Ilarion Merculief – Global Center for Indigenous Leadership and Lifeways

Ilarion “Kuuyux” Merculieff, an Unangan Elder from St. Paul Island (off the coast of Western Alaska), has served as an advocate for his people and a messenger for Indigenous wisdom across the world for over 50 years. As the founder of the Global Center for Indigenous Leadership and Lifeways, which shares the wisdom of Elders and wisdomkeepers around the globe, he has led many conferences and gatherings in support of Indigenous rights and the preservation of Mother Earth. He has also served in multiple leadership capacities in “western” organizations, including City Manager of St. Paul Island, Commissioner of the Alaska Department of Commerce and Economic Development, Chairman of the Board of The Aleut Corporation, Co-chair of the Japan-Alaska Fishery Cooperative, Deputy Director of the Alaska Native Science Commission, on the National Research Council Committee on the Bering Sea Ecosystem, chairman and co-founder of the Alaska Indigenous Council on Marine Mammals; chairman of the Nature Conservancy, Alaska chapter; co-director of the Native American Fish and Wildlife Society, Alaska chapter; co-founder of the International Bering Sea Forum, the Alaska Forum on the Environment, and the Alaska Oceans Network. He also chaired the Indigenous Knowledge sessions in the UN sponsored Global Summit of Indigenous Peoples on Climate change.

From 2000–2003, Merculieff served as the Director of the Department of Public Policy and Advocacy in the Rural Alaska Community Action Program. As Director, Merculieff helped to organize and lead the largest subsistence rights march in Alaska’s history and emceed the subsistence rally after the march. The march was instrumental in protecting Alaska Native subsistence rights, which were legally contested by the State of Alaska, to fish for salmon along Alaska’s rivers. He also successfully led a four-year effort to gain federal and state recognition of Alaska Native subsistence rights to catch and eat halibut throughout coastal Alaska.

In 2004, he received the Alaska Native Writers on the Environment Award from the Alaska Conservation Foundation, the Rasmuson Foundation Award for Creative Nonfiction in 2006, the Buffet Finalist Award for Indigenous Leadership, the Alaska Forum on the Environment Environmental Excellence Award for lifetime achievement in 2007 and the Wisdom Fellowship Award from the Sacred Fire Foundation in 2017.

Close to Merculieff’s heart are issues related to cultural and community wellness, traditional ways of living, Elder wisdom, and the environment. Having had a traditional upbringing, Merculieff has been, and continues to be, a strong voice advocating the meaningful application of traditional knowledge and wisdom obtained from Elders in Alaska and throughout the world when dealing with modern day challenges. Merculieff has shared Elder wisdom locally, nationally, and internationally, and his writings and interviews have appeared in such publications as the Winds of Change, YES, Red Ink, Alaska Geographic, Smithsonian, National Geographic, First Alaskans Magazine, and Kindred Spirits. Merculieff was featured in National Wildlife an “American Hero”, having called national and international attention to major adverse changes in the Bering Sea ecosystem.

Merculieff is a senior advisor to the WILD Foundation which oversees the World Wilderness Congress and his current project is called Wisdom Weavers of the World (www.wisdomweavers.world). This project will produce messages of Elders from throughout the world in video and messages of the Elders for social media about what we need to do now.

Anchorage, Alaska
USA

Website: http://www.gcill.org

Workshop(s)

Workshop 1: The Real Human Being: What We Are Asked to do Now for Mother Earth

This workshop focused on the qualities of a Real Human Being in dealing with the daunting challenges we face today and what we must do now.