on critical issues, fostering a deeper understanding of the human condition and advocating for positive change. He invited Gabriel Igaugaq Tegoseak, an Iñupiaq and First Nation Nisqually organizer, activist, and subsistence hunter from Utqiaġvik (Barrow), Alaska. Gabriel has collaborated with various Alaskan organizations, including the Alaska Federation of Natives, the First Alaskan Institute, and the Alaska Youth for Action. As an advocate for Arctic and Alaskan environmental protection, he integrates Iñupiat traditions with modern science. He is a member of the Siļaliņamiut – Arctic Just Transition Coalition and serves as the director for Talking Circle Media. The podcast discusses how traditional Iñupiat values and practices contribute to contemporary environmental activism, how non-indigenous communities can amplify the efforts of indigenous activists, and how individuals and communities outside the Arctic can contribute to the protection of this unique ecosystem while also addressing environmental challenges.

Gabetiel began the conversation by sharing how his connection to the land and sea profoundly influences his lifestyle. He explained that he doesn’t view nature as a separate entity but as an extensionof himself. He said, “When I see a moose, an eagle, [etc..], I think of them as a relative or friend.” This perspective deeply affects his hunting practices, encouraging him to hunt mindfully and with restraint. He emphasized his patience during hunts, explaining that this mindfulness allows him to when, for example, whales are greeting him and have calves with them, rendering hunting them at that moment unethical. His ability to make such distinctions comes from his willingness to wait and observe. 

During this discussion, several points made me pause and reflect. Gabriel discusses how one can become absorbed in Western culture, where the objective is to profit from the land. He acknowledges the importance of merging Native American culture with Western culture. Adapting to the environment around us is essential for survival. Alaska Natives, along with other Indigenous groups, when placed in boarding schools and stripped of their language, culture, and heritage, had to relinquish some aspects that identified them and the ties they held. Gabe did not view this assimilation as a failure on their part as a victory.

Because of their assimilation, some of the culture and language were preserved. This perspective was new to me. It’s easy to become consumed by the resentment toward the group that perpetrated the abuse. Does focusing solely on that resentment and anger prevent us from recognizing the resilience they demonstrated? With that mentality, do we undermine the courage and determination Indigenous groups had to persevere?

Today, the preservation of culture continues. Traditional Iñupiat values and practices, such as allowing the land to own itself rather than the other way around, are the foundation of the movement to protect the land and sea. Traditional Iñupiat values and practices advocate for the preservation, respect, and sustainable use of the land. Gabe pointed out that rejecting one culture for another is unnecessary. It is crucial to utilize both to our advantage, taking what we wish from one and using the other to advance the movement.

This merging of cultures includes welcoming non-Indigenous people to join the fight for sustainability and conservation of the land, setting an example of how it is possible to support and advocate for the beliefs of the Iñupiat people. It shows that this movement benefits not only the Iñupiat but everyone. It also allows for the integration of Indigenous people into predominantly white spaces because they have some support from a privileged group. It’s a good reminder that we do not have to belong to one ethnic group or have the same upbringing to support the cause they stand for or benefit from the movements being pushed forward. The key is working alongside them, not taking over and altering the core principles and beliefs to what we think is best.

“Colonization is everywhere”. And I’ve witnessed firsthand the disrespect and disregard shown toward Alaska Native culture. I once had a conversation with someone deeply religious and Christian who, rather than talking With me, was talking at me, trying to convince me that the path I have chosen for myself was wrong. They insisted I abandon my non-religious stance and accept her religious viewpoint. The tipping point came when she described how her church organized “mission trips” to rural Alaska to “teach ‘them’ about God,” instructing them on how they should live and to abandon their “demonic beliefs.” I challenged her perspective with some questions: “What exactly makes their beliefs demonic? Is it because they don’t align with your beliefs? Do your beliefs become non-demonic simply because you believe they’re correct?” I then asked, “Isn’t entering their home to criticize their beliefs both disrespectful and a continuation of colonization?” 

Maintaining ties with our culture while simultaneously advocating in modern society for the change needed to preserve ancient beliefs means educating ourselves; only then can we turn around and educate others. This advocacy by Indigenous and non-Indigenous people doesn’t stop at conserving traditions, language, and the environment. By aligning ourselves with this movement, we also tie ourselves to the fight for equality of all groups. Iñupiat teaching is not solely “respect the land” but also highlights the responsibility we have to ensure that all things and people have a mutual understanding of respect. This responsibility is the same we must feel towards our path in social work. Listening to and watching the podcast made me pause and ask myself, how am I aligning with traditional values that benefit me and everyone else?

There were a couple of things Gabe said that were hard for me to accept. He mentioned that at one point or another, we were all indigenous to the land, we all survived and depended on it, and we should remember that. My initial reaction was thinking, “No. It’s giving, ‘My great-grandmother was a Cherokee princess’ as an excuse to undermine Indigenous people and customs.” I find it very difficult to trust and accept non-minorities and welcome them to share my customs and traditional values. But the more I thought about it, I began to realize that excluding people for something they have no control over, to a certain degree, is falling into the same cycle as what non-Indigenous groups are doing to us. The thought that I am responding and acting in a way that encourages division, which halts and places obstacles to progressive movement, is difficult to admit. It also struck me as I thought, “Is the way that I feel going to justify not giving as much effort when it comes to those I have seen as a threat to me? Does this not make me the same type of person as the people I have internally judged so harshly?” I also resonated when Gabriel said he had felt the need to be “more native” while also being “more white” to be accepted into both worlds. I have felt the same. It’s difficult to navigate both worlds when being part of either seems to exclude us from the other.

This assignment was a rude awakening for me. It made me question myself. I try to align myself with the progress and conservation of culture and values but have found that in some areas, I lack in practicing what I preach.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmJfknZ5ISc