May 5th, 2025

Contact: [email protected], 907-677-1700

Re: Honoring the life of Jenny Irene Wiagañmiu Miller 

First Alaskans Institute (FAI) Trustees and staff join our community in mourning the loss of Jenny Wiagañmiu Irene Miller (Iñupiaq) artist, friend, and family member. Jenny Irene has had a profound impact on addressing issues that are relevant to Alaska Native people. Their focus has highlighted the positive and the tremendous beauty of Alaska Native communities especially for LGBTQIA2S+, gender, culture, language, and how art can function as a healing changemaker for our communities. Difficult issues and challenges for Alaska Native people and the consequent solutions will continue to define a path, a trajectory to heal and affect positive change for our community. Jenny Irene started their life in Sitŋasuaq (Nome) and was an integral part of her community using traditional values and life lessons embedded in her Senungetuk and Miller families. (Photo by Michael Conti).

Jenny Irene comes from a strong legacy of artwork in her own family which has elevated all that we love about our people, our cultures, our language, and our communities. Previous FAI President La quen náay Tsiits Gitanee reflects about the contributions of Jenny Irene with, “They were integral to planning our LGBTQIA2S+ House at Elders & Youth (E&Y) conference. FAI consulted with knowledge bearers from the community about how best to set up and support our conference participants in the specific healing houses for men, women, and LGBTQIA2S+. Jenny Irene was our guiding voice from the beginning, helping facilitate and support our very first healing house for LGBTQIA2S+.” They also worked closely with Alaska Talking Circle Media in broadcasting our E&Y for the public to watch and participate. She was known for holding space, being considerate, warm, present, and caring with our conference participants. Jenny Irene also contributed greatly to our First Alaskans Magazine by providing insight, experiences, art, and photos showcasing our peoples, homelands, and their uniqueness. Their work at Rasmuson Foundation was greatly impacted as well; where she reviewed and supported nonprofits and tribes across Alaska through the Tier 1 grant program. They were important for bringing a youth perspective to giving funds to nonprofits and communities when they were in a formative stage of service to the community. Jenny Irene has done so much across Alaska and across the nation to bring thoughtful insight around Alaska Native cultural challenges and ancestral wisdom as a way to solve our problems. She was a true gift to all of us.

President and CEO Apagruk Roy Agloinga remembers working closely with Jenny Irene, “Working from a place where she was knowledgeable about our people, our challenges, our blessings and what it takes for our people to succeed, Jenny Irene always asked the right questions, knew the best way to show the beauty and love of our cultures, and the ingenuity of our people in her work and her art.” Our team at FAI send our heartfelt condolences to Jenny Irene’s wife Nora, her mother, Charlotte Miller, Charlotte’s partner Jeff Neubauer, brother Jake Millier, her aunts Leah Warburton, Cynthia Williams, and Laura Olson, and many other family and friends that knew and loved her.