Chinook Salmon Bycatch Decision Made by NPFMC by Mike Sloan, Natural Resources Division Fisheries Biologist he North Pacific Fishery Management T Council (NPFMC) met in April and took final action on Chinook salmon bycatch man‐ agement in the Bering Sea pollock fishery. The pollock trawl fishery has taken increas‐ ingly high amounts of Chinook salmon by‐ catch during recent years with a peak of 121,909 fish occurring in 2007. According to genetic information, the majority of Chinook bycatch are bound for rivers in Western Alaska. The challenge for the NPFMC was to Chinook Salmon (Qawiaraq Ieupiaq dialect: tabyaqpak). Photo courtesy of Nome Eskimo Community. find a management strategy that balanced the need to protect dwindling Chinook commercial users prompted a dozen Norton velopment Corporation (NSEDC) provided salmon stocks, which support subsistence Sound residents to attend the NPFMC meet‐ funding to send five Norton Sound area resi‐ and commercial fisheries in Western Alaska ing and share their views with council mem‐ dents to the meeting for this purpose. and Canada, with potential impacts of by‐ bers during the public testimony period. Rep‐ catch restrictions on the $1 billion Bering Sea resentatives from Kawerak, Bering Sea Fish‐ Most Norton Sound attendees asked the pollock fishery. ermen’s Association, Association of Village NPFMC to consider an annual hard cap of Council Presidents, Tanana Chiefs Confer‐ around 30,000 Chinook or lower, and many Concerns about severely declining Chinook ence and other organizations gave testimony highlighted the hardships and impacts of the salmon runs and impacts on subsistence and to the council. Norton Sound Economic De‐ declining salmon runs on their villages, fami‐ Continued on page 6, see Local Reps. VPSOs Graduate in Sitka Kawerak Interns at CAC by Gina Appolloni, VPSO Program Director by Denise Pollock, Higher Education Intern awerak’s Village Public Safety Officer Program is My name mer. I have been writing articles for K pleased to announce the graduation of four cadets is Denise the CAC Newsletter to educate sur‐ from the Training Academy in Sitka, Alaska. Pictured from Pollock. rounding villages and communities left to right are: are Gerald Otto from Elim, David Slwooko My par‐ about child sexual abuse. I will be from Koyuk, Winfred Olanna, Jr. from Brevig Mission and ents are travelling to Unalakleet, Koyuk, Harley Huntington from Shishmaref. Maggie Teller, and Shishmaref to raise Gina Appolloni, VPSO director, notes this brings the and Mark awareness about safe touching and total number of officers in the region to nine with six addi‐ Pollock community involvement with child tional openings in Diomede, Golovin, Wales, Stebbins, and my sexual abuse survivors. Gambell and St. Michael. Please call Gina at 1(877)219‐ grand‐ I want to focus on how the justice 2599 if you would like to become a VPSO in one of these parents system could be improved to gain communities. are Eliza‐ the trust and input of Native peoples The VPSO Program was designed to train and employ beth and and how to implement traditional individuals residing in the village as first responders to Herbie alternatives to the healing of survi‐ public safety emergencies such as: search and rescue, fire Denise Pollock Nayok‐ vors. This internship gives me a protection, emergency medical assistance, crime preven‐ Higher Education Intern puk. I am chance to come back to Alaska to be tion and basic law enforcement. The presence of these of‐ a tribally with my family and become more ficers has had a significant impact on improving the quality enrolled member of the Native Vil‐ familiar with the main issues and of life in the participating villages. As a result, VPSOs are lage of Shishmaref IRA Council. I struggles happening in this region. generally the first to respond to many calls for help from have been living in Lancaster, Mas‐ I eventually want to get involved community members; hence their motto: sachusetts for the last eight years, in tribal law, international indige‐ “FIRST R ESPONDERS—LAST F RONTIER" but I was raised in Barrow and Fair‐ nous law and human rights. I am See page 3 for more VPSO articles. banks. I just finished my second year passionate about traveling, learning at St. Lawrence University in Can‐ languages, writing and literature to ton, New York. I am a double major preserve cultural stories. in English and Government. At U.C., The Higher Education Internship I am involved in the Advocates Pro‐ Program provides summer work ex‐ gram that educates the campus on perience for Higher Education scholar‐ sexual assault and provides support ship recipients living in or returning to systems for survivors. I have done the Bering Strait Region for the sum‐ presentations on Sexual Violence in mer. The program has 11 interns em‐ Alaska Native and Indian communi‐ ployed at various work sites. If you ties. have questions about the Intern Pro‐ I am working as an intern at the gram, call Trisha Gray, Youth Em‐ Child Advocacy Center for the sum‐ ployment Director at (907) 443‐4361. Spring 2009 Issue 10 Tribal Members Complete Carpentry Class by Lew Tobin, Education, Employment & Training Division Regional Training Specialist n April 20th, 2009 ten Bering certifications will be recognized O Strait Tribal members took a and honored anywhere they go step towards financial independ‐ within the United States. This is ence. They enrolled in a Carpentry the second course of the 4‐year Training Program through Kaw‐ Carpentry Apprenticeship Program erak’s Education, Employment and sponsored by local employers and Training (EET) Division. Over the Kawerak through the Bering Strait next four weeks, students learned Regional Apprenticeship Program carpentry terms, tools and skills in (BSRAP). The first class in all the a classroom setting and in a practi‐ BSRAP programs is the basic con‐ cal exercise. struction safety (CORE) class. The students of the class were: Qualified individuals who are em‐ Philip Castel, Charles Ellana, Robin ployed by companies who are part “Bubba” Fagerstrom, Robert Joe, of BSRAP (or companies in this re‐ Jr., Colin Kulikhon, Gabriel Muk‐ gion who are willing to join toyuk, Richard Okinello, Scott Pay‐ BSRAP) may apply to be appren‐ Pictured from left to right, front row: Colin Kulikhon, Charles Elanna, Henry Titus, enna, Derek Saclamana, and Henry tices in one of four construction Philip Castel & Lew Tobin. Back row: Richard Okinello, Derek Saclamana, Scott Pay- Titus. They were instructed by Erik fields: Carpentry, Plumbing, Resi‐ enna, Instructor Eric Noet, Robert Joe, Jr., Gabe Muktoyuk & Robin Fagerstrom. Noet, a local carpenter, who has dential Electrical Wiring, or Heavy completed an instructor’s course Equipment Mechanics. They do ing to increase the number of li‐ used in the various villages by from the National Center for Con‐ this through their employers. In censed Journeymen (only certified Tumet. struction Education and Research the apprenticeship program they Journeymen can legally wire or Kawerak’s Education, Employment (NCCER). These students’ NCCER promise their employers to work plumb houses for pay in the State and Training (EET) Division’s Vil‐ 8,000 hours of Alaska and only Nationally rec‐ lage‐Based Training (VBT) Pro‐ (about four ognized Apprentices can assist gram sponsored the class. Since years) under a them) and apprentices in this re‐ 2001, VBT has sponsored over 300 Journeyman gion (one journeyman can only su‐ training programs for the 20 tribes in all aspects pervise one apprentice). of the region and has had more of their field. The project for the class was to than 3,000 students participate. Kawerak build a 10 by 20 foot building (the The VBT program has had CORE: sponsors the beige with blue trim that is on Carpentry 1, Electrical 1 and apprentices Kawerak’s lot across from the two Plumbing 1 courses at all 15 active through main buildings on Sepalla Drive). village locations. Other programs their required The building will be used by Tumet like: Heavy Equipment Operation annual 3 week as a Parts and Headquarters Build‐ Training, HAZWOPER, Boiler and classroom ing for their Brevig Mission road CPR classes have been taught in training. project. The building was made villages that have provided the fa‐ Pictured above is a carpentry student cutting spacers. Kawerak is hop‐ extra strong to be transported and Continued on page 7, see Tribal Members Inside Uqaaqtuaq News Page State working to improve Public Safety 3 Peratrovich earns rank of VPSO Sergeant 3 SERVING THE VILLAGES OF: NWC Graduates Keep their Eye on the Prize 4 BREVIG MISSION VISION STATEMENT BSSD Recognizes Kawerak Head Start 5 “Building on the Inherent Strength of COUNCIL U.S. Census Bureau 2010 5 Our Cultural Values, We Shall Assist Our DIOMEDE ELIM Local Reps at Chinook Bycatch Hearing 6 Tribes to Take Control of Their Future.” GAMBELL Melvin Otton Testifies at NPFMC Hearing 7 GOLOVIN In keeping with this Vision Statement, UAF Northwest Campus Horizons 8 & 9 KING ISLAND Job Fairs Held in 3 Communities 10 Kawerak is increasing training and KOYUK Higher Education Intern Works in H.R. 10 technical assistance services to tribes. MARY’S IGLOO Is it too good to be True? Scam Alert 11 NOME SAVOONGA Kawerak Full Board Village Reports 12 & 13 Kawerak Divisions are: SHAKTOOLIK H.R. Employee of the Month Dec. `08 ~ May `09 14 Community Services, SHISHMAREF Kawerak Employees Reach 20 Year Milestones 14 Employment, Education & Training, SOLOMON Natural Resources Welcomes New Employee 14 Children and Family Services, and STEBBINS Mike Owens Celebrates 25 years at NSHC 15 Natural Resources. ST. MICHAEL TELLER ICC Launch Declaration on Arctic Sovereignty 15 UNALAKLEET Eskimo Heritage Program Provides Translations 16 WALES Kawerak Services Directory 16 WHITE MOUNTAIN Winter 2008 Issue Page 2 Spring 2009 Issue Kawerak, Inc.