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June News Bulletin
Welcome,
Welcome to ANVCA pilot news bulletin! Each month, we will release a recap of the most important events from the prior month and provide our community members with directives on urgent, pertinent topics that impact our entire community.

This month, we would like to highlight the work being done by the U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Land Management, and the land allotment program for Alaska Native Vietnam-era veterans. If passed, the provision will allow our veterans to receive up to 160 acres of land, each. This land allotment is their birthright, one which they were unfairly denied the opportunity to advocate for as their military service became an impossible obstacle for registering their claims. The fact that their civil service was punished by withholding their inheritance can only be called a tragic miscarriage of justice.

We now have the chance to correct this wrong. The Bureau of Land Management has opened a 30-day window for collecting public comments. Public comments will guide the land allotment program, meaning your voice is now more important than ever. Please join us as our community unifies in support of our veterans, who have waited decades to receive what is rightfully theirs.

Instructions on how to submit feedback may be found here. Follow ANVCA's Facebook page for updates on this story, including opportunities for organized response.

Have a safe 4th of July Weekend!

Hallie Bissett
ANVCA Executive Director
Political News
JUNE 16: Lisa Murkowski, Dan Sullivan, and Don Young reinforced their support for ANCs receiving CARES Act Funding, arguing, “This very case threatens the numerous institutions established, and restricted, by Congress…to ensure the trust responsibility of the federal government to the Alaska Native people is upheld.” Read the full letter here.

JUNE 18: The Interior Native Census Complete Count Committee (INCCC) undertakes the vitally important work of collecting accurate census data from Alaska's remote interior regions. Census data is an essential tool for promoting civil rights and facilitating fair representation in government. Those interested in assisting with the INCCC's efforts are invited to contact Jolene Malamute at (907) 452-8251.

JUNE 24: The Department of the Interior and the Bureau of Land Management are seeking public comments for the land allotment program for Alaska Native Vietnam-era verterans. The provision would allow thousands of Alaska Native Vietnam veterans to receive up to 160 acres. Instructions on how to comment are provided here .

JUNE 26: Alaska opens online applications for mail-in voting. Register to vote.

JUNE 29: Don Young’s birthday was celebrated by a virtual fundraiser.

JUNE 29: U.S. District Court Judge Amit Mehta ruled that Alaska Native Corporations can receive Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funds. The ruling has released $162.3 million for the Treasury Department to distribute. Read more .

JUNE 30: ANVCA partners with Bureau of Land Management Alaska to host an outreach briefing for organizing a response regarding the Alaska Native Vietnam Vets Program.
Community Updates
JUNE 8: Joining the national protest of racism, Tlingit and Haida students in Juneau win an honorable mention in NPR podcasting contest with their contest entry, “Just Because it’s Normal, Doesn’t Make it Right.” The 12-minute podcast, produced by the indigenous youth group Ix̱six̱án Ax̱ Ḵwáan, may be heard here.

JUNE 10: With our state and federal partners, ANVCA hosted a seminar on Federal Opportunity Zones and the unique development incentives these zones extend to businesses, investors, and economic drivers.

JUNE 16: ANVCA welcomes new members to Board of Directors: Chuck Totemoff, Cameron Poindexter, Melissa Kookesh, and Dena Sommer-Pedebone.

JUNE 16: In light of the extraordinary burdens exerted by COVID-19, Ahtna decides to release a second special dividend to shareholders. This dividend will be paid August 14th by direct deposit, at $10/share. Details here.

JUNE 16: Across the country, millions of abandoned oil wells are found leaking methane and damaging the environment. Special report.

JUNE 17: “It's about celebrating the action around growing our gardens, and going out on to the land and practicing subsistence… It's about creating pride and removing some of the barriers people might have with gardening,” says Tikaan Galbreath, an Athabascan technical assistant on the Intertribal Agricultural Council of the Garden and Gather program. Read the full article .

JUNE 18: ANVCA and our corporate partner, Alaska Communications, host a web seminar on cybersecurity and defensive methods for addressing malicious hackers, malware, ransomware, and phishing attacks.

JUNE 18 : DASH Systems is assessing how COVID-19 and RAVN's bankruptcy have impacted rural Alaska's access to air cargo. Share your community's feedback: https://conta.cc/3hKBSPc

JUNE 18: Leisnoi Inc. is hiring for a Senior Executive Assistant. Candidates must demonstrate high-level secretarial abilities. Click here to learn more and apply.

JUNE 18: Anchorage's first figurative sculpture of Dena'ina is installed. Read the news article.

JUNE 22: St. Mary’s Native Corporation is seeking a Project Manager to join their team. Applicants must demonstrate skill as a communicator, organizer, and administrative/clerical professional. To learn more and apply, click here .

JUNE 23 : Alaska Native Renewable Industries is finishing up the largest rural solar project in Alaska, and the second largest in the state. The project in Kotzebue will produce over 700,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity each year for the Kotzebue Electric Association. Read the news article.

JUNE 26: RAVN Air will go up for auction after the July 4th weekend after declaring bankruptcy. Read the news article.

JUNE 26: Officials urge Napaskiak residents to observe mask usage and shelter-in-place mandates through July 5th, after concluding strong likelihood of COVID-19 entering community. Read the news article.

JUNE 30 : Chugach Alaska Corporation is hiring for a new President & CEO ( note : this is one position with two titles). To learn more about the position and apply, see here .
Special Events and Opportunities
JUNE 11: ANVCA, the Alaska Native Media Group, Alaska Village Initiatives, and Intertribal Agricultural Council are calling for multimedia submissions showcasing Alaska Native gardening and gathering practices. Learn more .

JUNE 22: The Denali Bluffs Hotel plans to open on July 1, and is offering a special rate for ANC employees and shareholders. Use promo code 2020AKN when reserving: (855) 683-8600 or reservations@denalialaska.com
Partners and Sponsors
Thank you to our Moose Partners!
Thank you to our Salmon Partners!
Thank you to our Caribou Partners!
Thank you to our Denali Village Corp Members!
Newsletter developed by WALSH|SHEPPARD