Born on Kamchatka land, Russia, Tatiana Degai was raised on the traditional grounds with the Itelmen people. Her life, work, and research are inspired by a rich heritage, worldviews, and wisdom of her people and Indigenous communities, whose traditional lands she had the honor to visit and live on. Her formal education is in Anthropology from the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, and a doctorate of American Indian Studies at University of Arizona. She is currently an assistant professor at the department of Anthropology, University of Victoria, British Columbia, and an affiliate assistant professor of the Arctic Indigenous Studies at the Arctic, Remote, and Cold Territories, Interdisciplinary Center (ARCTICenter), at the University of Northern Iowa. Her research centers around Indigenous visions to sustainability, Indigenous languages, and Indigenous arts. She maintains a strong connection with the Council of Itelmens of Kamchatka “Tkhsanom,” working on language and culture revitalization, and community well-being.