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Kurt Grinnell foundation awards scholarships to Indigenous students

The Kurt Grinnell Aquaculture Scholarship Foundation (KGASF) has awarded aquaculture scholarships to four Indigenous students who represent federally recognized Tribes.

KGASF was established to honour the legacy of the late Kurt Grinnell, a Native American leader from the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe in Washington State, who recognized that aquaculture could be a solution to Tribal food security, and Indigenous reconciliation and wellbeing. 

The award recipients are Gwendolyn Aaberg from Alaska and Jaycee Williford from Washington.

Aaberg of Nondalton, Alaska, a member of the Nondalton Tribe near Bristol Bay, currently attends the University of Alaska Southeast in Sitka, where she is pursuing a degree in applied fisheries. 

“Gwendolyn impressed us with her interest in all aspects of aquaculture and mariculture and brings to her studies years of experience fishing for salmon in Bristol Bay,” said John Dentler, KGASF executive director.

Williford is a member of the Chickasaw Tribe and is a first-year student at the University of Washington’s school of aquatic and fisheries science. He grew up near Lake Sammamish and said he was impressed by Tribal efforts to restore the lake’s native Kokanee salmon. He said this helped him recognize the importance of aquaculture in salmon restoration efforts.

Two previous awardees also got their scholarships renewed.

Allison Carl of the Chugach Alaska Corporation and Native Village of Eyak, Alaska. She is pursuing an M.S. degree in biological sciences at the University of Alaksa, Anchorage. She is interested in marine resources including mariculture and is a lab manager at the Chugach Regional Resources Commission Alutiiq Pride Marine Institute. Carl has a goal of being involved in mariculture initiatives in the Chugach area.

Alana Schofield of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community in Michigan. Schofield is a junior at Lake Superior State University and is pursuing a B.S. degree in fisheries and wildlife science. She has a goal to work with freshwater and marine tribal agencies regarding natural resources and cultural food sovereignty. Her long-term goal is to get a PhD.

“On behalf of the Kurt Grinnell family and the KGASF Scholarship Selection Committee, as well as our board of directors, we congratulate all the new scholarship awardees. We are confident that each of these students will make a substantial and positive impact to Tribal and First Nation welfare through their contributions to aquaculture and natural resource science,” said Jaiden Bosick KGASF board chair, Grinnell’s daughter.