Tlingit & Haida 2nd Quarter 2021
Birmingham Museum of Art Repatriates Kéet Koowaal Object of Cultural Patrimony Sitting in the Birmingham Museum of Art is a beautiful finial belonging to the Kayáashkéedítaan clan. After more than 50 years of bouncing between different museums, this object of cultural patrimony is finally making its way back home. Back in 2017, Tlingit & Haida conducted a consultation visit with the art museum in Alabama. The visit resulted in the repatriation of several objects in 2019 – a small wooden “Aleut style” dance hat with a pattern called Tsaa Yaa Ayáanasnakh Kéet (KillerwhaleChasing-A-Seal) carved on it, a cane which was taken from a grave, and a finial known as Kéet Koowaal (Killerwhale With a Hole In Its Fin) belonging to the Kayáashkéedítaan clan of the Shx’at Khwaan, the “Wrangell People.” The Kéet Koowaal was made in the mid-1800s and is said by clan oral history to have replaced at least one older fin. The locks of The late William Tamaree next to the Kéet human hair pegged in along the edge of the fin represent the Koowaal (William Paul Photo Collection) manumission of one slave each. The fin was sold without the permission of the clan in the 1970s and eventually made its way to England and then to a gallery in New York City where it was purchased by the Birmingham Museum of Art. “Our clan is very grateful for this return,” said William Shéeshgaaw Willard, Kayáashkéedítaan clan member. “We can rest assured the Kéet Koowaal was returned where it’s supposed to be.” Continued on page 9
Tlingit & Haida Welcomes New Staff 2021 Legislative Session Overview 86th Annual Tribal Assembly Notice Support the Alumni Scholarships Registration Open for Youth Summit #OurWaysSummerDays Challenge Looking for a New Career? NLR Department Awarded Grant CARES Act Program Update Emerging Leader Application VTRC Financial Skills Course Mark Your Calendars
Delegation Visits Petersburg & Wrangell I Toowú Klatseen End of Season Fun Run Tribal Citizen Artwork Featured at Sacred Grounds’ Flagship Location Tlingit & Haida’s Offices Reopen to the Public Tribal Court Calendars Adulting 101 Course NLR Hosts Disaster & Resiliency Expo THTBC Update Apply for Tlingit & Haida’s CSA Program Congratulations 2021 Graduates Tlingit & Haida Gifted Formline Casting
Tlingit & Haida Welcomes New Staff Tlingit & Haida is pleased welcome two new employees! Courtney Lewis as a Child Welfare Attorney and Dr. Tina Woods as the Senior Director of Community & Behavioral Services. Courtney will be located at the Tribe’s new Seattle-based office. As the Child Welfare Attorney, she will provide legal representation to children crime victims with the local courts of jurisdiction within the Washington area, track appellate level Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) cases within Washington state and nationwide, and provide effective consultation and legal advice to the Tribe relating to ICWA and child welfare matters. She will also be responsible for preparing and presenting legal arguments in court, and monitoring decisions that may affect tribal families. Courtney has practiced child welfare law since 2008. She was the first person to be certified in Alaska as a child welfare law specialist by the National Association of Counsel for Children (NACC). She also served as the Alaska State Coordinator for NACC from 2019-2021. Courtney frequently provides ICWA training and has published several articles on how to best help families by fulfilling ICWA’s goals.
Courtney Lewis
The office will be located in the Seattle field office of Casey Family Programs, a foundation focused on influencing long-lasting improvements to the safety and well-being of children, families and communities and a long-standing partner to Tlingit & Haida. Dr. Woods will be responsible for the strategic development of the new Community & Behavioral Services Division which will provide leadership oversight of the Reentry & Recovery and Tribal Family & Youth Services departments. The division will focus on expanding programming around prevention, treatment and recovery, and providing direct clinical care to tribal citizens.
Dr. Tina Woods
Dr. Woods is a licensed Clinical Psychologist and holds a Ph.D. in ClinicalCommunity Psychology with a Rural Indigenous emphasis from the University of Alaska Anchorage and University of Alaska Fairbanks. She spent 17 years of her career working within the Alaska tribal health system in a variety of capacities both as an administrator and provider of services. She was recently employed as the Chief Administrative Officer for Tanadgusix Corporation, a village corporation providing economic well-being for the Aleut people of St. Paul Island.
Dr. Woods has dedicated her academic training and career towards working with Alaska Native people to provide high-quality, culturally responsive and comprehensive holistic wellness. She respectfully honors her Elder mentors who have trained her to mindfully blend both Western science and Indigenous practices. Dr. Woods originates from a diverse cultural background. She is Unungax (Aleut) originally from St. Paul Island and Chamorro from the Mariana Islands of Guam. She is the daughter of the late Maria Shaishnikoff and Juan Duenas Leon-Guerrero. Dr. Woods is married to Daniel Woods (Koyukon Athabascan) of Rampart, Alaska and together they have two children. In her downtime, she enjoys family activities like walking, hiking and biking. She also likes being a listening ear and enjoys good food. 2
2021 Legislative Session Overview The Alaska Regional Coalition (ARC) was very active during the 2021 legislative session. President Richard Chalyee Éesh Peterson was called on to testify almost weekly and the Office of the President submitted several letters of support. Session wrapped up on Wednesday, May 19th – however, Governor Dunleavy called two special sessions (May 20th and August 2nd).
House Bill 123 (State Recognition of Tribes) passed the House with 35 yes votes and 4 no votes, this bill will go to the Senate for consideration next session.
Senate Bill 231 (VPSO Grants) made it to State Affairs Committee, but was put on hold as the session came to a close and focus was put on budgets.
House Bill 184 (Require Child Welfare Compact) passed the House and was referred to the Senate Health and Social Services Committee.
House Bill 118 (Expanding Computer Access for Prisoners) made it to the House Rules Committee.
Gunalchéesh, Háw’aa to all who provided public testimony this session and supported these bills the entire way! We look forward to seeing our tribal citizens participate each session.
Support the Alumni Scholarships Our tribal youth will soon be heading back to continue their higher education journeys. Please help us hold them up by making a tax deductible donation to our Alumni Scholarship fund! The scholarship fund was established over 20 years ago to provide annual supplementary scholarship awards to tribally enrolled citizens who apply and are currently attending or plan to attend an accredited college or university in the pursuit of an education degree. To date, over $500,000 in scholarships have been awarded to more than 1,500 students. Let’s show our support for our students!
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Personal checks are also accepted and can be made payable to Tlingit & Haida Alumni Scholarship and mailed to 3239 Hospital Drive, Juneau, AK 99801.
86th Annual Tribal Assembly Notice
The 86th Annual Tribal Assembly will be held September 30-October 2, 2021 in Juneau, Alaska. The Executive Council voted to postpone the 86th Annual Tribal Assembly to later in the month. It had been brought to the Executive Council’s attention that the previous dates were not conducive to the subsistence hunting/ harvesting season and also created a hardship for some Delegates who would need to take personal leave in order to attend Tribal Assembly. Following COVID safety measures, the Council also approved the Tribal Emergency Operations Center’s (TEOC) recommendation to move the Tribal Assembly from the Elizabeth Peratrovich Hall to the Centennial Hall in Juneau, Alaska. For questions regarding Tribal Assembly, please contact: Tribal Assembly Coordinator 800.344.1432 ext. 7368 907.463.7368 TribalAssembly@ccthita-nsn.gov 3
Registration Open for Youth Summit
Tlingit & Haida is excited to host the first of many Youth Summits for our tribal citizen youth! Our newly formed Youth Commission, with the support of the Navigators program, is hosting the summit to provide our youth with opportunities to engage in the tribal government process.
#OurWaysSummerDays Challenge Tlingit & Haida is pleased to host its #OurWaysSummerDays Challenge July 1-31, 2021. The challenge encourages tribal citizen youth (ages 1227) to stay active by participating in traditional activities (e.g. fishing, berry picking, beading, formline and dancing). How the Challenge Works: Participate in a traditional activity and post a picture of the activity on Facebook using the hashtag #OurWaysSummerDays. Each time a youth uses the hashtag, they’ll be entered into the drawing (maximum entries 10). Parents will need to complete a media consent form for all youth under 18 years of age. Prizes:
Dates:
1st Place: Sony Alpha a6400 Mirrorless Digital Camera 2nd Place: 13” MacBook Pro 3rd Place: 11” iPad Pro w/Keyboard 4th Place: 13” MS Surface Laptop 3 5th Place: 13” Google PixelBook Go 6th - 10th Place: $100 Visa Card
Activities:
For more information on the #OurWaysSummerDays challenge, contact the Navigators program at navigators@ccthita-nsn.gov or 907.463.7752.
September 3 - 5, 2021 Engage in talking circles to explore issues facing Native youth. Resolutions will be made an effort to address these issues. Engaging workshops will be provided for expanding knowledge & experience. Registration Period:
July 19 - August 1, 2021 Apply now for the 2021 Youth Summit: https://tinyurl.com/ THYouthSummit For more information, email navigators@ccthita-nsn.gov.
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Looking for a New Career? Tlingit & Haida is hiring! If you’re a highly motivated individual interested in joining a great team and receiving competitive wages with good benefits, apply for a job with us! Here are some of our benefits offered after the 90-Day Introductory Period:
401(k) & Roth Retirement Plans Life Insurance Health Insurance Supplemental Health Insurance Flexible Spending Accounts Dental Insurance & VSP Vision Care 16 Paid Holidays Check out our Careers webpage for a full list of positions: www.ccthita-nsn.gov/services/employment/jobs
NLR Department Awarded Grant for Transboundary Research Tlingit & Haida’s Native Lands & Resources (NLR) department was awarded a total of $261,000 from the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) to continue its baseline water quality research on transboundary rivers. In 2015, Tlingit & Haida started a five-year monthly sampling in ice-free periods on the Alsek, Chilkat, Klehini, Stikine and Taku Rivers. Water samples are collected at the surface and are sent for laboratory analyses for a suite of constituents which include dissolved and total metals, nutrients and organic pollutants. Fine sediments are sampled twice annually. With the new funding award, the NLR department will continue conducting river samples on the Alsek, Chilkat and Klehini Rivers and hopes to begin sampling on the Unuk River. Tlingit & Haida is advocating for federal government appropriations to complete a comprehensive baseline study of the transboundary water ecosystems and water basins. The study will document key indicators to identify pollutants that mining projects predict will occur within their environmental documents. For more info on the baseline water quality program, contact the NLR department at deptnlr@ccthita-nsn.gov.
CARES Act Program Update Tlingit & Haida is pleased to have been able to provide Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act Need-Based programs to tribal citizen households and tribal citizen small business owners impacted by the Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Based on the tremendous number of applications received under the Tribe’s CARES Act Need-Based programs, the application period is now closed for all programs. To date, over 6,000 applications have been entered with 1,600 still pending. If your application is pending and you’ve been asked to provide supporting documents, please email them to our CARES team at caresrelief@ ccthita-nsn.gov. Our CARES team expects there will be a high volume of calls and emails as they continue to work diligently to process all pending applications. If you have left a voicemail for our CARES team, please rest assured your call will be returned in the order it was received. For tribal citizens who have been impacted by the Coronavirus pandemic but did not have a chance to apply for assistance under the Tribe’s CARES Act Need-Based programs, please note a new Rescue Relief program will be announced soon. To view CARES Act program updates, visit www.ccthita-nsn.gov/info/news/cares/caresreliefupdates.htm. 5
Sign Up for Tribal eNews Help us reduce the Tribe’s paper consumption and print/postage costs by signing up to receive news from Tlingit & Haida via email! Join other tribal citizens and friends who have subscribed to receive our newsletter, press releases, and other news on the Tribe’s activities and events.
Emerging Leader Application It’s not too late to apply for Tlingit & Haida’s Emerging Leader position for 20212022! We encourage all Tlingit & Haida Community Councils to nominate a young leader from their community! The Emerging Leader position provides tribal citizen youth with opportunities to learn about Tlingit & Haida’s governing and organizational structure and gain valuable leadership skills. The election of Tlingit & Haida’s Emerging Leader will take place at the 86th Annual Tribal Assembly. To apply, submit an application to the Tribal Assembly Coordinator at tribalassembly@ccthita-nsn.gov.
To sign up, please contact:
Communications
Office of the President 9097 Glacier Highway Juneau, Alaska 99801 Toll Free: 1.800.344.1432 ext. 7369 Direct: 907.463.7369 communications@ccthita-nsn.gov To view past newsletters, visit our website at www.ccthita-nsn.gov.
Application Deadline: September 24, 2021 Application Requirements: Must be enrolled with Tlingit & Haida Must be 18 to 26 years of age To apply, submit an application to tribalassembly@ccthita-nsn.gov. The application is available at www.ccthita-nsn.gov/info/news.
Follow Tlingit & Haida on Social Media Social media has proven to be a valuable tool for sharing information on Tlingit & Haida’s programs, services and activities. We are pleased to share the Tribe’s Facebook page has grown to over 15,000 followers, Instagram account has surpassed 4,100 followers, and Twitter has over 900 followers. Please help us continue to grow and expand the Tribe’s social media reach by “liking” and “sharing” our posts!
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@tlingithaida
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Mark Your Calendars
VTRC Financial Skills Course
June Events
1-30: LGTBQ+ Pride Month 8: World Ocean’s Day 14: Summer Youth Employability Service Program Begins 16: Executive Council Meeting 19: Tlingit & Haida Day (Offices Closed) 19: Juneteenth 21: Every Child Matters Candlelight Vigil
July Events
1: #OurWaysSummerDays Begins 1: Application Period Opens for Alumni Scholarship 5: Observance of 4th of July (Offices Closed) 12: Virtual Adulting 101 Class Begins 12: Motherhood Is Sacred Class Begins 16: Executive Council Meeting 16: Application Deadline for Back to School Backpack Event 29: Last Day of Fatherhood Is Sacred Class 31: Last Day to Enter #OurWaysSummerDays
August Events
TBD: 13: 21: 23-29: 24:
Back to School Backpack Distribution Executive Council Meeting Senior Citizens Day Women’s Equality Week Head Start School Year Begins
September Events
1-30: 6: 15: 16: 27-28: 30-2:
Suicide Prevention Month Labor Day (Offices Closed) Application Deadline for Alumni Scholarship Emerging Leader Application Deadline Executive Council Meeting 86th Annual Tribal Assembly
October Events
1-2: 1-31: 1-31: 1-31: 6-10: 8: 11: 18:
86th Tribal Assembly Breast Cancer Awareness Month Mental Illness Awareness Month Domestic Violence Awareness Month Annual ANB & ANS Grand Camp Convention Executive Council Meeting Indigenous Peoples’ Day (Offices Closed) Alaska Day (Offices Closed)
Looking to build your credit? What about improving your personal financial wellness? Join us for a virtual workshop where you will learn strategies for managing your money, setting financial goals, building credit and more! Participants who complete the workshop will be eligible to apply for a Credit-Builder Card through Tongass Federal Credit Union. Topics Personal Management Concepts How To Manage Personal Financials Uncover Mental Money Models Additional Resources for Finance Help Class Dates July 29: 9AM - 4PM September 7-9: 5PM - 8PM November 1-3: 6PM - 8PM To register or for more information, contact the VTRC: 1.800.344.1432 ext. 7375 or vtrc@ccthita-nsn.gov. 7
Delegation Visits Petersburg & Wrangell
Tlingit & Haida meets with Wrangell Cooperative Association
At the end of June, Tlingit & Haida’s executive management team, along with other key staff, boarded a plane to Petersburg, Alaska — the first of many community visits to assess community needs as it relates to the Tribe’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. The group of eight met with Delegates and Petersburg and Wrangell Community Councils to discuss upcoming opportunities for our tribal citizens. The delegation included members of the Tribe’s Executive Management Team and staff from the Community & Behavioral Services and Tribal Development divisions. In Petersburg, the group attended a meeting with Petersburg Delegates Nathan C.S. Lopez and Mary Ann Rainey. Afterwards, the Petersburg Indian Association (PIA) welcomed the team in to discuss possible collaboration for future projects. “As you may know, I’m from Kasaan, Alaska, where I served as Tribal President before coming to Tlingit & Haida,” said President Richard Chalyee Éesh Peterson. “I understand what it’s like to be on both sides. I know that Tlingit & Haida has not always had the best relationship or hasn’t always been the best partner. We are here to improve our relationship with our communities. We’re here to introduce ourselves again. We should be living up to our tribal values and holding each other up.” Tlingit & Haida meets with Petersburg Indian Association
At Banana Point, the delegation hopped on a boat to Wrangell, Alaska. The group met in the Nolan Center, which was adorned with beautiful pieces of history spanning from politics to culture. President Peterson led the conversation with Delegates Susan G. Stevens, Luella Knapp and Lovey Brock. The group shared ways that Tlingit & Haida can support Wrangell in a post-quarantine world. For future travels, the team will be heading to other Southeast Alaska communities as well as Anchorage, Seattle and San Francisco. For more information on the community visits, contact deptfob@ccthita-nsn.gov. 8
I Toowú Klatseen End of Season Fun Run Children spanning from second to fifth grade all hit the ground running at Sandy Beach on May 22, 2021! No matter the rain or wind, these runners were ready to celebrate and run a full 5K alongside family and friends. I Toowú Klatseen, which means “Strengthen Your Spirit,” is a 10 week program that was developed in partnership with AWARE in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The program aimed at increasing wellness in kids and their families during a time of uncertainty. The program provided fun, educational activities that promoted our Southeast Traditional Tribal Values and a workbook and supplies to help each student succeed in their online independent learning. The season ended with a fun run displaying everyone’s resiliency and of course, Juneau’s infamous weather! One attendee even ran the 5K more than once, just for fun. “It was beyond exhilarating and thoroughly uplifting to see so many participants and supportive families at the Neech Yagiyeeyí (Beach Day) Fun Run,” said Miriah Twitchell, I Toowú Klatseen Program Coordinator. “These families persevered during a difficult year and we wanted to celebrate them in a healthy, fun way.” I Toowú Klatseen will resume in the 2021-22 school year. Season details are still being determined. For more information, contact Miriah at 907.463.7129 or mtwitchell@ccthita-nsn.gov.
Kéet Koowaal Object of Cultural Patrimony Repatriated Continued from cover
The history of the finial shows it to be an esteemed object of the clan no different than a house screen which was displayed at certain times in the peak of the roof of the clan house. As such, it was claimed as an object of the cultural patrimony which means it is owned by a group and not an individual and has a need for use in ongoing cultural ceremonies. The other two objects, the hat and cane, will be handled the same way. The Kéet Koowaal will not be on exhibit but will be displayed at a proper cultural ceremony “to bring it back out in public” at a date yet to be determined by the Kayáashkéedítaan clan. The clan will release more pictures at their discretion. Tlingit & Haida’s Cultural Resources program repatriates objects of cultural patrimony, sacred objects, funerary objects and human remains in accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) of 1990 and the National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) Act of 1989. Services include submitting claims to museums for the return of cultural objects, assisting tribes and individuals in identifying cultural objects, family trees, memorial parties and clan identification. For more information on the object, email deptnlr@ccthita-nsn.gov. 9
Tribal Citizen Artwork Now Featured at Sacred Grounds Flagship Location Sacred Grounds Café has been newly renovated! If you haven’t already, stop by to check out their new and improved flagship location at 320 W. Willoughby Avenue in Juneau, Alaska! The café now features stunning metal carved formline artwork created by tribal citizen artist Robert Mills and a beautiful wall mural created by tribal citizen artist Michaela Goade! We are so proud of our talented tribal citizens who are inspired by the land and sea to create artwork that moves and touches others. Robert is Tlingit and a lifelong resident of Southeast Alaska. Originally from Kake, Alaska, he is a member of the Tsaagweidi clan and primarily focuses on metalwork and woodwork. His work has a deep connection with our land (Lingít Aaní) and culture which thrives in the abundant rainforest. Robert’s artwork celebrates the Indigenous traditions and seeks to build upon them and share them with the world. Robert supports the revitalization of the Tlingit language for the sake of preserving the culture and to better understand our culture. Robert’s decorative and functional pieces are a testament to the Tlingit culture, our Earth, and our Lingít Aaní. Michaela, Sheit.een, was raised in Southeast Alaska among the rainforest and beaches of our Lingít Aaní and currently lives in Sheet’ká (Sitka), Alaska. She is from the Kiks.ádi clan (Raven/ Frog). Recently, she’s focused her work on children’s literature and works with Indigenous authors and tribal organizations to produce beautiful and enriching books. She is a 2021 Caldecott Medalist, a 2020 Kirkus Prize Finalist and a New York Times Bestselling illustrator of “We Are Water Protectors.” Some of her other work includes “Encounter” and “Shanyaak’utlaax: Salmon Boy” which won the 2018 American Indian Youth Literature Award for Best Picture Book.
Visit our Sacred Grounds locations in Juneau, AK: 320 Willoughby Ave. | 3260 Hospital Drive | One Sealaska Plaza @SacredGroundsAK 10
@SacredGroundsAK
Tlingit & Haida’s Offices Reopen to the Public
Tribal Court Calendars
Tlingit & Haida is pleased to announce all buildings have reopened to the public following a closure issued in March 2020. “The Tribal Emergency Operation Center [TEOC] is confident in the safety protocols we have set in place to protect Tlingit & Haida staff as well as the public coming into our buildings,” said Jason Wilson, Incident Commander of the TEOC. “Serving as the Incident Commander over this past year, I have been continually impressed by our staff and their resiliency to keep serving our citizens through this pandemic. I know we are all glad to see our tribal citizens walk in our doors again and are looking forward to moving safely into normalcy.” Under the Tribe’s Back to Office plan, we are requesting visitors limit the number of people in their party. Upon arrival, guests will be required to complete a health screening at the visitor checkpoint with a security guard and will be issued a visitor badge. Those who do not wish to declare if they’ve been vaccinated will be asked to wear a mask. Due to the alert levels remaining low in Juneau, Tlingit & Haida entered Phase III of its Back to Office plan which returned all employees to their primary office location. To ensure tribal citizens and the general public remain healthy and safe, stringent sanitization protocols have been implemented at all buildings including entrances, communal areas and personal office spaces. Employees are also required to adhere to building safety & security procedures, work in a way that promotes physical distancing and are encouraged to wear a mask if unvaccinated. For more information on the phased plan, please contact the Public Safety department at publicsafety@ccthita-nsn.gov.
Tlingit & Haida’s Tribal Court calendars for upcoming Trial and Appellate Court hearings are published to Tlingit & Haida’s website at www.ccthita-nsn.gov/ government/court. The Tribal Court has subject matter jurisdiction over a large range of civil and criminal issues including adoptions, child custody, child support, divorce, domestic violence, guardianship, marriage and paternity. The calendars are routinely updated and scheduled hearing times and dates are subject to change. If you have questions regarding the calendars, please contact the Tribal Court at cclerk@ccthita-nsn.gov or 907.463.7165.
Update Your Contact Information Online Tlingit & Haida’s tribal enrollment records continue to show many tribal citizens with invalid addresses. A list of those with invalid addresses has been posted at www.ccthita-nsn.gov/services/enrollment/EnrollmentInvalidAddressList.pdf. Update Your Address Online:
www.ccthita-nsn.gov/services/overview/forms/form-update-contact For questions, contact Program Compliance at 1.800.344.1432 ext. 7359 or enrollment@ccthita-nsn.gov. 11
Adulting 101 Course
Native Lands & Resources Hosts Disaster & Resiliency Expo Tlingit & Haida’s Native Lands & Resources (NLR) department hosted a Disaster & Resiliency Virtual Expo at the end of May. Guests attended the packed agenda dedicated to inform how our communities can prepare for natural disasters.
Adulting is hard! Don’t worry though…Tlingit & Haida’s Navigators program is here to help! The course is designed to give youth the tools needed to start navigating adulthood. The virtual course is open to all tribal citizen youth 16-24, even if they live inside or outside Southeast Alaska. Sign up today and don’t miss this great learning opportunity! Register now at https://bit. ly/3w3laAw. Topics:
Money Management Time Management Interviewing Skills Résumé Development How To Look and Apply For Housing Secondary Education Options Managing Your Mental Health Weekly door prizes will be held with a grand prize drawing for an iPad Pro with accessories! For more information on Adulting 101 call 907.463.7752 or email Navigators@ccthita-nsn.gov. 12
“The NLR team really enjoyed the opportunity to educate our tribal citizens and residents of Southeast Alaska,” said Raymond Paddock III, Environmental Coordinator. “From landslides to avalanches, or the current pandemic, our communities should be prepared for these scenarios.” The four-day virtual event featured trainings and presentations covering a wide range of topics on emergency preparedness, potable water and what it means to be “Red Cross Ready.” Bob Carmichael, the Emergency Management Specialist, kicked off the event with information on how rural Alaskan communities can develop an emergency plan with limited resources. Representatives of the Red Cross also led group presentations on how youth, tribes and volunteers can be prepared for disasters and emergencies. On the final day, Ryan Sand from the University of Alaska spoke on the timely topic of “Personal Safety in a Pandemic/Post-Pandemic World”. The NLR department is excited to host another expo next year! The event is tentatively in Juneau, Alaska. The next expo will be held late Spring. Dates and registration will be made available closer to the event date. “The Native Lands and Resources team would like to thank all presenters, partners and the EPA for helping put on a great four-day virtual expo,” said Lindsey Pierce, Environmental Specialist for NLR. “We had 20 hours of wonderful presentations and we hope to see more people attend next year!” For more information on the Disaster & Resiliency Expo, contact the NLR department at lpierce@ccthita-nsn.gov or 907.463.7188.
Tlingit Haida Tribal Business Corporation Update The Tlingit Haida Tribal Business Corporation (THTBC) is paving the way for best-in-class service on government contracts globally! THTBC proudly operates in 20 states, 4 different countries and employs over 1,400 employees. Formed in 2010, the Executive Council created THTBC as a government contracting business owned by Tlingit & Haida. Most employees work in facilities maintenance and base operations support services; however, Information Technology (IT) services has been the fastest growing area with over 400 professional staff. They also provide intermediate and depot-level maintenance for both rotary and fixed wing aircraft; support contract logistics and full supply chain capabilities. Richard Rinehart serves as the Chief Executive Officer of THTBC and brings over 30 years of industry experience. As an innovative leader, Richard has successfully steered the organization toward unprecedented growth and increasing profitability. In 2016, THTBC acquired 100% of KIRA from Carlos Garcia, who founded KIRA in 1987 and stayed on to serve as President and Chief Operative Officer. THTBC is a corporation built on a foundation of principals and strives for excellence in everything. The corporation employs tactics and strategies to ensure continued growth. By striving to hire the top-class executives and employees, they continue to reach and exceed goals. If you are interested in expanding and improving your career, check out their job openings frequently as jobs are updated daily. For more information, visit www.thtbc.com/jobs or contact recruiting@thtbc.com.
Ready, Set, Apply! Are you planning on pursuing a higher education? Tlingit & Haida’s College Student Assistance (CSA) program provides financial aid to tribally enrolled citizens within the compact service area who are attending or plan to attend an accredited college or university in the pursuit of education degree programs, specifically post-secondary education. Application Requirements To be considered for a CSA scholarship award, a completed application must be received. A completed application includes: Most recent official high school transcript, GED scores or college transcripts indicating an overall 2.0 GPA or better Tribal Family of Origin form or completed enrollment verification form Copy of letter of admission/acceptance from the college/university attending Apply Online: www.ccthita-nsn.gov/services/education/higher For more information, contact the Higher Education at 1.800.344.1432 ext. 7329 or 907.463.7329. 13
CONGRATULATIONS 2021 GRADUATES
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Iyadláak! Dáng t’aláng kwáagad!
To view our 2021 High School & College Graduate albums, visit our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/ccthita.
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Tlingit & Haida
Office of the President • Communications 9097 Glacier Highway, Juneau AK 99801 www.ccthita-nsn.gov • www.facebook.com/ccthita 907.463.7369
Communications@ccthita-nsn.gov
PRESORTED STANDARD
PAID
Juneau, AK Permit No. 139
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
Preserve our sovereignty, enhance our economic and cultural resources, and promote self-sufficiency and self-governance for our citizens.
Tlingit & Haida Gifted Formline Casting Tlingit & Haida would like to thank Dave Hanna with Alaska Concrete Casting for gifting the Tribe this beautiful casting. The gift was Dave’s way of welcoming our Tribal Emergency Operations Center and Tlingit & Haida to the Concrete Way neighborhood in Juneau, Alaska.
Gunalchéesh, Háw’aa to Dave and our neighbors at Alaska Concrete Casting for this beautiful gift of positivity!