As we enter December and begin the process of winding down 2020, we look back on a year that has challenged us with many adversities. We feel the fatigue of these days as you do. The stories we hear are ones of frustration, sadness, and loneliness. Families have been separated, businesses have been closed, and many Alaskans meet this winter burdened with unimaginable financial hardship.

And still, life goes on. The winter comes. There are comforts, of course. In Anchorage, we have had an uncommonly beautiful November full of plush white snowbanks and moody, towering clouds. We checked in on family over the Thanksgiving holiday. Neighbors began to bedazzle sidewalks with holiday lights. November was also Alaska Native Heritage Month, and so we were treated to displays of Native pride and culture that benefited our spirits.

We are thankful for the moments of brightness that emerge, even as the darkness grows ever longer. But our gratitude is not acceptance. Over the course of 2020, COVID-19 gained a very slow foothold in rural Alaska that has now rapidly accelerated. Our people are disproportionately impacted, and so we are too. We will not minimize our community's pain by denying it.

Now more than ever, we must call upon one another to walk together as friends. The danger is on our doorstep. We must wear PPE. We must socially distance. We must withstand the inconveniences, and the hardships, and the heartbreak. We must choose to be compassionate, and loving, and strong.

We have been thinking, these last few weeks, about Lucy and Cynthia Ivan of Akiak. Lucy, a beloved mother and grandmother, was taken last month by COVID-19. Following this loss, her grandchild Cynthia shared her account of how the virus that ended her grandmother's life continued to wound the surviving family even after Lucy's passing. Necessary health restrictions limited the family's ability to comfort their dying Elder, and denied their ability to perform many traditional funerary rights.

Cynthia's story is a hard one to hear, but it must have been still more painful to tell. We know that her resolve was forged from a place of love. Despite her grief, Cynthia and her family are sharing a warning. Death is a part of life, but the trauma of losing a final goodbye should not be. Cynthia's full account may be read here.

It falls to all of us to protect the ones we love. Cynthia closes on a moment of grace, when she acknowledges the friends and neighbors who gathered pine branches for steaming, and brewed Labrador tea for healing. This reminder of togetherness was, "Medicine. A message to other communities to stick together and to help one another."

One People.

Tsin'aen (Chin'an/Thank You),

Unalaska and 351^st Civil Affairs Command Awarded Civilian/Military Partnership of the Year

Also present to witness were the 351^st Civil Affairs team, which included Major Tulsi Gabbard, Congresswoman and former presidential candidate; Bernie Karl, President and CEO of Chena Power; Senator Joshua Revak, Alaska State Legislature; Givey Kochanowski, U.S. Department of Energy; Natalie A. Cale, OC’s General Counsel and Director of Ounalashka/Chena Power, LLC; Michael Deegan, Waste Management Executive; Chris Price, Qawalangin Tribe Environmental Director; and Ty Moore, CEO of Alaska Strategy.

COL Bradford Hughes, 351^st Civil Affairs Command, Functional Specialty (FxSP) Chief, was pleased at the unique IRT opportunity. “It brought together some of the best and brightest within the FxSP to harness their collective influence and provide technical assistance to the community and stakeholders of Unalaska. The entire team had a wonderful experience, built readiness, and is looking forward to advancing this relationship into the future.”

The Ounalashka Corporation was formed in 1973 under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971. OC is a for-profit corporation with businesses in land leasing and development, and is the major landowner in Unalaska, with residential properties as well as commercial clients in the fishing and fishing support industries, international shipping and logistics, sand and gravel extraction, retail and others.

On December 3, 2020 congressional defense authorizers released the final National Defense Authorization Act for FY21, including the conference report (bill text), Joint Explanatory Statement, and summary of the bill. Votes on the bill are expected early next week, however, President Trump has threatened to veto the bill due to the inclusion of a provision requiring several bases named after Confederate leaders be renamed, and the lack of a repeal of Section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act. Below is a summary of the major provisions affecting small businesses in the defense innovation and industrial base.

NOVEMBER 3: Election Day. Though results are delayed due to mail-in ballots and high voter turnout, the Associated Press eventually calls several important races. Joe Biden is declared U.S. President Elect, while Senator Sullivan and Representative Young retain their positions. Ballot Measure 1, which sought to raise taxes for Oil and Gas, is voted down. Ballot Measure 2, however, is approved--making Alaska the second state in the nation to introduce a system of ranked-choice voting.

NOVEMBER 9: Marissa Kohler, president and CEO of Alaska Village Electric Cooperative, Inc., submits an op-ed to the Anchorage Daily News defending the need for subsidizing the cost of power and fuel in Alaska's remote communities, calling PCE a "lifeline program." The Power Cost Equalization (PCE) endowment has recently been a point of contention among Alaska's legislature, as officials eye PCE funds as a method of balancing the state's budget. Ms. Kohler's argument, which also provides a helpful overview of PCE's history, may be read here.

NOVEMBER 11: The Alaska Delegation introduces legislation to enter the communities of Haines, Ketchikan, Wrangell, Petersburg, and Tenakee into the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971. If the proposed legislation is passed, these five communities will be granted the authority to form as urban corporations and receive land entitlements. The federal land each community would receive is 23,040 acres, or one township. Senators Sullivan and Murkowski, as well as Representative Young, have voiced their support for the bill's passing. Read the full story here.

NOVEMBER 18: The Petersburg Borough Assembly requests additional time to review the case for granting The Alaska Delegation's request that five Southeast communities be incorporated under ANCSA. The Borough cited the need to have questions and concerns addressed before reaching a decision. The Southeast Alaska Landless Corporation, headed by Cecilia Tavoliero, argues that the Borough's delayed decision is unfounded, as the legislation has been introduced five times previously, in addition to being discussed multiple times this year. Read the full story here.

NOVEMBER 19: The ANCSA Regional Association and ANVCA lodge a public comment thanking the Alaska delegation for filing an amicus brief on behalf of Alaska Native communities waiting to receive COVID-19 relief funds. The brief may be read here.

NOVEMBER 19: The First Alaskans Institute opens the application period for its Indigenous Leadership Continuum, offering Native Alaskans a number of attractive policy and governance fellowships to learn from.

NOVEMBER 25: The Army Corps of Engineers denies a permit for the proposed Pebble Mine project. The permit in question is required under the federal Clean Water Act. The Army Corps cite concern that Pebble Mine's planned direct and indirect activities could negatively impact Bristol Bay's salmon breeding grounds. The salmon fisheries are important both for the region's economy, and for residents' ability to practice a subsistence lifestyle.

Pebble has indicated their intent to appeal the decision, and maintains that the mining project has the potential to boost Bristol Bay's regional economy, while co-existing with the salmon fisheries. Read the New York Times article on this story here.

NOVEMBER 25: The Alaska Federation of Natives (AFN) file an amicus brief supporting ANCs right to CARES Act funding. To read ARA and ANVCA's comment on the AFN filing, as well as links to all submitted briefs, see here.

DECEMBER 3: The Municipality of Anchorage opens up a special, one-time application period for Anchorage residents financially struggling to obtain basic necessities, such as groceries or gas. Applications will be accepted through December 13th. Learn more here.

DECEMBER 3: The BLM releases a Land Management Plan/Environmental Impart report detailing Alaska's Bering Sea-Western Interior planning area. The region covers about 62.3 million acres of land, of which 13.5 million acres are currently managed by the BLM. The purpose of this publication is to update the BLM's working understanding of the region's existing resources, circumstances, laws, policies, and regulations. This document's closest predecessor was published in 1981. Read more here.

OCTOBER 28: Familiar face and longtime friend of ANVCA, Christopher Slottee, is honored with the Pro Bono Service Award in recognition of his volunteer legal services on behalf of sexual assault and domestic violence survivors. We are delighted that this award has found its way to one so deserving. Thank you for your work, Chris! Read more here.

OCTOBER 30: The Washington Post reports on the rise of COVID-19 cases in Alaska's remote communities, with a particular focus paid to western Alaska. Risk factors like crowded housing, a lack of local medical service, and systemic barriers to sanitation have alarmed state and local health officials as, after a delayed start, COVID-19 has slowly gained traction across rural Alaska. Read the article here.

OCTOBER 30: Sealaska acquires one of the U.K.'s largest seafood suppliers, New England Seafood International (NESI). Key members of the London-based NESI team will be retaining their leadership positions, as well as a stake in company ownership. In the acquisition's announcement, it was stated that, "Joining forces will offer both businesses increased access to resources, broader product and category capabilities and deeper market access." Read the article here.

OCTOBER 30: The Bristol Bay Borough Assembly approves CARES Act funding as available for residents of Bristol Bay Borough who can demonstrate financial hardship caused by COVID-19. Eligible applicants included private residents (individuals and families), as well as non-profits and businesses. Read the article here.

NOVEMBER 2: The obituary of Amanda Bouffioux, 44, is published by The New York Times. Ms. Bouffioux's death was the direct result of COVID-19. She was an employee at NANA, a student, a hopeful business owner, and a loving mother. We grieve her passing, and pray that the immortalization of her life within our nation's historic record is some small comfort to her friends and family. Read Amanda's obituary here.

NOVEMBER 11: Veteran's Day. ANVCA honors the sacrifices given by our nation's service members, and by their families. Thank you for keeping our country safe. After more than two decades of work, we are heartened to learn that the Smithsonian will shortly be unveiling a new memorial dedicated to Native service members. To learn more about this story and see photos of this new monument see here.

NOVEMBER 11: Alaska Business Monthly publishes an article praising the overall strength and diversity of investments made by ANCs. Highlighted groups include Afognak, Cape Fox, and Ukpeaġvik Iñupiat Corporation.

NOVEMBER 16: Citing high rates of viral transmission and increasingly limited ICU capacity in nearby Anchorage, YKHC and YK Delta leaders urge communities to engage in a month-long lockdown to the curb COVID-19's spread. At time of publication, the YK Delta reported a positive test rate about 15 times in excess of Alaska's high-alert threshold. Read the ADN article here.

NOVEMBER 17: Industry Day is hosted virtually, with training topics offered ranging from Customer Relations to Government Contracting to Marketing and Sales.

NOVEMBER 17: Outlook Law and the SBA partner to host a training on new regulations adopted by the U.S. Small Business Administration.

NOVEMBER 18: The Tanadguix (TDX) Corporation appoint Christopher Mandregan, Jr. as their CEO. Mr. Mandregan formerly acted as TDX's Chairmen of the Board. In assuming his new duties, he will retire from the Indian Health Service on December 31st this year, after 34 years of distinguished service. Congratulations to Mr. Mandregan, and TDX! Read the press release here.

NOVEMBER 18: ConocoPhillips Alaska announces its intent to resume drilling operations on the North Slope by mid-December. Joe Marushack, president, cited the defeat of Ballot Measure 1 (which sought to impose stricter taxes on oil and gas) as the main reason to resume drilling. ConocoPhillips' immediate drilling projects are planned to resume or start at multiple sites. Read the full article here.

NOVEMBER 18: Alaska's fishing industry responds to COVID-19, reports unusually high demand for frozen seafood as Americans continue to hunker down. Although farmed fish presents competition as a cheaper alternative, Alaska's seafood continues to defend its premium reputation for quality. Read more here.

NOVEMBER 30: The ADN publishes an article about Ada Blackjack, a Native woman and BSNC shareholder who survived the ill-fated Wrangel Island Expedition of 1921. Her tale of survival has now become a short film. Read the article about Ada here.

DECEMBER 1: TDX approves a special dividend distribution at $4 per share, to be paid December 4th. The Board of Directors has approved this special dividend outside of the normal payment schedule to help shareholders overcome the economic challenges of COVID-19.

DECEMBER 1: ANVCA is deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Trefon Angasan. As the Chairman of the Board at the Alaska Peninsula Corporation, Trefon was a wise leader, friend, and and advisor for our entire community. We extend our sincere condolences to his friends and family as they lead us in grieving his loss.

DECEMBER 1: The Collective 49 Marketplace is open for holiday shopping! Please consider supporting local Native artists when you purchase holiday gifts. Shop the collection here. Alternatively, check out Bering Straits Native Corporation's virtual art expo, Celebration of Native Art (CONA)! See here.

DECEMBER 3: In 2011, Ahtna Elder Millie Buck shared her account of growing up in Chitina, and how the town she knew as a child changed over the decades into what it is today. Her account is a vibrant, first-person narrative enriching Alaska's historic records.

DECEMBER 3: YKHC reports 143 new cases of COVID-19 in the YK Delta. Health officials continue to express concern, warns communities to strictly observe social distancing guidelines and all other recommended preventative measures. More here.

DECEMBER 3: The Eklutna Board of Directors announced the appointment of Kyle Foster as their new CEO. Foster, who previously joined Eklutna in July of this year as their general manager, studied international business and business administration at Seattle Pacific University and West Texas A&M University. Read more here.

DECEMBER 9: Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Forgiveness Application

REGISTER HERE!

DECEMBER 9: Past Proposals–A Retrospective Look at the Good, the Bad & the Ugly

REGISTER HERE!

DECEMBER 10: NACA Q&A Session with SBA Members (11:30 Alaska time)

Speakers: John Klein and Mark Hadeorn, SBA

REGISTER HERE!

DECEMBER 15: Leverage Mentor-Protégé Agreements and Joint Ventures to Grow

REGISTER HERE!

DECEMBER 16: Creating Value through Small Business Certifications

REGISTER HERE!

GCI announced it has been awarded a $25 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s ReConnect program in support of GCI’s Alaska United-Aleutians Fiber Project (AU-Aleutians Fiber Project), which will provide terrestrial broadband service for the first time to Unalaska/Dutch Harbor and five other communities – King Cove, Sand Point, Akutan, Chignik Bay, and Larsen Bay. The project, including a new long-haul subsea fiber system, is expected to be substantially complete and in service by the end of 2022. The total cost of the project is estimated to be approximately $58 million.

The AU-Aleutians Fiber Project has two major components: the installation of the sub-sea fiber-optic system, and improvements to the Aleutian’s local access network. In laymen’s terms: the sub-sea cable is what will deliver broadband internet to communities, while the local access network refers to how the internet is then distributed through a community’s homes and businesses. Both Unalaska and Dutch Harbor will receive broadband that is as fast as what GCI’s Anchorage customers experience (1 GB), while the other five communities will have networks capable of 100 Mbps speeds.

“The AU-Aleutians Fiber Project is yet another example of GCI’s willingness to invest in rural Alaska when other companies are unable or unwilling to do so,” said Ron Duncan, GCI’s CEO. “Fiber service, the gold standard of broadband connectivity, will enable Unalaska, the nation’s largest fishing port and a gateway to the American Arctic, and the other project communities to realize their full economic potential while advancing the national security interests of the United States.”

The AU-Aleutians Fiber Project will dramatically improve the delivery of a wide range of services of critical importance to business, government, education, and healthcare. These include automated business processes like payroll and inventory, video conferencing, and telemedicine and education applications. The project will also enable GCI to introduce new services like streaming IP cable video and improve existing services like mobile wireless. GCI is currently developing a comprehensive plan for the next evolution of data communications in rural Alaska.

This article has been significantly edited for brevity. Read the full press release here.

Alaska Pacific University - Chief Advancement Officer: This position advises the President on all matters pertaining to the University’s fundraising strategy and the management of the Advancement operations, including Alumni Relations. This position is responsible for daily oversight and administration of fundraising including: major, principal, and planned gifts; endowments; prospect research; foundation, corporate and donor relations; and specific campaign efforts. The CAO manages a team of development and support staff to achieve fundraising goals. Learn more.

Alaska Pacific University - Director of Information Technology: This position provides vision and leadership for the development and maintenance of innovative technology solutions that support student engagement, transform the learning environment, optimize resources, minimize risk, provide data for informed business decisions, and monitor systems that optimize business process. Learn more.

Executive Director for Alaska Native Education and Outreach UAA is recruiting a new Cabinet-level position, an Executive Director for Alaska Native Education and Outreach. The official position description can be found at this link.

This level of membership is suggested for Alaska Native Village Corporations whose annual revenues exceed $50 million and/or those that highly support the value of the organization for the opportunities, education and advocacy it provides to Village Corporations.

To view our full list of sponsor organizations or learn more about becoming a sponsor please visit our ANVCA sponsor page.

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