Central Council is pleased to join the 2017 "A Year of Kindness" Challenge in partnership with the Juneau Police Department! 

The initiative challenges Juneau community members and organizations to do one kind act a day in an effort to build bridges between different cultures, races, religions, and socio-economic groups. JPD intends to measure changes in quality of life in Juneau between 2016 and 2017 based on the challenge and will compare statistics between the two years. Statistics will include crime rates, police calls for service, suicide rates, and other factors to determine if quality of life can be improved across the city if personal interactions between residents are more positive and more inclusive.

Are you ready to join the challenge? 

Emerging Leader Miciana Hutcherson recently chronicled her journey to the Sacred Stone Camp to support the Standing Rock Sioux tribe who have been peacefully protesting the development of the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL). Miciana was one of several tribal citizens who participated in the historical canoe journey down the Missouri river with Juneau Delegate Doug Chilton (One People Canoe Society). In her report, Miciana shares her personal journey from first learning about the DAPL, attending rallies, and eventually traveling to Bismarck, North Dakota to join the Missouri River paddle and how this experience forever changed the way she looks at water and the world.

Excerpts from Miciana’s report:

I call it a “perfect storm” because there’s no clear timeline or tipping point as to why this time, after all of the other struggles that Indian Country has faced, we’ve decided to come together in such a momentous way. It’s a culmination of connected issues that branch throughout our land even farther than the tributaries of the Missouri and Cannonball. Mauna Kea in Hawaii, transboundary mining in Alaska, coal trains in Washington–they were all the wave that carried us to North Dakota…

This camp is the epitome of environmental justice, suicide prevention, healthy lifestyles, alcohol and drug prevention, intertribal communication, and everything else we’ve been working for throughout Indian Country. This is where we practice what we preach and everyone has a part. This is where we take a stand and say “We are Idle No More.” Water is life and it is breathing life back into our people–it starts with Standing Rock. 

To read Miciana's full report, click here.  

M adeline Soboleff Levy, General Counsel
Madeline Soboleff Levy ( Shaa Xei di Tlaa / Gaayjuwaay) formerly served as the Tribe’s Child Support Attorney where she provided legal services and representation in all paternity and child support cases. As General Counsel, Madeline will provide professional legal counsel to the Tribe in the areas of tribal government, federal-tribal relations, jurisdiction issues, environmental and natural resources law and policy, economic development, tribal business enterprise, and employment issues.

Grace Singh, Tribal Government Affairs Liaison
Grace moved into the new Tribal Government Affairs Liaison position after serving over a year as Special Assistant to the President. In her new position she will coordinate the Tribe’s intergovernmental activities with federal, state, municipal, and tribal entities. Her position will work closely with the President, Executive Council, and General Counsel to promote tribal interest and achieve Central Council’s mission, goals, and objectives. 

Carley Jackson, Secretary to the President
Carley Jackson ( Gajint’) has been an integral part of all projects in the Office of the President since joining the team as an Administrative Assistant in 2015. In her role as Secretary to the President, she will oversee the President’s meeting schedule and travel plans, record the minutes of the Tribe’s official business, and coordinate all events hosted by the Office of the President.   

Central Council's Business & Economic Development Manager Myrna Gardner was recently appointed by the City and Borough of Juneau (CBJ) Assembly to the Juneau Commission on Sustainability. Myrna joins nine other public members along with the Planning Commissioner and one City Assembly member to promote the economic, social, environmental, and governmental well-being of Juneau and all its inhabitants. CBJ Assembly established the Juneau Commission on Sustainability in 2007 to research and advise the CBJ on community sustainability.

As the Business & Economic Development Manager, Myrna works with local, state, and federal governments to foster and improve the Southeast Alaska economy. She is responsible for creating partnerships with Native organizations and businesses, provides administrative support to the Tribe’s business enterprise, and offers business development and marketing support services to tribally-owned businesses.

Central Council is pleased to announce the Carmag Building has been officially renamed the William G. Demmert Head Start Center! The Executive Council unanimously selected to rename the building in honor of Tlingit scholar William G. Demmert Jr. ( KaaGooWu), Ed. D., who passed away in 2010. The property located at 9095 Glacier Highway is currently under renovation and is expected to be the new location for Head Start’s administrative office and two classrooms in 2017. Giving the building a new name that recognizes  KaaGooWu’s lifetime of dedication to Native education - it couldn't be a better match!

KaaGooWu  was born in Klawock to William and Florence (Allman) Demmert. He attended Seattle Pacific University, University of Alaska – Fairbanks, and Harvard University, where he received his doctorate of education in 1973. Bill retired as an Adjunct Professor of Education from Western Washington University and was one of the original founders of the National Indian Education Association. He was also the first Deputy Commissioner of Education for the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, Office of Indian Education, and served as the Director of Education for the Bureau of Indian Affairs. He held the position of Commissioner of Education for the State of Alaska, and served as a member of President Clinton’s Education Transition Team.   

The Alaska Head Start Association annually recognizes parents, staff, and community partners who go above and beyond in their roles and commitment to helping all of our children become school ready. This year, Tlingit & Haida Head Start nominated several people who were selected to receive the 2016 Alaska Head Start Association’s Award of Excellence. Congratulations to the award recipients and Gunalchéesh, Háw’aa for supporting the Tlingit & Haida Head Start program!

Tlingit & Haida Head Start Award Recipients:
• Mother of the Year - Erin Andresen
• Lead Teacher of the Year - Sandy Churchill
• Administrative Support Staff of the Year - Bob Stevenson
• Humanitarian of the Year - Kathleen Rhea
• Community Advocates of the Year - Linda Torgersen & Chris Thomas

For a complete list of award recipients, please visit:  www.akheadstart.org/awards. More information will also be posted on Central Council’s website at  www.ccthita-nsn.gov. 

For the first time in more than 10 years, the Village Public Safety Officer (VPSO) Coordinators meeting was attended by the State of Alaska Department of Public Safety Commissioner and executive officers from the tribal organizations that administer the VPSO program. Tribal representatives and State officials met for two days. During the meeting, tribal presidents addressed concerns with some of the language in the VPSO contract with the State of Alaska and the newly implemented Standard Operation Procedures manual. VPSO coordinators meet quarterly to review policy and procedures and discuss topics of importance relating to the administration of the VPSO program. The meeting closed with a renewed commitment among tribal and state representatives to meet annually to discuss important Public Safety issues.

The following tribal organizations administer VPSO programs and were in attendance:

• Aleutian/Pribilof Islands Association 
• Association of Village Council Presidents 
• Bristol Bay Native Corporation 
• Central Council Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska
• Chugachmiut
• Copper River Native Association 
• Kodiak Area Native Association
• Kawerak
• Northwest Arctic Borough 
• Tanana Chiefs Conference

The VPSO program is designed to train and employ individuals residing in the village as first responders to public safety emergencies such as search and rescue, fire protection, emergency medical assistance, crime prevention, and basic law enforcement. VPSO's reduce the loss of life due to fires, drowning, lost person, and the lack of immediate emergency medical assistance in rural communities. The presence of these officers has had a significant impact on improving the quality of life in the participating villages.  

The Tribal Family and Youth Services (TFYS) department hosted an Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) workshop August 30-September 2, 2016 in Juneau, Alaska. The annual ICWA workshop provides an opportunity to increase community partnership, inform partners of new Indian Child Welfare policies and guidelines, and enhance the courtroom skills of Southeast ICWA representatives.
 
The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and TFYS funded the workshop which was attended by 90 participants from the State of Alaska Office of Children’s Services (OCS), Alaska Legal Services Corporation (ALSC), Native American Rights Fund (NARF), Southeast tribes, Alaska Federation of Natives, community service providers, Southeast ICWA representatives, and TFYS staff.

Highlights of the four-day workshop included a keynote address from Central Council President Emeritus Edward K. Thomas on tribal sovereignty and the history of Central Council; special welcome from President Peterson via live webcast who stressed the importance of ICWA and the partnership between Central Council's ICWA caseworkers and their community partners, and a dance performance by students with  the Harborview Elementary School’s Tlingit Culture Language and Literacy (TCLL) program.

Several panel discussions were held during the workshop - the panel discussions covered ICWA in the courtroom by state and tribal judges; the new BIA ICWA regulations which go into effect December 12, 2016 and  how they will affect the work of all parties working on ICWA cases; Trauma Informed Care and how providers can learn about historical trauma to better serve tribal families; how the state and tribes can collaborate to find relatives of families to satisfy the placement preferences for children under ICWA; and  an update on Central Council's Tribal Title IV-E maintenance program. 

The final day and a half of the workshop was devoted to enhancing the courtroom skills of Southeast ICWA representatives. Attorneys from ALSC, Public Defender’s Agency, and Office of Public Advocacy, and Tribal Court Presiding Judge Debra O’Gara provided small group opportunities for mock hearings for participants to practice engagement in the courtroom.

Gunalchéesh, Háw’aa to all who contributed to and attended the ICWA workshop!