Location of controls depends on the specific brand and model of unit.

My GE Arctica (side-by-side, 9 years old) has the freezer and refrigerator controls together on a panel mounted at top edge of the refrigerator section, visible/accessible when the door is open. There are no controls in the freezer compartment.

Not uncommon nowadays that upper-end units have the control panel on outside of the door, often as part of the ice/water dispenser.

Lower-end top-freezer units may have a thermostat in the refrigerator section, and an air diverter control in the freezer section which varies how much of the circulating freezer air is sent into the refrigerator section. This is apparently what is on your unit. The air control is at the rear wall of the freezer because it's a mechanical control that directly operates the air diverter at the fan.

The first three digits of Kenmore model numbers (before the period) indicates the manufacturing source. Translation of the coding can be found at various online sites. Here's one: Who Makes Sears Kenmore?