Indigenous Governance Database
Alaska
Jerry Isaac: Native Leader Experiences in Alaska
Jerry Isaac has been on the forefront of shaping indigenous governance in Alaska as former President of Tanana Chiefs Conference, former Chief for the Native Village of Tanacross, and a Board Member of Doyon Limited. He offers his perspectives about being a good leader and the various ways to…
Mike Williams: Alaska Native governance and a healthy culture
Mike Williams is a well known indigenous leaders from being a Chairman and Vice-Chair of the Alaska Inter-Tribal Council as well as Chief of the Yupiit Nation. Mike offers his impressions about a variety of topics related indigenous governance including leadership, traditional governance,…
Theresa Arevgaq John: Alaska indigenous governance through traditions and cultural values
Theresa Arevgaq John is a well known Y’upik cultural advocate and Associate Professor in Indigenous Studies and the Department of Cross-Cultural Studies at the University of Alaska Fairbanks and has intimate knowledge about cultural practices within Indigenous governance. She advocates for balance…
Richard Peterson: Leading in the Traditional Way Alaska Tribal Government Symposium
President, Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska Richard (Chalyee Eesh) Peterson is Tlingit from Kaagwaantaan clan. He gives his prespective on the ways tribal governement makes a presence in Alaska and the intergrating traditional knowledge and culture into tribal…
Governance and Wellness Roundtable - Alaska Tribal Government Symposium
This discussion at the Alaska Tribal Government Symposium emphasizes the connections between Indigenous self-government and wellness. Western methodologies are eager to emphasize the gaps in wellness (social, economic, and medical and mental health outcomes) between natives and non-natives. These…
Indigenous Leadership Panel
What is going on in Alaska that exemplifies the success of Indigenous leaders? What are some Alaska tribes’ successful efforts to strengthen their governments and governance? Panelists share stories of success at asserting self-determination, building native governing institutions, reflecting…
Stephen Cornell, Introduction to Native Nation Building, Alaska Tribal Government Symposium
An overview about Native nation building and the ability for Native communities in Alaska to rebuild their Native nations.
Jack Trope, Making the Indian Child Welfare Act Work: The Importance of Tribal Sovereignty
The expertise and knowledge about dealing with Alaska and Federal government entities in matters of child welfare are detailed with focus on asserting tribal sovereignty.
Roundtable: Traditional and Modern Governance and Decision Making in Alaska
A panel discussion with Native leaders in Alaska about the significance of tradition and culture that has influenced their Indigenous governance.
Newtok Relocation Effort
Scientists and politicians spend hours debating the facts of climate change, but in many places damaging changes to the local environment are already a reality. In the past decade, more and more human settlements have been threatened by catastrophic flooding, wildfires, or drought caused by…
Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council
The Yukon River runs for 2,300 miles across the northwestern corner of North America. Many generations of Native people have drawn on its waters for food, drink, and other necessities. Recent development and changes in land use have affected the quality of Yukon River water. In 1997, chiefs and…
Alaska Native Self-Government and Service Delivery: What Works?
The Native peoples of Alaska have governed themselves for far longer than either the State of Alaska or the United States. Indeed, their rights of self-government are properly defended as basic human rights that are not unilaterally extinguishable by these other governments. Yet, today an…
We Are the Stewards: Indigenous-Led Fisheries Innovation in North America
This paper offers an overview of the current state of Indigenous-led fisheries management in the United States and Canada. It summarizes major trends in Indigenous-led fisheries innovation in North America and presents common keys and challenges to the success of these efforts. It chronicles three…
Honoring Nations: Pat Sweetsir: Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council
Middle Yukon Representative Pat Sweetsir of the Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council (YRITWC) discusses how and why the Indigenous nations living in the Yukon River Watershed decided to establish the YRITWC, and the positive impacts it is having on the health of the watershed and those who…
Honoring Nations: Jon Waterhouse and Rob Rosenfeld: The Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council
Jon Waterhouse and Rob Rosenfeld provide an overview of the work accomplished by the Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council, demonstrating the benefits of Native nations who have common cultures and challenges to band together to solve issues of mutual concern.
Kuskokwim Inter-Tribal Fish Commission Meets
Just a few weeks before the king salmon run begins in earnest, Kuskokwim tribal leaders came together in the first-ever meeting of Kuskokwim River Inter Tribal Fisheries Commission. The group is pushing to create a system in which tribes have a direct management role in the river’s salmon...
Tribal Sovereignty Special
What does tribal sovereignty mean in Alaska? KNBA's Joaqlin Estus talks with two experts about the legal basis for tribal sovereignty, and tribal judicial systems at work in Alaska. Hear about a court ruling that Alaska tribes can put land into trust status, tax-free and safe from seizure...