Alaska Native groups push back against racist rant outside Fairbanks grocery store

A passerby (left) encourages a man to time off aft he addressed 2 Alaska Native shoppers utilizing racist connection extracurricular a Fairbanks Fred Meyer shop connected June 26, 2024. (Screen capture)

Editor’s note: This communicative includes audio containing racist connection and profanities.

An brushwood extracurricular a Fairbanks market shop successful which a man launched a racist diatribe against Alaska Native shoppers is drafting condemnation from area Native groups, arsenic good arsenic shop management.

The Fairbanks Native Association and nan Tanana Chiefs Conference issued a associated connection astir nan incident that occurred past week adjacent nan entranceway to nan West Fairbanks Fred Meyer store. A video circulating connected societal media shows a non-Native man berating 2 people, who nan associated connection says are from a colony successful nan TCC region.

In nan video, changeable connected June 26, nan man is heard harassing nan shoppers and utilizing racist epithets, telling them they “are what is incorrect pinch this country,” and that they shouldn’t beryllium allowed to shop.

“Yeah, you —ing Natives shouldn’t moreover beryllium allowed to —ing shop. Go backmost retired to nan woods and do your —ing bull—-,” nan man says successful nan video.

In nan associated statement, some FNA Executive Director Melissa Charlie and TCC Chief and Chair Brian Ridley denounce specified behavior. They besides opportunity they are requesting due follow-up.

“The harassment of Alaska Natives who are simply shopping for groceries and different items astatine 1 of nan only market stores successful Fairbanks is inexcusable,” Charlie and Ridley said successful nan statement.

The West Fairbanks Fred Meyer is nan closest market to nan Fairbanks airport.

A 2018 study by nan investigation group Information Insights estimates Alaska Native organizations pump $1 billion into nan Fairbanks location system each year. Many colony residents travel to Fairbanks for aesculapian appointments and shopping trips, often spending hundreds of dollars connected groceries that are cheaper to repack and alert backmost location arsenic freight aliases baggage than to acquisition nan aforesaid equipment astatine their colony store, if they tin find them there.

A motion astir threatening behaviour successful nan model of a Safeway store, crossed nan thoroughfare from nan West Fairbanks Fred Meyer wherever nan incident occurred, has been up since nan opening of nan pandemic. (Robyne/KUAC)

FNA represents immoderate 10,000 Alaska Natives and American Indians successful nan Fairbanks area. TCC represents 20,000 Indigenous group crossed nan broader Interior. In nan statement, nan organizations inquire Fred Meyer to prohibition nan man successful nan video from nan store, and to guarantee information prevents specified incidents from happening again.

On Tuesday, Fred Meyer genitor institution Kroger released a connection astir nan incident, saying unit “are disheartened by nan violative actions recorded successful this video.”

“At Fred Meyer, our halfway values are rooted successful Safety, Respect, Diversity, and Inclusion,” Kroger said successful nan statement. “We guidelines firmly against immoderate acts of dislike and are dedicated to providing a safe and invited shopping acquisition for each of our customers. As specified we person information protocols successful spot to deescalate specified incidents, and we activity successful adjacent business pinch section rule enforcement to reside immoderate information concerns.”

The connection says nan shop is “in nan process of identifying nan individual progressive and will rumor a no-trespass order, arsenic his actions do not correspond nan values we uphold successful our shared community.”