Providing current news on Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska's
government, administrative, and program activities.
- NOVEMBER 2016 -
TRIBAL UPDATE
News in this Edition...
  • President Peterson Provides Keynote at Tribal Government Symposium
  • President Peterson Participates on Panel at Alaska Municipal League's Annual Conference
  • Native American Heritage Month Dinner Honors Modern Warriors
  • Tribe's Leadership Issues Post-Election Statements with Messages of Unity
  • Tlingit & Haida Tribal Business Corporation Update
  • President Peterson Addresses British Columbia Assembly of First Nations
  • Tribe Welcomes New Deputy Chief Operating Officer & Tribal Child Support Attorney
  • Support the Tlingit & Haida Cultural Immersion Park Project
  • Will Ware Appointed to Governor's Transportation Advisory Board
  • Land-into-Trust Training Held
  • Juneau Client Service Informational Fair
  • Positive Indian Parenting Class
GOVERNMENT ACTIVITIES
President Peterson Provides Keynote at Tribal Government Symposium
President Richard Peterson was one of three speakers honored to provide a keynote address during the second annual Tribal Government Symposium held November 15-17, 2016 in Fairbanks, Alaska. Nation building to advance tribal government capacity was the focus of the three-day symposium. For many tribal leaders and representatives, the conference was inspiring. President Peterson’s keynote discussed how to lead in the traditional way through integrating traditional knowledge and culture in modern tribal governance structures. The Tribal Government Symposium was co-sponsored by the University of Alaska Fairbanks, College of Rural and Community Development, University of Arizona Native Nations Institute, Tanana Chiefs Conference, and Casey Family Programs.

Media Coverage:
News Miner: www.newsminer.com/news/local_news/tribal-symposium-inspires-alaska-natives-to-reconnect-with-their-villages/article_f186dac4-ac99-11e6-a27e-1386180ee363.html
President Peterson Participates on Panel at Alaska Municipal League's Annual Conference
President Peterson recently participated on a Land-into-Trust panel held during the Alaska Municipal League’s annual conference in Anchorage, Alaska. The panel was designed to educate participants on land-into-trust and possible impacts to local governments. President Peterson saw the panel as an opportunity to help demystify some of the concerns surrounding land-into-trust and encourage boroughs/cities to work together with tribes. Panelists that participated included: Jahna Lindemuth, State of Alaska’s Attorney General; Don Mitchell, Attorney; Bruce Botellho, former Attorney General & Juneau Mayor; Katherine Eldemar, Director of the Alaska Division of Community and Regional Affairs; and James Debergh, Attorney with the Department of Interior.

Native American Heritage Month Dinner Honors Modern Warriors
This year Central Council celebrated Native American Heritage Month by hosting a dinner to honor four tribal citizen warriors who have gone above and beyond to advocate, protest, and protect our children, language, lands and waters, and traditional harvesting rights. The event was well attended with over 200 guests and was an uplifting evening for many. Gunalchéesh, Háw’aa, Nt'oyaxsn to SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC) and the Alaska Native Brotherhood Camp 2 for contributing towards this year’s event!

Warriors Honored:
Mike & Veronica Hoyle: Warriors for Caring for Our Children
Harold Martin: Warrior for Protecting Our Traditional Harvesting Rights
Alfie Price: Warrior for Preserving Our Languages
Miciana Hutcherson: Warrior for Protecting Our Sacred Lands & Waters

If you were not able to attend, click here to watch the video recording.


Tribe's Leadership Issues Post-Election Statements
with Messages of Unity
Central Council’s leadership took the opportunity to issue post-election statements in a press release following the General Election results. Many indigenous people are concerned with how tribes, Native corporations, and Indian Health Service facilities will be impacted by the political shift resulting in the election of Donald J. Trump as 45th President of the United States and the republicans now holding the power of the House, Senate, and White House. Regardless of any shift in political tide, Central Council wants to ensure tribal citizens it is committed to upholding the Tribe’s mission, upholding our inherent sovereignty, and working with Alaska congressional delegation and all federal and state officials to protect, preserve, and advocate for self-governance, self-determination, and tribal administration.

To read the full press release, click here.
Tlingit & Haida Tribal Business Corporation Update
The Tlingit and Haida Tribal Business Corporation (THTBC) CEO Richard Rinehart has reported a smooth transition of employees under THTBC and its subsidiaries since KIRA was acquired in June. KIRA is an accomplished and profitable facilities maintenance and Base Operations Services (BOS) contractor for the federal government. The acquisition of KIRA included employees in Colorado and the Bahamas.

In addition to the transition, THTBC has secured a six month, 8(a) sole source BOS contract to provide base operation services at Fort Carson, Colorado and several smaller contracts in Texas, Georgia, and Florida. 

The primary focus of THTBC is to develop business opportunities, secure teaming agreements, and develop relationships with large federal government contractors to promote economic development and generate unrestricted revenue for the Tribe.
President Peterson Addresses British Columbia
Assembly of First Nations
President Peterson had the honor to address the British Columbia (BC) Assembly of First Nations (AFN) on October 26, 2016. The BC AFN is a national organization representing First Nations citizens and over 630 First Nation communities in Canada.

President Peterson addressed the BC AFN General Chiefs on transboundary mining issues and the need for direct collaboration between our indigenous governments to improve our effectiveness in protecting and preserving our way of life and the resources we depend upon. He also discussed a proposed treaty that would formally announce our intent to work together to address concerns relating to mining activities in the transboundary region and the environmental impacts to the headwaters of the Alsek, Taku, Stikine and Unuk rivers.

Draft Treaty of Mutual Cooperation with First Nations (MOA):
  1. Demonstrate to non-tribal governments that SE Alaska tribes and BC and Yukon First Nations share a mutual desire to promote the safe operation of mining activities through adoption of best practices.
  2. Promote the establishment of channelized liability for strict liability of mining operators, a remediation fund from private, commercial operators and sovereign states in the event of accidents.
  3. Establish measures to prevent accidents.
  4. Identify environmental quality of the transboundary ecosystem and water sheds, and key indicators for resource status.
  5. Identify sources and causes of environmental pollution and contaminants.
  6. Promote acceptance of indigenous ecological knowledge.
  7. Promote management of environmental resources by indigenous governments.
President Peterson was well received by the BC AFN Grand Chiefs and extended an invitation to them to attend Central Council’s 82nd Annual Tribal Assembly in April 2017. 
ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIVITIES
Tribe Welcomes New Deputy Chief Operating Officer and Tribal Child Support Attorney
  Please help Central Council welcome Ken Truitt and Justin Facey to the Tribe!
Ken will serve as Deputy Chief Operating Officer and work closely with Chief Operating Officer (COO) Corrine Garza to manage tribal assets, facilities, and operations to ensure an efficient and productive work environment for the Tribe through technologies, policy, and program support. He will also serve as the liaison to department managers and Compact tribes. Ken will assume the COO position upon Corrine’s retirement in 2017.

Ken graduated from Arizona State University’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law with emphasis in Federal Indian Law and is a member of the Alaska Bar Association. Ken is Raven,  L’uknáx.ádi ( Coho Salmon) and is a Sealaska and Shee Atika Inc. shareholder. He is married to Charlotte Truitt and together they have four children – Madison, Marissa, Sydney, and Elena. For the full press release,  click here
As the Tribal Child Support Attorney, Justin Facey will provide legal services and representation for the Tribe in paternity and child support cases, including establishing, modifying, and enforcing child support orders.

Justin received his Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the University of Colorado, and his Juris Doctor from the University of Idaho, where he received the Service with Distinction designation for his work defending indigent clients. Justin’s legal background includes working in trial-level and appellate defense cases. He is originally from Vermont, but has been a longtime resident of Colorado. For the full press release,  click here.
Support the Tlingit & Haida Cultural Immersion Park
Central Council is seeking community support and has setup a GoFundMe to help raise funds for the construction of the Tlingit & Haida Cultural Immersion Park. All donations received will be used to fulfill match requirements for viable grant funding opportunities. The cultural immersion park will house space for tribal citizens to hone their crafts and hold educational classes on metal and wood carving, weaving, form line design, and languages. During the summer months, the park will provide guided tours with interactive demonstrations on the traditional art of basket weaving and carving canoes, paddles, masks, and totem poles.
Will Ware Appointed to Governor's Transporation Advisory Board

Central Council’s Tribal Transportation Manager Will Ware was recently appointed to the tribal seat on the Alaska Community and Public Transportation Advisory Board. Will joins 12 other members who have been tasked to analyze community and public transportation services in Alaska and make recommendations for improved agency coordination and combining of services to achieve cost savings in the funding and delivery of transportation services. The board will also assess the community and public transportation needs of Alaskans and recommend means for the removal of barriers that prevent coordination of services to meet those needs—the board was established in 2012. 

To read the full press release, click here

PROGRAM ACTIVITIES
Land-into-Trust Training Held
On November 1 -2, 2016, Central Council hosted a land into trust training taught by Geoffrey Strommer and Craig Jacobson of Hobbs, Straus, Dean & Walker, LLP at the Elizabeth Peratrovich Hall. The workshop was attended by Central Council President, Vice President, staff; Southeast tribes; Native corporations; Alaska Legal Services; City & Borough of Juneau; Tlingit Haida Regional Housing Authority; and Federal Highways Administration. The Tribal Operations department provided scholarships for tribes in Central Council’s compact to educate them in making a decision on whether to put land into trust.

The workshop provided a background and history on tribal land tenure in Alaska, the pros and cons of putting land into trust, application process, strategies, and community land use planning. On the last day, Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) officials gave brief presentations and answered questions from participants. The BIA is responsible for processing and approving the tribal applications.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Juneau Client Service Informational Fair
Date: January 14, 2017
Time: 2 - 4 PM 
Location: Juneau T&H Community Council Building (Juneau, AK)  

Mark your calendars! Central Council will be holding a Client Service Informational Fair at the Juneau Tlingit & Haida Community Council building on January 14th. The fair will run from 2:00 - 4:00 PM and provide an opportunity for tribal citizens to learn about Central Council’s programs and services, eligibility requirements, ask questions, and receive a new Tribal ID card.

For more information on the fair, please contact the Program Compliance department at 1.800.344.1432, 907.463.7143, or vhillman@ccthita-nsn.gov

Positive Indian Parenting Class
Dates: Wednesdays (January 4 - March 8)
Time: 5 - 7 PM 
Location: Andrew Hope Building (Juneau, AK)    

Positive Indian Parenting is a 10-week class designed to provide a brief, practical, culturally specific training program to explore the values expressed in traditional Native American child-rearing practices and then to apply those values to modern skills in parenting. Dinner is provided and door prize drawings will be held on the last day of class!

For more information, please contact Tribal Family & Youth Services at 800.344.1432, 907.463.7360, or vcroasmun@ccthita-nsn.gov.
  Our Mission
“Preserving our sovereignty, enhancing our economic and cultural resources, and promoting self-sufficiency and self-governance for our citizens through collaboration, service, and advocacy.”