AFC CULTURAL ADVISORS

Indigenous people are the original philanthropists and have been giving since time immemorial. The AFC is evolving and deepening their relationship to the Arctic, they want to continue to give good and meaningful grants and to help guide that work the Cultural Advisor role was created. The Cultural Advisors role filled by Arctic Indigenous People who will provide knowledge and bring forth a different worldview through culture, tradition, language and spirituality - weaving Settler Philanthropic beliefs and values with an Indigenous one.

The goal is to have at least four or five AFC Cultural Advisors from across the Arctic. Be sure to visit our website again as we continue to recruit more Arctic Indigenous people to join our AFC team!

Meet The Team

Eduard Zdor

Eduard Zdor is a PhD candidate at the Anthropology Department, University of Alaska Fairbanks. He studies the sociocultural patterns of the Bering Strait Region Native communities, focusing on traditional subsistence activities and knowledge. Zdor has been involved in joint Alaska-Chukotka research projects as partner and Principal Investigator of Traditional Ecological Knowledge for 20 years. For many years he has represented marine hunting communities in international and regional forums and is an advocate for the benefits of shared indigenous knowledge and observation.

Lila Fraser Erasmus

Lila Fraser Erasmus is President, Owner and Operator of Bows & Arrows since 2006 and Naturally Dene since 2015. She is a Dene from the Nacho Nyak Dun First Nation of Mayo, Yukon on her mother's side and of Metis/Dene descent from Fort Chipewyan, Alberta, on her father's side. Lila was raised in the Sahtu region and currently resides in Chief Drygeese territory with her husband and 2 children, who are all members of the Yellowknives Dene First Nation. They have lived in the community of Ndilo for over 20 years.

Lila created Naturally Dene in 2015 but has been offering Medicine Walks and Cream/Lotion/Salve making workshops since 2010. She started Naturally Dene to provide Medicine Walks and teachings on how to process plant medicines as it she felt it was important for people to have awareness of how to access Dene lands respectfully. She has is passionate about healing from the land and enjoys teaching and learning from others.

A Naturally Dene Medicine Walk consists of teachings about what grows plentiful in the north, how to identify the plants and how to properly pick them. Also provided are teachings on the importance of prayer, protocol and respect relations with the land.

Aviâja Egede Lynge

Aviâja Egede Lynge is an Inuit woman from Greenland. Aviâja is the 4th generation of an Inuit family that is working for the strengthening and empowerment of Inuit Rights.

In 2015, Aviâja was elected as National Defender (Spokesperson) for Children’s Rights in Greenland currently leads MIO – The National Institution for Children’s Rights.

Her work and activism are focused on Inuit indigenous peoples rights promotion, specifically those related to children and equity in access to education. Aviâja has developed training modules that capacitate teachers on decolonization, culture, identity, indigenous peoples rights and intercultural learning issues and has been the Head of the Department of Higher Education at University of Greenland. Aviâja is known as an Inuk woman who speaks for the well-being and the delevlopment of INUIT and other Indigenous Peoples. In 2015 she attended the Human Rights Defenders Program of Columbia University. Aviâja has a degree in Social Anthropology from the Edinburgh University and currently leads MIO – The National Institution for Children’s Rights. Aviâja is a boardmember of FIMI (Forum for Indigenous Women), Boardmember of Grenland Human Rights Council and Board of Trustees Inuit Circumpolar Council Greenland.