Valerie Naucetaaq Svancara is non-Native (Czech and German) and grew up on the lands of the Hinono’eino (Arapaho), , Tsétsėhéstȧhese(Cheyenne), and Núuchiu (Ute) Peoples in Colorado and now lives on Dena’ina Ełnena in Anchorage, Alaska. She spent over 13 years working in higher education, most recently at Native Student Services at University of Alaska Anchorage, and currently supports Elder-led Yugtun language teaching and revitalization work and provides ongoing student mentorship. She has a Master of Education in Teaching and Learning with a concentration in Indigenous Methodologies in Education (University of Alaska Anchorage), as well as graduate certificates in Indigenizing Education (UAA) and Rural Development (University of Alaska Fairbanks).
