Alissa with her moss friends. Photo by Alissa Healy Perez.
We are honored to spotlight outstanding Drumbeats student Alissa Healy Perez. This spring, Alissa Healy Perez earned her Occupational Endorsement Certificate in Ethnobotany. She’s currently taking UAF classes to wrap up her Associate of Science Degree and preparing for her future academic endeavors. Alissa, a former elementary school teacher and now Chief of the Healy Lake Village Council, also works as a Tribal Victim Advocate for Healy Lake’s Wuu Ts’e Shii Dih’aa “I Survived” Advocacy Program. Alissa loves the outdoors, photography, and plants, which shows in her self-published, carefully illustrated books about wild plants.
Being an active tribal member in her community, Alissa also helps organize her community’s Culture Camps, where she offers her very popular plant walks. Building on her teaching background and her own upbringing, Alissa stresses the importance of immersive and hands-on learning, and the incorporation of cultural values that turn classroom lessons into teachings for life:
Alissa Healy Perez presenting her books
‘It was also always important to go over cultural values of harvesting plants, including only taking what you’re going to use, being grateful for what you get, and leaving as little trace as possible. Teaching elementary students about interacting with plants and the environment ultimately helped shape our classroom culture of taking care of one another, sharing, and living with the seasons.’
Fairy slipper orchid, drawing by Alissa.
Calypso bulbosa poem. Page from Alissa’s new book
Calypso or fairy slipper orchid, photo by Alissa
Thanks to Drumbeats funding, she could hand out free copies of her book to all participants of the 2026 Healy Lake Culture Camp. Alissa’s plant books contain her own plant drawings and poems describing each plant and how people relate to it. From plant names in Alaska Native languages to culinary uses and warnings, the poetic descriptions aptly characterize each plant in an accessible and welcoming way.
Plant walk participants with their new copy of Alissa’s latest book, ‘Wild Flora of Alpine Alaska, Part 2’, in the Healy Lake community hall: Kelly May (left) and Ariella Derrickson (right).
Spending time outside is essential for Alissa:
‘Being in nature allows me, to see the bigger picture of life: how we’re all connected and part of something wonderfully orchestrated! Nature walks can help participants feel this same way, get curious, and even embrace feeling like a kid again. It’s an invitation to reflect and be present in the present moment.’
When asked about how she sees Drumbeats, and specifically Ethnobotany, supporting Alaska Native communities, Alissa shared:
‘Through my lens, I see ethnobotany and Indigenous advocacy working together to build food sovereignty, sustainability in rural communities, wellness opportunities, healthy harvesting traditions, and more. When people build relationships with the plants around them and grow in confidence of their uses, so much can be gained.’
Alissa, we are honored to have been part of your formal learning journey. Thank you for your inspirational, bright presence and for teaching all of us by living what your grandfather told you: “If you take care of the land, it will take care of you.”
