Dear Tribal Leaders and Tribal Members,
Last month, I traveled to Anchorage to attend our Executive Board Meeting, the Tribal Unity Gathering, and the Alaska Federation of Natives (AFN) Annual Convention. It was an important week for collaboration, discussion, and strengthening relationships across our Tribal network and with our partners statewide.
Our Executive Board Meeting went very well. We had several key guest speakers join us for meaningful discussions, including Commissioner of Public Safety James Cockrell and his staff, who spoke with the Board and answered questions about public safety and Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) issues. We also welcomed Natasha Singh, President of the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC), along with her staff, to talk with our Board about ongoing challenges with water and sewer infrastructure across our region. We deeply appreciate both Commissioner Cockrell and President Singh for taking the time to meet with us for these important conversations.
The Tribal Unity Gathering was also a great success, featuring many insightful panels and speakers from across Alaska. I want to recognize Chief Ivan Demientieff of Grayling, who serves on our Executive Board as the Lower Yukon Subregional Representative, for representing TCC on the panel “Voting for Our Ways of Life: Protecting Our Subsistence Rights.” During my National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) report, I also had the honor of inviting NCAI President Mark Macarro to address the Tribal leaders in attendance. I sincerely appreciate President Macarro for taking the time to join us and share his words of encouragement and unity.
Finally, this year marked a significant milestone as Tanana Chiefs Conference and Doyon, Limited rejoined the Alaska Federation of Natives. It was good to be back—standing together with our brothers and sisters from across the state to focus on the challenges and opportunities that unite us. We were proud to see strong Interior representation throughout the convention, including Natasha Singh delivering this year’s keynote address, Sam Demientieff of Holy Cross being recognized as Elder of the Year, and Rev. Dr. Anna Frank of Minto receiving the Citizen of the Year Award.
I also want to congratulate Sharon Hildebrand on being elected as the Interior Village Representative for AFN through unanimous consent of the caucus—and extend my gratitude to outgoing representative Pearl Chanar for her years of dedicated service.
TCC submitted four resolutions at this year’s convention, all of which passed on the floor. One supports restoring Mount Foraker’s Indigenous name, Deenaalee Be’ot. Another affirms support for Alaska Native realty programs and calls for greater Tribal control over land probate and realty services. A third calls for mandatory Indigenous orientation and cultural awareness training for all public officials and staff upon entering service. The final resolution reaffirms our ongoing commitment to Tribal sovereignty and self-determination across all levels of government.
To learn more about this year’s AFN Annual Convention and TCC’s resolutions, read this article.
Mahsi’ Choo,
Chief Brian Ridley
Tanana Chiefs Conference