Join Our Medical Assistant Apprenticeship Program

Tanana Chiefs Conference is looking for motivated individuals to join our health care team, while attending virtual classes weekly for 1 year to become a Certified Clinical Medical Assistant. Join our Grow Our Own” MA Apprenticeship Program and get excited about joining the health care field with paid full-time employment and hands on learning! This is a competitive program and …

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MMIP Tribal Working Group Continues Efforts to Establish Response Plan

Recently, Tanana Chiefs Conference (TCC), Fairbanks Native Association (FNA) and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) kicked off meetings and listening sessions to work toward the development of a Tribal Community Response Plan, which will serve as a roadmap on the best way to respond to Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) cases in the future. A tribal working group …

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Improving TCC’s Patient Travel and Housing Experience

Over the past year, Tanana Chiefs Conference (TCC) has heard many concerns from our patients regarding the patient travel and housing process. We wanted to share some information on what we have been doing to improve these experiences. Closing the Willow House Recently, TCC made the decision to close the Willow House, our patient hotel. This decision was not taken …

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Art Invoking Action – Homeless Memorial Shelf Housed at TCC Facility

Fairbanks’ first annual Homeless Persons Memorial, hosted in collaboration between local non-profits, Bread Line, Inc., the Cold Climate Housing Research Center (CCHRC), and Tanana Chiefs Conference (TCC), honored the lives of Alaska’s overlooked population – unhoused individuals. Taking place at the Chief David Salmon Tribal Hall on winter solstice, the event also unveiled a thought-provoking piece of functional art created …

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Update from the NCAI Mid-Year Convention

In June, Tanana Chiefs Conference leadership attended the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) Mid-Year Convention in Prior Lake, Minnesota. During the meeting, TCC submitted a resolution titles ‘Improvements to Grid Resilience Grants for Tribal Nations’ which asks NCAI to call on the US Department of Energy to administer the 40101d program in a way that recognizes the sovereign rights …

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TCC Travels to DC to Oppose Ambler Road

In May, Chief/Chairman Brian Ridley, Vice-President Sharon Hildebrand and TCC staff joined the Defend the Brooks Range Coalition’s recent “fly in” to Washington, DC. The trip is part of the ongoing advocacy efforts to oppose the construction of the Ambler Road. The Coalition is headed by the National Parks Conservation Association, and other partners include tribal members from Ambler, Kobuk …

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Tanana Chiefs Holds First Ever Food Security Summit

On May 23rd 2023, Tanana Chiefs Conference (TCC) leadership gathered at Effie Kokrine Charter School with tribal communities and local stakeholders in TCC’s first ever Food Security Summit, which resulted from the request of TCC’s Full Board of Directors per resolution 2022-11. The goal of the summit is to work towards identifying and improving access to healthy foods in rural …

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Emerging Leader – Esther O’Brien

Esther O’Brien is an advocate for self-improvement and is a supporter of secondary education. Esther was raised in Nenana with her eight siblings. She is the daughter of the late Matt O’Brien Jr. and Lily O’Brien (Swenning) Her great grandparents are the late Salvin Adams and the late Charlotte Adams (Cruikshank) of Beaver. Her maternal grandparents are the late Paul …

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CHA Spotlight -Sheena Tanner

When Sheena Tanner last appeared in this newsletter, in January of 2020, she was an itinerant health aide. Today she is back, only this time she is a CHAP Trainer, helping others pursue their dreams of medical careers. Her employment history with Tanana Chiefs perfectly illustrates that you can start out with no experience in the health field and, with …

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Honor the Salmon

On July 10th at 12:00pm AKST, we are asking everyone to show up along any body of water and join us by praying, dancing, and singing. We are hoping to honor our salmon by having all body of waters hear our prayers. If you have any questions, please contact Shannon Erhart, or Janessa Newman. Share Your Photo With Us!