In this conversation, Dr. Jessica Sangiq Ullrich shares her journey as a tribal citizen of the Nome Eskimo community in Alaska, discussing her background, the significance of cultural identity, and the impact of intergenerational trauma on Indigenous communities. She emphasizes the importance of connectedness in promoting Indigenous well-being and highlights her research methodology, which focuses on community engagement and spirituality. Jessica advocates for language preservation and community workshops as essential tools for healing and empowerment, ultimately envisioning a future where Indigenous communities thrive through cultural practices and interconnectedness.

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/5k6TZAxZWMI

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Contact:

https://ireach.wsu.edu/people/jessica-saniguq-ullrich/

LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-saniguq-ullrich-302896213/

Links:

The Institute for Research and Education Advancing Community Health (iREACH)

https://ireach.wsu.edu/

The Nome Eskimo Community

https://www.necalaska.org/

Native Village of Wales

https://kawerak.org/our-region/wales/

Láaganaay Tsiits Git’anee

https://nationalfolklifenetwork.org/liz-medicine-crow/

Articles Referenced:

Ullrich, J. S. (2019). For the love of our children: an Indigenous connectedness framework. AlterNative: An International Journal of Indigenous Peoples, 15(2), 121-130. https://doi.org/10.1177/1177180119828114

Chase, Y.E., Ullrich, J.S. A Connectedness Framework: Breaking the Cycle of Child Removal for Black and Indigenous Children. Int. Journal on Child Malt. 5, 181–195 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42448-021-00105-6

Wesner, C. A., Around Him, D., Ullrich, J. S., Martin, L., Denmark, N., Russette, H., Lee, K. S., Sarche, M., Asdigian, N. L., Barnes-Najor, J., Whitesell, N. R., & the Tribal Early Childhood Research Center Early Relational Wellbeing Community of Learning. (2025). Co-creating a conceptual model of Indigenous relational wellbeing in early childhood: Planting seeds of connectedness. Infant Mental Health Journal, 46, 115–132. https://doi.org/10.1002/imhj.22149

Ullrich, J. S., Young, J. C., Wilbur, R. E., Nguyen, T., Johnston, P., White, L. F., Bright, J., Contreras, A., Alowa, E., & Tobuk, L. (2025). “It Makes My Heart Smile When I Hear Them Say, ‘Hi Grandpa, We’re Home!’”: Relationality, Alaska Native Wellbeing and Self Determination in Tribal Child Protection. Genealogy, 9(3), 85. https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy9030085

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