The University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s Sequoyah National Research Center (SNRC) has acquired the Jeanie Greene Collection from television journalist Jeanie Greene of Anchorage, Alaska.

Throughout her career, Greene has conducted a wide variety of research projects on Alaska Native cultures and individuals within those cultures.

By encouraging indigenous people to tell their own stories, she created a genre of television never before seen in American broadcast media. “Heartbeat Alaska,” an award-winning program, brings the viewer deep into rural towns and small villages across the state.

“The decision to archive my past programs was an easy one,” said Greene.

“I wanted to be able to share the video with the world, and the Sequoyah National Research Center was happy to do that. I will continue to produce Alaska Native documentaries and movies as well as pursue my academic goals, knowing past programs are in safe hands.”

Mark Trahant, Atwood chair at the University of Alaska Anchorage and former SNRC advisory board member, said that prior to 1990, native life in Alaska received little media coverage.

“But Greene’s approach of basically turning over a camera to a community changed the tone and the content,” he said.

The collection was acquired with the aid of Tony Rose, former assistant director of the SNRC.

UALR’s Sequoyah National Research Center is dedicated to the collection and preservation of all forms of Native American expression. Located in the University Plaza, it has served as an archive for Native Americans since 1983.

For more information on the SNRC or the Jeanie Greene collection, contact Erin Fehr at ehfehr@ualr.edu or Jeanie Greene at jeaniegreene@ak.net.