Mary Goddard

Alaska’s Curator of Culture: Mary Goddard

A woman in a blue dress is lighting a candle on a table.

A group of bracelets are sitting on top of a wooden table.

A man and a woman are holding a plate of food in the woods.

A woman and a child are sitting in a field looking at an owl.

A woman is kneeling down on the beach looking at a plant.

A woman is sitting at a table in the woods preparing food.

A wooden table topped with plates of food , including a piece of salmon.

A woman standing on a bridge with a helicopter in the background

Restoring Native Culture with Regenerative Tourism in Alaska

In the age of TikTok and Instagram, it seems there’s no place we haven’t seen, but if you’ve ever been to Alaska, you know there’s a whole lotta world left to discover—a world on the forefront of climate change, the energy transition, advocacy for Native rights, and... regenerative tourism. Because in the midst of all that Alaskans are navigating, including challenges with transportation, supply chain, and food security, they’re seeing unprecedented numbers of tourists. The islanded town of Sitka swells from under 9,000 people to nearly half a million in the summertime, coming in on cruise ships. These ships bring opportunities, and they also bring complications for the people who live there, and for the environment.

In her role as regenerative tourism catalyst, Mary Goddard relies on Alaska Native values of sustainability and hospitality to build a healthy relationship between her community and the tourists who visit, inviting us to join in stewarding the land, the sea, and the culture.

“That’s what comes with a culture or a heritage that’s over 10,000 years old. There’s so much to it. It almost feels like you never quite grasp everything.”

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Mary Goddard's food blog is ForestFreshAlaska
Shop Mary’s artwork and jewelry at AlaskaMary.com
If you want to visit Sitka, Mary recommends you stay at CampStarlightAlaska
If you’re a veteran or first responder, Mary and her husband invite you to reconnect with nature at Waypoint for Veterans
Mary's references in the episode include: AIANTA (American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association), Spruce Root; Sustainable Southeast Partnership, and Sealaska.
Listen next to Building Climate Resilience in a Coastal Florida Floodplain with Nancy Metayer Bowen, Hope Is My Middle Name, season 3 episode 5

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Thanks

Hosted and executive-produced by Kate Tucker, Hope Is My Middle Name is a podcast by Consensus Digital Media produced in association with Reasonable Volume.

This episode was produced by Christine Fennessy with editing from Rachel Swaby. Sound design and mixing from Mark Bush. Music from Epidemic Sound, Soundstripe, and Kate Tucker. Big thanks to Conor Gaughan, publisher and CEO of Consensus Digital Media.

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Hope is My Middle Name

Produced by Consensus Digital Media in association with Reasonable Volume