He was an associate professor of education at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks until his death in 2011.
[1] Kawagley's 1995 book A Yupiaq Worldview: a Pathway to Ecology and Spirit[2] was an attempt to reconcile indigenous and Western worldviews from an indigenous perspective, and was an important contribution to the field of ethnoecology.
In the book he developed the concept of "indigenous methodology", explaining how western science can benefit from native ways of understanding and vice versa.
[3] Oscar's acting career included a major role in the independent 1991 film Salmonberries, starring k.d.
He appeared in the television show Northern Exposure, and contributed his voice to the elderly Denahi in the 2003 Disney film Brother Bear.