Last month, the Alaska Federation of Natives held their Annual Convention where Tanana Chiefs Conference submitted six resolutions – two of which focused specifically on the conservation and protection of salmon. The resolutions were Resolution 2022-2, a resolution requesting the Alaska Department of Fish and Game support measures that decrease intercept of Chinook and Chum Salmon in Area M affecting …
In October, the Department of the Interior and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) held a tribal consultation meeting with Tribal leaders and subsistence fisherman on fisheries protection and restoration. The meeting included the Department of the Interior Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks Shannon Estenoz, Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Bryan Newland, as well as other …
Tanana Chiefs Conference recently comprised a video series on food sovereignty in collaboration with the First Nations Development Institute, and we are excited to begin circulating them. Each of the videos focuses on different facets of the importance of food sovereignty in Alaska’s rural villages; with common themes of cultural identity and the need to preserve the habitats of wildlife …
Tanana Chiefs Conference (TCC) leadership had the opportunity to host a meeting with Secretary Deb Halaand. Chief/Chairman Brian Ridley met with Secretary Halaand along with Vice-President Sharon Hildebrand, Secretary/Treasurer Charlie Wright, Chief Rhonda Pitka of Beaver, Chief Karma Ulvi of Eagle, Chief Nancy James of Gwichyaa Zhee (Fort Yukon) and Julie Roberts-Hyslop of Tanana. The Chiefs focused on the Yukon …
Budget Woes… The Governor dropped his budget today. It has a lot of vague description – look for $294.6 million in undesignated cuts, a future bond package, a full PFD, and a massive raid on the earnings reserve. Press release here. Battle lines are drawn in race to organize It was just a few short years ago when we all …
PCE and Rural Alaska is in the hands of new lawmaker With the election results settled pending recounts, the question now becomes just how a divided House might organize. This is particularly important to Tanana Chiefs Conference as rural Alaska is in the crosshairs of the majority of Alaskan Republicans due to their insistence of using the PCE endowment to …
Biden Transition Team Includes Chickasaw Tribal member With the transfer of power taking place in our nation’s capital, the President-elect has charged a team with making recommendations for key positions within the soon to be President’s cabinet. Kevin Washburn, who served as the assistant secretary for Indian Affairs for the Obama/Biden administration, has been tapped to assist in leading a …
PROGRESS ACT signed…but no real progress President Donald Trump finally signed S.209, the Practical Reforms and Other Goals To Reinforce the Effectiveness of Self-Governance and Self-Determination for Indian Tribes Act, into law, a month after the bill cleared its final hurdle in Congress. S.209, also known as the PROGRESS Act, implements long-overdue reforms to help tribes exercise greater self-governance over …
First Presidential Debate President Trump and Vice President Biden had the first Presidential Debate of 2020 and it was…..not great. Moderator Chris Wallace of Fox News appeared to be babysitting at times when the two candidates both tried to speak over one another. Name-calling, family bashing, price-gouging, with a hint of racism mixed in. Story here and another here. President …
Murkowski writes NCAI a letter…tells them to shape up As you guys know there is a battle being waged over who gets COVID money that was set aside for “tribal governments”. Needless to say, lower 48 Tribes (and NCAI) were upset with Alaska Native Corporations tried to get in on the money. So upset that they took them to court. …