Vera Metcalf
Vera Kingeekuk Metcalf is educator and advocate known for her work in the preservation of traditions and language of Alaska Native people. in 2019 she was elected to the Alaska Women's Hall of Fame. Early life and education Metcalf was born in Sivungaq (Savoonga) on St. Lawrence Island, Alaska. During her schooling on the island she served as a teacher's aide, and translated lessons into Yupik to share with the students in the class. In 1991, Metcalf earned her bachelor's degree from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Career While working for the Bering Straits Foundation, Metcalf worked on the repatriation of remains held by the Fairbanks Museum and Smithsonian Institution. Through her work almost 1000 remains were returned to St. Lawrence Island under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. In 2002, Metcalf was named as the head of the Eskimo Walrus Commission, and in that role she works to maintain rights of subsistence hunting of walrus and carving of walrus ivory by members of the Alaskan Native community. She also shares knowledge on how modes of transportation can harm walrus, including airplanes and ship traffic. Metcalf tracks the magnitude of the walrus harvest, which is important as changes