Gwich'in Way of Life by Rachel Saylor
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Dena’ Nena’ Henash • Our Land Speaks Vol. 45, No. 9 A REPORT TO THE MEMBER TRIBES OF TANANA CHIEFS CONFERENCE September 2020 Oil & Gas Exploration Threatens By Rachel Saylor Gwich’in Way of LifeCommunications Manager Iizhik Gwats’an Gwandaii Goodlit after the Trump administration issued plan includes protections for habitat translates to ‘The Sacred Place a Record of Decision advancing an and wildlife, these claims do not offer Where Life Begins’, which is what the oil and gas leasing plan on ANWR – comfort to those who have relied upon Gwich’in people call the Coastal Plain opening up this delicate ecosystem to this land for generations. of the 19.3 million acre land known oil and gas development. The Native Village of Venetie as the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge This decision came at the frustration Tribal Government released a joint (ANWR). The land was named this of the Gwich’in people who have been press release with the Arctic Village because it is the birthing, calving and advocating and working tirelessly Council and the Venetie Village post-calving grounds of the Porcupine to protect ANWR and the habitat of Council condemning the Trump Caribou herd – a herd that the Gwich’in the Porcupine Caribou and further administration’s decision. have relied upon for food, cultural, and fueled their determination to protect spiritual needs for thousands of years. their sacred lands. Although the This sacred land is now under threat Department of the Interior says the Continued on Page 3 In This Smaller Salmon - COVID Funding - General Election - Prevent Suicide Impacting Us What It’s Not Ballot Measures with Family Time Issue: Page 4 Page 6 Pages 8-9 Page 10 MISSION STATEMENT CHIEF’S REPORT Tanana Chiefs Conference provides a unified voice in advancing sovereign Dear Tribes and Tribal Members, tribal governments through the promotion of physical and mental wellness, This year’s King Salmon run was lower than education, socioeconomic development, anticipated and the escapement requirements were and culture of the Interior Alaska Native not met. On top of this, fall fisheries were closed which people. means more people will be relying on a successful hunting season to feed their families this winter. In an effort to offset the low salmon run experienced by our villages, we recently purchased 80,000 pounds of fish. We VISION purchased 50,000 pounds of whole flash-frozen chum salmon from Northline Healthy, Strong, Unified Tribes Seafoods in the Bristol Bay region, and 30,000 pounds of coho (silver) salmon from Copper River Seafoods in Kotzebue. We are actively discussing options for the best way to distribute the fish to communities in our region. There is another component that may affect traditional food security. The Trump administration made a decision last month to approve oil and gas leasing plans on the coastal plain of Alaska National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). This decision will directly impact the habitat of the Porcupine caribou herd which is sacred to the Gwich’in people. In accordance with TCC Full Board TCC EXECUTIVE Resolution 2015-71, TCC opposes this decision and has long advocated for the protection of ANWR. The day after the decision was made, I met with Senator BOARD MEMBERS Lisa Murkowski to voice TCC’s opposition. Donald Honea Sr./Ruby Last month the Full Board of Directors made the decision to hold the 2020 1st Traditional Chief TCC Elections on October 12th, 2020. The elections will be held virtually and in-person, and attendance is limited to delegates, candidates, and key TCC Trimble Gilbert/Arctic Village staff. We will be informing everyone on how elections will be conducted once 2nd Traditional Chief those details have been finalized. The public will be able to watch online via our livestream. There are several seats up for election this year including seats on Victor Joseph/ Tanana Chief/Chairman our Executive Board, Health Advisory Board, Education Council, IRHA Board of Commissioners, the AFN Village Representative, and the position of Chief/ Charlene Stern/Arctic Village Chairman. Vice President The school year has officially begun and it will look very different than in years past due to the ongoing pandemic. Many students will be attending school Jerry Isaac/Tanacross virtually and I know this puts many parents in a difficult position. Here at TCC Secretary/Treasurer we have found several ways to accommodate our employees who need to meet their work hours, and still ensure their children’s needs are met. These William “Chaaiy” Albert/Northway are uncertain times and all of us are doing the best we can to successfully Upper Tanana navigate these new circumstances. Nick Alexia Sr./Nikolai With the end of my administration around the corner, I have been reflecting Upper Kuskokwim on my time here at TCC. I feel grateful and honored to have been given the opportunity to work on behalf of our tribes. As always, TCC will continue to work Nancy James/Fort Yukon towards our vision of Healthy, Strong, and Unified Tribes. Yukon Flats Ana Bassee’, Eugene Paul/Holy Cross Lower Yukon Chief/Chairman Frank Thompson/ Evansville Yukon Tanana Norman ‘Carl’ Burgett/ Huslia Yukon Koyukuk August Council Newsletter Correction An article for the Interior Tribal Mandates Regarding Community Closure and Gas Sales Peter Demoski/Nulato listed Holy Cross as a community that was limiting gas purchase for non-residents. Elder Advisor According to Kathy Chase, officer of Deloycheet, there was a meeting that discussed limiting outsiders, but not fuel sales. Please contact the tribes individually for current mandates Jolie Murray/Beaver regarding travel and other restrictions. Youth Advisor 2 TANANA CHIEFS CONFERENCE • THE COUNCIL NEWSLETTER Continued from Front Page “The Coastal Plain is one of the gas development in ANWR. Similar delegation, as well as an array of most important natural, cultural, resolutions were also passed in 1988, lawmakers, leaders from municipal and subsistence resources to the 1995, 1996, and 2017. governments and Native corporations, Neets’ąįį Gwich’in of Arctic Village “TCC has always stood on the side and U.S. Interior Secretary Sally and Venetie and to the Gwich’in of the Gwich’in people in protecting Jewell. Chief Joseph also attended people as a whole,” said this sacred area and we this meeting where he advocated for Native Village of Venetie oppose any development the preservation of ANWR. Tribal Government’s First that could potentially In 2019, Chief Joseph testified Chief Margorie Gemmillin “TCC has always impact that delicate before the House Natural Resources the release, “Any impacts stood on the ecosystem,” says TCC Subcommittees alongside several to the Porcupine Caribou side of the Chief/Chairman Victor Gwich’in tribal leaders; Gwich’in Herd from changes in Gwich’in people Joseph, “The footprint that Steering Committee Director migration patterns, lower in protecting this development will have on Bernadette Demientieff, Chief Galen fertility rates, and loss of sacred area and this sacred land will be Gilbert of Arctic Village, Chief Dana habitat will have significant we oppose any much larger than what is Tizya-Tramm of Vuntut Gwich’in First adverse social, cultural, development that indicated.” Nation, and Sam Alexander of Fort spiritual, and subsistence Yukon, in Washington, DC on the impacts on our people.” could potentially TCC has shown support impact that delicate for the protection of ANWR protection of ANWR. The Tanana Chiefs ecosystem on several occasions On August 18th, the day after the Conference (TCC) Full ” including during the Alaska decision was announced to open Board of Directors first Federation of Natives up ANWR to oil and gas drilling, passed a resolution in (AFN) Annual Convention, Chief Joseph met with Senator Lisa 1987 calling for the protection of during several trips to Washington DC, Murkowski to voice TCC’s opposition the Porcupine Caribou herd. The and during meetings with important to the decision. resolution directs TCC to advocate for government representatives. maximum protection for the Porcupine The first leasing sales of the land Caribou calving and habitat areas in In 2016, AFN held its winter board plan to be held before December 22nd, ANWR in conjunction with any oil and retreat in Kotzebue, where they 2021 and the second by December invited Alaska’s entire congressional 22nd, 2024. Left-Right March 26, 2019 Hearing on ANWR Drilling Bernadette Demientieff - Executive Director of Gwich’in Steering Committee Chief Galen Gilbert - First Chief of Arctic Village Council Chief Dana Tizya-Tramm - First Nation Chief of Vuntut Gwich’in Chief Victor Joseph - Chief/Chairman of Tanana Chiefs Conference Sam Alexander - Gwich’in Council International TANANA CHIEFS CONFERENCE • THE COUNCIL NEWSLETTER 3 Salmon across Alaska gettingsmaller, impacting By Alice Bailey People and Eco Systems Published by UAF News Salmon size has declined dramatically 1957 and 2018. This massive 60-year in nutrient transport back to rivers, 21 over the past 60 years. Size declines database included age and length percent in fisheries value, and 26 percent have occurred across species and are information for four species of Pacific in meals for Alaskans. generally associated with decreasing salmon — Chinook (king), chum (keta or “The Arctic-Yukon-Kuskokwim area age. dog), coho (silver), and sockeye (red). is the biggest subsistence user group Salmon species across Alaska are The mature fish, caught on their way in the country,” said co-author Gale returning to spawn at a smaller size, to spawn, were individually measured Vick, a former commercial fisherman according to a study led by researchers at escapement projects, commercial representing the Tanana Chiefs at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. fisheries and other places. Conference tribal consortium. “The The study, published August 19th, 2020 Mick Leach measures fish in the dependency of that group on the resource in the journal Nature Communications, commercial fishery on the lower Yukon is huge.