| Willie Kasayulie | |
| Birth Date: | 1 June 1951 |
| Birth Place: | Fairbanks, Alaska, U.S. |
| Education: | Chemawa Indian School |
| Occupation: | Tribal leader, politician, commercial fisherman |
Willie Kasayulie (born June 1, 1951) is an American tribal leader, politician, and commercial fisherman who served as a Yup'ik chief and co-chair of the Alaska Federation of Natives.
Kasayulie was born June 1, 1951, in Fairbanks, Alaska.[1] He was raised in Akiachak, Alaska.[2] At the age of 13, he left his hometown to attend boarding school.[3] He went to Chemawa Indian School and later a high school in Vermont. He returned to Alaska in 1971 and served in the Alaska Army National Guard for seven years.
By 1988, Kasayuli was a tribal leader and commercial fisherman.
In 1990, he was chairman of the Association of Village Council Presidents (AVCP).[4] He was co-chair of the Alaska Federation of Natives from 1992 to 1993.[5] Kasayulie is proponent of the tribal sovereignty in Alaska and served as chief of Yupiit nation, a coalition of 13 villages. He resigned as AVCP chairman in 1994 citing disagreements with president Myron Naneng.[6]
In 1996, Kasayulie, a registered Democrat, ran as an Independent to the Alaska House of Representatives district 39, challenging Democratic incumbent Ivan Ivan.[7] Mary Peltola served as his campaign manager.[8]
In 2020, Kasayulie was awarded an honorary doctorate in education by the University of Alaska Fairbanks, Kuskokwim Campus.[9]