Dr. Jessica Black is Gwich’in Dena from the villages of Gwichyaa Zhee (Ft. Yukon) and Toghotthele (Nenana), Alaska. Dr. Black currently serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Alaska Native Studies, Rural Development and Tribal Governance at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Dr. Black received her bachelor’s degree in Social Work (BSW) at UAF and her master’s degree and PhD in Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis. Her dissertation and current research examine the relationship between governance and well-being among Alaska Native peoples, especially as it pertains to Tribal Stewardship and Cultural Connectivity. She resides in Fairbanks, Alaska with her family, however, she frequently returns home to Gwichyaa Zhee to hunt, fish, gather and engage in other, important cultural practices.