Senator Murkowski’s Veteran Spotlight Series Seen as National Model

The inter agency working group chaired by Interior Deputy Secretary David J. Hayes released a report for an integrated management strategy for the  Arctic. The report highlights the need for a coordinated approach that uses the best available science to integrate cultural, environmental and economic factors in decision-making about development and conservation.  Many of the priorities of Alaska Federation Natives relate to specifically to the Arctic including full consultation with Alaska Natives on research priorities and a comprehensive development plan that includes Alaska Natives and incorporates traditional, ecological knowledge in Arctic research.

You can see the full press release from the Department of Interior including the report by clicking here and you can download AFN 2012 – 2013 priorities white paper.

POSITION:            AFN Vice President

REPORTS TO:     President

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Recommends budgets, programs, policies and procedures to the President for action by the Board of Directors.
• Represents the corporation on boards and commissions deemed appropriate by the President and/or Board of Directors.
• Writes and presents testimony on behalf of the AFN when necessary.
• Reviews annually the direction of the AFN and works with President, Board of Directors and staff drafting work plans.
• Works with staff in coordination of board meetings; ensures appropriate follow up to board and convention action.
• Represents the President at meetings or functions when necessary.
• Works with staff in coordination of annual convention; annual report; convention resolutions.
• Works with staff in coordination of special meetings/retreats of the board.
• Works on special projects as necessary.
• Motivate and supervise support staff

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

Excellent people skills. Good writing and analytical skills are essential.

Ability to form teams and accomplish high-level work.

Organized and proficient in various computer programs and new technology.

Bachelor’s degree plus four years of progressively responsible experience in managerial administration.  Preference  includes work within the Alaska Native community.

Experience in program planning, budgeting, fiscal control, personnel management.

Working knowledge of ANCSA regional, non-profit corporations and Alaska tribal issues. Working knowledge of current issues on a state and national level affecting Alaska Natives; knowledge of state and federal political structures.

Ability to work with minimal supervision, and a high degree of maturity and discretion in working with staff and public.

Please send resumes and covers letters to afninfo@nativefederation.org or by mail and fax to:

POSITION:                    Convention Planner

REPORTS TO:             President

NATURE OF WORK:

This position is located in the office of the Alaska Federation of Natives, Anchorage, Alaska.  The incumbent serves as the Convention Planner for AFN to develop ideas, organize and implement the AFN Convention working as part of a fast moving, competent team.

SUMMARY OF JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

• Work closely with President and as part of an AFN Convention team
• Prepare for AFN Convention Committee and AFN Board meetings
• Work closely with the AFN Convention Committee on timelines, content and invitations
• Plan, coordinate, and implement fund raising plan for AFN Convention working with AFN’s

Development team

• Plan, coordinate, and implement logistics and content of AFN Convention
• Develop volunteer network and coordinate quality experience and value for the volunteer experience
• Work closely with contractor assigned to publications and website maintenance in connection with the AFN Convention
• Develop relationships with vendors associated with Convention
• Organize, monitor and assist in related Convention event, as part of a team:

1. Arts & Craft Tables
2. Exhibits
3. Registration
4. Quyana Alaska (cultural events)
5. Convention related workshops
6. Convention Volunteers

Assist in other areas, as assigned.

REQUIRED, KNOWLEDGE, ABILITIES AND SKILLS

Excellent people skills, positive attitude, able to deal constructively with stress and change, ability to work as a member of a team.  Hard working, and organized self-starter. Ability to assist in developing, planning, coordinating, implementing and evaluating programs and develop new or modified work methods or management processes in accordance with established guidelines.  Must have strong organizational and communication skills.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:  Excellent people skills, extreme attention to details and follow-up, Organized and a self-starter, B.A. degree in related degree.  Work experience, including summer work will be reviewed positively.

Please send resumes and covers letters to afninfo@nativefederation.org or by mail and fax to:

Please feel to contacts us with any questions.

AFN has prepared a White Paper analyzing the Akiachak Native Community v. Dep’t of the Interior decision rejecting the State of Alaska’s argument that different treatment for Alaska Natives was required by ANCSA.  This decision makes clear that the Secretary retains his statutory authority under Section 5 of the IRA to take land into trust on behalf of all Alaska Natives. The tribes that filed the case  (Akiachak Native Community, Chalkyitsik Village, Chilkoot Indian Association and Tuluksak Native Community and an individual Alice Kavairlook, an enrolled member of the Native Village of Barrow)  were represented by the Native American Rights Fund.

Click here to download AFN Analysis of Decision in Akiachak Native Community v. Salazar

Governor Parnell recently placed $5.3 million in the 2014 Capital Budget for digital conversion of the Alaska Rural Communication Service analog television transmitters throughout Alaska.  The Alaska Rural Communications Service (ARCS) is a television service, formerly known as RATNet, owned and operated by the State of Alaska as a public communications service to rural communities.  Because of lack of funding, many villages have paid for repairs for ARCS’s state-owned equipment, as well as provided power and housing for the equipment.  At the 2012 Annual AFN Convention passed Resolution 12-34:  A RESOLUTION URGING GOVERNOR PARNELL AND THE ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE TO ENSURE THAT THE ALASKA RURAL COMMUNICATIONS SERVICE TELEVISON NETWORK IS FUNDED TO CONVERT TO DIGITAL SERVICE.   ARCS’s low power transmitters in the villages are still analog, and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has established a deadline of September 1, 2015 for converting all analog services to digital and failure to convert to digital will result in FCC shut-off.

AFN invites you to call and write to the Senate Finance Committee Co-Chairman Senator Pete Kelly and Senator Kevin Meyer about how important ARCS is to your rural community.  If you wish, you can write your own letter, or copy and paste the letter of support below and send to Sen.Pete.Kelly@akleg.gov and Sen.Kevin.Meyer@akleg.gov.

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Dear Senate Finance Committee Co-Chairs Senator Kelly and Senator Meyer,

The Alaska Rural Communications Service (ARCS), managed by the State of Alaska to provide free, over the air television service, is still the primary source of vital weather and emergency information for rural Alaska communities. Many of our cash strapped communities have to pay for repairs for ARCS state owned equipment and there is no funding source for the required conversion to digital from analog.

I urge you to support Governor Parnell’s Capital budget request of $5.3 million for the State of Alaska to convert the ARCS analog LPTV fleet to digital.  Such conversion will modernize the aging infrastructure and ensure that rural Alaskan ARCS viewers continue to receive this vital, free-to-watch, over the air television service long after the Federally Mandated Analog Transmitter turn-off date of September 1, 2015.

Sincerely,

Your name

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AFN urges you to email and call Senator Kelly and Senator Meyer.  You may send written letters to:

A federal district court in Washington, DC has ruled that the Department of Interior’s  regulation that excludes most Alaska Natives from the land-into trust application process violates 25 U.S.C. 476(g), which prevents discrimination among Indian tribes.  The  court rejected the State of Alaska’s argument that the different treatment accorded  Alaska Natives was required by ANCSA.  This decision makes clear that the Secretary retains his statutory authority under Section 5 of the IRA to take land into trust on behalf of all Alaska Natives.  The court has ordered additional briefing from the parties as to the scope of the remedy in the case.  The tribes that  filed the case  (Akiachak Native Community, Chalkyitsik Village, Chilkoot Indian Association and Tuluksak Native Community and an individual Alice Kavairlook, an enrolled member of the Native Village of Barrow)  were represented by the Native American Rights Fund.

Click here to read the Akiachak_Opinion

The listening Session over subsistence by Senator Murkowski will be held in Bethel on April 2 and will be live-streamed on the Senator’s website (http://www.murkowski.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=event-live-stream).

In addition to being able to live stream the entire session, you can fill out an online comment form (http://www.murkowski.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=subsistence-concerns).  The sessions will provide a forum for Alaskans to be heard on this important cultural issue and to have your testimony taken back to Congress.

You can read more news and information, including AFN Food Security Action Plan as amended 11-20-12 and Subsistence Proclamation 2012 by clicking here.

The first listening session will be held in Bethel on April 2, 2013, moderated by Ana Hoffman.

The second listening session will be held in the Ahtna region in May, likely Klu-ti-kah Hall in Copper Center.

We will update information as it is confirmed.

Sen. Murkowski letter to AFN 2.27.13

Food Security Action Plan as amended 11-20-12

Subsistence Proclamation 2012

Murkowski to Hold Subsistence Public Meetings in Alaska Press Release

Click here for Senator Murkowski public comment form

Nearly $35.8 Million in Funding Available for State, Local, and Tribal Governments

March 22, 2013

The Tribal Energy Program is pleased to forward the following information, courtesy of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Nearly $35.8 million of funding is available for state, local, and tribal governments from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the U.S. EPA, the Economic Development Administration (EDA), and the National Tribal Air Association (NTAA). This funding can be used to support climate and energy initiatives, including renewable energy, environmental job training, and local agriculture. For full eligibility and application details, please visit the links provided below.

In addition, please visit the calendar of 2013 EPA grant opportunities that may be of particular interest to communities.

HUD Transformation Initiative: Sustainable Construction in Indian Country Small Grant Program – $400,000

Applications due:  March 25, 2013
Eligible entities: Tribes and tribal organizations, nonprofit organizations, foundations, think tanks, consortia, institutions of higher education, and other entities that will sponsor a researcher, expert, or analyst

HUD invites applicants to submit funding proposals for projects that encourage the use of sustainable construction practices in Native American housing. Proposals should take into account the multiple geographic, economic, and cultural aspects of Native American residential design and construction. HUD seeks applications in four broad areas: demonstration, technical assistance, curriculum development/training, and information dissemination related to sustainable construction in the Native community. Activities performed under the program should document the impact of one or more innovative approaches to sustainable construction in Indian Country, identify a set of lessons learned, and then develop, deploy, or distribute a tool highlighting those lessons.

For more information, visit the grant notice.

2013 NTAA – Nearly $1,005,000 Over Three Years

Applications due:  April 1, 2013
Eligible entities: States, local governments, territories, Indian tribes, and possessions of the United States, including the District of Columbia, international organizations, public and private universities and college, hospitals, laboratories, and other public or private nonprofit institutions

NTAA announces the availability of funds to provide comprehensive air quality policy and regulatory analysis, including support and national coordination activities to assist Tribes in understanding, participating in, and responding to EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation’s (OAR) policy and regulatory activities. NTAA is an organization that increases national coordination among and between Indian Tribes and EPA/OAR in matters related to air quality policy and regulatory planning, development, and implementation.

For more information, visit the funding announcement.

NOAA Climate Program Office – $17 Million

Applications due: April 8, 2013
Eligible entities: State and local governments, federally recognized Tribes, nonprofits, institutions of higher education

The NOAA Climate Program Office’s Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments (RISA) program supports research teams that conduct innovative, interdisciplinary, user-inspired, and regionally relevant research that informs resource management and public policy. NOAA seeks to marshal climate assets and partners toward the common goal of assessing regional needs and vulnerabilities and then supporting the development and delivery of timely climate services that aid adaptation and mitigation choices.

Competition 1 is soliciting proposals for two priority projects: one RISA team focused on the South Central region of the United States (Priority 1), and another RISA team focused on the upper midwestern United States (Priority 2). For Competition 1, approximately $3.5 million over five years will be available for each priority, pending budget appropriations. Awards will be at a funding level of approximately $700,000 per year. Competition 2 is soliciting proposals only from RISA teams and their partners to conduct projects relevant to one of four priorities: 1) preparing for floods in urban coastal communities, 2) scenario and management planning processes, 3) drought monitoring and prediction products to support decision making, and 4) climate impacts on marine and Great Lakes ecosystems. For Competition 2, an estimated $500,000 to $3 million will be available for approximately 5 to 15 awards.

For more information, visit the grant synopsis.

USDA Woody Biomass Utilization Grant – $3 Million

Applications due: April 8, 2013
Eligible entities: State, county, city or township, special district, and federally recognized Native American tribal governments; independent school districts; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations; private institutions of higher education; for-profit organizations

The goals of the grant program are to promote projects that target and help remove economic and market barriers to using woody biomass for renewable energy. The program also intends to reduce the public’s cost for forest restoration by increasing the value of biomass and other forest products generated from hazardous fuels reduction and forest health activities on forested lands.

For more information, see the grant synopsis.

EPA Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training Grants – $2.4 Million

Applications due: April 9, 2013
Eligible entities: General-purpose units of local governments; land clearance authorities; government entities created by state legislature; regional councils or groups of general-purpose units of local governments; redevelopment agencies; Indian Tribes other than in Alaska; Alaska Native Regional Corporations, Alaska Native Village Corporations and the Metlakatla Indian Community; nonprofit organizations

EPA announces the availability of funds to deliver environmental workforce development and job training programs that recruit, train, and place local, unemployed, and under-employed residents with the skills needed to secure full-time employment in the environmental field. Eligible uses of grant funds include training in technologies that use alternative energy or alternative fuels, training in energy efficiency retrofitting and building weatherization, and training in management techniques to support the assessment and cleanup of sites for urban agriculture and horticulture. Under this competition, applicants should intend to serve dislocated workers, or those laid off as a result of recent manufacturing plant closures, as well as those severely under-employed or unemployed in the target community.

For more information, visit the grant synopsis.

EPA National Award for Smart Growth Achievement

Applications due:  April 12, 2013
Eligible entities: Public-sector, private-sector, or nonprofit entity in the United States, but all applications must include a public-sector partner. Public-sector entities include federal agencies and tribal, state, regional, and local governments.

The application period for EPA’s 12th annual National Award for Smart Growth Achievement is now open. This competition is open to public- and private-sector entities that have successfully used smart growth principles to improve communities environmentally, socially, and economically. There is one application form for four categories: 1) Built Projects; 2) Corridor and Neighborhood Revitalization; 3) Plazas, Parks, and Public Places; 4) Policies, Programs, and Plans. The review panel will also choose an Overall Excellence winner from those that apply in these four categories.

For more information, visit the Smart Growth Awards website.

NOAA Sea Grant Community Climate Adaptation Initiative 2013 – $1 Million

Applications due:  April 19, 2013
Eligible entities: Sea grant programs (colleges, institutions, and coherent area programs). Interested parties are encouraged to work with sea grant programs in the area to explore opportunities for partnering.

NOAA seeks to fund climate adaptation efforts for FY 2013-14 as part of an overall plan to enhance climate adaptation in coastal communities. Climate adaptation projects are expected to be conducted in partnership with local community governments, state, and federal agencies. It is a programmatic priority for this competition to fund technical assistance projects for coastal community climate adaptation where the outcomes of the project improve the capacity of a specific coastal community to adapt to climate change, which may include adaptation to economic, ecological, or cultural changes.

For more information, visit the funding synopsis.

USDA Farm to School Grant Program – $5 Million

Applications due:  April 24, 2013
Eligible entities: Eligible schools, state and local agencies, Indian tribal organizations, agricultural producers or groups of agricultural producers, and nonprofit entities

The purpose of the USDA Farm to School Grant Program is to assist implementation of programs that improve access to local foods in eligible schools. The program’s grants help schools foster sustainability by connecting with local agricultural producers and help improve the health and well being of their students. Applicants may apply for three types of grants: 1) a planning grant, for schools just getting started on farm to school activities; 2) an implementation grant, for schools seeking to augment or expand existing efforts; or 3) a support service grant, to conduct trainings, create complementary curriculum, or further develop supply chains, among other activities. Planning grants will represent approximately 25% of the total grant funding, while implementation and support service grants are expected to represent approximately 75%. For all three types of grants, the applicant must provide at least 25% of the costs of the total project.

For more information, visit the funding synopsis.

EDA Economic Development Assistance Programs Federal Funding Opportunity – Total Funding Available TBD

Applications due:  Varies by program year; next due date is June 13, 2013
Eligible entities: State and local governments, federally recognized Tribes, nonprofits, institutions of higher education

Under the Economic Development Assistance Programs (EDAP) Federal Funding Opportunity announcement, EDA will make construction, nonconstruction, and revolving loan fund investments under the Public Works and Economic Adjustment Assistance Programs. Grants made under these programs will leverage regional assets to support the implementation of regional economic development strategies designed to create jobs, leverage private capital, encourage economic development, and strengthen America’s ability to compete in the global marketplace. EDA is soliciting applications from rural and urban communities to develop initiatives that advance new ideas and creative approaches to address rapidly evolving economic conditions. EDA’s investment priorities include environmentally sustainable development and economically distressed and underserved communities.

For more information, visit the grant synopsis.

EPA Science for Sustainable and Healthy Tribes – $6 Million

Applications due:  June 25, 2013
Eligible entities: State and local governments, federally recognized Indian tribal governments, U.S. territories or possessions, public nonprofit institutions/organizations (includes public institutions of higher education and hospitals), and private nonprofit institutions/organizations (includes private institutions of higher education and hospitals) located in the United States

EPA, as part of its Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program, is seeking applications proposing research to develop sustainable solutions to environmental problems that affect tribes. The objectives of the awards to be made under this solicitation are to improve understanding of: 1) the health impacts of climate change on tribal populations; and 2) the health impacts of indoor air pollution exposures that derive from or are directly affecting traditional tribal life-ways and cultural practices. In both cases, projects should focus on impacts to vulnerable subpopulations of the tribal communities. Proposals should also consider sustainable, culturally appropriate and acceptable pollution prevention, and adaptation/mitigation strategies.

For more information, visit the funding announcement.

The Board of Directors of Alaska Federation of Natives officially decided  in the February 2013 board meeting the 2013 AFN Convention, slated for October 24th through the 26th at the Carlson Center in Fairbanks, Alaska will focus on ”Traditional Family Values.”

“This year’s Convention theme recognizes our rich culture as Alaska Natives and the importance of family” says AFN President Julie Kitka. “AFN is very pleased to announce our keynote speaker Nelson Angapak.  Nelson is one of our own and has been with AFN since 1975 as a Board Director, Chairman of the Board, and as staff.  Nelson will be retiring from AFN later this year after 35 years of working within the Alaska Native community. We are honored to have Nelson be our keynote speaker and glad we can honor the invaluable work he has done for the Alaska Native community”.

Nelson is currently the Senior Vice President of AFN and has been with AFN since 1975 as an AFN Board Director, Chairman of the Board of Directors of AFN from 1979 – 1980 and various staff positions including Special Assistant, Executive Assistant, and Vice President. Nelson served as President and Vice President of Calista Corporation from 1980 – 1988 and worked in Calista Corporation’s land department for more than 10 years. Nelson has successfully lobbied the U.S. Congress for passage of legislation benefitting Alaska Natives including amending ANCSA on land and resources related legislation and related legislation and experience in developing partnerships and collaborations with national organizations such as LARAZA, NCAI, NAACP.  Nelson graduated from Mt. Edgecombe High School in 1965, received a Bachelor’s of Arts in Mathematics from Ft. Lewis College in 1969, a Masters in Land and Natural Resources from Antioch University in 1978, and has a degree in Theology in 2002 from Golden Gate Theological Seminary.

Each year, the AFN Convention attracts nearly 4,000 delegates and attendees from Native Corporations, regional nonprofit associations, and villages across the state, as well as national and international guests. The gavel-to-gavel statewide television coverage reaches homes throughout Alaska. Thousands of daily web viewers from Alaska, the lower 48, and around the World follow the convention through live web streaming on the AFN Website.