Facebook video 1634061471462801

I have been— they have provided English for me.

Can I— I have a sparkly blazer that has a little bit of sparkle in it, just a little bit. Can I wear that tomorrow, or is that a no-no for TV? Okay, okay.

I'm Michael Orr, a commercial banker with Wells Fargo in Anchorage. More importantly, I'm proud to be Siberian Yup'ik and a shareholder of Sitnasok Native Corporation and Bering Straits Native Corporation. It is an honor to welcome you to the 60th Annual Convention of the Alaska Federation of Natives. On behalf of Wells Fargo, Welcome to this special gathering. Wells Fargo is honored once again to support this convention and the important work AFN does to strengthen Native communities across Alaska.

Wells Fargo has proudly served tribes, tribal-owned enterprises, and Alaska Native corporations for more than 65 years. We maintain banking relationships with 1 in 3 federally recognized Native American, and Alaska Native tribes in the United States. Our current credit commitments total $5.6 billion, and we hold $4 billion in deposits for tribal governments and tribal-owned enterprises nationally, including those in Alaska. This year's theme, Rooted in Land and Tradition, Rising in Our Voices, resonates deeply with me. Our land grounds us.

Our traditions connect us, and our voices help carry our communities forward. As an Alaska Native and a longtime AFN participant, I've seen how our shared experiences can help shape a stronger future. This convention is an important tradition for me personally. I have attended on behalf of Wells Fargo since 1998. We are grateful for the opportunity to listen, to learn, and to partner with Alaska Native communities throughout our state.

We were also proud to support the First Alaskan Institute's Elders and Youth Conference, which brings together thousands of participants to share knowledge, culture, language, and ideas across generations. In August, we opened a new Wells Fargo branch on Denali Street in Anchorage. To mark the occasion, we announced $500,000 in grants to 3 Alaska nonprofits: the Alaska Small Business Development Center, Covenant House Alaska, and Housing Alaskans. In Homer and Fairbanks, we also hosted events with Mike Rowe, host of the television show Dirty Jobs and an advocate for the skilled trades. At those events, Wells Fargo donated $250,000 to AVTEC and $250,000 to the Fairbanks Pipeline Training Center to support workforce development.

These investments are about more than dollars. They're about opening doors, building skills, and helping Alaskans create stronger futures close to home. As we gather over the next several days, I hope you'll share your perspectives, learn from one another, and help shape the future of Alaska Native communities. When we honor where we come from and raise our voices together, we help create a stronger Alaska for the generations that follow. Thank you for being here, and thank you for all you do on behalf of your communities.

Hoiyana.

Welcome to the 2026 Alaska Federation of Natives Convention. Rooted in land and tradition, rising in our voices. Today's statewide live television broadcast This program is made possible with the generous support from Vote Today, GCI, Visit Anchorage, No On 2, and 49th State PAC. Also made possible by the following.

Now let's go to the convention. Live from Anchorage, Alaska.

Good morning. Welcome to the 60th annual anniversary of the AFN Convention. We're being broadcast, webcast live here at the Denaina Center in Anchorage, Alaska. This year's theme is rooted in land and tradition, rising in our voices. 60Th anniversary, I can't believe this.

AFN Convention is often affectionately referred to as a lot of fun natives or Native New Year, and it really is true. We sort of adjust our calendar to the AFN Convention. We all look forward to it. There are thousands of people that come and attend, go look at the arts and crafts exhibitors, watch the dance groups, Guayana 1 and 2, which will be held tonight and tomorrow night from 7 to 11 PM. This is definitely, you know, the largest convention in the state and one of the largest convening of indigenous people in the entire United It's a huge deal.

I just wanted to point out that we saw earlier a welcome video from Mike Orr with Wells Fargo. Nice to see Mike. I know that he was— he attended Elders and Youth 25 years ago or maybe 30 years ago. He was a delegate, a youth representative, excuse me, for the YK Delta because he lived and grew up in Bethel. So while he says that he's St. Lawrence Island, and he definitely is by heritage, we still claim him in the Chilista region.

Mike Orr grew up with all of us. So we're going to go to a dance performance this morning before a visit Anchorage welcome video, and then Gayla Haaseth from Dillingham and Joe Nelson from Yakutat, now lives in Juneau, are the co-chairs this year. Joe Nelson is not running this year, so there will be a new co-chair elected by, by Saturday. So there are 3 people running for that. We can— we'll chat about that later.

But I'm really happy that Gayla— this is her first year. She's been a rising superstar for decades. I knew her probably 35 years ago when I worked at YKHC and she worked at Bristol Bay Area Health Corporation. So she's been around a long time. She's very, very well-versed in fisheries and other things.

So I'm really looking forward to how she co-chairs AFN throughout the next couple of years. There'll be posting of colors, the national anthem, invocation, recognition of major sponsors. Without our sponsors, this would be really hard, you know, to be able to get a convention like this up and running. We're expecting a 49th State PAC welcome video, welcome from Dena'ina leaders. If you were here the last couple of days or watching, Elders and Youth started on Sunday and concluded yesterday.

We heard from Erin Leggett and Michael Curry, who are the President and the board chair of Eklutna, as we are on their lands. We'll have a welcome from Anchorage's mayor, the municipality of Anchorage's mayor, Suzanne LaFrance. This is— I mean, AFN is sort of a big deal. We hear from congressional delegation, we hear from the Bush Caucus. I mean, everybody's— everybody in the state knows about AFN.

Dr. Rosita Worl will give a keynote address. Governor—. The outgoing Governor Mike Dunleavy will provide a welcome video. Make sure you guys go out and vote.

Ben Mallott, AFN President, will provide a report. We'll have U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski here. We'll have the Denali and Citizen of the Year awards, and then this afternoon session will be started off by the Tigeagik Traditional Dance Group. As you know, they have performed here for many, many years and are a crowd favorite during Koyaanisqatsiin Alaska.

I hope that they are one of the performers either tonight or tomorrow night, 7 PM. I'll get that list and chat about that later. We're going to hear from the IHS Director, the Indian Health Service Director, Supreme Court Justice Jude Pate, U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan will be presenting at 2:00, followed by U.S. Representative Nick Begich. Chairman John Lowery from the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina will be here.

And then Julie Kitka, Anna Hoffman, Nelson Angabuk, Elam Nadi, and Willie Hensley are going to give a presentation on the past 60 years of AFN, the decisions that shaped AFN, and they're going to provide a special Tionek recognition. If you were tuning into the Elders and Youth Conference earlier this week, Willie Hensley, the board of trustees chair for First Alaskans, mentioned Tyonek's participation, particularly a gentleman in Seward who financed his house to help get AFN started and get participation. That's really, I mean, just incredible, but that's really what it takes for the Alaska Native community. We have to support each other. Even 60 years later, whether that's mentoring others or just, you know, supporting each other.

Justice and Public Safety Initiative, No One Too presentation. And then Investigator Lonnie Piscoia— oh, that, that is a, a Nome last name, I believe— he's going to talk about murder and missing Indigenous persons with the Alaska State Troopers, and that's at 4:30 today for a half-hour presentation, and then we conclude at 5:00 PM. And then, and then Huyaanen Night begins at 7:00. And I did just want to add, for those of you that are viewing on TV, you're watching us on KTOO 360 TV, ARC statewide, or RATNET for all of you that have been around for a minute or two. And then on the KTOO app, You can also watch us on Roku and Apple TV.

Native— and then for the livestream, nativefederation.org, you'll be able to watch the livestream as well as AFN's LinkedIn and Facebook. So we'll make sure that we publicize that several times throughout the next couple of days, but go— I heard them say that they went live about 8:20, so make sure that you go to nativefederation.org, LinkedIn, or Facebook Live. I am hearing Joe Nelson in the background, but he's going to be introducing the dance group.

Dinaina ishla. It's a 20-minute dance.

Okay, well, we'll be back in a few minutes and we're going to go watch this dance group for the next 20 minutes. Good morning, everyone. 9:00. And between now and then, we've got Danae Islan. So let's have them— let's give them a big round of applause for our morning performance here.

The first order this morning is to do a land acknowledgement for the land we're on. Anabaasi ko gnaakdana asnaanaaka. Gnaakko kazavli jahaboges tohouskaa. Kooshoo hujoon chikan kanaskawalos. We're honored to be on the land of the Nainaa people, and we hope that we have good conversation on their land.

Our group is Dena'esh Laan. We come from all the tribes from interior Alaska. We represent many different villages. Under the guidance of our elders, we came together to bring back many of the old songs that were sung throughout the interior at our different ceremonies. Gatherings and to carry forward these songs and traditions into the future.

And it's an honor for us to welcome everyone to AFN this year with a few of our songs from throughout the interior this morning.

If anybody wants to dance, you're more than welcome to, like, come on. Don't be shy.

Come on, wake up!

Thank you guys very much.

We're gonna do our exit song. We'll be performing tomorrow night at 8:30, so come and watch us again. Thank you very much. 8 O'clock. 8 O'clock.

For generations, Anchorage has been a place to gather. From Eklutna to Ship Creek to Beluga Point, it's a place to share ideas, stories, and traditions. For 60 years, AFN has united people across the the state to shape the conversations that matter, reconnect with friends and family, and celebrate culture and community. It's time to honor the past and empower the future, rooted in land and traditions. Anchorage and AFN have partnered to bring Alaskans together.

As we celebrate 60 years, Visit Anchorage is proud to honor the legacy and be part of what comes Welcome to Anchorage. We're glad you're here.

Good morning. Good morning. How about one more round of applause for our relatives in the Interior for warming us up on the dance— on the stage here.

My name is Joe Nelson. My Tlingit name is Kaxhuku. I'm a brown bear from Yakutat, Tlingit, child of the Kwaska Kwan. Happy to be co-chair here with— my English name is Joe Nelson, and very happy to introduce fellow co-chair here, Gayla, to do the opening for us. Good morning, everybody.

My name is Gayla Hossett. I'm the first chief at Chugach Tribal Council located in Dillingham, representing the Bristol Bay region, and then also the new incoming co-chair this year. Thank you for being here. We'd like to call the meeting to order. Ladies and gentlemen, the 2026 Annual Convention of Alaska Federation is called to order.

Good morning and welcome to the 60th Annual Convention of the Alaska Federation of Natives. On behalf of the AFN Board of Directors, our Convention Committee, and the entire Alaska Federation of Natives, we are honored to welcome you to Anchorage and to this year's celebration. For 60 years, AFN has brought Alaska Native people together from across our great state and stand together, speak with one voice, and work toward a stronger future for our families, our communities, and our Alaska Native peoples. Our theme this year is Rooted in Land and Tradition, Rising in Our Voices, reflects both who, where we, where we come from and where we are going. We are grounded in the lands, waters, cultures, languages, traditions, and teachings that have sustained our people for generations, and we are rising together to ensure that our voices continue to shape the future of Alaska.

This convention is a time to celebrate how far we have come, but it's also a time to do the work before us. We will hear from our elders, our leaders, our young people, and our communities. We will discuss the issues that matter most to Alaska Native people and consider the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. Most importantly, this is a gathering of people who care deeply about our communities and our future.

As we begin this 60th convention, we invite everyone in this room to participate, to listen, to share your perspective, and to engage in the important conversations ahead. Thank you for being here, for the work you do every day in your communities, and for helping carry forward the legacy of the Alaska Association of Natives. Welcome to the 60th Annual AFN Convention. Let us begin. Let's give a round of applause for everybody for being here.

We're going to cover some safety moments. So before we begin, we're going to talk about convention safety. AFN staff have been working closely with the Diné Na Center staff the Anchorage Police and Fire Departments and other municipal departments to help create a safe environment for AFN delegates and participants. Your safety is a top priority for all of us. I'm sure you noticed the metal detectors, the safety staff, the security staff on your way into the convention center.

The AFN board supports these safety precautions because the safety of our delegates, guests, and staff and all the conventions, um, are very important, um, to all of our participants.

We are doing everything we can to balance safety and security with the positive, welcoming, and productive spirit that we know so well and have come to expect at the AFN Convention. In the event of an emergency, natural disaster, or fire, the Dena'ina Intercenter's safety systems will activate. Strobe lights will be accompanied by an announcement directing us to proceed calmly to the nearest exit. Please continue to the next nearest lighted exit until you are in an exit stairwell. There are stairwells at each corner of the building, and Denaina Center staff are trained to assist you.

The designated Munster point is outside the building at the City Hall parking lot across the street. So, right over that way. In the event of a medical emergency, the Denaina Center is equipped with 2 AED devices. 1 In the 3rd floor lobby and 1 in the 1st floor first aid room. In the event of an earthquake, the safest thing to do is to sit on the floor and move away from windows or areas where glass could fall.

Do not attempt to exit the building during an earthquake. This building is the safest place to be. Please stay out of lobby areas, away from glass escalators. And elevators during an earthquake. Most importantly, please remain calm, listen to instructions from Dena'ina Center staff and emergency personnel, and look out for one another.

Next, we're going to be covering our code of conduct. As we talk about safety, we also want to take a moment to remind about everyone's AFN code of conduct. This convention brings together thousands of people with different experiences, perspectives, and opinions. That diversity is one of our strengths. We encourage respect, dialogue, meaningful debate, and a free exchange of ideas.

We ask everyone to treat one another with dignity and respect throughout the convention. Please listen to one another, allow others the opportunity to be heard, and engage in disagreement respectively. Harassment, discrimination, threats, intimidation, or disruptive behavior have no place at the AFN Convention. Our goal is to provide a safe, welcoming, and respectful environment where everyone can participate fully. By being here, we all share the responsibility to uphold these expectations and to help create the kind of gathering that honors our people, our elders, our communities, and our traditions.

Most importantly, this is a gathering of people who care deeply about our communities and our future. As we begin the 60th Convention, we invite everyone in this room to participate, to listen, and engage in important conversations that are coming ahead. Thank you again for being here, for the work you do every day in your communities. Again, and for helping carry forward the legacy of Alaska Federation of Natives. Welcome to the 60th Annual AFN Convention.

Now I'll turn it over to Joe for some announcements.

So in a moment we're going to post the colors, so if there are any veterans in the crowd here, you should muster in the back there with Benno and Buzz. But we're going to get through a couple announcements, but in a moment we will post the colors. I'm just letting folks know. Veterans should be gathering in the back here. But first, I do have a list of announcements.

Registration is open right now. I registered. I think we all should register. This is a public event, but as you know, we all come here, we're all elected, we're all delegates, and we've got work to do. So make sure you register and pick up your, your packet downstairs.

The AFN media booth, the check-in and passport info booth is on the second floor. The PeopleMover bus. It's free this week, or right now, I guess, during the— but you have to have your badge. So free rides on the bus, have your badge. Delegates, remember to sit with your region.

Sometimes they shift a bit, but find your region. It's easier just to manage when we stick together in our regions. This is the most important one that you're going to hear every time somebody gets on this mic. Early voting is happening right now across the street, and everyone in here, no matter where you're registered, registered. If you have your ID, you show up, show them your ID, they will print your ballot from wherever you're at, and you can vote today and for the next few days until November 3rd across the street.

The app—. Everybody has the gadgets— you can figure out what's going on. I think you can watch this live streaming on your phone, so download the app. A lot of things happen on the apps there. Here's an important one to me, um, Oh, let's see here.

Is it the second floor? Not sure which floor is second floor. Room 5, Elizabeth Pratovich Legal Clinic. So, um, I'm a president of Alaska Legal Services for quite a number of years. A free legal aid happening from 11:30 to 2:30 on the second floor, uh, with the help of a bunch of partners and a bunch of lawyers that are willing to help deal with our issues that we got to deal with.

Caucuses are happening. Find, uh, your board member. Or talk to an AFN booth to figure out where the time is of your caucus and the location. A couple more here. Hospitality room for the veterans and elders.

That one is on the first floor. Coffee service is being provided by The Nature Conservancy. So thank you to TNC for the coffee for the elders. Finally, another important one, the DMV and the Department of State Passport Services and Vital Statistics Uh, looks like you can get your Real ID done as well as copies of your birth certificate. That's outside the ballroom on the third floor.

So that's up here on the third floor, sounds like. So everybody needs a Real ID, as we know, so we can get that done. A lot of business we can get done here today. So make sure you vote, get your Real ID. Uh, and one more important announcement and introduction.

Is Jaylene in the room?

Have we seen Jaylene yet? So we haven't. We'll wait till she comes back. But Jaylene, so we can have her pop up here when she gets here, our parliamentarian. She's not new to the venue or new to us, but I'll wait till she comes, gets into the room.

So we'll fold her introduction in a little bit. I'm going to look to the back and ask Benno and Buzz to give a signal if you're ready back there. Are you guys ready?

Let's go ahead and direct our attention to Ben Mallott and the team of our veterans for the posting of the colors. So please rise, folks.

Omde omde darunga.

Please join us. O say can you see by the dawn's early light Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight, O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming. At the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air, gave proof through the night that our flag was still there. O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave. All right, arms, flag bearer, present the post colors.

Hold!

Colors.

Black Bears, rejoin formation.

Veterans, present arms. Order arms.

About face. Honor and salute.

I would like to give thanks to Sleeping Lady Drum Group. I believe this is the first time we've done it here at AFN, come in with a flag song and then honoring our veterans. For the veterans that are standing down there in formation, that honoring song was to honor each and every one of you for the sacrifices you have rendered this nation and our people. You sacrificed so we as a people could celebrate life together. Different languages, different cultures, but we come together as one people in this nation.

And it's because of your sacrifice. One of the things I'd like to do is let everybody know out there, just for out of curiosity, how many here have family members that are veterans or in the military active? Raise your hands, please. Take a look around.

To the military history. We are very patriotic people. We believe in taking care of our land and our people. And I thank our veterans for the sacrifices they've rendered. Some of them come back home from wars, they have emotional and mental illnesses.

Others come back, they've shed blood and sacrificed. And when we get ready to march out, what I'd like to do is I'd like to ask each and every one of you to let them know that you care and love and respect them for their service and give them a big round of applause, scream and holler, whistle, whatever you want to do, but let them know that they're cared for and loved.

So I'm going to be rejoining the formation, and when we march out of here, I want to hear that. But I want to thank everybody for being here today, for being here this week and having a good convention. Make some good, wise, and strong choices for our people and our way of life so we can continue this 100 years from now.

One more thing I'd like to put out there. If we have any young, young veterans out there, we need to have you come join us. You know, the World War II veterans, they waited and waited and they kept going on and are getting gray hair like us Vietnam veterans are now. Well, now the Vietnam veterans, we're getting gray hair and we're waiting on you younger ones. So please join up with us so you can carry on what we continue to carry on for the World War II veterans.

Thank you.

Good morning.

For those of you that are able, stand up.

Let's hold a moment of silence for the loss of our loved ones since the last AFN convention.

Adah v'chelagam shekher ni, ilu'umun takum tshutach din.

Our gracious Heavenly Father, You are truly gracious unto us.

Our Heavenly Father, We thank you for our veterans who sacrificed their time when they were serving in active duty. We thank you, Lord, that they continue to serve us as part of the Alaska Native Veterans Council and all other organizations.

Father, we can— we ask that you'll provide traveling mercies for the delegates who are attending this AFN convention.

We ask that you'll provide protection for them from any and all harm and any and all evil during their time in Anchorage.

A lot has happened since the last AFN Convention. As an example, this morning we had some veterans joining us from the village of Kipnuk, Tunt, and other areas that were impacted by the typhoon.

Many of them lost everything except their lives and what they had on. Yet, by Your mercy, only few— three— only three perished, two are found, and may the last one be found at Your time.

Father, this convention's theme is rooted in land and tradition, Raising Our Voices.

We thank AFN for organizing this convention and wish that you'll— we ask you that you, Lord, will bestow your blessing upon the speakers and the participants who are involved in this convention.

And as we move forward, lead us and guide us in such a manner that what we do will be done according to your will.

We ask this in the name of our Lord and our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Amen. Thank you.

That's always the favorite part of convention for me, and I know for all of us. Thank you to everybody who has served and continues to serve today. Um, now we would like to take a moment to introduce our AFN board members. So if you currently serve on the AFN board, please stand. We could recognize you.

I just want to say the leadership that we have at the AFN board level, these leaders are representing your guys' regions, um, during our meetings, and it's just an honor to work with each and every one of you. And I'd like to have everybody give us a big round of applause for our board members.

It's a really fun group of people. So, kwayana. Now for recognition of our major sponsors. We would not be able to put on this event without our sponsors. We would like to thank GCI, Visit Anchorage, No On 2, Midnight Sun Independence Fund, and the 49th State PAC for their generous support of the AFN Convention.

At the Denali sponsorship level, we would like to thank AARP, Alaska Airlines, Alaska Communications, Alaska Pollock Fishery Alliance, ConocoPhillips Alaska, Chugiak/Nana, Rasmussen Foundation, the Whaler Casino Supply, and Wells Fargo for their Katmai Level sponsorship. Please give them a round of applause.

And we have a video that's going to play.

Welcome to the 60th AFN Convention. We are celebrating 60 years of strength, tradition, and voice. This year, your vote is part of that. Voting has begun. If you received a PFD, you're registered to vote.

No matter where you live in Alaska, if you're in Anchorage, you can vote at City Hall, steps from the Dena'ina Center. It's open weekdays, 8 AM to 5 PM, and this Saturday, 12 PM to 3 PM.

If you're watching from your village, find your early vote or Election Day location at iwillvote.com/ak. Questions about where or how to vote? Call 1-855-498-6837. Thank you and make your voice heard. Paid for by 49th State PAC.

We'd also like for a welcome from our Dena'ina leaders. We are pleased to introduce Aaron Aaron Leggett, President and Chair of the Native Village of Eklutna, and Mike Curry, Chairman and President, Eklutna Inc., to the stage to provide a welcome from the Dena'ina community. Aaron currently serves as the President of the Native Village of Eklutna. He is the Senior Curator of Alaska History and Indigenous Cultures at the Anchorage Museum and serves as an advisor to the Smithsonian's Arctic Center. He is a member of the Alaska State Museum Collections Committee, the Anchorage Sister Cities Commission, and serves on the board of directors for Cook Inlet Historical Society and the Alaska Historical Society.

He has played a vital role in Indigenous creation in Alaska and has authored numerous scholarly articles and co-authored publications about the Dena'ina language and people. Mike has been an Inklutna Inc. board member, where he has held the various positions of chairman, president, and vice president since 1990. With the establishment of Eklutna Services LLC, which graduated from its 8 government certification, he held the position of vice president and board member. Michael has been self-employed since 1982, where Little Bear Construction focuses on site excavation and other earthwork. Welcome, Erin and Mike.

Thank you.

Hello, everybody. I said nupurkuk in the Dena'ina Athabaskan. My name is Aaron Leggett. I have the honor of serving as the president of the Native Village of Eklutna. The Native Village of Eklutna is the only federally and someday state-recognized tribe here in the Municipality of Anchorage, and it's my honor to welcome you to the Denaina Convention Center.

I always love doing the welcome for AFN, especially in this building, because when I grew up in Anchorage, there was no talk of our people. The late Claire Swaney used to say we were the invisible people. We became invisible to outsiders and we became invisible to ourselves. But I'm proud to say that through the hard work of a lot of people, that is, that has changed. And being in this building for AFN is a testament to that.

I'd also like to say that this year AFN is celebrating its 60th year, and I want to do a special shout out to our Dena'ina relatives at the Native Village of Tyonek, who actually funded the very first gathering that became AFN. And so let's take a warm round of applause and thank Tyonek.

So with that, I again, I really just want to welcome you to our homeland. And while you're here in our traditional homeland, I should also say that we have the Chinan Gaming Hall located in North Birchwood. We'll be running shuttles Friday and Saturday from 4:00 PM till 11:00 PM. So if you haven't had a chance to come check it out, Please, we'd love to see you. Hopefully you'll win a little bit of money and know that you're supporting the Native Village of Eklutna.

So I just want to say, chinan guninu, thank you. You all came here today.

Hi, Mike Curry, President and Chair of Eklutna. I've also got Lee Stefan, Vice President, and Maria Coleman, one of the board members. I want to welcome you all. The one nice thing about this convention is to see a great turnout. So while we're here, we got good weather.

Meet friends and relatives, enjoy yourselves, and let's have a good convention. Thank you. You know, I want to say something to everybody, at least Stefan Kluten village. I always, in my time, start you out in a good way. I don't know about you, but 2 or 3 years now I've been putting up with advertisements, vote for me, vote for me.

Whoever controls the box there, you know, I don't like lies, innuendos, and half-truths.

So when the candidates get here, ball them out. Tell them, if you're going to run for office, You only tell the truth. You only tell what you're going to do. And you only tell what it is you have done. We don't want to hear all that other baloney.

When they get here, you do that for me.

I'm Maria Coleman, and I'm also a tribal member and do things for the tribe. I just want to give appreciation and hope that we continue teaching our young our histories, our stories. You don't know what they're teaching in school, and you— and they need to know who they are, and you've done that all these years, and just keep on doing it. Thank you.

One thing we all do know is that wherever you are, you're on Native land. So thank you to our local tribe, tribal leaders here for always welcoming us to our biggest village. Earlier I mentioned Jaylene Kuka. She's here right now. I just want her to stand up and say hello.

Jaylene is our parliamentarian. She's from Angoon. She's Dog Salmon, child Tikwedi. And we all love Jaylene. She's right now working with Van Espeldman and doing a lot of work for us at AFN, including being our parliamentarian today.

A couple more welcomes. A very important one who's also been leading our largest village here, Marilyn France. She grew up in Palmer. Her and her husband Dave and her 3 children live in South Anchorage. And I want to welcome Mayor LaFrance to the stage to offer the welcome for the city of Anchorage.

Good morning.

It is a tremendous honor to welcome you all to Anchorage for the Alaska Federation of Natives Convention, and I want to begin by acknowledging that we gather today on the traditional homelands of the Dena'ina people, who have cared for this land for thousands of years and continue to care for it today. We honor the Dena'ina past and present, and we thank them for allowing us to live, work, and gather here in their homeland. To the elders, tribal leaders, delegates, families, and visitors who have traveled from every corner of our state, welcome. Whether you've come from the North Slope, the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Southeast, Southwest, the Interior, or somewhere in between, we are so glad you are here. President Leggett says it better, but in Dena'ina, "Chinan guninyu," thank you, you came here.

And to those of you who call Anchorage home, I'm glad we're all here together. Every year AFN brings something very special to Anchorage. You can feel it in our downtown streets and businesses. You see old friends embracing, families reconnecting, and people celebrating traditions passed down through generations. This year's theme, rooted in land and tradition, Rising in Our Voices reminds us that the strength of Alaska Native communities comes from generations of knowledge, connection, and resilience.

As I stand before you this morning, I find myself thinking back to this gathering one year ago. I remember welcoming you all to Anchorage. Under circumstances none of us could have imagined just a few days earlier. Typhoon Halong had just devastated communities in western Alaska. Families had watched floodwaters rise around their homes.

Entire houses were torn from their foundations. People had been forced to leave behind their pets and belongings, their freezers full of food, their neighborhoods, and the places where generations of their families had lived. And while we were gathering here for AFN, thousands of our fellow Alaskans were facing an incredibly uncertain future.

I remember going to the Alaska Airlines Center to greet families arriving from Kipnuk and Kwigh. People were stunned. The trauma was so fresh. And a man who told me how he had been inside his home when the water rose and the entire house broke loose and began to drift away. I have thought about that conversation many times over the past year, and it's really hard not to feel those feelings.

And in those terrible days, Anchorage had a responsibility. We had a responsibility to open our doors, to welcome our neighbors, to help people find safety, shelter, and some measure of comfort. And that is what our community set out to do. The municipality played a big role in the emergency response, identifying and preparing shelter for evacuees alongside tribal organizations, state and federal agencies, nonprofits, and volunteers. Everyone worked long hours to help families find shelter, connect with services, and navigate an extraordinarily difficult situation.

I'm deeply proud of how our community answered that call. It was an extraordinary demonstration of what we can accomplish when we work together. But the greatest strength on display in those difficult days came from the people and communities who had suffered the most. For the families and communities affected by Typhoon Halong, the consequences have lasted far longer than the storm itself. Rebuilding a community is difficult.

Rebuilding infrastructure takes time. And restoring the sense of security that comes from being home, surrounded by family, Luvwuns and tradition is not something that happens overnight, and I know it hasn't always been easy for those folks who have relocated here to Anchorage. We cannot forget the people whose lives were changed by that disaster. That experience reinforced something I believe deeply about Anchorage. Sometimes we describe Anchorage as Alaska's largest urban community.

It's economic center, its transportation hub, and all those things are true. But Anchorage is much more than that. Anchorage is a gathering place for all of Alaska. It is where people come to seek medical care, pursue an education, find economic opportunity, and connect with family. It's where Alaska Native people from every region of our state have built homes, grown businesses, and developed community, and it is a place where people arrive in times of celebration and in times of hardship.

That role comes with enormous opportunity, but it also comes with responsibility. Anchorage cannot thrive while the rest of Alaska struggles. That is, I know in my heart to be true. And Alaska Native corporations are among the largest and most successful businesses, often headquartered in Anchorage. They create jobs, invest in our economy, and generate opportunities that span our state.

Recently, I was delighted to attend the ribbon cutting for Nana's Hunter Building on B Street, and I want to congratulate the Chugach Corporation on the groundbreaking for its Village in the City project. These investments demonstrate the important role Alaska Native corporations play in Anchorage's economy and their confidence in our shared future. And their success creates opportunities and benefits that extend far beyond Anchorage. Another example of our shared future is the Port of Alaska, which supplies goods to 90% of the state. Modernizing the port is one of our highest priorities, and we're making big progress.

But it's an enormous investment, and we're working hard to get as much state and federal funding as possible to minimize the impact passed along to Alaskans through higher prices for everyday goods. And the recent $190 million secured from the federal government is a major step forward. But our work continues because we all know Alaskans are facing high prices, whether you're at the gas pump or the grocery store. There's another part of our responsibility that I want to speak about today. Anchorage is a modern community, but it's also an Indigenous place.

It always has been.

And as mayor, I believe that our community should reflect that history, that identity, in ways that are visible, meaningful, and lasting. That begins with our relationship with the Native Village of Eklutna. We're proud that the Native Village of Eklutna lies within our municipal boundaries, and we are committed to a strong, respectful government-to-government relationship. It's a relationship that matters enormously to me as well as our assembly, and one that we will continue to strengthen. We're also working to make Alaska Native cultures and histories more visible throughout Anchorage And you can see it in the restoration of Indigenous place names from Arctic Valley to Potter Marsh, and in beautiful public art like Crystal Worrell's new mural on 4th Avenue.

And we're bringing that same commitment to our downtown revitalization. Traditional Dena'ina porcupine quillwork is inspiring new wayfinding signs and public space designs, and our municipal seal now also includes this quillwork. Shout out to former Assembly Chair Christopher Constant. Our planned downtown library will include an Indigenous book collection. Town Square Park will feature Indigenous art, and we're looking forward to the completion of the updated Peratrovich Park honoring the extraordinary legacy of Elizabeth Peratrovich.

These investments matter because our public spaces tell a story about who we are and what history we value. I want every Alaska Native child who grows up in Anchorage or travels here from another community to see their heritage reflected in the place around them. That understanding makes us a stronger community. As I look around this gathering, I feel tremendous hope for Alaska's future. This convention brings together the wisdom of elders, the determination of today's leaders, and the aspirations of young people who will carry their communities forward.

And it reminds us that even in a state as vast as ours, we are never truly alone. That's what I'll remember most from the past year. The storm reminded us as Alaskans how vulnerable we can be, but the response reminded us how strong we are when we stand together. A year ago, In the midst of an emergency, we opened our doors to neighbors who needed us. Today, we open our doors again, this time in celebration, in friendship, and in hope for the future.

And whether you come to Anchorage in a time of hardship or a time of joy, I want you to know this: You are welcome here. You belong here. And this community stands with you. Have a wonderful convention. Thank you.

Chanon.

Thank you, Mayor LaFrance. One more round of applause for our hosts.

We've got a video queued up. And we're going to hear from our governor one last time at this convention. I think he's coming to us through video.

Hello and welcome to Anchorage for the 2026 Alaska Federation of Natives Convention. For the past 8 years, I've had 3 priorities as your governor: improving public safety, strengthening education, and expanding economic opportunities so Alaska remains the best place in the world to raise a family. Those priorities have guided my administration from day one, and I'm proud of the progress we've made together. Public safety has been at the forefront. More than $200 million has been invested into public safety, including rural Alaska, during my tenure.

One of the most significant accomplishments has been rebuilding the VPSO program. In January 2020, there were just 42 VPSOs serving Alaska communities across the state. Today, that number has more than doubled, and more than 80% of recruits are now graduating and staying on the job. This is great news. That means more offices in our villages, more reliable public safety services, and safer communities for you and your children.

We've also seen Alaska's overall crime rate fall by nearly 42%. This is real progress, but we know there's still a lot of work to do. We strengthened efforts to address the crisis of missing and murdered indigenous persons by establishing dedicated investigative and physicians. These are investments that will continue making a big difference long after my administration. Education has also been another major focus, particularly ensuring that Alaska's children have the skills and opportunities they need to succeed.

We've advanced tribal compacting in education, creating a pathway for tribes to take a greater role in educating their children and shaping the future of their schools. In 2022, I also signed the Alaska Reads Act into law. Since then, we've seen encouraging progress in early literacy. The percentage of students in kindergarten through 3rd grade reading at grade level has increased from 44% in the fall to 60% by spring. And we're working to make sure those improvements reach every corner of Alaska.

The State Board of Education has adopted reading standards for Alaska's Native languages. And the state is developing literacy screeners in Inupiaq, Tlingit, and Yup'ik, with plans to expand as many as 10 languages. That will help teachers better understand how students are progressing, particularly when their first language is an Alaska Native language rather than English. Beyond public safety and education, we've made important strides in strengthening Alaska's communities and economy. In July 2022, I was honored to sign legislation formally recognizing Alaska's 229 federally recognized tribes.

That was an important step in recognizing the government-to-government relationship between the state and Alaska tribes. We've also worked to respond quickly when disasters have struck rural Alaska, from Typhoon Merbok and Typhoon Halong to devastating floods, landslides, and wildfires, and we've supported recovery efforts to help communities rebuild as quickly as possible. At the same time, major resource projects on the North Slope are also moving forward. Pika is producing oil now. Willow is under construction, and we've recently turned around our oil decline and are now producing more oil than we have in many, many years.

And the Alaska LNG project is closer than ever to becoming a reality. We've also grown the Permanent Fund from about $63 billion to close to $90 billion today and paid out the largest dividend in history under my administration of $3,284 in 2022. And significantly, when I took office 8 years ago, Alaska was facing a budget shortfall of more than $1 billion. Today, as I prepare to leave office, we're projecting a budget surplus of approximately $800 million for the next governor. That's a significant turnaround in Alaska's financial position, and it gives the next administration a stronger foundation to build upon.

We've also helped position Alaska communities to receive more than $1 billion in federal broadband funding and secured more than $1 billion to help transform rural health services and approaches. There's so much more we've accomplished together than I could possibly cover in this short message. But as I reflect on these past 8 years, I come back to the same 3 priorities: public safety, education, and economic opportunity. We have more public safety officers today serving our villages. More children are learning to read at grade level.

Tribes have a pathway to operate their own schools, and major projects are creating new opportunities for Alaska's future. We made real progress, and we've laid a stronger foundation for the next administration to build upon. The work isn't finished by any means, but I believe Alaska is better positioned today to meet the challenges ahead and to create a brighter future for the next generation. That's what this work has always been about— making sure our children and grandchildren have the opportunity to live, work, and raise their families right here in the great state of Alaska. So thank you for allowing me to serve as your governor these past 8 years.

Enjoy the great convention, and God bless the great state of Alaska.

Thank you, Governor Dunleavy. It's been a great 8 years and we're looking forward to another great 8 years going forward here. One more announcement before I have the honor of introducing our keynote address. We do have early voting happening across the street with our host at City Hall, so thank you City Hall for having early voting, and make sure you, when you leave here, go ahead and head across the street. It's a huge honor, you know, our, our, our, um, convention theme, rooted in land and tradition and rising in our voices.

One of the most powerful voices from Southeast ripples across the state, ripples across the country, and we've been hearing her voice for.

For many, many years. I have, and it just is a tremendous honor to invite to the stage— and we have a special guest helping her that's going to help her, walk her up to the stage— but Dr. Rosita Worl. She's no stranger to us. She chaired the subsistence board at AFN for many years. She's president of Sealaska Heritage Institute and CEO.

And Sealaska's greatest creation was the Sealaska Heritage Institute. In 1980, the board had the wisdom and foresight to invest in and create the nonprofit Sealaska Heritage Institute. And if any of you have been to Southeast lately, there's no missing Sealaska Heritage Institute because we're in the heart of the capital city and the campus is growing and growing and is growing with our Native folks just being hosts in the capital city. And that's led by Dr. Worrell for many, many years. So we are very, very happy, very happy that she showed up today to welcome us to our AFN Convention and to kick us off with her address from Dr. Worl.

She's a graduate of Harvard. Most importantly though, she's a product of the Chilkat Valley and we're all very proud of Dr. Worl for her continuing to lead us including into this next cycle as a lot of transitions happen. And she's just a champion, a warrior. She's also an emeritus director for Sealaska, so she's one of ours that we always look to. So I'm just thankful for Dr. Worl and her leadership.

And she does have a special guest helping her to the stage, so how about just a huge, huge round of applause for Dr. Rosita Worl.

Ganascheesh, ganasheesh. Good morning everyone, and good morning to all my friends who are out in out in virtual land. Some of them couldn't make it, like my good friend Michelle Anderson couldn't make it. So, I know she's out there and I just wanted to say hi to her, and also to everyone else, and my SHI team, a lot of them are here, and a lot of them are at home working, but they said they were gonna take time to run to the TV and listen to me talk. They just have to listen to me talk all the time.

So anyway, and thank you, Joe, for that wonderful introduction.

Anyeet'kwsáani, most honorable and noble AFN delegates and people of the land. We have been people of the land for more than 12,000 years, and we say to those who covet our land, We are adamant in our resolve that we will forever protect our ownership and relationship with our land.

I am honored to be selected as the keynote speaker for this AFN 60th Year Convention, and I thank the AFN leadership, and for this opportunity. As many of you are aware, we are bound by our Tlingit cultural protocols to introduce ourselves as a means of honoring our ancestors and expressing our love for our children, our grandchildren, and those yet to come. Yáad Dakhlaasaaq. Kaka Hani Yukat Dwasak. Jok Na Aya Khat.

Shangu Keidi Na Katsati. Kauli Yai Hit Aya Khat. Jiskat Kwan Aya Khat. Sluka Khadi Yadi Aya Khat. My Tlingit name is Yedek Litsak.

It is an ancient name whose meaning has been lost in antiquity. My ceremonial name is Kahani, which refers to the status of a person, and our previous clan leader said that for me it refers to woman who stands in the place of a man. I am an eagle of the Thunderbird Clan and the House Lowered from the Sun in Klukwan. I am a Chilkat and a child of the Sukkawhadi clan, my father's clan. My crests are the eagle, thunderbird, and the sun.

My spirits are the white bear, shark, and killer whale. We maintain spiritual relationships with these beings who protect us. Under the tenets of Tlingit property law, We also claim the US naval uniform for an unpaid debt to our clan by a naval officer. We also claim the name of the naval officer, Lieutenant Schwatka, which in Tlingit we call shwat'ki, my Schwatka. As you can see from my introduction, our very identities embody our physical and spiritual relationship to our land and the universe.

I would like to share a traditional lesson that we received from a wise elder in the hopes that it may provide a lesson to address the current challenges we are facing. One of our elders used the metaphor of waves, much like a prominent futurist writer to convey his message. I am referring to Alvin Toffler, who wrote of the three waves in human history: agriculture, the industrial revolution, and the age of information, technology, and knowledge. Donahwok, clan leader of the Slukohadi, sponsored a peace ceremony in 1981. To memorialize the reconstruction of our sacred Peace Rock.

The State Highway Department had destroyed the sacred rock as it was widening the road adjacent to the Chilkoot River— to the riverbanks on which the rocks rested. The government wanted to improve access for thousands of sports fishers and tourists who were attracted by the richness and splendor of our homeland. Smiling government officials attending the ceremony thought they were being honored for their good deed in reconstructing the Peace Rock. They could not have known that Donowak, speaking in Tlingit, had stopped the peace ceremony midway. He was instead chastising the officials for their continued transgressions against Native people.

He called on the state government officials to remove the fish weir across the Chilkoot River, which was hindering the salmon in their upstream migration. He asked the officials, if they could survive if their heads had been held underwater for 5 minutes. Because of this harm and other abuses, he said that the peace ceremony would not be consummated until these transgressions had been resolved. Dahnawáak then called upon his people, "Ye do'oyahkwa nanyatkusani." 'Have courage, noble people of the land.' He pleaded with them to reassert their ancient claims of ownership to our land and fight the forces that were endangering our culture. He then called on the spirit of our ancestors and the spirits of the— and our animal relatives to help them.

George Davis, Another clan leader attending the peace ceremony also shared his wisdom in posing 3 questions. Riddles were one of the methods in teaching the young. What does it mean, the Tilkoote River ever flowing? What does it mean? What does it mean, the waves pounding on our shore?

What does it mean? What does it mean the Peace Rock was destroyed and then reconstructed? What does it mean? With these words thundering above the roar of the river, a Tlingit elder challenged the young followers to ponder on the significance of the waves of change surging across our homeland and revolutionizing our world. Should the listeners be able to answer his questions, the elder reasoned that they could find the challenges threatening our cultural survival.

At the first call of the raven in the early morning dawn, as the ceremony was winding down, one of the young participants, quietly responded to the challenge. The sounds of the river represent the voices of our ancestors. The flowing Chilkoot River itself symbolizes Native culture. The waves pounding on the shores of our homeland represent white institutions and society. The Peace Rock represents Native culture, which was demolished by the forces of white society.

The portion of the Peace Rock that had not been destroyed symbolized that part of our culture which had survived because of our continuing relationship to our land. The Tlingit elder looked directly into the young respondent's eyes and acknowledged that she had answered the questions correctly. However, he insisted that the waves pounding on their homeland shores represented white people, white people and their ways, in lieu of the politically correct answer of white institutions. The elder wanted the younger people to reflect on the ongoing transformations and threats to our culture. He warned them about the continuing forces of change that were endangering their cultural survival.

He pointed to the original Peace Rock embedded on the banks of the Chilkoot River and offered that the tenacity and strength of Native culture derived from their continuing occupation and relationship to the land and wildlife. Just as the Peace Rock had been transformed from its original society, so had tribal cultures been altered from their original forms. Like the Peace Rock, which had been destroyed and then reconstructed piece by piece The elder offered the promise that Native people can rebuild their traditional cultures on the knowledge and values of their traditional society.

In pursuing the Alaska Aboriginal land claims, our historical leaders were adamant that Native people have full control and ownership of our ancient lands. That were conveyed to the Native community, that were to be conveyed to the Native community under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, or ANCSA. They did not want our lands to be subject to federal oversight. This demand broke with Indian policy, under which Aboriginal lands are held in trust over which the federal government has oversight. To achieve the objective of having permanent and absolute ownership of our land meant that our land would have to be held under fee simple title.

This is an important point for our younger generation to know and understand. Our leaders who worked to settle our Aboriginal land claims were adamant in that we have full control and ownership of our lands without federal oversight. The only solution to this goal is corporations that could hold land in some fee-simple title. Corporations may be alien institutions to our society, but the concept of ownership and control of land are ancient values and were fully understood by our leaders in seeking the settlement of our Aboriginal land claims. In the need to compromise with congressional leaders who saw ANCSA as a means to assimilate Alaska Natives into the larger society, some concessions were necessary.

Our Native leaders were adamant in their demand that we should have full control and ownership of our land and not be subject to federal control.

These values drove our historical leaders to successfully obtain the largest Aboriginal land claims settlement in the nation. They were able to secure 44 million acres of land that would be held in fee simple title, which would allow Natives to have full control and ownership of their lands without government oversight. However, our Native leaders also recognized that ANCSA embodied flaws and dangers that conflicted with our cultural values. They were concerned that a provision of ANCSA would not allow children born after 1971 to become shareholders of Alaska Native Corporations. Unless they were inherited or were gifted shares.

They were also concerned that special benefits could not be given to elders since they violated non-pro rata corporate distributions or unequal benefits among shareholders. These restrictions conflicted with our traditional values that recognized that children born into a tribe are automatically recognized as members of a tribe with full rights of ownership of inland.

Our cultural values also support the special care of our elders. Our leaders were especially alarmed that ANCSA contained a provision that would allow for the elimination of the restrictions on the sale of stock in 1991. They reasoned that lifting the restrictions would lead to the sale of stock and loss of land. We saw the history of Alaska's fishing permitting system in which permits were sold, leaving Alaska Natives and rural communities with few or no fishing permits. The assessment was that without restrictions, Aangsa stock could be sold and ultimately lead to the loss of Native land.

The leaders recognized that Aangsa provisions could undermine our culture. In seeking resolution to these problematic provisions, AFN convened 5 Native leadership retreats and 7 conventions to develop resolutions to the identified problems and to formulate amendments to ANCSA. In an extraordinary Native leadership retreat in 1984, Natives from all parts of the state gathered and identified 3 common Native values. These cultural values became the underlying basis for the 1991 ANCSA amendments.

Communal orientation is based on an extended kinship system and the sharing of subsistence resources, including, including collectively raising children. Participants also included respect for elders in the sharing of resources. Sharing and reciprocity serve as bonds uniting tribal members. The second was land, relationship to the land. Land was viewed as similar to kinship or relationship among families.

Additionally, subsistence resources were necessary for food security. Physical well-being, and spiritual values. Natives also felt that they had a trust obligation to pass land on to children. Native identity is based on tribal membership. Significantly, they also included enrollment in Native corporations as critical to Native identity since corporations held and owned Native land.

These three common values, communal orientation, relationship to the land with an emphasis on subsistence and Native identity, stand in direct contrast and conflict with Western or American values. Individualism and land as a commodity, commodity, are bedrocks of American culture and law. Securing amendments to ANCSA that embodied Native common values and that conflicted with Western values would be no easy task. However, the leaders of that era were undaunted as they recognized these common values were the basis of Native culture and our cultural survival. It is rare that an entire society, let alone a society comprised of 5 different cultural groups speaking different languages, meets to identify their common values and to discuss legislative action to ensure a society's cultural survival.

I cannot overemphasize how astonishing it was that Alaska Natives met in 5 leadership retreats and 7 conventions to identify their common cultural values, to develop resolutions to identify their common cultural values to the identified problems, and then to formulate amendments to ANCSA, all to ensure Alaska Native cultural survival. The then Secretary of Interior Donald Hodel opposed the 1991 Native Amendments on several fronts, arguing that they would impede the assimilation of Alaska Natives and undermine the primacy of individual rights over group rights. He opposed the automatic extension of stock restrictions that would restrict the sale of Angsa stock that Natives felt was necessary to— for the protection of our Native lands. He also maintained that the issuance of stock to Natives born after 1971 would dilute the value of the settlement for existing shareholders. Despite the opposition from the administration and Congress, the leaders were successful in promoting the so-called 1991 ANCS amendments which were signed into law on February 3, 1988.

The historic provisions recognized the values identified by the natives in the 1984 meeting. It provided for the protection of both native land and corporations by allowing for automatic protections for undeveloped land. It protected Aanix lands from taxes and from being take— taken for a bad debt and bankruptcy. It provided for the restriction on the sale of stock, for issuance of stock to Natives born after 1971 and others who had missed the initial enrollment, and allowed for the issuance of stock and special benefits for elders. I share the history of the past Alaska Native leadership and their efforts to resolve our Aboriginal land claims as a model for the current generation to address the ongoing threats to our cultural survival.

As a student of Alaska Native history and culture, I believe we have come to another juncture in our history in which we must unite as our historic leadership did to address two major threats to our cultural survival: subsistence and the vitality and survival of our rural communities.

Year after year, we have adopted AFN res— resolutions in AFN conventions that have identified actions that need to be accomplished to resolve the subsistence challenges. We have proposed repealing the extinguishment of Alaska Native Aboriginal hunting and fishing rights in Section 4 of ANCSA and affirming Alaska Native Aboriginal hunting and fishing rights. We have proposed amending the subsistence priority in the Alaska National Interest Land Conservation Act to provide for a subsistence priority for all Alaska Natives and rural residents. We have proposed amending the Alaska State Constitution to recognize Native Plus subsistence rights. We have consistently proposed co-management of fish and wildlife resources.

We have also proposed amending the different definitions of Alaska Natives in ANCSA and ANILCA and the Marine Mammal Protection Act to create a unified definition of Alaska Natives without regard to the federally defined 1/4 Native blood quantum.

We know what needs to be done, but we have yet to advance these measures to Alaska's congressional delegation and Alaska's governor and legislators. It is this generation of leaders and AFN who must develop and implement strategies to accomplish the proposed resolutions to ANCSA, ANILCA, the state constitution, and fish and wildlife management.

During a CNN interview, congressional candidate Mary Peltola spoke of her visits to rural communities where she met villagers who told her that they faced decisions to either feed their families or to keep them warm. Can you imagine our families having to make a decision between two basic needs, feeding their family or keeping them warm? Mary's observation succinctly And tragically, it highlights the challenges facing our brothers and sisters throughout the state, and most notably in rural communities. In one of my early papers, I described the dual economies, including subsistence and a cash economy, that characterize our rural communities. Today, the interrelationship between these dual economies has become especially apparent.

Subsistence requires infusion of cash to support subsistence activities which contribute to village food security. Subsistence activities cannot be conducted without cash, but it is also evident that most villages do not have a vibrant cash economy to support their communities. The reality is we do not have enough jobs in our villages. Today, the price of a gallon of fuel has surged to $8 a gallon in rural Alaska, and it is expected to climb. In Shungnak, the price exceeded $26 per gallon.

We can assume that the productivity of hunters decline and food security of villages is threatened with these high prices. This reality demonstrates the need not only to focus on the resolution to subsistence challenges, but also the need to enhance and develop our cash economies in these villages. Academic studies have revealed that because of these depressed cash economies, we are witnessing an outmigration of rural residents to urban centers. The outmigration is also threatening the survival of schools. With low enrollment numbers, together with the state's fiscal problems, which we assume is going to be over with these high prices of oil, and the state's low priority on rural education, we can foresee the closure of schools.

In the last several weeks, studies have reported increasing outmigration for— from our communities in Alaska. Even Juneau is reporting a dramatic outmigration. I've said that soon the capital of Alaska may become eligible for a rural subsistence priority. As we act on the subsistence challenges, we must simultaneously address the economic depression in our communities. Subsistence harvests cannot be conducted with a cash— without a cash infusion, and cash economies are depressed in our communities.

If we want to ensure the survival of our culture and halt the migration from our villages, we must address these two interrelated challenges of subsistence and a cash economy. Our ancestors faced perils of the past with climate and environmental changes. Those who lived on the coast faced both rising and receding oceans. Those who lived in the interior faced advancing and receding glaciers. Our ancestors adopted, adapted to those environmental challenges to ensure their physical survival.

Our ancestors' world was further disrupted with the arrival of early Americans who surged across our lands like a powerful tidal wave. Unleashing destructive forces on Native society. For bringing civilization and Christianity, the immigrants justified the subjugation of Native people, the eradication of their language and culture, and the expropriation of Native land. Native people fought an aggressive battle to protect the— their land base and cultures. Miraculously, they survived, but in the wake of the cultural encounters and disruption, their communities were left weakened with a host of both physical and social pathologies that ate away at the core of their culture and continue to plague us today.

However, Native people survived. Today, Native people continue to encounter distressing forces and challenging to their subsistence rights and depressed economies in rural villages that threaten our cultural survival. However, I believe that we have the capacity and the strength to resolve the subsistence challenges and to ensure the economic survival of our villages. We must remain vigilant and undaunted and look to the lessons offered by our ancestors who spent centuries battling to protect our way of life. We have been educated in Western institutions, and we are incorporating Indigenous knowledge and science into our educational system.

And in a few instances into governmental decisions that affect Alaska Natives. Natives, with the knowledge of their elders, the lessons of colonialism and forced but failed assimilation, can envision new ideologies to control and channel the waves of change. We have learned that to ride the crest of the wave, and survive as distinct cultures, we must obtain the knowledge of Western society while at the same time retaining ties to our traditional cultures. We must embrace appropriate change and master the new ways. In contrast to the early historic— historical dictatorial federal assimilative Indian policies, Native people themselves will decide their most important priorities.

We alone will develop strategies to address our common problems and to develop an articulated vision of our past and our own future for ourselves and our children that will carry them through the next millennium. I know that you, This generation of leaders have the capacity to resolve the issues facing the Native community. Albert Kookesh, former chair of AFN and state senator, often warned governmental leaders to beware of our younger generation. He would say to them, the younger generation is going to be smarter than we, and much more educated here, much more educated than those in our generation. Albert was referring to this generation here today among AFN leadership and delegates.

You have the capacity to take the lessons of our historical leaders who won the largest Aboriginal land claim settlement in American history, and who secured the 1991 ANCS amendments that strengthened our cultural survival, even though the amendments conflicted with the values of Western society. This current generation of leaders now have the responsibility to strategize the path to advance the proposal adopted by previous AFN conventions to legislative action to solve the subsistence challenges and to develop cash economies in our villages to ensure our cultural survival for future generations, just as our historical leaders did for that— for us. The task now is to bring the AFN resolutions that identified solutions to the subsistence challenges to the state and federal government. We must also strive to develop sustainable economies in our villages that are compatible with our cultural values and practices and do not have negative impacts to our environment. This work is complex, requires dialogue, consensus building, and a deliberate process to ensure the best legislative language and strategies are utilized to achieve these goals.

In closing, may I say, it has been my honor to serve on the AFN Board of Directors, to chair the subsistence committee, and to work with many leaders across the state, some of whom have already left us. It has been my honor to have the opportunity to share my views with you today. I thank you and all of the AFN leadership. Gunalchéesh, Aniátgusáani, most noble people of the land. Gunalchéesh.

Thank you. Thank you, Rosita. We just love Rosita. We have a special gift from you from AFN.

It's a Yup'ik doll made by Margaret Abraham from Nelson Island, and we also have some other gifts. And you guys can go ahead and come up on stage. We have some other gifts for you as well.

And Rosita, thank you. Thank you for your patience and kindness with me. If you've been to Rosita's house, there's not really an inch of wall that doesn't have any art on it or anything like that. So also, as a gift for Rosita, we have donated to Saska Heritage Institute as well in her name and honor for a keynote speech. So good to see you, Karina.

Thank you.

Good morning from Sealaska Corporation to Dr. Werle for all her work that she's done, not only for the Southeast region, but for all of Alaska. And actually Native Americans nationwide, a gift from Hindi.

Rosita? Yes. We love you. From the Chugach region, we have a beautiful parka made by Monica Rydell. To honor you for all your years of service and your beautiful speech today.

Congratulations, everyone.

Thank you, Rosita. Thank you for all your years. Thank you. Thank you. Congratulations.

Such an honor.

Before our president's report, we have a— we have a— we're going to have a video from Hawaii's U.S. Senator Brian Schatz.

Aloha, everyone. I am honored to join you for AFN's annual convention. I want to thank President Mallott for having me. Hawaii and Alaska have a long history of working together in the Senate, thanks in large part to Ted Stevens and Daniel K. Inouye. Who worked side by side to stand up for our states.

It's a tradition that I've continued in the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs alongside your home state senator and my very good friend, the Chairman Lisa Murkowski. Together, we've advanced legislation, conducted oversight, and held the federal government accountable to its trust and treaty obligations. We've made real bipartisan progress, but there's still a lot of work to do. Over the years, I've seen your leadership and advocacy firsthand, and it's what keeps Congress focused on delivering results for your communities. So please stay engaged and tell us what you need.

Thank you for all that you do. Mahalo and aloha.

I just have to say, to bring a little bit of laughter, I was teasing Ben before we called him up. I said, should I inkaq you before you come up to stage. He said, what's that? But I told him I wouldn't. But we do have fun with Ben.

Um, so we're proud to welcome AFN President Benjamin Mallott to the stage for the President Report. The AFN board appointed Ben as AFN President in October 2024. He has been with AFN for 14 years, focusing on policy, advocacy, and external affairs. He previously worked for Senator Lisa Murkowski as a legislative assistant He is a member of the boards for not-for—. Boards for—.

Boards of a for-profit village corporation, Bon Oyil Khan. Hopefully I pronounced that okay. And one of his subsidiaries, Northern Tyaga Ventures Inc. He also served on boards for The Nature Conservancy of Alaska, the Alaska Humanities Forum, and the Alaska Native Heritage Center. Welcome, Ben.

Alrighty, good morning everyone. I have the honor of following Dr. Worl, which is a great place for me to be, I guess. But for those that don't know me, I am Ben Mallott, the Honorable Service President of AFN. I grew up in Juneau. My father's from Yakutat, mother's from Rampart, so I had the amazing opportunity having really three amazing homes of Juneau, Yakutat, and Rampart.

With that said, I'm going to go through my report kind of quickly since, you know, we're running on village time. But before I start, I just want to really thank the AFN staff. The AFN staff are a small team about 10. They work year-round, not only on convention but on everything. Nicole Stoops, AFN VP, has been planning this convention, everything here, while also planning our subsistence listening sessions and then writing the report and doing everything else on top of this while making this convention.

Kendra Kloster, Autumn and Michelle Sparks have been— yesterday we're working with Department of Elections to make sure that, you know, our voting locations are open and accessible. So on top of everything that we're doing, the AFN staff works really hard on everything year-round. So I just want to thank the AFN staff and their very hard work year-round for our communities.

That is really what makes this job fun, is working with such an amazing team. Also the AFN board. The board is a 30-member board. We're outnumbered as staff, but one of the greatest things at AFN is, you know, how we come together and ability to listen and learn from leaders. We also have our committee members too, and also other parts at AFN.

Lee Fawnspeck is working with AFN, and Lee's knowledge of corporations has been invaluable. For AFN, FAI, and Sam Murkowski, thank you for everything you do. Also our media team, or our media in general, KMBA, that's public radio, you really help highlight AFN and bring our message and community statewide. So I want to thank the media and our news for covering AFN in the way you do. And also, you know, talking about patience, Rosita, you know, I want to thank Judy Kitka.

She's been an amazing leader I also want to thank her patience with me sometimes. But I want to thank Judy for her amazing leadership at AFN and for everything she's done for me. So, and our co-chairs, Joe, Gaeta, our co-chairs work so hard. They are almost in every single meeting. I probably terrorize them with 1,000 emails and texts per day.

But I also want to recognize Joe Nelson, our outgoing co-chair. And I'm going to miss Joe. It's an honor to work with Joe. Our fathers worked together. It's amazing to have that connection via ACT-TAC and that leadership and the strength with me.

So Joe, thank you. So I want to thank everyone at the AFN, the board committees, our co-chairs. It really is a small team, but we do a lot. Okay, back to my report. So this year at AFN, we've kind of focused on a couple of areas.

One really is subsistence. Subsistence is AFN's top priority. We have worked hard to protect our native rights. We have engaged on a kind of a Great Alaska Tour. We visited about 14 communities, 14 listening sessions.

I want to thank Janine Kukes, our outside counsel, for that. Janine, while she's an attorney, is not a boring attorney, has some very amazing and very exciting slides of just the very lively ability of what is the legal policy framework of subsistence. It's not that boring, I swear. But with that said, you know, we have these 14 committees, and this really is grounding AFN's work. As Lucita said in her keynote speech, in 2024, delegates passed Resolution 24-1 that outlined 11 steps, 11 major steps to create a Native framework of subsistence.

But all those steps will take decades to do. We need to figure out what is priority, what should come first, and these sessions are are just the beginning. We're going to go back to every community every year to learn more and communicate back to what is actually a priority and can make an action list and actually AFN be proactive in subsistence. We've also, you know, worked on creating a stronger AFN. We're really hard on working on internal policies, looking at how AFN is funded and how we can ensure AFN is a modern organization that can lead us into the future.

Also, without anything, one AFN's biggest strength is convening. Alaskans make up 20% of our population. With that, we have a very strong voice. Our voice is only amplified if we vote. In 2024, I think Michelle says 3 out of 10 Alaskans voted.

That's not good enough, right? When we don't vote, we weaken our community organization, weaken our voice. So for AFN, our law ministers here is working on getting out the vote, and we have Michelle Spark with Get Out and Vote, and that's a really amazing, uh, team partnership with what's First Alaskans, NCITC, for the partnership, and also Kendra Kloster for Native Voting Initiative. And it's really bringing together a lot of different voting partners together so that we're working together smarter and not overlapping on what we do. And also state federal, of course, you know, AFN, we are kind of policy nerds, I guess, all around.

And I want to thank just our team, Kendra Kloster for Government Affairs, and also our delegation staff. Delegation staff, you have a small team of 3, very mighty team of 3, and it's not— it's about every day, every week that we communicate with the delegation staff and the committee staff. It's a really amazing working relationship that AFN has created with the delegation because we're all in the same boat. We all want a better state and we must come together on all these issues. This Alaska, not continuous, 3 of them, but we also work really well with Hawaii and other states, so we're really trying to work to create partnerships around Congress.

So we have that going on. Going to subsistence, can I mention that? We started this year off with a very amazing win, US v. Alaska. That was only status quo, actually didn't move the needle for our communities. But AFN spent $2 million with our intervenors on that.

That's $2 million we could spend on something else. I also want to thank our community for really coming together and showing your voice in the petition from Ts'haaree Club to change the Health Assistance Board. We came together in force. I want to thank the Systems Committee, the task force on that, Reina, Gayla, Angela, our committee, for all those who testified, submitted comments, right? I don't think they're expecting that from us.

So good nixtchiz, kweyana, for AFN, our communities, for you really raising your voice of protecting what is rural preference for us right now. Also, Chief Planning, we're really working on Really, as I mentioned, what are AFN's long-term goals? The board has been in strategic planning this year. We have our last one after convention, and hopefully next year we'll have a 5-year strategy of AFN and, uh, for, for to share with you all. Um, this also includes, you know, resolutions, pathway forwards for our committees, what's working, what's not working, as well as, you know, aligning staff and grant management so that, you know, AFN is in our lane and working best for our communities.

But a couple on the state advocacy, I think this year has been one of AFN's busiest years in terms of engaging with the state legislature. I want to thank the Bush Caucus for working with us, Bryce, and everyone. But this year, I think, you know, a couple of our top bills was our SB 64 elections bill. While that was not— that failed, the veto then was sustain, but we're still working on that. Kendra right here is a master, and she is already engaging for next legislature.

Board of Fisheries, again, you know, we need our own people on Board of Fish, Board of Game. And so that's another key priority for AFN. HB 69, we need to support our schools. Our schools are underfunded. The state has almost failed education for our communities, and we need to ensure that we have funding to do what they need to do to make sure our kids have a future.

HB 93, another bill that we co-sponsored and really supported. This actually creates residency for hunting and fishing permits that are in line with the voting, with our PFD, so that, you know, those actually are Alaska residents are actually able to get that permanent residency and not have a backdoor. Also HB 52, I want to thank Representative Diebert. This is a bill that really would have allowed greater transparency in terms of when our youth are in mental crisis and need behavioral health. It would allow transparency with the state.

It would allow better access for those to talk to the parents. Unfortunately, this bill was vetoed by the governor. We're going to work with Representative Dibert for the next legislature to get that passed. But again, this is an example of just how active AFN has been this year with the state legislature. I think Kendra, we probably probably testified maybe 20, 30 times to AFN staff on multiple bills and everything.

So it's been probably the most active AFN has been in the state. And I want to thank Kendra and again the team for making that happen. On the federal side, my favorite, one of our big points is a bill that I'm sure Mikowski is going to talk about. We're going to have it later on agenda is the Alice Barber, Walter Sobloff, uh, Children's Commission report. Senator Mikowski and her team have not only shepherded this bill through.

Gloria O'Neill, or Ongar O'Neill, was the chair of the commission. The report is amazing, has amazing recommendations, right? A lot of times in Congress, these reports go out there and say, do this, and it sits there. Nothing happens. Uh, Senator Murkowski and her team— I don't think Anna Powers, of course, Anna Duchek has done an amazing job, Amber, But Rudy, this bill is an amazing bill.

It's a big bill, about 5 chapters, but it actually adds money to actually what we need to do for our communities. A lot of times in Congress, we may get some language here, but it's not enough money for it. This bill actually gives us money to do what we need to do to protect our children. This is gonna be top priority for AFN, for NCI. We already have a team working on it, but it's gonna be top bill for AFN.

Again, Congress is not the most speediest thing on earth. So it's going to take multiple years to pass this. And I just want to thank the team at NCI and AFN and our dedicated staff for working on this. Also with AFN, because I have now Leif on staff, we are actually tracking appropriations. Right on our website, we have tracked all 12 bills in both House and Senate.

Leif Fonspeck, who has worked in appropriations forever, actually has a summary of each bill. On that, so on our website for all of our membership for free, you can see what is up to incorporations, summary for communities because who wants to read a 1,000-page incorporations? It's kind of fun sometimes, but LEAF summarizes that for all of us. And that's something that we offer to membership for free. A law firm and whatnot would probably charge thousands of dollars for you to do that.

That's free from AFN. This is also part because for our communities, it's not my job to tell you what to do. Your job, tell me what to do. My job, to make sure that you're in the right place, right time to make the right story, make the right impact. I need the right education to do that, right information.

That's what I'm trying to do at AFN and staff as well, to make sure that we know what to say correctly and how to move stuff smartly.

So going on, the intrusion bill, blah, blah, blah. I already mentioned that. I'm breaking my slides here. Our Arctic program, this is a program that I want to thank Sarah Lukin and TJ for this. We recognize that a lot of Trump, President Trump's EOs may be divisive or political.

There's still opportunity in those, right? We still need economic development. Our jobs, our commission had enough jobs in them. This is a really amazing job. I want to thank the United Commission for funding that.

We did 11 statewide listening sessions. On this program, and we found out that our communities really do want economic development, but we're not ready for it. So this program we have done, we have, yeah, so we have a framework connecting Ben Mallott Coast Station and really what we need to do for resource development. Our community doesn't have enough housing, right? We don't have enough, the apartments aren't big enough for all this work.

We don't have enough barge landings. Our communities aren't ready for the capacity right now, but we want to engage in economies, but we need the right infrastructure to do that. So the report is out. Sarah and TJ are going to share that, I think, on Friday? Friday at 1:45.

I really recommend that you listen to their presentation, go over the policy, and also a framework of how to actually work with the federal government on permitting and kind of a roadmap there. That is also on our website as well and on our app. So that's another project I want to highlight of AFN doing. Also earlier this year, I want to recognize Kendra. She worked on a 168-page report on public corrections of why we have such a high rate of Alaska Natives in our public correction system.

Has about 11 or 9 recommendations. We were able to get 3 of those passed in the crime bill this year. So we're working on it. We have a lot more to go, but again, I was wanting to thank the team for all their hard work.

Yep, there it is for our tech. Our Navigator program. We are continuing to use Navigator program as we look for additional sources of funding for this program. We have been able to use our amazing navigators who are out there in the hallway. They're amazing.

Ask them really hard questions about everything. Sometimes they know more about SAMHSA.gov than SAMHSA.gov people know about SAMHSA.gov. But with that said, we've been able to really leverage our Navigator program to work with our voting efforts to really ensure that we are working with the community so that we vote, know how to vote, know where to vote. And that's a really amazing program. I want to thank Michelle, Kendra, and the team, Sarah Pearson, Shannon, for really continuing to work on the hard program.

With that said, a couple of other highlights there, our Capital Funds Program Consortium. This is a fun program we're working out. I'm trying to skip through my slides because we have time, but ask the team back there for more information about that. But we are also looking at how we could expand our NTI program and do a round 3. But in terms of our broadband Activity Grant has been incredible for AFN.

It's a consortium of 74 members, 31 tribes, 32 village corporations, 6 regional nonprofits, and 5 housing authorities. Through this program, we have given out— what is it— over 9,000 laptops. We work with ANCHC to update all their equipment with Starlink. We were able to also offer 26 households, low-income households, with Starlink for $10 a month for 2 years. So I want to thank Starlink for working with us and also that team for making such an amazing project going forward.

Also, we have our Iqaluit tribal partnership. I want to thank Rodricka Dunbar, who's the director of that. This is a program that were creating best practices of how our tribes could engage in ICWA and what's best practice for our communities and children. This is a 5-year program. You're right now in year 2 and a half, almost 3.

But I really want to thank Rodricia and the groups for really working on this. And I think we have a report in our principal report. But again, it's kind of where AFN is taking a very statewide approach to ensure that our communities, especially our smaller membership, has information resources that they need.

One of my favorite things is our Rural Venture Public Health Program. I want to thank Sam Markowski for our state's request for this. This is a fun program that we've worked on for a long time. This actually is a product of multiple resolutions, so resolutions do work, we work on them, sometimes it's kind of slow. But this, you know, we're going to 80 tribal communities and go to go to help spay, neuter, and also vaccine dogs for rabies.

So this is a really cool program, but there actually are some zoopic diseases that can cross into our native populations. Again, Native Vote Initiative, Kendra and the team, it's been amazing of kind of how we could collaborate, work with other voting organizations to make sure that we are working stronger smarter and not overlapping. With that said, I think I'm going to share a slide with a bunch of QR codes. Right? If you are confused of how to vote, who to vote for, these next slides have a bunch of QR codes that could probably give you more information you ever need about Alaska.

So we have Tana Questionnaire Voter Guide. We also have our Division of Elections website, Alaska Public Office Commission's website, Tana Chief's, their voting guide. VoterHub, ballot builder. Also have Vote 401 about compare candidates, review your ballots. Lastly, Beacon's Guide.

So QR codes, this awesome website. This is amazing resource to kind of find all of the information on candidates and where to vote and how to vote right here. So take a picture of that, QR codes, lots of QR codes. And also with that said, voting soon. We did move the AFN Convention Camp back a week.

If you're here and you can vote, you can cross the street to City Hall and vote right now. So with that said, right, Nicole, Michelle upstage, Michelle's our Get Out and Vote Director. She's amazing. You don't want to mess with her. But really, again, as we go through all these projects and policies for AFN, the best thing we could do now is to vote.

Right? If you're a freshman board game board of fish, the governor picks those seats. Right? You're not voting for one person. You're voting for a person who would put in place in his policy and political perceptions of who should be in those seats.

Right? If one— our senators kind of vet and nominate our cabinet members and also judges. So not only one person, you're voting for multiple organizations and multiple management procedures that would— that impact our life. So think about that when you vote. Really, it makes it matter.

If you want to get involved in Board of Game, Board of Fish right now, easiest thing to do is vote for the governor. Right? That's the easiest thing we can do right now. So with that said, I'd like to introduce Michelle. We do have a lot of information on our website.

We have an app. All of our reports are there, Department of Corrections report, our Arctic report, our initial draft of our substance abuse and succession report is on there. Our appropriations, webinars, and everything that AFN does year-round is on our app and website. I encourage you to use that as a resource and to also please ask our navigators really hard questions. So, good evening to you, St. Coriana.

Michelle.

Thank you, President Mallott.

Michelle Spark from Bethel. My family is from the Koshinimi tribe CHIVAC, and I've been helping to run Get Out the Native Vote for almost 5 years now. And when we first— when we first started under Cook Inlet Tribal Council, we started looking, examining at our voting history and what our demographics really mean when it comes to Alaska's elections. And Ben said earlier that Alaska Natives make up 20% of the Alaskan population. Population, but as adults, we make up 25% of the electorate.

So if my 4 fingers represented all the, uh, voters in Alaska, we're one whole finger. That's how important we are when it comes to turnout. Only 11% of our people voted in 2024's presidential elections. That's not showing our power. That's not owning our power.

I talk about the 1982 birth of the Alaska Native Super Voter because we defended subsistence at 80%.

Almost 10 out of 10 adults in villages voted in 1982. They registered, they voted in the primary, and they voted in the general, and we defended subistence because they wanted to get rid of rural preference in Anilka. We stopped that. And that generation voted strongly for about 12 years. Really good turnout, north of 60%.

But our elders were so good at owning the tools of tribal sovereignty and self-determination. You built all that we enjoy today, schools, clinics, roads, housing. You built it so successfully that I think we lost the idea that government still is in control of the purse strings on funding our programs and also giving us the policy wording that allows our nonprofits to administer LIHEAP, TANF, SNAP for you. We, we may do good programs in our hubs, in our villages, But Juneau and Washington, D.C. are a huge part of what makes those things possible. If we're only voting 11% out of 25%, we are not sending a clear message to politicians or campaigns or issues that affect us every single day.

So thank you, FAI and AFN, for moving the conventions to a week later than normal. I was told that City Hall had 443 voters on Monday, on the first day of early voting. That's double their normal turnout.

We have tables back there on the wall, we have tables right there at the top of the escalators. Any, any questions you have about elections and voting, please come talk to us. We're not going to tell you who to vote for. But we can get you comfortable and confident enough to walk across the street and vote in person next week. It took 10 years, it took 10 years for us to argue with the Division of Elections to bring voting back onto the A&M campus, which is possible next week, October 27th through 30th, and on Monday, November 2nd, before Super Tuesday, November 3rd.

We are so close to Election Day, folks. Please vote across the street while you're here. If not, go to A&M campus next week, Midtown Mall. If you're in Wasilla, go to the Menard Sports Center. For the Heilong evacuees, we care about what you're going through and we want you to turn out the vote in the midterms.

We want you to show your strength through your vote and turnout. Also, yeah, Koyaanis.

Gotnv.org is our website. It lists all those voting sites, dates, and times. We also are offering rides to the polls. Sign out, fill out a form on our website. We will get you, we will bring you to go vote.

We're also working with Alaska Native Heritage Center for you to be able to also go pick up your frozen foods. The Hailong families, if you go We hope you can go vote. You don't have to vote with this free ride, but we will allow— help you get your frozen foods back to your place and in your freezers. Also, I want to talk about the 2030 Census. We are ramping up for that really hard.

It's Get Out the Count, and for every man, woman, and child that is not counted in the census, it represents a loss of $5,000 in federal resources per person. So we need everyone counted and we need to work on tribal consultation now. The census is here. Indian Country census consultants are here today. We're going to host a lunch over at the Marriott in the Skagway Room.

So come at 12 o'clock. We'll be there till 2. You can grab a slice of pizza and you can fill out your tribal comments objecting to them trying to remove race and ethnicity from the 2030 Census. There is no way we can hold the federal government to their trust responsibility if we don't have data recognizing our race and ethnicity in the 2030 Census.

So we—. I want to go back to our rock star generation, 1982. Through the '90s. So let's get out the vote, guys. Let's get out the vote.

Koyaanisqo'yana. I want to ask the AFN staff to stand up. Michelle, Ben, the staff, the staff. It's a tiny but mighty team here. Right people, right place, right time.

The AFN staff, big round of applause.

There's a reason this convention was scheduled when it was way back in the day. We've been voting in November for decades, and that's why we got this convention. So thank you, Michelle. Thank you, Ben Mallott. Great job.

We're going to keep powering through. We always have a busy agenda, and it does bring people from far and wide. They even come from Navajo Nation sometimes. And he has a degree from Georgia, but Billy Kirkland has been for a little over a year now Assistant Secretary of Interior— Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs at the Department of Interior. And he's here to address AFN, and I just want to thank him for his leadership and service over the years and for returning back to AFN.

So let's give a warm welcome to Billy Kirkland, Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs.

I've been referred to a number of things through my life, but I don't know that— I might need some more information on the whole rock star generation thing, because I was a child of the '80s, born in the '80s and grew up in the '90s, so I kind of like that. So if I can get a little more explanation on that, I'd appreciate it later. I wanted to— you always start out by by thanking everybody here in the organization. So I definitely want to start by thanking Joe and Gayla, not just for their service here in putting this together, but also Gayla specifically for her service on STAC. So we really, really appreciate that.

Ben as well, your leadership. And whenever you've got a convention or an organization that holds events this large, there's always a number of folks that are involved. There's volunteers, there's everybody at the organization, there's the people that come as the attendees. But I wanted to give a special thank you to Nikki Stoops, because I know whenever I've heard anyone on our staff on the phone with anybody, it seemed like it was always Nikki. So if everybody would mind giving Nikki a round of applause, that'd be great.

I also know it's early and sometimes you were kind of tired, maybe that coffee needs to kick in. So, you know, feel free. I'm not gonna, you don't need to boo me, but I'll take any applause you guys feel like throwing out there throughout the remarks. One of the things I wanna do also is try to get us on track. I know we're a little behind schedule, so I'll try to speed things up, 'cause we've got a much more important speaker who you probably wanna hear from right after me.

I just wanted to thank you all one for being here and for allowing me to be here as well. I, the only thing that I'm disappointed about is I've got to leave a little early. It was mentioned that I attended the University of Georgia. My father was in the military, so we moved a lot growing up, about every 2 years we moved pretty much. And I moved to Georgia when I was a junior in high school.

And perhaps one of my biggest failures is not being able to get my kids to, be fans of the University of Georgia. So I'm also very thankful for the change in the dates of the convention this year because last week, my 10-year-old son, all he wanted for his birthday was to go to the BYU-Notre Dame football game. So that's where I was at last week, and I would have given anything to take him to a Georgia game, but like I said, one of my major failures. But I'm also like, the disappointment though is, is leaving here early because I heard, as I mentioned, from Georgia, you guys have some entertainers who are also from Georgia that are going to be here Saturday night. Um, I don't know how many of y'all are going to the Ying Yang Twins concert.

Um, I would be very interested in knowing what section here is going to be there. Um, I thought that was, uh, I, I thought it was awesome. So if y'all Y'all, if you get to the concert on Saturday, make sure that— let them know you ran into some folks from Georgia that were from the south side of Atlanta, and they were really disappointed that they were missing that, but next year they'll plan better.

Some of us, we've got communities, especially in Alaska, that are kind of close-knit. People that you talk to a lot, people that you communicate with. Most parts of the country, aren't a lot different than that. I've got— I kind of quit making friends really in high school. So I've got a small group of folks that I keep in contact with.

We've got a small little group chat that, that communicate throughout the day, weeks, months. And I let them know the other day that I was heading up to Alaska. And in all seriousness, most of these folks are from Georgia. They've never been outside of the lower 48, I mean coming north, that is. And the whole thing was, "Well, man, watch out for the bears." And I said, "Look, the bears, we've been dealing with some bear issues, specifically grizzly at the Department of Interior." But I told them I wasn't worried about the bears.

I've got to address a room full of Alaska Native leaders and they've been dealing with the BIA for about 200 years. So I'd take my chances with the bears.

But I say that, and I'll also preface with Alaska was the actual— was the last state that I was ever— that I was able or had the opportunity to visit within our whole country. I came up to Alaska last shoulder season and was able to see and learn a ton of new things. One, I learned about the shoulder season. I had no idea what that was. And maybe not the best time to come to Alaska.

Some things are shutting down, other things are opening up. Regardless, I had a great time. Where it was actually my family actually came with me as well. I've got a 3-year-old, an 8-year-old, and a 10-year-old. And they're probably like a lot of kids, maybe a little spoiled.

They're fairly well-traveled. I've got a wife who I think when it comes to maybe saving for retirement or other things, she just says, "Well, let's go on a trip instead." So they've been a lot of places. And what's, What's so unique about Alaska though, if you were to ask my 3 kids where their favorite trip was or their favorite vacation, while for me it was a— I was working, them, you know, they got to enjoy all kinds of fun stuff. They will literally tell you every— even the 3-year-old will say, "Well, we think Alaska was our favorite trip and we want to go back." And they were really disappointed they didn't get to come with me this time. So that was— That I think says a lot about the community itself.

We were able to go see some glaciers. We were able to experience the wildlife from bears, moose, to going out in the water and looking for all the wildlife there, otters, whales, so forth and so on. And Alaska truly is a blessed community. I also got to see a lot of the challenges that were there, specifically just the ruralness. Like I said, I've lived a number of places, rural Wisconsin, Navajo Nation is, I thought, about as rural as it could get.

You know, I'm currently, you know, from Georgia, so South Georgia, there's a lot of undeveloped agriculture land, but I didn't know what rural I didn't know what rural was until I got to Alaska and I learned rural was a plane ride here, a plane ride anywhere else, another plane ride someplace else. If you're lucky, a car ride, maybe you're looking for, in some cases, horse in the wintertime, dog sleds. So I got to really, learn a lot. What I also learned was there is a unique and special appreciation for what you have. Senator Murkowski was here, and she was gracious enough to host me in a listening session and also took us out to Bethel, which was very eye-opening.

One of the most poignant, I think, things I've I was able to hear in Bethel as we were talking to individuals and learning more and hearing about the catastrophe that was the Halong typhoon was there was an individual that came up to us and said, look, this is— it's awful. We don't know what we're going to do yet. And you've been here and you spent the day here. You've seen some of the challenges and you've seen how, quite frankly, you've seen how expensive it is to live here. But then he immediately followed that statement by saying, "It's expensive to live here, but it's priceless as well." And that was maybe— I think that in and of itself kind of signifies how Alaskans and specifically Alaska Natives feel about the community.

That being said, I think one of the things that we want to do I heard some— I couldn't really make out what was said. I'm sure it wasn't a pat on the back to the BIA, but maybe some advice. So that's what we're here today to find out. We want to hear more advice, others, how we can improve, what we can do better. I will say this, when it comes to the BIA and what we're doing in Indian Affairs, we do need your help.

Specifically, we're in the process of hiring 400-plus new employees, and if you have individuals that want to work at the BIA or if you see gaps in services, let us know what those are, because we want to fill those gaps. We want to work with you all to do that. We want to come away from kind of being an agency of no and work with you to get to yes. One of the— One of the— and I kind of, I might look a little bit tired up here today, and there's a reason for that. I was in Seattle.

I had a, it was a 6 o'clock, a 6:45 flight. I had a paper ticket. I'm not— and I, for whatever reason, I didn't even check my phone. And when I was looking at my paper ticket, the boarding time was kind of crumbled up, but I, you know, I'm, Fly all over the country all the time for this job. No big deal.

Well, the crumble on my ticket was just enough on the paper to where I missed my flight. So I missed my 6:45 flight. Luckily, there was a 10:35 flight that got me up here. But it was an error that could have been avoided if I would have just opened up my app and I could have seen how easy that was. I'm sure most of us have a phone these days.

You've got your apps there. One of the biggest issues that I know a lot of Alaskans are facing today are probate backlogs. How many of you here have a probate case or your family has a probate case? Yeah, there's a number of hands here, and there's 5,000, about 5,200 in the state that are, that are here that are backlogged. This is one of the other great things I've learned about Alaskans.

You're very patient. Unfortunately, that's mainly because you've been waiting on the federal government for 200 years in lots of cases to get something done. The probate situation is no different, and quite frankly, there's no real excuse for it. But what we learned, what I've learned since my time as Assistant Secretary was these probate cases A lot like my checking into missing a flight because I couldn't see the crumpled up ticket, we're tracking these probate cases and lots of times on paper and pen. We've got a filing cabinet that we're tracking through things.

There's, it's a little bit antiquated. If we were to order Domino's Pizza today right now, you could pull open your phone and you could see exactly where the pizza is. You would know where it was coming to. You would know if it had been picked up. You would know where they were turning, what streetlights they were on.

Well, the probate situation is something that we want to fix and want you to be able to track just like that. A little over a month ago, we were able to kick off the eNative probate system to where if yourself or your service providers that are working your probate cases in your communities If they go to the Department of the Interior's website now, they can actually open an account to where you can see exactly where your probate case is. You may have submitted a case years ago, in some cases generations ago, and maybe haven't heard anything back from the BIA yet. You can now log in and actually see where your case is. You can find out, hey, I'm missing maybe a death certificate, I'm missing a birth certificate, I'm missing the land deed, whatever it may be.

This is something, though, once again, that we need your help with pushing out and telling other folks about, because of those 5,000 cases that I mentioned in Alaska, there's over $10 million that is just sitting there specifically in a non-interest-bearing account in Washington, D.C., money that is— I mean, everybody here that raised their hand, that money is yours. So we want to make sure that gets back to you, and the way that you can help us to do that is to open these accounts, log on, and start tracking to know where your funds are. That's one of the biggest things we really want to push through, and we've been able to do that with the work and leadership from your Senate delegation here as well. Senator Murkowski and Senator Sullivan have been huge advocates for y'all, and I'm not just saying this because she's sitting front row, and I'm sure I know Dan Sullivan, Senator Sullivan's gonna be here later as well, If they weren't here, I'd also say this. In terms of what Alaska does as a state and what the Alaska Native community does specifically, I can say that y'all out— you outpunch your weight class and your elected officials do that the same.

I don't know. I probably hear from Senator Sullivan and Senator Murkowski more than I do my own family, my mom and dad, actually. I know that there's not a lot of vacation. They're always focused on Alaska. But I think Senator Murkowski maybe takes one weekend off a year, and last year I think I got two phone calls on her weekend off.

So I can tell you that they're always, they're always working for y'all and letting us know what we can do, how we can be helpful in that process. So punching above your weight class is something Alaskans are used to. The lower 48 also owes Alaska and the Alaska Native communities a great debt. President Trump and Secretary Bergman were here last week, and they were able to announce a large LNG deal, LNG deal, that is going to dramatically help reduce the cost of energy, not just for Alaska specifically, but for the lower 48 as well. And this is something that the president, secretary, we want to work with the Alaska Native community as much as possible to develop resources in a way that makes sense for the Alaska Native communities.

The Native Americans across the country, lower 48, and Alaska Native communities in here, they're not a problem to be managed, but the President and the Secretary view y'all as a community to work with and to partner with, and we want to do that and develop those resources in a way that's responsible. And also protect the resources that y'all have up here. Like I said, I've seen firsthand that the mountains out there, the resources, the nature, the fish, the cleanliness of everything up here, it's something to be treasured and it's something that really, really want to protect as well.

The trip that is a little bit short this go around, but I also want to, let everybody know here today that I will be coming back very soon with a number of our colleagues at the Department of the Interior, and we'll be announcing the timeline soon. But there's a— last year, because of the shutdown, there were a number of things that weren't able to do. We weren't able to do things that have become sort of the norm, regular annual, but also very important to the community, and that's the annual providers conference. We'll be announcing that very soon. I look forward to getting up here for that and experiencing that for the first time.

I haven't had a bad experience up here yet. I also want to let everybody know and make sure this room specifically knows in terms of the YK region and everything that happened last year and that tragedy, we're still here to listen how best we can be of assistance. I know that that's a process of of decision-making that is going to, in some cases, be very lengthy. Do we rebuild? Where do we rebuild?

Do we stay here? That's not something that is taken lightly. So we're going to continue to be here listening to y'all. We're going to continue to work with your leadership in state to make that happen. One of the other things that I'd like to mention too, in my last visit up here, Senator Sullivan and Murkowski hosted a law enforcement roundtable as well, and there were a number of things that were discussed, specifically missing and murdered was a big topic, and the importance of working better and maybe more cohesively with the state.

We heard that, so since then we've been able to place one of our special agents, our NMU unit agents, specifically here in the Anchorage area, but what we're most proud of and excited about is We've been able to get him cross-deputized, so he is also recognized by the Alaska State Troopers now. Now, I know that's just a first step, but it is a step and it's something that we want to work to do more of in order to have better coordination on the law enforcement side. And like I said, I had a few things that we wanted to talk about, but I've done that. I want to stress that we're going to be around. I know you guys know Jolene, our regional director here.

We've got Brian Mercier, our director of the BIA here as well. If you do have, I saw a number of hands up, if you have a probate issue, we are working on those right now in room 5, just downstairs. So utilize that. But we also, we need your feedback on what we can be doing better and what we can do more of specifically. The other thing that I'm also very excited about today, and I'm sure that there's a number of you that are here specifically for this, but every time that Secretary Bergum has been in Alaska, he's been able to sign Native veteran allotments.

And this is something that has been going on, obviously, well-deserved for these Native veterans, specifically from the Vietnam era. It was a program that was set to expire.

And with the work of your delegation, your senators, Elise Murkowski and Senator Sullivan, they were able to get an extension. And we'd like to, if Ben, if it's okay, if we could have our BLM director from the state, from the Department of Interior come up. And I think Senator Murkowski was going to join. We'd love to— I'd love to finish off by making sure that we get to sign those allotments and make sure that these veterans who fought for our country get the allotments that are owed to them.

Good morning, everyone. My name is Kevin Pendergast. I'm the State Director for the Bureau of Land Management in Alaska. And as the Assistant Secretary mentioned for us, we're thrilled to be here to sign 3 land allotments totaling nearly 500 acres that will go to 3 deserving Vietnam-era Native veterans. The tragic reality is that these Native veterans were serving their country in Vietnam and they missed their opportunity to sign up for an allotment when that opportunity was offered.

And we're here to make progress on fulfilling that promise today. We have hundreds of applications in process and we're thrilled to be able to sign 3 today for 3 deserving individuals. One of them is one of them is one of the allotments is between Yakutat and Eyak. One of them is southeast of Valdez, and one of them is south of Copper Center. We keep the names confidential, but these folks will be notified very soon that they're receiving their land to which they've long been entitled.

So we're very excited to bring this to reality. We do need your help. There are still 1,300 individuals who are eligible for these allotments. So please visit our booth down on the ground floor, learn more about it. Heirs are also eligible, and we want to make progress on this program.

It's one of our top priorities at the BLM and the Department of the Interior, and we're thrilled to partner with the congressional delegation in this effort. So thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you. Um, next we asked Senator Murkowski to stay on stage. She'll be speaking to us next. Senator Lisa Murkowski was born in Ketchikan and raised in towns across the state, including Wrangell, Juneau, Fairbanks, and Anchorage. She is married to Vern Martell, and they have two grown sons.

Lisa loves spending time in the Alaska outdoors. She's an avid skier, she has hiked on glaciers, enjoys fall duck hunts, and has plenty of impressive king salmon mounted on her office wall. Since joining the Senate in 2002, Senator Murkowski has worked tirelessly for Alaskans and earned a reputation in the Senate for her ability to work collaboratively and across the aisle to reach common-sense solutions. Murkowski is well known for her love and dedication to her state, which means putting Alaska first. Senator Murkowski has long advocated for the Arctic as a national priority and continues to push the United States to invest in the infrastructure and assets critical to supporting an Arctic strategy.

She is leading the charge to recapitalize and expand America's fleet of icebreakers and has introduced legislation to raise the nation's presence in the Arctic through two bills that support responsible research and development, as well as giving those who live, live in the region a greater voice on policy and research. Please welcome Senator Lisa Murkowski. Thank you.

Hello! Morning! There we go. Everybody get up and stretch. Come on.

That probably feels good to stand up, doesn't it? Gunasheech. Gaila, thank you so much. And to the board, to Ben Mallott, to the staff, thank you for the opportunity to be back at AFN yet again. It's always, always, always good to be here.

I always feel smarter after AFN. Maybe it's because I'm surrounded by the elders who guide us all. It was so great to sit and to listen to the wisdom of Rosita Worl this morning. Yes, to Rosita.

Rosita is the one who taught me and who continues to remind me to honor my adopted Tlingit name, Aantschiwotki, meaning Lady of the Land. And she holds me to that. And that's a good thing. But it is also right to be here this morning to be able to recognize our honored and our treasured veterans who have served, and so to be able to be witness to the completion of some of the well and long-earned benefits that those Alaska Native veterans have earned with the final satisfaction of allotments. We appreciate Assistant Secretary Kirkland being here with us this morning.

But we're looking— we're looking at the backdrop here in front of us, behind us. 60 Years ago, it was 60 years ago that Alaska Native leaders came together because they knew that they were stronger when they stood together. And they came from different regions, they spoke different languages, they faced different challenges, But they were united. They were united around the lands and the traditions that had sustained their people for generations and generations. And leaders like Marlene Johnson of Hoonah, who we lost just this past year.

We miss them, but there are, there are those who are still with us, still sharing their wisdom, Sam Kido, Emil Naudy, who we heard from earlier in the week, Willie Hensley. I see Roy Hundorf back there. They came together. They spoke with one voice and they changed Alaska. Your theme that you see reflected, rooted in land and tradition and rising in our voices.

That theme really captures both that history and where we are today. Across thousands of miles and distinct cultures, those roots are alive in your languages, in your ceremonies, in your practices, from the Kwakwaka'wakw of Southeast to Kiviuq and Nalakootuk in the Arctic to Yurgak in Western Alaska, as you're caring your knowledge and your traditions forward, bearing the obligations to care for one another and to leave something better for future generations. And we've seen that strength. We see that strength for 60 years now at AFN. And we see it in the leaders that are carrying it forward today.

This year, we lost one of those leaders, my friend Joel Jackson. Joel, Joel was a man that was so identified with his community. For more than 35 years, he led the organized village of Kake, including Ait, as tribal president. And he fought for his community, He fought for the Tongass. He spoke up for the murdered, missing Indigenous peoples.

He helped lead the long, long effort for acknowledgment of the Navy's bombardment of Kake. And I was so honored, truly honored to stand with him on his ancestors' land to witness that historic apology just a couple years ago. And Joel, that was important because it was not just cake. He helped deliver that apology to the people of Wrangell and to the people of Angoon that was so long outstanding. But Joel also stood for our fish as well.

He was alarmed by the decline of our salmon. He pushed for action. Especially on trawling and wasteful bycatch, and he did so not only with a sense of urgency that the situation demands, but the thoughtfulness and the respect that all Alaskans deserve. Now, there's a lot of debate about bycatch nowadays. You're hearing it all, and in fairness, we should welcome that debate.

We should also remember, as Joel did, that our people and our communities come first. They must come first. And while there's no answer, or no easy answer, no one answer on this, we can work together without demonizing others to figure this out and to bring our fish back. 60 Years gives us a chance to recognize those who, who brought us here and to talk honestly about where we go next. And we heard that challenge from Dr. Worrell this morning.

So I reflect a lot about those who give much to me, the elders with their wisdom, And I still count as a friend a beautiful man who's no longer with us, Sidney Huntington, a very strong elder from the interior.

He was a trapper. He fished. He built boats. And he helped build Galena's schools. And he had a 3rd-grade education.

But he became one of Alaska's strongest advocates for education. He was an unwavering champion for young people. I went to Galena. Yeah, give Sidney a—.

Recognition. But on one of my trips to Galena, we flew into the airport there, and I got off the plane, and here's Sidney sitting outside of the little airport there on just a little bench, and he was waiting for me. He was waiting for me because he knew I was going to be doing my meet and greet around Galena, and he wanted a piece of my time. To share with me his views on what was important with education and what was I going to be doing for the children, not only in Galena, but all over Alaska. He was always ready to give me advice.

He believed young people had a responsibility to listen to elders, and elders had a responsibility to share what they knew and to tell the truth. He knew, Sidney knew that elders are the ultimate social influencers. He was kind of one of the originals, I guess. And, you know, I think about, okay, if I got off that plane and Sidney was still there sitting on that bench, what kind of wisdom would he want to impart on me? And I kind of think he would say, Lisa, you need to give those kids some anti-advice.

Tell them, get off their phones and get outside. Just saying.

But we know that guidance, that knowledge from our elders can save lives, and their respect for land, for traditions, for one another can help heal and help communities adapt to dramatic economic technological, demographic, and environmental change. So we have just, just recently passed the 1-year mark since ex-Typhoon Halong devastated western Alaska.

And I was downstairs last year, again, just about this time, and I was I was talking to some young people from Kwikwetlemkokw and Kipnukw at Youth and Elder, and at that time they didn't know the impact to their communities. They didn't know if they had communities to return to. They didn't know if they had a home to go to. That's where we were. Just last year.

And that storm scattered those families from Kip, Kwik, so many other communities. And they scattered the families here to Anchorage, out to Bethel, up in the Mat-Su Valley, and beyond. Now, when you, when you think about the loss, the loss of a house, um, certainly one thing, but The loss of your community, the loss of your subsistence foods, this has been so devastating for so many. And government, government can do many things to help, but the truly meaningful connections come through us as people being there for one another. I was looking out the window here earlier, And one of the requests that we heard when I visited with many of the Heilong families and some of the, some of the board from Kipnuk in Kwigillingok, and they were, they were commenting that the things that they missed most were some of the things that come with spring, like being able to gather seagull eggs and to be able to eat that food that they so identified with.

And you look around and there's seagulls all over the place here. We say, "There must be a way. There must be a way to help those be able to gather during the spring." Long story short, we were able to deliver a couple hundred different seagull eggs that were plucked from the tops of these buildings that you see out here. It's not exactly beautiful nesting grounds, but the fact of the matter is, is we were able to get eggs to families so that they could taste that taste of home a little bit.

And then in May, at the Alaska Native Heritage Center, There were 7 high school graduates who had been displaced from Quigg, and they were gathered in reunion. They held a rose ceremony where the graduates thanked those who had carried them through.

T'niik Dunn Igaruk from Quigg made sure that each graduate had a cake to take home, just as they would have had were they in the village. And so it's those simple things where, again, you're making that small connection. Those students graduated far from home, and now their families, their communities are deciding what home will look like in the years ahead. Tribal leaders, including Kipnuk Tribal Administrator Raina Paul, have had to keep their communities together while navigating a disaster system that is ill-suited to rural Alaska. They're weighing relocation sites, land ownership, subsistence access, infrastructure, and above all, whether the next generation can live somewhere safe.

To just know that their families will be safe. Kwee gii lingoak faces many of the same questions. And that's why immediately after the storm, your delegation joined together to press for a federal disaster declaration and needed resources. And that's why this spring, as Chairman of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, I held field hearings in both Anchorage and in Bethel so that you could tell me what was working and more importantly, what was not working.

And at those hearings, we heard from Lucy Martin of Kwikwilin'goch. She described the terror of her home breaking loose from its foundation and floating in the dark floodwaters. And we heard— we heard very clearly that the relocation programs are fragmented. That disaster assistance does not fit rural Alaska and that communities need to be consulted before decisions are made for them. And it's so important to underscore that.

But this, this is truly what rising in our voices means. It means Native communities having the power not only to share what they have what happens next. And we are seeing, we are seeing progress. That's what's happening in Allakaket, where residents are helping to design a water system that fits their community. We're seeing it in the tribal health system where Alaska Native students are preparing to become that next generation of providers.

And also through culturally grounded work that's being done by CITC, by Tlingit Haida, and so many more. So last year, the crisis as we gathered was haylong. This year, it's energy and high prices. It is wrong. It is wrong that fuel prices are so high For 6 months now, I have voted to responsibly end the war in Iran, which drove the prices up and is key to bringing them down.

Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you. We know that high fuel prices are a threat to everyone. Everyone, urban and rural alike, from Wasilla to Wrangell. I get it. It is hard to buy groceries.

It is hard to fill up your fuel tanks. It is hard to run snow machines or to engage in subsistence hunt. It's hard to run a business. And I fear I fear that many Alaskans will struggle to keep warm this winter as they make a choice between keeping warm and buying food. And this is— this is not right.

We've seen some pretty historic efforts, really heroic efforts. James Stevens, his push to get fuel to Atka. Yes, Jimmy. He kind of dared me to call him that. But what he did to try to make sure that they had fuel delivered before winter.

But again, what is happening, what is happening in your communities, what is happening, the impact to you and your families is not right. And I recognize that even when prices eventually go back down, which they will, that many, many of you, many of us in Alaska are still going to be paying far more for our energy than most of the rest of the country. So there is so much that we need to do in this space. We can push for greater federal assistance, and you know that I do that, whether it's LIHEAP or weatherization. We're going to hear some encouraging news from the Department of Energy with regards to grants.

But my goal— my goal is to help every one of our communities bring down energy prices. And bring them down for good. And the solutions are gonna look different from community to community, region to region, and it's not easy. It's not. That's our reality.

But we must work together to meet this challenge or our communities will not thrive and will not be healthy.

This week at Elders and Youth, there was some very important discussion about mental health, about bullying, about bullying in schools, bullying online, and about suicide, as too many continue to lose hope and to take their own lives. And so I was really pleased to see the very powerful resolution that passed earlier this week, and it's why I'm encouraged by Alakanuk's plan to address Native wellness and suicide prevention. With federal grant support, young people, it's the young people that will shape the response with traditional Yup'ik teachings alongside counseling, crisis care, Qalricha Qaqq. I really need to work on my language. It's the holistic Yup'ik wellness curriculum.

I'll get some guidance on that later. But it's good. What they're doing there is solid. And then earlier this week, I had an opportunity— and again, I just get goosebumps when I think about these young people. I was joined by two outstanding Alaskan young leaders, Moses Wiseman and Taylor Higgins.

And they were presenting. We were all presenting. Yes. Let me tell you about what they did, though. These kids are amazing.

We were at the National Conference of American Indians. It was down in California. There were thousands of people there. And in front of these tribal leaders and these advocates, these two beautiful, strong, young Alaska Native leaders shared their perspectives on the impact of Typhoon Halong, the importance of language revitalization, the importance of mental health services, housing, all of it. I was so proud of them.

Those two young people, along with the two others— one was Ojibwe, and oh my goodness, drawing a blank on the other. I shouldn't draw that. Anyway, they got a standing ovation from this massive audience. For speaking from their heart as young people and how they can make a difference for others. On Saturday, Moses and Taylor will be here at AFN for a panel on the next 60 years.

So I'm just so proud of them. They're making a difference for their communities. They're helping to shape the future of the next generation. And you should all, when you see them, you give them an attaboy, attagirl, because they are making a difference for all of us. So to Moses and to Taylor.

But it was really listening, listening to our young people. That's how my team and I in Washington and here in Alaska, how we worked to build and draft our Native Children's Commission Implementation Act. This is legislation that you heard Ben talking about earlier. AFN's priority, or one of your significant priorities, focused on the health and well-being of Native children, of Native children around the country. One of the titles in that bill would increase direct tribal set-asides and expand tribal self- Governance for Behavioral Health Programs.

So it would allow tribes like Alakanuk to build a single behavioral health program instead of having to piece together several different federal grants. So what we did is we listened. We took years to listen. We were traveling all over the state, traveling all over the country, listening to young people, Our bill is guided by the Commission's findings that culture heals and builds resilience, that community control is the key, and that holistic programming better serves our families.

And this is, this is important. This is important because we have seen We have seen what happens when government does the opposite, when it separates children from their families, from their communities, from their languages, and from their culture.

And for generations, unfortunately, that, that was the policy here in the United States. Native children were taken from their homes. They were sent to boarding schools designed to strip away their identity, and assimilate them into another culture. This year, another Alaska Native story came full circle at Carlisle.

Nishe Andrew— Nishe was an intern for me on the Senate Indian Affairs Committee last year. She's now a researcher at the Alaska Native Heritage Center. Center, and she has been helping to find descendants of those students who died at the Carlisle boarding school in Pennsylvania. She, she was going through the archives and she recognized the tavligan, which is a traditional Chin tattoo. She recognized it in a student photograph and discovered a relative of hers who had died there 125 years ago.

And they traced Tumesac to her family, and then she and her mother traveled to Carlisle to guide Tumesac back home to Shishmaref.

I, uh, sometimes things happen in your life and you're not really quite sure how we were placed in the same spot at the same time. I was coming back to Alaska from Washington, D.C., and I was in the Seattle airport waiting to board the airplane, and a woman comes up to me And she says, "You don't know me, but you know my daughter, Nishe. She was an intern for you." And I said, "Yes, wonderful." And she shared with me that she and Nishe were bringing Tumasac back home. And she reached into her bag, And she said, "I want you to have this keepsake." And she gave to me a little beaded keepsake around an antler horn with a forget-me-not in the center of it.

And included with this was a little note that she had had printed up and it says, "Returning home to Shishmaref after 129 years. Tumasak was just 12 when she was taken from the Teller, Alaska reindeer station. She arrived at Carlisle, Pennsylvania on November 14, 1897 and she was only 15 when she passed away from tuberculosis on April 8, 1900." 1900. This precious keepsake made in Tumasac's honor, Alaska state flower and forget-me-not on a reindeer antler. We will never forget Tumasac.

We will never forget those who were separated from our families. We will always remember and we will put our work to those efforts. And that's exactly why I've been working for as many years as I have to advance the legislation to address the legacy of federal Indian boarding school policies, because healing requires truth.

But I'll tell you, that history also is a reminder of why your voices matter in shaping the decisions that affect your communities and your state. More than a century ago, William Paul, a young Tlingit man, was also sent to Carlisle. While he was there, he learned the printing press. He brought that skill home, and he used the printed word the law and the Alaska Native Brotherhood to fight for land, for civil rights, and the vote. And in 1924, he became the first Alaska Native elected to the territorial legislature.

An institution that was intended to weaken Native identity gave William Paul a tool that he carried home and he turned toward strengthening Native political representation. But having rights on paper is not enough if people cannot actually exercise them. I believe our elections must be secure. Now, I've supported requiring identification to vote. I think we get that.

But I cannot support this so-called SAVE Act as it's written because of the barriers that it would create for Alaskans, particularly in our rural communities.

We're seeing many of our tribes that are working to provide for increasingly secure ID cards, including the Real ID compliant, which is great, but even those IDs may not necessarily count as documentary proof of citizenship under the bill. For an Alaska Native voter in a community off the road system, getting these documents could, could mean significant additional cost, travel delays. And we do not need new barriers for lawful voters who are American citizens. We need less confusion. We need fewer obstacles to voting.

So, for me, saving America starts with preserving your right to vote.

I don't see Michelle sitting down here, but I was listening carefully to all of her efforts, and I want to thank Michelle and the Get Out the Native Vote. They're doing a good, strong job there, but she— She has traveled across the state reminding people of the power that they have when they show up and they cast their votes. You've also got the Youth at the Booth program, getting 16- and 17-year-olds involved at polling places. This, this is how you build the next generation of engaged citizens and leaders. But we also need to make sure that the mechanics of voting work in rural Alaska.

I was thinking about Ivalu Blanchette. She was trying to get to Nunapitchuk on primary day to go help elders and other voters, but her flight was canceled. She was called— when she called home that morning, she found out that the polling place had not even opened, and it wasn't going to be until about 5 o'clock before people there could actually vote. But I also think about how earlier this year 75 absentee in-person ballots from rural Alaska arrived after the certification deadline because of mail delays, even though those voters did everything right. And stuff happens.

So we're— we, we have to be attuned to this because where you live should not determine whether your voice is heard and whether your vote is counted.

So know that I am pushing to preserve your right to vote, but you, you are the one with the power of the vote. You are the one that needs to get out and exercise it and go vote. And you heard it from Michelle, making it easy here in Anchorage. You can go across the street at City Hall, Midtown Mall. If you're in the Valley, you can go to the Menard Sports Center out in Wasilla or the Matsu Borough Building in Palmer.

There's information everywhere. It's all around you. It's downstairs at my booth. But don't, don't fail to have your vote count. When I think about rising our voice, rising in our voices, I think about the people I've heard across Alaska.

This year. Heilong survivors, the tribal leaders in Bethel and Anchorage. When I met with the folks at TCC at the Nenana Health and Wellness Center, it's exciting what they've got coming there. Dancers and language speakers at Celebration in Juneau, leaders working for Native children. And at one of those gatherings in D.C. earlier this year, I was very honored to be gifted a name from the Mandan tribe of North Dakota.

They gifted me the name Hotsihé. Hotsihé means strong voice. And I thought about that name when I met with tribal leaders in the lower 48 this week. And I thought about it in Greenland, where I was just last week. When I met with the Inuit people who are now facing many of the same transitions that you have in years past.

And I am immensely proud of the respect from Indigenous peoples around the world, but that is only the case because of what I have received from so many of you. At my time here at AFN, in your communities, and with all of you, you have helped me grow. You have helped me understand that having a strong voice carries a responsibility. It means making sure that the voices of the people that you represent are heard where the decisions are being made. And that is the responsibility that I carry with me.

As I represent you. And it's why I work with you to protect our fish, to lower our energy costs, to be ready for the storms that we know are coming. And that's why I will continue to— the work that Alice Spotted Bear, that Walter Soboleff, so many Native leaders before us and today, to make sure that every Alaskan community has a voice in its future, and every child has the opportunity to grow up strong, supported, connected to their culture, and rooted, deeply rooted in who they are. Gunalchéesh, Hweyana, thank you for the opportunity to be with you yet again.

Thank you so much. Thank you. So, thank you. Thank you.

Anshu Watki, thank you always. Um, just a quick comment here: Bering Straits is caucusing right now, so there was no reflection there. They're, they're caucusing and we've got big business going on. So Bering Straits went to their caucus. They're watching the weather north, south, and they are watching the weather because there is a storm coming.

Yes. But Senator Murkowski, we thank you for keeping President Joe Jackson with us, Chair Marlene Johnson, and thank you for being just one of us. We— it's AFN love. Just a big round of applause for our senator, our chair of Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, Senator Murkowski. Thank you.

We are going to keep, keep going. We do— there was comments about energy there in our presentation, and we do have a guest here from the U.S. Department of Energy. And this is a high-ranking official from the U.S. Department of Energy, the Deputy Secretary James Danly. He's here to address the AFN convention. He's come a long ways.

He's a— was an officer in the Army. He did his tour, two tours in Iraq. He received the Bronze Star and a Purple Heart. He graduated from Yale. He's got a law degree from Vanderbilt.

And let's give him a warm AFN welcome to Deputy Secretary James Danly from U.S. Department of Energy.

Well, good morning everyone. Or is it afternoon at this point? It might be afternoon. I am James Danly, the Deputy Secretary of Energy, and I come with some fantastic news. But before I get there, I just want to say to everybody, I absolutely love Alaska.

I'm a Tennessean, but I love Alaska. Since I first came here at 16. I went hiking for 10 weeks in the middle of high school. It was great. I've been back again and again afterwards, and that's why it is so fantastic for me to be here to make a historic announcement from the Department of Energy.

Today I am announcing that we are issuing fundings for $125 million for tribal energy projects. $125 Million.

This is the largest funding in the 20-year history of the Department of Indian Energy and the Department of Energy. It is— or the Office of Indian Energy. It is absolutely historic amount of investment that our department is making in tribal energy projects. This represents 63 different projects across the country. In 16 states, including Alaska.

And the great news, and the reason I'm here in part in Anchorage to announce this, is that Alaska is receiving about half of the total award money to strengthen the energy system of Alaska.

The, uh, one other thing that's worth noting, and this is important, is that this is not the Department of Energy telling anybody what they're going to do. Instead, this is the Tribal authorities coming to us and asking us to fund their projects because you know your needs and wants far better than we can. The process by which these selections were made was on a solicitation basis, and it was so enthusiastically embraced that we actually had 10 times more requests for the funding than we had money to give out, which meant we were able to be very, very discriminating in determining just how we could get the most value per dollar spent, the most number of megawatts, the greatest reliability benefit. And all of this is being done for the purpose of driving prices down. Energy prices are too high, and the department is absolutely laser-focused on trying to reduce those costs as much as possible.

And this historic investment is going to increase the reliability by paying for, for enhanced transmission distribution. It's going to produce more generation so that there's greater amounts of electrons on the grid. And it is also— and this is a critical thing that has never been done before to this scale— it's going to invest in energy workforce here in Alaska so that the 28,000 energy workers you already have are going to be plussed up so that Alaska can meet the energy challenges going into the future.

The— this historic funding demonstrates the department's total commitment to tribal energy projects across the country, and even more directly, the total commitment that the department has to Alaska. This is but one of many, many projects that we're doing here in Alaska, whether it's reconductoring the backbone transmission system or ensuring that there are advanced technologies being employed for the transmission system to enhance the stability of the system during winter events. We are absolutely dedicated to ensuring that Alaska is able to meet its energy challenges. And this is a state that is fundamental to the United States. Not only does Alaska have an immense amount of natural resources and energy resources, it also has an extremely attenuated, broad set of communities, each one of which is remote from other places, which creates real challenges to keep the prices down and to keep the, the electric system stable.

Well, the Department of Energy has been doing everything we can over the last, let's say, 15 years to ensure that the best thinking is available and the best plans are available to Alaska. And this is mostly seen in the long and deep partnership between Alaska's government and its, its tribal authorities and the Department of Energy's National Laboratory System, in which the national labs assist Alaska continuously in trying to better, better poise themselves with their energy system to meet their needs and the challenges that are part of running a transmission system in the state. It is also in recognition of Alaska's primary position in national security. This state is fundamental. There are multiple Department of Defense sites across the state.

It is located on the Pacific in the north in a geostrategically critical location. And energy is fundamental to national security. The objective of the Department of Energy is to ensure affordable, reliable, secure energy to every American and to give energy to everybody in abundance in order to both promote prosperity and also ensure national security. And Alaska is an absolutely pivotal player in achieving those missions.

The $125 million grant funding that I just mentioned is really only the first in a series of steps that the Department of Energy plans to take to shore up as much of Alaska's energy system as possible. And in doing so, just like I said a moment ago, the— this is not command and control from Washington, D.C. It is soliciting input from everybody here. And what we want is to partner with each and every one of you in order to advance your needs as much as we can. And so far, I'd say that the cooperation has been exemplary, but there can always be more and it can always be better.

What I ask for everybody is that as the Department of Energy makes available these funding opportunities, that you really do avail yourself of the Office of Indian Energy and the Office of Arctic Energy, both of whom will help you and guide you to the best possible opportunities that we have at the Department of Energy. And we have plans to roll out more funding in the future in order to ensure that we're able to drive prices down as quickly as we can. That is really the key driver here. We want to lower prices for everybody. Because the prices have gotten too high.

And as Senator Murkowski said a second ago, it is, it is crazy, particularly in Alaska, a state that is as abundant in natural resources as it is, that prices can be as high as they are. We are going to fix that problem, and we are going to drive it forward with the thoughtful application of the money that Congress has made available to us to ensure that prices are as low as possible and that the energy system of Alaska remains stable. So This, this would not be possible, this funding and all of the projects that we're building across the state, were it not for the efforts of Senator Murkowski, Senator Sullivan, Congressman Begich, and Governor Dunleavy. But most of all, we owe our thanks to Senator Murkowski, who from the time of the passage of EPAct 2005, that's the Energy Policy Act of 2005, that completely shifted the way The federal government does energy programs. She was instrumental in that and has been instrumental throughout the last two decades in keeping the lights on and driving thoughtful, deliberate energy policy.

And I think we all owe Senator Murkowski sincere thanks for all of her efforts. Do you want to come up, please?

Thank you, Senator Murkowski. Thank you. This is what working with your federal government is all about. We find those areas and those opportunities. But Secretary Danly, I think it is— Assistant Secretary, I give you the full job here, but Deputy— I think it's important what you have noted in that these projects were defined by the communities, defined by the regions.

You telling your government, your delegation, what it is that works best. So we're excited and we're thankful for the good work of you and your team and the Trump administration in helping to facilitate this. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

So the one thing I want to reiterate in closing— and thank you, Senator Murkowski, I really appreciate that— um, The one thing I want to reiterate now for the third time, I said it, the Senator said it, I'm saying it again, we really do want to partner with you. The easiest way to do that is to go to the website for the Office of Indian Energy. The contact information is there. If you have an idea, and even if it doesn't fit within whatever funding is announced at the time, we are absolutely clear-eyed on the fact that as a department, we will get you where you need to go within the department. Department in order to find a vehicle by which to achieve your objectives, whether it is a loan from the Office of Energy Dominance Financing, whether it is reconductoring under the SPARK or GRIP money, which are administered by the Office of Electricity.

If you call the Office of Indian Energy and you get in touch with them, they will help you find the way to get where you need to go within the Department of Energy and even in other departments in government. We are here to help, and what we want to do is ensure affordable, reliable, secure energy for everyone, and we are absolutely dead set on ensuring that Alaska has the brightest possible future in affordable energy going forward. So thank you very much.

So one more round of applause for our Deputy Secretary of Energy here.

We have a very fun business to take care of. This is a working lunch and we got the, the YK is here for the first award to help. We've got the Denali Award is for a non-native. We've been doing this for many, many years at AFN. The AFN board makes the selection based on nominations and I do want to invite the whole delegation that's going to come up and help on this presentation for the Denali Award.

But this year's awards can go to Katie Baldwin Basil. Let's— round of applause here and welcome up.

So Katie's parents, Gary and Kathy, originally from Oregon, they moved to the village of Akwesasne as schoolteachers. Katie grew up in Napaskiack and Bethel. She's got her husband Paul and their sons Owen and Henry here. And I'm going to actually keep us on track the best we can and give her more of the time than my time reading about her. But I've got my own connections in the YK, and I know that there's often, often things happening during convention out there.

So everybody back home, hopefully they're watching, and just lots of love to the YK from AFN, and a round of applause again for Katie Basil.

All right, thank you, Katie. On behalf of Nabuskaap Incorporated Board of Directors, along with the whole community of Nabuskaap, we're so proud to help recognize you for your outstanding work. The kind of heart that Katie has is evident in her work. Her photos and the stories that they share are truthful, compassionate, and help to showcase the strength and resilience of the people in our communities. The world quickly forgets how serious our climate crisis is and the impact it has on so many lives.

It's thanks to Katie's work that the conversation continues locally and at the state and national and international levels. Many of us who know Katie and have grown up with her know that she is humble and is bashful when it comes to recognition for her work especially at this level. Katie, for your work up to now and your work in nurturing the next generation of our photojournalists and filmmakers, hoyaanachaknuk. To show our appreciation, please accept these small gifts from artists in our community in Nabuskap, including a custom uluk made by local priest and carpenter Father Nikolai Larsen, a knitted cowl by Elisa Stephen, and beaded earrings by Christy Beaver.

Good afternoon, my name is Vivian Korthius. I serve as CEO for the Association of Village Council Presidents. I want to introduce our vice chair, Martin Andrew.

Good morning. It's real good to be here, to be here at the 60th anniversary of the Alaska Federation of Natives. Great to be here. On behalf of the Association of Village Council Presidents, we'd like to present Katie with a small gift.

Hi everyone, my name is Audrey Ahlstrom. I'm from Alakanakan, a member of the Chillester Board of Directors. On behalf of Chillester, we proudly congratulate Katie on this, receiving the prestigious Denali Award. Katie has dedicated much of her career to capturing and sharing the stories of our people and the communities throughout the Yukon-Kuskokwim region. Through her work, she has helped preserve our traditions document our challenges, and then celebrate the strength and resilience of our people.

So, um, and she ensures that these stories are shared and preserved for our future generations. So, um, as a token of our appreciation, we gift you this artwork. It's called We Are One by John Oscar of Bethel. Congratulations, and Gwiyana.

Thank you all for staying here for the Denali and the Citizen of the Year Award, which is coming up next. I also want to recognize everybody that's listening and watching online back home. We are all celebrating Katie together today. I want to thank Gary and Kathy for coming to the YK Delta region so many, many decades ago and bringing your family there, making your family, creating your family there, and the love that you have for our region was passed down to your children who continue to stay in Bethel and in the region. And you have raised such a wonderful daughter in Katie.

And we watched her grow up in Bethel. And this sponsorship of Katie between Nabaskiak Inc. and Bethel Native Corporation is really special because she was, as a little girl, she was in Nabaskiak. Her parents were teachers there. And then they moved to Bethel. So we were able to inherit her from there.

And she continues to live in Bethel and is raising her family there. Her boys, Henry and Owen, they attend the Yup'ik Immersion School and they're coached by my sons. So it continues to bring, bring everybody together. And it's the circle of life that we can all appreciate and love. And Katie, thank you for your work at home, your work with KYUK.

She's brought hundreds of thousands of dollars in grant money to preserving and archiving our Ways of Wisdom, which was in the large tape decks, not even a VCR, even bigger tape decks, and she worked to digitize all of that, and it's accessible on our phones, so we can hear and experience those stories now digitally, and so Katie spearheaded that effort with KYUK, and we thank you. You know, recently we lost Jim Barker, and he, he did so much to, to preserve our culture, and Katie, you really are like Jim Barker for our generation. Thank you.

And we also have a John Oscar gift for Katie, her neighbor from the avenues. We're from the avenues.

And so here is your gift, and you will also be receiving a custom-made qaspakbai iki. Lisa Jemirlga Simon will meet her downstairs after this is over. Congratulations.

Okay. Koyaanis. Thank you. I want to start by thanking Nabuskiak Incorporated and Bethel Native Corporation for nominating me and the Alaska Federation of Natives board for selecting me. This is so special.

I grew up in Nabaskiak and Bethel in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. I love my home, and when Nikolay called to tell me that this nomination came from organizations representing the two communities that raised me, I felt that love reflected back.

My work focuses on socially engaged storytelling and the climate crisis. I have long been inspired by elders like Annie Nelson of Napakiak and Robert Nick of Nunapitchuk, who would reference the adage, "The weather is changing following its people." This Yup'ik teaching is generations old and describes what scientists were figuring out only a few decades ago. I began documenting the impacts of climate change alongside my colleagues at KYUK Public Media in 2017. Since then, we have seen rapid change, including the relocation of Newtok, one of the first full-scale community relocations in the country, and perhaps most present on all our minds, the devastating typhoon that hit our region one year ago this month. These headlines have faded, but it's so important that we continue to listen, document, and share what is happening so that our communities are fully supported in disaster mitigation and recovery.

And when communities vote to relocate, there should be a clear and federally supported path forward.

Perhaps most importantly, communities should be engaged in the storytelling process. How they are represented and the way these stories are shared matters. The work that brings me the most joy is mentoring the next generation of rural Alaskan storytellers. I've had the pleasure of creating media with hundreds of youth from the YK Region, and they will continue to carry this work forward. A huge thanks to all the organizations who have collaborated and supported this work, including Alaska Sea Grant, KYUK Public Media, Bethel Community Services Foundation, Anchorage Press, and the Lower Kuskokwim School District.

To the communities of Nootak, Napakiak, Kasigluk, Nunapitchuk, Gwíithluk, Kwígulingak, Kipnuk, Hooper Bay, Quinahok, and beyond. Gwiyana for sharing your stories, and may we continue to work together to build communities that are safe, thriving, and resilient. The Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta is a place of abundance and radical generosity. Growing up there and raising my kids there are the two greatest gifts of my life, and I have so much gratitude to the entire region. Gwiyana to the late Yago and Maggie Nikolai and their family.

To my wonderful and supportive parents, Kathy and Gary Baldwin, who had the good sense to move to the YK and to stay. To my brother Jamie Baldwin and my best friend Jamie Herring, and of course to my husband Paul and my kids Owen and Henry. This work would not be possible without their support. This is truly the honour of a lifetime. Koyaanisqo'oyana.

As they're, um, exiting off the stage, congratulations. As they're exiting off, I'll go ahead and give the, um, introduction for the Citizen of the Year Award. We would like to announce the winner of the Citizen of the Year Award. Let's welcome Dmitry Filimonov on onstage. This award is selected by the AFN Board of Directors.

The awardee is an Alaska Native person who has demonstrated a strong commitment, dedication, and service to the Alaska Native community and to rural Alaska. Dimitri is an Aleut from St. George Island. His parents, Irina Merkuliov and Isaac Filimonov, were evacuated from St. George during World War II. His brother, Father Paul Merkulieff, and Idolador Ed Filimonoff were also evacuated with his parents. His sister Edna was born before his family returned to St. George Island after the war.

Dmitri was born in St. George after his family returned home in 1944. Later, his younger sisters Irene and Maria were born in St. George. Father Paul, Iliador, Edna, and Irene have since passed, leaving Dimitri and Maria as the last of his family. Dimitri has served the Aleut people in the Aleutian Pribilof Islands Region, Alaska tribes, and all American Indians in various ways through his 48 years of service. Working mostly as the president and CEO of the Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association, Dimitri began working for the for the Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association Incorporated on April 14th, 1978 under the Community Services Department.

Dimitri has continued to serve as the President CEO of the association since April 24th, 1985. Now managing a $30 million budget and 130 programs funded through federal, state, and private grants to advance the health, economic, social, and cultural development of the Aleutian Pribilof Islands region. He travels extensively learning about the legislative process, building alliances with organizations, and sharing common goals and objectives.

Over the years, Dimitri has served as a board member on the St. George Village Corporation, Aleutian Housing Authority, Alaska Federation of Natives, the Aleut Corporation, Gold Cash Bingo, Lucky Stripe Bingo, the Aleut Leagues, The Aleut League, St. Herman's Seminary, St. Innocent Orthodox Brotherhood, and the Aleutian Finance Corporation, among others. Congratulations, Dimitri, our Citizen of the Year.

Sure is.

Jessica Mottarukavishnikov, Primary Care Director for the Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association. I have been working for APIA probably 23 years now, but before that my mom was a community health aide 47+ years. So on behalf of the board of directors, I am proud to share that our president and CEO, Dimitri, has been recognized by AFN as the recipient of the Citizen of the Year Award. This prestigious honor reflects Dimitri's unwavering dedication to our people, our tribes, our community, and APIA. Throughout his 48 years of services, he has led with integrity, humility, and a deep commitment to those we serve.

His work has always been grounded in the belief that our strength comes from working together for our people and future generations. We are grateful for the example he sets and the heart he brings to his work every day. Please join me in congratulating Dimitri on this well-deserved honour.

Okay, so, um, for the gifting— first we'll do the gifting, and then I understand that Vince wants to say a few words. We will start with Karen and Patty O. Patty Lukanoff, if you want to stand up, she's going to be pointing you out. So yeah, thank you. Karen Pletnikoff at the Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association. I'm presenting to Dimitri on behalf of our board of directors.

Beautiful Unangax style, Aleut style visor by the Aleut artist Okalena Patricia Lakanoff Gregory. And we're so grateful to her for being a cultural bearer and bringing the bentwood visor teachings to our culture camps across the region. Thanks, Patty. And thank you, Denise.

And Miss Hoblet, Apikta.

Hi, Nikki Hoblet, um, representing Apikta today. We also have Hugh Pelkey up here. We just wanted to congratulate Demetri on this honor, and we appreciate our partnership that we've had with APIA for all the years, and we are grateful for your continued service to our region, our communities. Congratulations. And this is a picture of your hometown, cute little kids walking down the road.

And Jennifer and Candace from the Aleut Corporation.

Hey! Good, good. Ang hallo, Jennifer Nelson, Chairman of the Board for the Aleut Corporation. What an honor to be here today celebrating Dimitri and all his years of leadership and service to our people and the region. And also, he's really, really good at karaoke too, if any of you haven't heard him sing.

One of his many talents, but Dimitri, um, looked up to you as a, as a leader, and on behalf of the Aleut Corporation and our 5,000 shareholders, um, we honor you and celebrate you in your service to all of us.

And then I have the 2 behind you, and then we're going to turn the microphone over to our very own Anthony Lekhanov.

Uh, ours is quick. This is on behalf of the AFN Board of Directors. So thank you, Dimitri.

Thank you. I wanted to present Dmitry with this beautiful parka from that Monica Rydell made. There's walrus tusks on the front of it. I just want to say I have known Dmitry all of my life through the Russian Orthodox Church, and his beautiful tenor voice is still really in my soul, and I want to thank him for his leadership on the AFN board. I've served with him for the past 20 years.

28 Years and just love him and honor him today in this recognition. Thank you. Okay, next Vince and then Anthony Lakenoff.

My name is Vince Tutikov Sr. I was the president and CEO of the Elliott Corporation many years ago. I got to know Dmitry quite well. I want to thank him for all the work he's done regarding the duties and responsibilities of APIA. My Uncle Phil was his close friend.

Uncle Phil and I and Dmitry traveled to Washington, D.C. on the second round of hearings on internment of Aleuts in Washington, D.C. Today we have young people have moved up into positions at APIA. Very happy to see that. One of them is my son Nikolai Tutikoff, and he's really— looks up to Dimitri and all the things he's done Thank you, Dimitri, for all you've done in our region. Thank you.

Anthony.

Good afternoon. My name is Anthony Lukanoff, and I have the pleasure of serving alongside, uh, Jennifer Nelson on the Aleut Corporation Board of Directors. But also, in addition to my role at Alyut and St. George Tena, I also serve as a deacon for the Orthodox Church in Alaska. And so we figured that it would be very appropriate to offer a many years to Dimitri. But I just wanted to add that, you know, I'm also from St. George as well.

And Dimitri has been an individual that I've been able to look up to as a mentor and someone that we all would look up to in his years of service. And, you know, he has big shoes to fill. And I hope that we can do you proud. And as a person from St. George as well, this is a really big honor. So if everyone can please stand, we can go ahead and start with the many years.

Grant, O Lord, a prosperous and peaceful life, health, salvation, and furtherance of all blessed things to thy servant Dmitry and his family, who's being recognized this day, and grant them many years.

God grant him many years.

Um, before giving the microphone to Dimitri, I did notice that John Wayne was here, one of our board of directors, and I don't know if anybody else wanted to say a few words.

Hello, my name is John Wayne Melovidoff. I have the pleasure of sitting on the API Board of Directors. I'm also the president of the Aleut Community of St. Paul, and I am honored to be here to say a few words about Dimitri. I've been on the API board for about 3 years now, and I'm honored to be able to sit on the board with so many people that have so much experience and knowledge in our region. And Dimitri is absolutely one of those.

I look—. I'm always looking forward to gain as much knowledge as I can from Dimitri. And in the boardroom, it's just— it's just a pleasure to be able to learn from our elders. And Dimitri has been there for so long, and we just appreciate all the direction that he's provided to the Ononghen people in our region. And I'm just so very happy to be here and congratulate you.

Thank you, Dimitri, for all the years of your service to our people and our region. Thank you.

All right, so Dimitri, you finally get to give your closing remarks, but I just want you guys to know that truly he believes atakunakun, that we are one in our region, and that truly he lets us always want— he always wants us to do the right thing. And I want to recognize Millie, if you'll Step forward a little bit. She's the director of our cultural heritage department. So we kind of, all of our, all of us other managers kind of like look out for that department, whether we're buying services or whatever. And I believe truly that she would have been the one up here doing this, but I stepped in to support her.

And Dimitri has grown our cultural heritage department along with Millie. So that we have our culture, and we're thankful for that. I'll give it back to you.

On my notes here, I've got good morning, but it's good afternoon. Kama'kala, eramna. I would like to say special thanks to you, the AFN board, co-chairs Gail Ahoseth and Joe Nelson, the full AFN board, and President Mallott for this very honorable recognition. I accept it with gratitude and continued drive to serve the people, which I love very much. We serve 13 tribes of the Aleutian Pribilof Islands region.

And I want to extend my sincere appreciation to our board chair, Mark Sneguroff from AFCA, and our very dedicated board, which has made my job so easy. For many, many years and very loving board. And I probably shouldn't say this, but I always say I have the best board, but I think that we all say that to our leaders and so on. And I also feel the same way about that with everyone here. And then our AFN Rep Karen Pletnikoff, and our hard-working management team and staff members.

It is through their guidance, support, and commitment that make our work possible. And I'd also like to say many thanks to my beautiful wife Victoria for probably putting up with me to start with, but a wonderful wife, and she makes every effort to keep me in line, and I think she's done a great job. I fail here and there, however, but And I also want to recognize my family members that are here, my nieces, nephews, and then also thank the delegation that I really didn't expect. And I'm very moved by that. And thank you kindly.

And then serving our people is one of our greatest joys. And gifts of my life, as we say to the Alliut in the Alliut gathering, and also quoted by many of our younger generation during the camps that we have. And we had, I don't know, here it is last summer, over 250 kids that were here for this camp. And we say, "Atakan akwun," and that means, "We are one." It seems fitting to say here also during the AFN Convention, as we continue to work together as one, and I hope that we will all continue to work together And I want to say thank you in Aleut.

I just said thank you very much for everyone that's here.

And my final statement, as I always never try to leave God out of my my spiels here is that may God bless you and be with you all. And thank you very much. And this was a very pleasant surprise. And thank you, Hans, for being here for this. So, kolaku.

Welcome to the Alaska Federation of Natives Convention. This time of year, when people travel in from every corner of Alaska and familiar faces fill the room, there's a feeling here that's hard to put into words.

Connecting with each other at this event matters deeply to all of us. My name is Apmoogook Lee Big Boy Staley, and I serve as the chair of the NANA board of directors. It is a genuine honor to be in this room with you, with our elders whose wisdom guides everything we do, and with the leaders, partners, and friends who have traveled from communities across the state. We're glad you're here. This year's theme, Rooted in land and tradition, rising in our voices, is meaningful to the team at NANA.

Our lands, our cultures, our traditions are not only part of our past. They are the foundation we continue to build on. They give us the strength to meet today's challenges with clear eyes and to keep building a future that our children will be proud to inherit. Over the next few days, we hope you will take the time to connect with one another, to listen, to share, and to strengthen the relationships that connect us. These are the conversations that carry us forward.

They remind us who we are and what we're building together.

We hope this gathering leaves you feeling renewed, in your connection to the land, to your traditions, and to one another. Welcome. It's good to be with you all.

Welcome. Tikiguk from Point Hope.