Meet Tonia
Tonia is Inupiaq from the Native Village of White Mountain, Alaska but she also grew up in Nome.
She graduated from the University of Alaska Southeast in Juneau with a Bachelor’s of Science in Marine Biology in December 2019 as a Caleb Scholar.
In 2023, they enrolled in the Master’s of One Health program offered at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Tonia also works full-time as the Native Connections Project Director at Norton Sound Health Corporation in Nome where she manages and oversees Native Connections, a grant that serves to mitigate the high rates and generational impacts of child and youth suicide and contributing substance use.
Much of her work focuses on community revival of cultural activities and practices like sewing, beading, traditional medicines, talking circles, and so much more.
With her Master’s degree, they hope to further understand how to work collaboratively with Western institutions and Indigenous Communities to solve issues in the Arctic, including mental health challenges that Indigenous communities face in the Norton Sound region.
