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BIGGEST ENERGY LOSER
Northwest Arctic On December 1st the The BiggestEnergy Loser contest began in Shungnak and Noorvik - the goal, to reduce energy uses in our villages, saving villages fuel and residents money. MORE INFO...
UNITING INDIGENOUS AND WESTERN SCIENCE THROUGH SUBSISTANCE MAPPING in the Northwest Arctic Borough
by Zach Stevenson
(pictured Ross Schaeffer and James McClellan)
KOTZEBUE – Greetings from the Northwest Arctic Borough. This winter the wind-chill dropped to 85 below in Kotzebue. It is the time of year for watching the aurora borealis with loved ones, ice fishing, hunting, trapping and reflection. Residents throughout the borough give thanks for a freezer full of white fish, caribou, salmon and all the land and sea provide. MORE INFO...
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APRIL MAYOR'S
REPORT
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Image top right: Ross Schaeffer and James McClellan
Image above: Chad Nordlum and Michael Oliver at Selawik Career Fair |
Greetings! Hope everyone is enjoying the long spring days and find time for ice fishing and the many outdoor activities we have access to.
Please join us for the 4th Annual Walk for Life scheduled for Saturday May 12 at noon. In Kotzebue registration will begin at 11:00 a.m. outside of NANA. Contact your local NANA resource technician for registration information for the villages. The State of Alaska has the highest rate of suicide and in 2006 the Northwest Arctic Borough had the highest rate in the State. This is a statistic we are not proud of. We look forward to everyone joining us in CELEBRATING LIFE and saying NO MORE SUICIDE! Each community will enjoy a potluck and doorprizes. Each participant will also receive a t-shirt. Volunteers are needed to barbecue hamburgers and hot dogs and clean up after the potluck.
The Walk will be a little different in Kotzebue this year. I would like to celebrate and acknowledge the folks from the villages who live and work in Kotzebue and help make our economy and community what it is. We want to say ARIGAA TAIKUU to all of you from the villages who live in Kotzebue! You make us stronger, richer, and more united as a region!
Recent data from the Alaska Native Justice Center showed that Kotzebue has the highest rate of MCAs (Minor Consuming Alcohol) from 2009-2011 by court statistics. We are requesting further details from previous years to review before and after our liquor store opened. Since the Kotzebue courthouse reviews all cases from the region, this statistic would include communities of the Northwest Arctic Borough. We are all in this together; minors are not purchasing the alcohol. As a region and as leaders we need to provide more opportunities for our young people. There are many vacant buildings that could be renovated for teen centers or community centers. We need to work with our young people to provide safe and healthy evening activities in a warm facility in all our communities. I call on all young people who would like a teen center in your community to come to our Assembly meetings, go to the City and Tribal Council meetings, the NANA and Maniilaq Board meetings and work with leadership to make this happen.
I noticed a handful of DUIs on snow machines recently. Please act responsibly. We don’t want any unnecessary deaths or injuries due to drunk driving. Another reminder, keep an eye on buildings and call your local VPO, police department when there is suspicious activity.
Linda Joule and I traveled to Nome to participate in the 2nd Annual Northern Alaska Wellness meeting hosted by Briday Trainor, Kawerak Wellness Director and Evon Peter, Maniilaq Wellness Director. Representatives from Northwest Arctic, Bering Straits and North Slope discussed NAWI (Northwest Alaska Wellness Initiative) and made recommendations on how to partner with schools, organizations and community members on suicide prevention training. Some examples of what the regions are doing are School District Youth Leaders, Camp Igaalik in the Bering Straits and Camp Pigaaq in Kotzebue, safety patrol in Nome during the Iditarod, local story circles with youth and Elders, behavioral health training for out-of-state counselors to become trained in our Native ways to do Village-Based Counseling, the sensitivity and importance of sharing Spirituality, and so much more. We look forward to continuing to work with this group to reinforce and strengthen our families, schools and communities.
I traveled to Ambler to work at the City Office and look at potential damage on Front Street due to last year’s erosion during spring break up. Representative Joule introduced House Bill 258 which would allow use of minimum standard naturally occurring asbestos in gravel sources. Passage of this bill will allow access to gravel in the Upper Kobuk area and give the green light on many projects in Ambler including the airport runway, housing, road and bridge improvements and more. Everything looks promising with this bill. Upon passage, an invitation was submitted to the Governor’s office to travel to Ambler to sign HB 258. Arigaa Taikuu to Ambler Mayor Morgan Johnson, Vice Mayor Scott Jones, Representative Joule and Brodie Anderson from Rep. Joule’s office for your hard work on this bill.
In early March, Governor Parnell and the First Lady Sandy Parnell, Chief of Staff Mike Nizich and John Moeller, Rural Advisor, visited Kotzebue for a few hours. We took them on a tour of the Front Street road project and had trout flour soup at the new Elders Wing at Maniilaq. We also visited KOTZ Radio to discuss a variety of issues such as bonding to build deep water ports, coastal zone management, public safety, offshore drilling and oil spill mitigation, the Choose Respect Walk and Walk for Life and more. Thank you to the staff at Maniilaq Elder Care for the trout soup. The Governor and First Lady greatly appreciated the visit with our Elders.
Bob Schaeffer, Public Services Director, Dennis Tiepelman, Public Safety Administrator and I recently traveled to Anchorage to meet with Michael Catsi, AIDEA’s Business Development Officer, James Weidle with Alaska Housing Finance Corporation and Joe Caperton with WHPacific to discuss financing our Village Public Safety buildings as part of our NWAB 5-year Public Safety Plan. The 2-story building will house a search and rescue and fire department, public safety holding cells, office space, conference and apartment and transient housing. We will start with the most shovel-ready community of Kiana who have already submitted applications for this type of building. We will then work with our other villages to get on the list for construction. The 2-story building has a 2 million dollar price tag. We will continue to work with AIDEA, AHFC, USDA and local entities to finance the Public Safety buildings. Thank you NANA for your financial contribution in the conceptual design.
This has been one of the harshest and coldest winters in recent history. In March and April we assisted with disaster relief to Noatak and Selawik for their water and sewer freeze ups, to Kivalina for snow removal, and some maintenance costs for the Noorvik/Kiana ice road.
Congratulations to John Baker for another successful finish at the 2012 Iditarod. Although he was not a repeat champion, he is a great ambassador for leadership and hard work.
Congratulations to the State Champion Noorvik Bears and Lady Harpoonerettes of Point Hope. Congratulations also to the State and Regional Kotzebue Husky Cheerleading Champions. Let’s keep growing young champions in our region!
Congratulations to local, regional and State Science Fair participants! Special recognition goes to Cori Adams, a Noatak 8th grader who won 1st place in the State Middle School category and got the Outstanding Cultural Merit Award and received a Boradcom Masters Award for her project entitled “Is there Snow in My Future?” Britnee Mills and Jennifer Sage, 7th and 8th graders from Noatak received Special Recognition from the Alaska Geological Society for their project entitled “Woman Made Color Crystals.
Several Colony Middle School students visited my office for a student exchange with Kotzebue Middle School. They were impressed with KMHS and all the activities our school has to offer. Student exchange is so important to have young people learn and appreciate each other.
On April 27, Agnik Schaeffer will be retiring as an Inupiaq Language Instructor at Nikaichuat. She has been a strong advocate in keeping our Inupiaq language alive all her life. In 1994 the Kotzebue Vital Team began discussions to keep the language alive and in 1998 they set a foundation for establishment of an Inupiaq Native Language Immersion School known today as Nikaichuat Tribal School. The students are in a loving environment where they not only learn the language but learn about our identity, history and culture from Inupiaq instructors. Parents are very active in the success of the school. Congratulations and ARIGAA TAIKUU to Agnik for her tireless commitment to keeping our Inupiaq language alive.
Congratulations to Aliichak Karmun and Agnatchiaq Brantley who will be promoted from kindergarten to first grade at Nikaichuat.
Finally, on behalf of the Northwest Arctic Borough, we would like to send our condolences to the families who lost their loved ones recently. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.
Everyone have a safe Spring!
Siikauraq Martha Whiting,
Borough Mayor