ABOUT HEYI DAYS

Heyi (pronounced "Hey yee"), means “winter” in Dena’ina Athabascan, and honors the area's First People and invites everyone to experience Anchorage at its winter best. This pronunciation comes from Aaron Leggett, President of the Native Village of Eklutna and Senior Curator of Alaska History and Indigenous Cultures.

About the Design

Sebastian Garber is a graphic artist from Anchorage, Alaska, dedicated to expanding Indigenous identity within civic spaces. Of mixed Indigenous (Dena’ina) heritage, Sebastian has spent much of their life living and working among the mountains of the Anchorage Bowl. Their work is deeply inspired by the land and guided by ancestral visual traditions.

Anchorage is Dena’ina Ełnena, Dena’ina homeland. It is home to the K’enaht’ana, the Indigenous People of Nuti (Knik Arm), who today are members of the Eklutna (Idlughet) and Knik (K’enakatnu) tribes. We make a formal land acknowledgement, extending our appreciation and respect to the past and present people of this land, that we are grateful to also call home.