Lessons from Indigenous Tourism for a Regenerative Future

The annual fall lecture series Evening at Egan continues this Friday, October 28 at 7 pm with a presentation by Alexis Bunten, author and expert on Indigenous-led economic development, organizational decolonization, and cross-cultural communications.

Juneau, Alaska

Date of Press Release: October 24, 2022

The annual fall lecture series Evening at Egan continues this Friday, October 28 at 7 pm with a presentation by Alexis Bunten, author and expert on Indigenous-led economic development, organizational decolonization, and cross-cultural communications. Dr. Bunten will explore whether tourism can provide economic diversification, protect ecosystems, and perpetuate local cultures. She will discuss how new Indigenous tourism business models value community, environmental stewardship, and the “quadruple bottom line” (people, planet, profit and purpose).

Bunten is a shareholder of Bristol Bay Native Corporation and Paug-Vik Village Corporation. She has researched and worked in the Native-led tourism industry since 1997. She currently lives in Monterey California, and owns WAQAA LLC, which is dedicated to forwarding transformational travel through cross cultural experiences. She has taught at UCLA, Humboldt State University, University of Victoria, Wellington, and Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne University, as well as held postdoctoral positions at University of California Berkeley and Santa Cruz. She is the author of ‘So, how long have you been Native?’ Life as an Alaska Native Tour Guide (University of Nebraska Press) and Indigenous Tourism Movements (University of Toronto Press).

Sponsored by the Educational Legacy Fund at the University of Alaska Foundation, this talk is the first in a statewide three-lecture series, “Just & Regenerative Business in Alaska.” This mindset recognizes interdependence with other people and ecosystems to enable the business and all living beings to thrive. The series continues on March 2, with the University of Alaska Fairbanks hosting “One Health: Global Impact and Collaboration.” Later in the spring, the University of Alaska Anchorage will host the final lecture, “Sustainability in Business and Economics.”

Evening at Egan presentations are offered both in-person and via live stream from the Egan Library on the Juneau Campus. Lectures are free and open to the public. All lectures begin at 7 p.m. Live Stream links can be found next to the lecture descriptions. Lectures will be recorded and available on YouTube on the UAS Channel.

Upcoming Talks:

The Empirical Study of Art Objects: How Philosophical and Scientific Approaches Have Framed Our Preferences and Understanding of What Art Is and What Art Does

November 4

Dr. Melissa Dolese, UAS Assistant Professor of Psychology

In this talk, Dr. Dolese will take you through some philosophical and perceptual approaches to understanding art and show how those approaches have informed our understanding of art and our preferences. She will focus on art as a relational and meaning-making space and show how art can influence our actions.

UAS Creative Showcase

November 18

UAS Art, Theatre, and Writing faculty will showcase our current work and encourage a conversation about the rich and diverse artistry happening in our community. Featuring:

• Ernestine Hayes, MFA, Professor of English, Emerita; Rasmuson Distinguished Artist 2021; and Marie Darlin Award Recipient 2021. Hayes will be reading from her current work in progress.
• Carin Silkaitis, MFA, Dean of the School of Arts & Sciences
• X'unei Lance Twitchell, MFA, PhD, Professor of Alaska Native Languages
• Emily Wall, MFA, Professor of English
• Liz Zacher, MFA, Assistant Professor of Art