Mary Jane Fate

Sept 4, 1933 -

Apr 10, 2020

Athabascan elder and statewide leader Mary Jane Fate passed away peacefully in Fairbanks, Alaska, on April 10, 2020, Good Friday, with her husband of 65 years, Bud, by her side. She was 86.

Mary Jane Evans was born in Rampart, Alaska, on Sept. 4, 1933. She was born into a subsistence life on the Yukon River, with a deep love for the land and her Athabascan culture. Overcoming adversity at a young age, she worked tirelessly to improve all aspects of Alaska Natives' lives. She became one of the most inspirational statewide and national leaders who founded and served on a remarkable number of organizations and personally touched so many lives.

After graduating from Mt. Edgecumbe Boarding High School in 1952, Mary Jane became one of the first Alaska Native women to attend the University of Alaska Fairbanks. There, she met the love of her life, Hugh "Bud" Fate, a young Army veteran who had worked on the oil rigs in Umiat. They were married in 1954 in Fairbanks and together, raised their family, built a dental practice, commercial and subsistence fished at their Yukon River fishcamp, and became involved in statewide politics. They were the ultimate team, providing dentistry to rural villages together, even serving on the University Board of Regents for a combined 24 years, both earning Honorary Doctorates later from UAF. Their home was open to so many dear cousins who lived there and who became a beloved part of the family, too.

Mary Jane was a trailblazer; she lived a lifetime of firsts. She was one of the few women who successfully lobbied Congress for the 1971 Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. She was the first president of her ANCSA village corporation, Baan o Yeel Kon, and served 40 years in every role. She helped found the Tundra Times newspaper, the Fairbanks Native Association and the North American Indian Women's Association, and led a national program to address child abuse, sexual assault and violence towards Native women. She was the first woman co-chair of the Alaska Federation of Natives; the first Alaska Native woman on the Alaska Judicial Council; and the first Native to be appointed by the President to the U.S. Arctic Research Commission. She co-founded the Breast Cancer Detection Center and received a Presidential award for bringing mammograms to rural Alaska. She served 25 years on the board of Alaska Airlines, the first Alaska Native woman to do so.

Mary Jane received many honors, including: AFN's Citizen of the Year; Doyon's Citizen of the Year; and the Alaska Women's Hall of Fame. As a leader and advocate, she led purely from her heart, with love for her state and its people.

Most important to Mary Jane, was being mother and grandmother to her family, whom she loved fiercely, taught them her knowledge of Athabascan culture, and showed how to live life with kindness and service to others.

Mary Jane is survived by her husband, former State Representative Hugh "Bud" Fate; her daughters, Janine Avner (Correy), Jennifer Velaise (Jean Louis) and Julie Sullivan (Dan); 12 beloved grandchildren; sisters, Alice Phillips (Norman) and Lilly Evans; and 15 nieces and nephews. Funeral and potlatch will be held later in Fairbanks.