This week students came to Bethel to study how people interact with tundra plants. The class is part of an ethnobotany certificate course out of the UAF Kuskokwim University Campus. Students came from Alaska, Hawaii, Maryland, and Canada.
Gloria Simeon is a local elder who helped with the class. She’s in the process of earning her ethnobotany certificate and graduated from UAF in 2002 with a Bachelor's in Rural Development; Concentration in Tribal and Local Government Administration. Simeon grew up in Bethel where she still lives. She’s an ONC tribal member and calls herself an elder with a little “e.”
KYUK talked with Gloria Simeon inside her car by the Kuskokwim River as students explored the nearby tundra.
Next KYUK talked with Dr. Sunshine Brosi, UAF Associate Professor of Ethnobotany.
Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly attributed the institution who issues the ethnobotany certificate. The story has been corrected.
