November is National Native American Heritage Month. This celebration recognizes Native Americans' respect for natural resources and the Earth, honors native cultures, and educates the public about their heritage, history, art, and traditions.
Join us in celebrating the sacrifices, contributions, and achievements of Native American people and their rich and vibrant culture.
Check out the profiles below to learn more about what this month means to our colleagues and how they help contribute to our mission each day.
Staff Profiles
Meet Tracy Boze, Investigative Support Technician
As an Investigative Support Technician, Tracy provides support in a variety of law enforcement activities, programs, and contact with our partners and to the public. Along with her colleague and mentor Christy Pearsall, Tracy works to document all the efforts of the Investigative Support team. This resource helps to facilitate training and has been a key to the team's success for new employee training and staff support.
In her free time, she loves to crochet, sew, practice photography, and paint with pastels. But her favorite time outside of work is spending time with her family. Tracy was born in Sitka, Alaska but grew up in a suburb of Seattle. This has kept the ties to her heritage close with the culture of the many tribes in the area of the great Pacific Northwest.
Learn more about Tracy Boze and her work
Meet Geraldeen Stoll, Permits Assistant
Geraldeen Stoll is a permits assistant in the Alaska Region. She issues federal certificates, licenses and permits for commercial fishing, to processors, vessels that fish in federal waters, as well as halibut subsistence certificates to Tribal Citizens, and rural residents in qualified Alaska communities. Geraldeen grew up in Juneau, Alaska.
In her free time, she enjoys exploring her surroundings in Juneau, enjoying its mountains and beaches. She also enjoys traveling with her husband and dog—they frequently visit Colorado. Their previous dog that they traveled with had been to 14 states, six national parks including Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon! His favorite was Pawnee National Grasslands in Colorado.
Learn more about Geraldeen Stoll and her work
More Features
Celebrating Alaskan Indigenous Members of the Marine Mammal Stranding Network
Tribes and local governments play an important role in collecting marine mammal data and responding to entangled and stranded marine animals throughout remote areas of Alaska.
More about Alaskan Indigenous members of the Marine Mammal Stranding Network and their work
NOAA Story Map: Native American Heritage Month 2021
In the story map below, NOAA employees of American Indian and Alaska Native descent raise their voices and educate others about their various cultures. They share stories to honor the past while looking to the future. This month is a great reminder to embrace inclusion and accept each other regardless of where we came from and what we look like.
NOAA's American Indian Alaska Native Employee Resource Group worked to expand the story map in 2021, which offers a glimpse into the stories of American Indian and Alaska Native NOAA employees.
The 7 R’s of Integrating Tribal and Indigenous Partnerships into Aquaculture Literacy
Aquaculture, the fastest growing form of agriculture in the world, has the potential to create jobs, support resilient working waterfronts and coastal communities, and sustainably produce healthy food. As U.S. aquaculture grows, aquaculture resource managers and their partners have the opportunity to shape a community that is diverse, inclusive, and accessible. Integrating perspectives from tribal and Indigenous groups who have important histories and expertise with aquaculture is a critical step of this process.
More on integrating perspectives from Tribal and Indigenous groups into aquaculture literacy
Efforts to Restore Native Wild Rice in the St. Louis River Estuary
In the St. Louis River Estuary Habitat Focus Area, NOAA and our partners are working to preserve and restore wild rice through habitat mapping, ecosystem service studies, and education and outreach efforts.
Restoring native wild rice in St. Louis River estuary
