The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) held its 2025 Annual Convention last month, bringing Tribal leaders, advocates, and partners from across the country together to advance policies that strengthen Tribal sovereignty and support Native communities. This year’s gathering saw a strong and unified Alaska presence, with over 100 delegates from across the state participating in key discussions and decision-making sessions.
Tanana Chiefs Conference (TCC) is proud to share that Chief Brian Ridley was re-elected to another two-year term as the NCAI Alaska Area Vice-President. Clinton Cook was also re-elected as Alternate Vice-President. Both were nominated by the Alaska Caucus and ran unopposed, reflecting the trust and confidence Alaska’s Tribal leaders have in their continued leadership at the national level.
During his address to the Convention, Chief Ridley emphasized the importance of unity, stating, “We need to be united to get through the challenges ahead. Alaska has 45 percent of the Tribes in the Nation but is only 7 percent of the NCAI Board.”
TCC brought forward several important resolutions for consideration:
- Restoring and protecting natural site names with historic and cultural significance to Native communities
- Upholding federal trust responsibilities to Tribal Head Start and Early Head Start programs
- Retaining subsistence access to wild foods on BLM ANCSA 17(d)(1) public lands
- Requiring mandatory Indigenous orientation and cultural awareness training for all elected, appointed, and hired government officials and staff
- Supporting continued expansion and proper implementation of the Public Law 102-477 Program
You can see a full list of the resolutions passed at https://www.ncai.org/resolutions
TCC will continue working with NCAI, Alaska Tribes, and federal partners to move these priorities forward and advocate for meaningful action.
