Ricky Qaagaġliq Ashby is an Iñupiaq Elder from Noatak, Alaska. Over his lifetime, he has seen Alaska become a state in 1959, and electricity arrive in Noatak in 1969 followed by radio in 1973. He has experienced the transition from those days to now and has served his community and other communities in Alaska and beyond through roles in tribal leadership and administration, working for the EPA, and providing drug and alcohol counseling to those in need and serving as a spiritual leader. He also collaborates with the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute to develop culturally grounded science curriculum on themes of importance to Northwest Alaska.
