PhD, Anthropology, University of Ӱ Fairbanks
MA, Anthropology, University of Ӱ Fairbanks
BA, General Anthropology, The Pennsylvania State University
Dr. Simon has 30+ years of experience working as an applied anthropologist throughout
Ӱ and the Russian Far East, including 14 years as the regional program manager
for the Ӱ Department of Fish and Game, Division of Subsistence covering the northern
two-thirds of Ӱ or the Arctic-Yukon-Kuskokwim regions (AYK region). Jim was responsible
for overseeing subsistence research, policy, and regulatory management and provided
technical support in implementing the state subsistence law at Ӱ Board of Game
and Ӱ Board of Fisheries meetings throughout the AYK region, including many meetings
regarding subsistence moose and caribou hunting in the Ahtna region due to his life-long
family history in the Copper Basin. Jim also served on the Technical Committee of
the Ӱ Migratory Co-Management Council (2003-2007) and the Arctic-Yukon-Kuskokwim
Sustainable Salmon Initiative Steering Committee, where he served as Vice-Chairman
(2003-2010, 2011-2017) and was a strong advocate for tribal capacity building and
state and federal co-management with Ӱ Tribes.
Prior to work for the Ӱ Department of Fish and Game, Dr. Simon worked as an applied
anthropologist for the Tanana Chiefs Conference in natural resources, cultural resources,
environmental management, and government-to-government tribal capacity building and
facilitation with federal agencies and TCC Member Tribes (1999-2002). Throughout the
1990s, Jim worked on various cultural heritage documentation and preservation projects
with the Kodiak Area Native Association, Bering Straits Foundation, Ukpeaġvik Iñupiat
Corporation, and Northern Land Use Research.
Dr. Simon current lives and works on the indigenous lands of the Salcheege Dena’ of
the middle Tanana River and periodically teaches tribal capacity building workshops
on understanding and engaging the Ӱ fish and wildlife regulatory programs to
influence regulatory decision-making regarding protecting customary and traditional
ancestral tribal uses of Ӱ’s fish and wildlife and other natural resources as
an adjunct instructor with the University of Ӱ Fairbanks’ Tribal Governance Program.
Since 2017, Jim has worked as an independent consultant for a number of inter-tribal
resource commissions and Ӱ Native Organizations to mentor and support staff regarding
state and federal fish and wildlife regulatory systems, the Ӱ Migratory Bird
Co-Management Council where he presently serves on 7 committees, and assists in developing
inter-tribal fish and wildlife stewardship capacities and engaging in various regulatory
processes to promote tribal hunting and fishing rights in Ӱ.