The Foundation shares these lessons learned for other communities: “From this project, we’ve learned that to change the paradigm and create a city that honors the Indigenous Place, there must be three components: 1. The leadership of a local culture bearer; 2. Advisory oversight from a broad base of stakeholders; and 3. Involvement of an Indigenous artist if it is appropriate to the project.
It is the combination of these three elements that allow a project to become part of a Movement and live beyond initial contributors to the next generation of our community.”
2: Building Infrastructure for Biking
In Silver-level BFC Anchorage, Alaska, the Anchorage Park Foundation has worked with local Indigenous leaders to incorporate Indigenous place names, culture, and history on trails and in parks. According to Anchorage’s 2021 BFC application, The Indigenous Place Names Project “aims to creatively, accurately, and beautifully highlight the culture and history of Anchorage and our indigenous people.” The effort began when Aaron Leggett, Dena’ina scholar and president of the local Native Village of Eklutna, proposed the project to the Foundation, which then secured funding from the Rasmuson Foundation to begin the work in 2018. The Foundation describes this project as “a movement to bring Dena’ina culture to our built environment and place name signage” to honor the Dena’ina landscape in the Anchorage area. The signs installed through this project are designed by local Indigenous artists. Not only do the artistic placemaking signs feature the original Dena’ina-language names of the places where the signs are located, but they also share stories and help tell the history of the places and their significance to the Indigenous communities who have lived in the region for generations.
Artistic sculpture along the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail. “Nuch’ishtunt” is the Dena’ina word for Pt. Woronzof, and means “place protected from wind.” Photo Courtesy of Anchorage Park Foundation.
ANCHORAGE, AK
E N G I NE E R I NG EQ U I TY & ACC ESS I BI L I TY
BICYCLE FRIENDLY COMMUNITY SILVER
THE LEAGUE
OF AMERICAN BICYCLISTS
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