Elder and Youth Conference

Elder and Youth Conference

Report by Vernetta Nay Moberly

Inupiat Ilitqusiat Coordinator

AFN 10/25/04

For the first day, the Elder’s and Youth’s registered and graciously picked up a 2004 AFN bag. The tell tale sleepy happy faces and a mixture of rich Alaskan voices blended in the air as everyone patiently moved along, welcoming one another expressing, “longtime no see”.

The Eagan Center’s main conference room was packed with ‘Stuarts of Alaska’ that came together from all directions, near and far. A group of young people representing different tribes stood up on stage proudly welcoming us. As the second representative began, everyone sat listening as she spoke, “I am Jessica Snyder, I am from Noorvik, and I live in the Kobuk River near Kotzebue. I was brought up in a village along the Kobuk River of Noorvik. My grand parents are the late Alfred Wells Sr. of Deering and Noorvik and Hannah Wells, also the late Tommy Snyder Sr. and Hazel Snyder. I come from a background of, and was raised in a home with a large family with knowledge of discipline, and they pass on knowledge and wisdom and that they have passed for the generations to come.”

“Elders are very important in our lives, they pass on knowledge, wisdom and they also pass on love which is a big thing, and especially when we have children and grand children. They are teachers, they are wisdom feeders. They are the people that have the loving kindness and caring that each person would need to survive in this world because if we don’t know who we are and where we come from, how are we going forward into the future? We need some kind of ground up bringing for us to survive in this world, especially when we live in a city. I would like to urge the young children; get to know your Elders in your family, even if they are not from your family, all the Elders around you. In my home town all Elders, they are my people I consider them as family even though we are not related, just anybody in general.”

“Just have an open mind and open heart and offer your attention to each Elder, even one minute, a positive time can make a difference in someone’s lives. I urge you to get to know who they are. Ask them if they need help, say hello, and even give them a smile that is a big thing. And I would like to thank you again to allow us to be here again. I was raised by grandparents that truly believe in each one of you, but I just want to stress that each one is special here today. No matter young or old we are all equal in the eyes of the Lord and I want to praise the Lord tonight and allowing us to speak to you today, Taikuu, Quyaagipsi.”

Another young man began, in his language, “Good Morning my friends how are you? My name is Elvis Lee Sam I am Koyukan Athabaskan from the village of Huslia Alaska. My grandparents are Tony Sam Sr. and Emily Sam. When they first ask me to do this, I must say it was with honor. It filled me with honor for they are the one’s that gave me so much in my life, the Elders. From the time I was young, my parents, the community and teachers all taught us the importance of the Elders.

They have a special place in my heart because without them we would not be here today. And their roles as culture barriers, languages speaker’s, singers and story tellers keep us connected to who we are and defines what it means to be Native. The values of sharing and cooperation are like the lifeblood of our communities and hold us together during our most challenging times. The bond of respect and love we have for the Elders doesn’t stop there; those bonds belong to all forms of life, all forms of nature. So when they say ‘respect your Elders, it’s like saying respect your culture, respect your heritage, respect all forms of life, respect all forms of nature and it’s even about respecting yourself.”

“Living in Alaska, especially living in the village is a hard thing for the youth and it could be really hard if you do not communicate with the ones you love. Most of us build walls to shelter ourselves from the world to keep ourselves from getting hurt. It’s called a defense mechanism which the object is to block out others. Some of us have many walls, and some of us hardly have any walls at all. One of the easiest walls to put up is the one between us, the Youth and the Elders because it is easy to block out someone who do not understand. And while this wall is the easiest one to put up, it could be dangerous; it’s dangerous because they are a crucial link to the past. And if we cut that link off we run the risk of repeating the past mistakes, mistakes we can’t afford to repeat. Don’t let this be our greatest mistake as modern native peoples, to go forth without the Elders behind us means we stand the chance of losing it all; that ten thousand years legacies of our ancestors is at our hands and whether or not you like it, to keep the whole continent is learning to respect and love your Elders.”

With that Elvis presented the next spokesperson, “Ladies and gentleman Krista;” Speaking in her language, she began, “Good Morning my name is Krista “She graciously expressed her Tlingit name and her Clan name also her grandparents names. She is from Angoon. “When I first heard about this and was asked to be an honorary spokesperson. And I heard what the topic was; “Honoring our Elders”, honoring my elders was something I was always taught to do. I work for the Alaska Native Heritage Center here in Anchorage, and when people ask me about that, well I’d say, the first thing I learned when I was growing up is the golden rule of being Native is you honor your elders, and you respect them, it’s not something I ever thought about, it’s something I just always do.

So that was my big dilemma, I did not know what to talk about. And then I sat down and I thought how is it different that we respect our elders today, when two hundred years ago when we need to survive in the harsh elements? I was talking to Paul Marks and he was saying, “we had a name for everything, we studied for everything in the ground we had a word for all the different animals, we know the currents, we knew everything. And then, just as soon as we said you know, I will no longer speak Tlingit, I want to be an American citizen, I am civilized, we backed tracked about two hundred years, we lost a lot of the knowledge that we had.” “But I was talking with my grandmother and I said, well, how we respected our elders differently now than we did two hundred years ago, and she said, I don’t think that would do.

So until Saturday I really did not have a speech up until today, so I was able to sit down and talk to Paul Marks and he taught me something very important.” At this moment she spoke in her native tongue, “My Grandparents, my Elders, my protector and my outer shell”. She proceeded to tell a story; long ago a man was sitting on a mountain and watched when a little bird was being hatch out of its shell. After it was born, he noticed that the little bird scurrying around it seemed as though it was looking for something. This confused the man until he noticed that the bird found a small hole, the man watched as the little bird gently picked up his outer shell, his protector of his elements and placed it in the earth and covered it with moss. My grandparents and my Elders are my protection and my outer shell.

Here I am today in front of you, I try to honor them the way that I feel that they deserve, and it still doesn’t feel it is enough, they’ve taught me everything that I know and are so humble about it, and today I would like to dedicate my speech to all of my grandparents. My grandma Ruth is in the hospital and she has been since July. On Saturday as soon as I wrote this speech, I had to run down there to read it to her just so I can validate it, so I’d like to dedicate this to her also. The story I told you was passed down by Paul Martins who was taught by the late Austin who was one of our great leaders.” She spoke in her language and thanking us for coming expressing, “maybe next time we will have a little bit more time.”

A very humble young man added, These are powerful word from our presenters “Today, I want to say something to you, one day you will be Elders too, and you know when you see those pictures on the wall of your grandparents when they were little, you look at your Apa, your Amau your grandparents, see how handsome and beautiful they were, that’s you today, that is you. Remember when you give these stories, you give this knowledge, because if your grandchildren come to you when you are an elder, and people look up to you, you will have to have those stories, remember that is the way we are and that is the way we have to be.” “Quyaana”

Soon after, the young group expressed gratitude for one another and for us. The meeting moved on and one of the young ladies started to give instructions for us as the audience, at this point the audience was given a ‘key pad’ to keep up with technology. A gentleman by the name of Brad Rogers gave instructions to handle the key pad. The Mount Edgecombe students were to help those who need assistance to take part in a survey. To support the survey, they used huge screens to see the data of graphs and facts. Brad continued, “Let’s find out something about who is in the room today. Press one if you are an elder, or press two if you are a youth.” The first survey was to see how many Elders and Youth that is in the audience. The next survey was numbers pertaining to the number of people per regions through Alaska. There were 64 people from the Nana Region.

Four hundred and thirty six are from rural Alaska and seventy five from the urban. In 1960 there were forty-two thousand Alaskan Natives in the State of Alaska. In the year 2000 there were 120 thousand. What is interesting back in 1960 19% of the population or 19 out of a hundred were Alaska Natives and it’s about the same today even with the great influx of nonnative that came into our State. The numbers of our people have actually grown and the percentage of the population of our people has stayed the same in the last forty years. Our total populations 85% are from rural Alaska. But our total population if you look of under 19 thousand people, but about 58% of us still live in rural Alaska and 48% of us still live in the urban Alaska. And also the working age population? It is only 32% with jobs.

Elders in the year 2000 ages 65 and over, today there are 6,400 Native Elders. 2010 were looking at about 8,700 Elders in population. In the year 2020 how many Native Elders there will be? The estimated survey said: 13,700, twice as many Elders in fifteen years from now. Part of the reason for the increase in numbers of elders is because today the numbers of people who are in their 30’s and 40’s of people that are getting older. So if there are a larger numbers that are getting older and the other reason is that the Elders are living longer then we use to with better health care and so forth. So those numbers will be increasing, but there will be implications with our health care systems for making sure that our Elders to have the quality of life that we would like to have. So those kinds of things will be with our forefront of our leader’s plates to have to deal with those kinds of issues.

The next survey was numbers pertaining to the number of people per regions through out Alaska. There were 64 people from the Nana Region. 436 are from rural Alaska (the numbers of this survey did not count the large crowds of people that were out in the lobby and also those standing near the entrance of the meeting room that did not have a key board) and 75 from the urban. In 1960 there were 42 thousand Alaskan Natives in the State of Alaska. In the year 2000 there were 120 thousand. What is interesting back in 1960, 19% of the population or 19 out of 100 were Alaska Natives, and it’s about the same today even with the great influx of nonnative that came to our State. The numbers of our people have actually grown, and the percentage of the population of our people has stayed the same in the last forty years. Our total populations, 85% are from rural Alaska. But our total population if you look of under 19 thousand people, but about 58% of us still live in rural Alaska and 48% of us still live in the urban Alaska, Fairbanks and Anchorage area and Juneau. And also the working age population? It is only 32% with jobs.

Elders in the year 2000 ages 65 and over, today there are 6,400 Native Elders. At 2010 were looking at about 8,700 Elders in population. In the year 2020 how many Native Elders there will be? The estimated survey said: 13,700 twice as many Elders fifteen years from now. Part of the reason for the increase in numbers of elders is because today, the numbers of people who are in their 30’s and 40’s that is getting older. So if there are a larger numbers that are getting older and the other reason is that the Elders are living longer then we use to with better health care and so forth. So those numbers will be increasing, but there will be educations with our health care systems for making sure that our Elders must have the quality of life that you would like to have. So those kinds of things will be with our forefront of our leader’s plates, to have to deal with, those kinds of issues.

The Native population of youth, 19 years old and younger, in the year 2000 there were 53 thousand, and by 2020 it is expected the numbers to increase to 63 thousand. This is assuming the current birth and current death rates and what does it means to our educational system? Making the sure the educational system is meeting the needs of our children and teaching them the things that they need to know to enter to today’s economy and today’s life. The information on numbers can be obtained on line.

Following a couple of youths asked if we listened to the importance of what was being said. One of the messages and also on choices we make; Just think about the hard earned money that is being wasted on drugs and alcohol and last only a day or two. And the choice that youth can make is whether or not to take drugs. Just imagine if we all decide not to smoke and drink and do our best to listen to our elders and learn more of our traditional foods and the value of hard work.

A traditional game of ‘muck’ was done up on stage, where several Elders and youth sat across one another and stare into the other persons eyes. As the audience watched, they made very silly silent gestures, because the first person to laugh is out. One of our regions elder, Dolly Sours was one of the participants.

A man by the name of Mathew Nicholie is an artist in string stories, called ayahaaq. His first story was called ‘rib cage’ and said that he know 86 figures. As he grew up all the kids, they all knew the string games, but when T.V. came it took away the drive for many to continue to learn. He said he travel to the states and performs for actors and actresses. The power of imagination is we need to come up with something new, a new idea. He expressed when he went fishing and idea came to mind, he came up with a string story that involves sports fishing and also he caused it to loose the fish. He did one with an old lady and a bear, so the moral of the story is ‘don’t fall asleep on your job.’ He sincerely spoke to us about the fact that all of us have to work together to keep our culture alive.

Since he taught his son, his son taught five other people and they in turn teach others. He also had points that he feels strongly about, such as of leadership, they do get banged left and right. I hear from our Elders when they talk, do not to criticize your own people, because when you criticize your own people, you criticize yourself. That’s something, our own Elders are our own treasures, learn from them. Don’t let me be the only one that know how to ayahaaq. If you see me across the street just stop me and say, Mathew Nicholi I want to learn how to ayahaaq. Maybe you know somebody that know how to ayahaaq. Your power of imagination education is our future and your part of our future. Thank you very much.

Here after, all the tribes of Alaska were given rooms to gather, Nana was given space five. All the Elders and Youth sat to listen; the discussion was about economy in our region and with education, during the 2002, 2003 thirteen schools in our region have 2,100 students. 91% were native and only 9% were non native. 10 % of all enrolled students had disabilities and 91 % of those 200 were natives and 20 were non natives. 9% of all teachers were Alaska Natives or American Native. Only two schools passed the exam, while 11 schools did not pass.

Discussions of the survey were further mentioned by John Schaeffer Jr. He shed light on that the numbers of high school drop out’s and the past survey of 7 % is not correct. The real drop out rate was 50% in our region. What you have to see is how many kids were in the seventh and eighth grade and how many graduate. That’s the drop out rate in our region, which is more than they are showing here. The studies that the Northwest Borough and North Slope Borough had shown is that we could get as many people to college as we want, we can create as many jobs, but non of our people will not benefit from them because they can’t qualify, they can’t hold jobs, not enough of them. It has to do with other things, there’s nothing on here the things they told us.

The kids are raising themselves, too many people are drinking and drugging. We got too many Elders who are not doing anything. Out of the three hundred Elders that they show here, we have more, that’s because in our region the age is 55 and up. Out of those there are almost 600 Elders that are 55 years old and up in our region. Out of those Elders, there are only thirty that are trying to do something as Elders, try to do something to help. I don’t want to sound bad, but that’s the way it is, its worst than these statistics. The solutions the same, but you don’t look at these statistics and calculate what’s going to happen in the future and figure out how you solve problems, you go backwards, you look at the history and you figure out what the solutions are. You don’t go ahead, because you’re working on numbers that don’t mean anything, but you work on people.

The way you fix people is by teaching and living our values. This is what our Elder told us thirty years ago, and if you ask the Elders now, that’s the same thing you will get from them. Fix yourself first, because getting a college education, they push that, they put money. Two percent of our people went to college. And it’s been that way since 1981 when we start looking at the statistics. What we’ve done recently, the heck what the governments separation of Church and State, because the Churches are too important to us, because they teach values, looking at Inupiaq standards. We will combine our efforts and try to help our youth to become good people, good Inupiaq.

Right now the kids in school they work on assets, and they jump at that. It doesn’t quite work; we still have to work on our Spirituality. Our name Inupiaq means Spirit people, not real people. Our problem is not physical, we are not starving, and our problem is on the spiritual side. That is what we have been trying to say in our Youth and Elders Wellness conference. In our Quad meeting, all our leaders in our region, this is what they said our ‘Inupiaq’, one of the first thing they jumped on was Inupiaq, our language; we got to start learning that. Not just because we want to preserve our language, it is because our Inupiaq language talks about Spirituality. The words and concepts of English language is the most non Spiritual Language in the world, won’t get any learning in the right area in English, we got to do it in Inupiaq, that’s why it is important.

A gentleman by the name of Roland Booth stood up and spoke; I think we all already understand that we have a problem. The older ones know the Inupiaq language then the young ones, we already know that, we already understand that. We just have to learn to talk to one another however way we do it, we have to talk. We have to learn to talk to our younger people, what ever language that they use. I find out in my own home that my son who speaks English, and myself who also speak English and Eskimo. Were are having problems communicating, so there is a communication gap, whether it’s Inupiaq language or English language or what ever it is, so however we can break that barrier down, we need to use the same wave length.

When I speak English to my children, some how they don’t listen, they don’t hear me, and that’s been my problem for sometimes now. Just recently, I really, I really humble myself to realize, to understand over the loss of my son. The language gap that he and I had, even when I talk to him in an English setting, in English language, there was some thing’s that caused him to shut up or shut me up, where he never hear me because there is a language gap. So there is a language gap between the young people and old folks, so we need to understand their language, however it is to communicate with one another.

I’m willing to stoop down to what ever length that I need to, to be able to talk with them to learn to love them and communicate with them. Because we need to, we already know we have this problem, we have to listen to them and how it is we have to communicate with them one on one. We know they are not going to do it in Inupiaq. And so however language, it’s going to take, to communicate with our children. We all know it’s what we want them to do, to study the language; we know they have a problem in that area. Right now we need to communicate, and we do not want to use the Inupiaq language as an excuse, we just need to communicate.”

Mary Schaeffer, I just want to bring out, I think we are a step ahead of the other regions and even what’s being presented, because at our quad board meeting a lot of this stuff came out already, and there are different organizations that are in partnership that are going to be work on these. I just want to bring that out, so we won’t duplicate what is already prioritize back home, and for instance with the health care, Maniilaq and the School District, and in partnership to deliver those kind of services, and in education the school district and the borough are in partnership to deliver the education portion.

Paulette, I would like to expand the leadership of the quad board. Our leaders of the four major Regional organizations have come together, the Northwest Arctic Borough, Maniilaq, the School District and Nana in partnership. The president, Helen Bolen and Guy Adams from Maniilaq and from the School District are Bob Boil and Larry Jones, and from Nana is Marie Green and Don Sheldon, and from Borough it’s Ross Schaeffer and Larry Westlake.

Dude; during the quad meeting in Kotzebue, what came to my mind and a question. It said that 9% of the teachers in our area were Alaska native, and the concern I had, are people going out and getting educated to become teachers? But where are the teachers? Why are they not teaching? I think that is something that we need to address amongst our selves, like what John was saying earlier we need to start talking to each others and not only to the Elders and the Youth, but also why are people not teaching, they are going to other areas or district, but we need to find out amongst ourselves to why that number is where it is.

Virginia Commack; Hearing from our Elders at home so much, one of the biggest missing components in our daily lives, our villagers in a community level use to be teachers themselves, the way it us to be years ago. We have become too dependant on others values and have changes very much and we don’t discipline our children as well as we should, the way my grandparents and my parents taught me. I don’t see that exercised at a village level. And there is a missing component when we come down to organizations, that the most important ones at the village level were missing and those are the two key elements. Coming back to the village people as a community being teachers that we very much have to keep our tribal government in our circle of people working together. They have the stats that other organizations have where you can actual teaching the ethics and moral. As a Government equivalent to the Federal Government that is where the key component for all natives of Alaska as well as lower 48, we only have to practice it.

The most of the problems we have deriving out of is our cultural loss, our history our language loss. A real great loss on morals and ethics especially is disciplinary loss. Teaching methods have changed too much, dependency on others to teach our children, using different values that are not ours. And a value changing too much as it is, and raising our children we are practicing different disciplinary actions when we should be going back to our own, where children will identify being native. And the village people all of us together need to take responsibility and take control at the village level to go back to teaching the way we should. And disciplining ourselves to becoming self determined. And work to lesson dependency on others to teach the values we want to teach them. And keep ourselves from departing from great values that we had in the past. And teach our youth to recognize these differences, teaching the difference between two governments that, we are all duel citizenships; these are the Federal Government and the Inupiat Government which are the Tribal Government. There within will be the keys to practicing all those if we put them in perspective. Also teach our youth the difference, the permissible world that we have put our selves into, by placing ourselves into others values.

Paulette; What about youths?

A young lady from Kotzebue, I have a suggestion with communication gap. You don’t have to go to college to be a teacher; you don’t have to be in school to be a teacher, to practice our Inupiaq values. If you’re out, maybe picking berries or hunting, tell them a story, talk to them. Maybe you’re scared to or nervous to ask about something, but you need kind of go over that gap and tell them your selves, sometimes you just have to ask. But during picking berries tell the stories, that way you could pass on stories that your grandmother passed on to you.

A young man by the name of David Thomas, grandson of Nora Thomas stood up and spoke, “I was born and raised in Palmer; it is hard to be one of the few native in that school district. I was adopted by his uncle and at home he sensed that there is a big gap in language. He said he would try to pick up some Inupiaq and Values at home. But I feel that my Ahna, she try to protect my Mom, my Aunts. When my Ahna was growing up, she was punished when she spoke Inupiaq in school. I think my Ahna try to protect my Mom and Aunts, because my Ahna was punished when she spoke Inupiaq in school. Growing up and at school it is hard to be the only native, so others would ask if I do native stuff and if I know some of the language, I would say yeah. It’s true we are scared because we are growing up in a fast diverse world. We need to get to know our Elders and talk with them and try to do more things with them, because it helps me out a lot. But my Ahna always just tell me to go out and do it, “just try”. Paulette, He is the world champion, with the NYO Native Youth Olympics.

For most of you who don’t know me, I am Travis Sheldon of Noorvik. One thing I noticed at the elementary school with the language gap we have between our Elders. At the Elementary school I noticed that for the first, second and third grade, they go over the same thing every year, every month. There is not much intensive Inupiaq training and teaching in the school. I notice that Inupiaq teaching ends to eighth grade and I was hoping those of you who are in the NRC board; you might have the power to have Inupiaq classes in the high school as an elective? Maybe some of you understand that I am talking about, that we don’t have Inupiaq classes. It is interesting to me that last year we had some students that are non Native in our school, and they are interested to learn our language in our school. Maybe some of you might be on this board huh? Maybe tell them to put it like an elective class in high school so we can learn more of our language and of our culture, and that it doesn’t end only in the eight grades.

Lorena Nay, I was thinking that you were talking about discipline. As Elders and adults, they should discipline them too, never mind Bingo, spend more time with your kids and try to teach them. Us kids are always real busy, with basket ball or leadership or always on the computer, we could stay away from it for a while, and we could sit down with you for a couple of hours while you guys sit down and tell us stories, tell what your parents teach you, or what you learned from your experiences. As a whole, Elders, Adults, and Youth and as little kids, you got to discipline your selves and work together.

Paulette, Lorena made a point with spending time with your family. I was raised in Noorvik, and Vernetta also grow up when they use to have Mothers Clubs and talent shows, bringing communities together, that was before we had T.V. and so technology is really improving and making a difference in our lives, but also impacting our lives. It’s working both ways, it’s helping us see the world but it’s taken away a lot from our culture.

John Schaeffer Jr.; every family has been impacted, you see those people who died from different things, what you don’t see of course is, what we don’t see is the miscommunication that they had with their families where communication stopped. What we have to develop this is, not to learn how to speak the language; we got to brake down those barriers that take rebuilding families. Were just talking about it, trying to start it up in our Wellness programs in our region, hopefully we will do that this year. If you don’t do that your communication is not going to get better, not unless we take the kids away from the families and let somebody else raise them, which do not work either. We have to rebuild families and that is going to take some time. Let me tell you, the men are not going to do it, we are selfish and unforgiving, there are a few exception but not many. And it is up to the women really, to build those families back. A lot of the time there is no men in the family anyway, either they never took the responsibility with the family or they’d died. All that has to be done, but it’s something when we talk about communication, that’s were we have to start in the families. And it’s got to take outside people going in to help, we going to train people to learn how to build families back up again, there are programs that are doing that.

There a class and so far old people are going too; the older student who is taking the class is Dolly Sours. Even older students graduated last year, were starting and that’s were communication have to start. The rest of it is easy, there are some things people can do, and is go to Church as family. Because there is communication there, because what they are doing is communicating in another level, they use song that breaks down your barriers and gets you to connect spiritually. Those things all help with communication, but the other part has to be done because there is strength in our community, Native communities are our families, not a nuclear family like most Americans but extended families. We have to break those barriers down and start communicating again from the beginning, once we do that, and then we can heal, that’s going to happen.

Dolly, I would like to encourage the Elders not to give up, because the first day I went to classes, there were two of us that are Elders. I said no more, “I’m not going back to that class again, I flunk already.” I start praying three o clock in the morning, I really pray, a thought came to me while I was praying, seems like God was speaking to me, “Don’t leave me out what ever you do, include me, I will be there for you”. So, that person that almost give up with me, I called him in the morning, that was Morris Wilson Sr. Anyway I said, “I want to try today”, and he said, “I’ll go with you, I don’t want to give up.” Taikuu.

Paulette, it’s real neat to see this Rural Human Service Program, I saw a picture from last year, and there were Mary and Johnny and Oran Walton from Selawik. Paulette focused to the youth and said, “see youth’s, and they can do it too.” Note from Vernetta: The Rural Human Service Program is a class that is ongoing at the Technical Center right here in Kotzebue. On October 22^{nd 2004}, I took four Elders to teach and mentor, Esther Norton, Sarah Evak, Janet Barr and Josie Sampson. As educated Stuarts and culture barriers, language speakers, singers and story tellers they passed on valuable information to help the students through communication.

Elder and Youth Conference

By Vernetta Nay Moberly

Inupiat Ilitqusiat Coordinator

AFN report 10/25/04

To be “or” not to be, that is the question. There were four presenters from all over Alaska; they are Peter, Jennifer, Rebecca and Elvis Sam. The first presenter, Peter Panniiaq began, I am presenting an argument to let new Natives or after born into the Regional Corporations. What I am going to present to you are the greater benefits of regional corporations that are distributed to the segregated population shareholders.

First is about participation within the corporations as in voting right in corporation developments. Second, Quality which is ‘after born’’ cannot take advantage of. Last point the longevity of the corporations, and the land rights of the share holders. Here is a quote from Mark Hans Chester of Juneau. “We will work on this together, we will do this together”. That seems to be, to what could come out, to bring in the non shareholder. We’ve been told “no, you are not a shareholder, because you were born too late”, and that makes us feel awkward because it sets up apart from those who are share holders, so that builds the difference between the two.

I think that bringing in people that aren’t share holders will strengthen the idea of putting the language back into the homes, not just the language but the culture, the way we think and how we perceive the world. All that comes from our upbringing to provide more self esteem and than some of the problems in society won’t be as apparent. Like the drop out rate and the alcohol rate and substance abuse and the ill feelings about what happened to our ancestors, quote by Mark Hans Chester from Juneau. One of the greatest issues for the people who established ANSA was for the shareholders to be self sufficient and independent.

People who aren’t in regional corporations tend not to care about politics and issues that effect them, because they do not get the proxy and newsletters like their relatives do or feel like they belong to anything. More and more people using the employment services from regional corporations, the question of Alaska Native participations in Alaska’s economy would be less of a threat to our regional shareholders. Scholarships from regional corporations are more available to the shareholders of regional corporations. I believe that any native should be obligated to take advantage of the educational opportunities.

Here is a quote from Maxine Richards from Juneau Alaska; “It is true that younger people are not engaged, they don’t come to the meeting that is because they were not included in the beginning”, “and some of the Alaska’s land can only be used by shareholders, those lands belong to regional corporations. Shareholders with voice stock can participate in Regional Corporation; on elections for who lead the corporations and only shareholders with voting stock can vote. Because not every native is a shareholder and cannot use land for subsistence purposes traditional rights for the new natives are restricted.

New native participations in and out of the corporations will allow for unity for all ages of Alaska. Natives born after 1971 are labeled as New Natives as some sort of second class aboriginal, therefore there is no involving. New Natives do not have the membership of regional corporations because of a deadline. The deadline does not have equality, among for people, to leave no body behind. Today the Regional corporations are fully developed and have no excuse to deny the New Native of membership. As Janet Peel said, “I believe that they should be enrolled and having a cut off date made my daughter feel like she is not part of us; it should have been their birth right”.

New Natives would bring new ideas and assistance to our Regional Corporations. Over time the memberships have declined, the Regional Corporations may have to perform all their policies, and who has voting stock? And what is declared voting stock? It would increase longevity in the preservations of Alaska’s land because the corporations would still be there. Since the days of our ancestors no laws have said, that separate families, the only thing that’s separated so many people was learning few customs, of course customs are different, but the human body can do so much. Should we even have corporations? You bet! The Native people have always taken care of themselves, we will always take care of ourselves and I believe that’s the way it should be because it is tradition, no Native should be left behind, I believe New Natives should be enrolled. Thank you

Good Morning, My name is Rebecca from Anchorage; she stated her Inupiaq name and said that it was a given name from her grandmother. One of the most beautiful things about being Alaska Native is the passing on who we are through legends and songs. These stories have been passed on by our Elders as a way of guidance and give us strength to face the future. Traditional stories involve places very close to our territories and the different people of tribes near by. These stories have provided us as reminders of what our people have endured and what we are capable of enduring. Concerns are rooted of our daily survival, community survival and the survival of the harsh seasons. Stories of our generations involved huge knowledge of survival.

Our cultural identity is challenged as we strive for balance in traditional and modern expectations from our families and society. In this balance I find it a difficult responsibility in representing my Inupiaq heritage. Having been raised in Anchorage, I’m able to identify what James Henley mentioned, as it was not easy for me understand what it meant to be an Alaska Native in the city. I do not feel that my share holder status of decadent makes me feel any more or less native. In the past youths were concerned with learning to provide for their family and village through subsistence. Today youth are taught to keep up with the real world on T.V. New release of spider man II on DVD and the highest score on NBA, all the while try to maintain our traditional cultural values. The boundaries choices have also extended to embraces other native cultures within Alaska, and internationally we can very easily become distracted.

Because we carry the weight of our future of Alaska Natives, it is important that we live by our cultural values, as the environment of our survival has included technology as the Hensley’s beautifully demonstrated and corporate economy. We are trying to maintain a balance between old and new, as we shape our story for the next generation through these changing times. This change is bound to happen eventually, however as in 1971 the discovery of oil quickened the process, as the Alaska Native Settlement Act interrupted our subsistence life style. This legislation introduced the concept of corporations as a way to insure our future, and promote self determination. ANSCA implies that it is the corporations who have the power and responsibility to represent and take care of Alaska Natives through their enrolled shareholders, testing our traditional values by instructing us with money and land title as means of survival. The issue of opening enrollment to Natives born after 1971 is highly controversial.

My partner Elvis Sam and I are in favor keeping enrollment closed to those born after 1971 for the following reason; One: Corporations have put a dollar value on Alaska Native people in the form of shares, this serves as a threat to our identity as eventually the shares will be depleted. Two: All of our cultures have follow guidance of our Elders and Providers. Opening enrollment would give the responsibility of leadership to decedents who may not be prepared to this roll and this could lead to misuse of power. Three: There is a false sense of security placed in these corporations, if enrollment was open; our concern is that would mean our generation would become dependant upon the investment of our corporation and loose site of keeping our traditions alive. Finally # Four: There is certain amount of risk involved to changing the system. Some corporations have decided to open enrollment rather than facing the consequences. Peter has brought up some valid points for opening enrollment, however we feel that our reason to keep enrollment closed outweighs money. Thank you.

Jennifer Point Dexter from Anchor Point; my grandfather Barns is sitting here today; I hope I make him proud. When I grow up in the family farm, I had to participate in all the work that had to be done. As soon as I was strong enough to lift the things that need to be lifted, I was out there working, I was participating I felt like I belong to something. It made me feel important, I was responsible, I was involved and I was interested. I believe that if we New Natives were given the opportunity to have full enrollment, full membership in our corporations, we would all participate, and more importantly it would make us feel that we belonged more. It is heart breaking just because I was born after 1971, I am not equal; sure as the opposing side would argue, and we get inheritance stock, but that’s just not the same.

New Natives need to be included in the regional corporations; otherwise we will get to a point that there will be no more stockholders. James of Ketchikan Alaska said that “we’re all getting older, there’s going to become a point when it’s going to be someone else turns to run the corporations, making decisions”. With me it’s descendents of the line that should be included. Thank you.

Elvis Sam, I am Doyan shareholder, and I am arguing against opening enrollment. You have heard some of the points of equality, longevity, and protection of land. First of all in regards of land, the land will always be there for us, and it is absurd, and I find it offensive that I need corporate permission to use it. The land will always be ours, in our hearts and as long as we are living here, we will always be able to use it. The idea of land equals profit or land equals money is relatively one new to us. And it is that idea that threatened our subsistence lifestyle the most. Don’t you feel the world’s eyes on what we have here? I do, I feel they are watching and waiting for us to screw up.

Another thing she talks about is longevity; I have to say something the abuse of corporate benefits that create a cycle of dependency for many people. I have this friend, who lives with his mom, and he owns shares from the largest corporations and he’s recently received one of those big checks. These big checks are really allowing him to ‘live it up’. He used one of these check to bail himself out of jail and go on a big binge of cocaine and alcohol. The last I saw him; he was out of jail and back in the bar. Although he is my fiend, I have to say that he has no drive and he has no clue how it is to be Native. Open enrollment guarantees there will be other cases like my friend. All of the stock will be considerably less if it were to open, there will still be people to abuse it. Look at me, I own Doyan stock, and last year my check for three hundred fifty dollars didn’t last very long at all. Many of my friends consider it ‘party time’, and they really don’t have any use for Doyan foundation, and they are not in school and really aren’t the office type and they are living in the village.

I do know a lot of people who are employed by Doyon but it is unrealistic to think that Doyan could employee its thirteen thousand five hundred shareholders. Jennifer brought out the notion of equality, we do deserve as well to prevent it, but there is the law saying that the regional corporation must give it. The law of ANSCA says that only the shareholders can open enrollment. Remember that the corporation is profit driven, and profit driven cannot be trusted to supply the kind of equality which we are talking about, neither that can they supply the kind of unity which is badly needed in the village. Only our cultures of sharing and cooperation as well as open hearted love can supply that kind of unity. Not this corporate culture of sharing profits, where is the love in that? Corporate authorities cannot restore the hope in our hearts either. Hope comes from the local Leaders the Elders, and the Religious people. No, we must not look forward to corporation for unity, equality or hope. Thank you.

(A young lady) This morning we’ve heard two side of very controversial issue. I would like emphasize our concerns with the pro team’s arguments for opening enrollment. Number one: Voting is a benefit to becoming a shareholder, however, we as the opposing team feel our generation won’t exercise the power to vote within their corporation. In the last censes of 2000, only half the voters of ages from 18 to 24 voted. Just as with any election in Regional Corporations, when a vote is not cast the power of that vote is lost.

Number two, as Jennifer mentioned equality among our people is important and we agree, however equality cannot be achieved in a corporate system. But we have instead our people divided in class system as corporations have a wide arrange of profits. For example for 2001, Ciri disbursed 23.8 million among their shareholders while Kenai Natives distributed 73 thousand dollars to their shareholders. Descendants in most of the thirteen corporations are included as job opportunities and scholarships are provided to the descendants.

Number three: that longevity guaranteed when opening enrollment and ensuring every Alaskan Native are all accounted for from that point forward, we disagree. Longevity is threatened, there’s no doubt the amount of shares eventually will be gone. Keeping enrollment closed will prolong or trickle down the effect of the corporate shares, thus prolonging longevity. Finally number four: the pro teen insists that the value of New Native is set apart from those of the shareholders. We insist that our cultural values are not fully represented in our corporations. Corporations have been around since 1971, our cultures have been around for thousands of years.

We as the opposing team fear that too much of our identities placed into our enrollment status in these corporations. Maintaining the balance of tradition and modern ways will continue to be tricky. What helped me to become connected to my Inupiaq culture was to becoming involved in event in AFN, Worlds Providers Conference, Native Student Services and Alaska Native into Psychology at U.A.A. But above all, the trust I placed in my people helped guide me to finding strength in my culture. In conclusion, opening enrollment may divide us further when we are in the time and history which requires unity among all our people. Through the guidance of our Elders and history and Alaska Native values we’ll be able to endure this great strength of our cultural strength. We will contribute to the amazing stories of survival by utilizing the power of imaginations and cooperation as the Hensley family made a wonderful example as we move forward into the future. Thank you.

Establish but no other choice but to choose who’d be left behind. Our ancestors came to this land with no knowledge of any dangers that were beyond their site, beneath their feet or what followed them across the ice bridge. Their establishment on this land with no technology was an awesome accomplishment. I can’t imagine how many people died, for them to be able to survive on this land. Through out their journey, I’ll bet anything that there were some very desperate times, with all the large animals that live around them that are also hunted them.

With all this in mind, I’ll bet anything that deciding who will be left behind, who will become a shareholder and who wouldn’t become a shareholder was a very tough decision. But today the regional corporations are now fully developed and have a steady corporation of economy. Some of these corporations give divided to more than six thousand people, and have no negative effect on any individual private property that subject to regional corporation. We note that each and every Native has more rights to Alaska’s land that have inherited quantity through their ancestors.

At last years AFN convention I heard the words, “it takes an entire community to raise a child”. Native people have helped Alaska’s Regions and areas of the lower 48 to be labeled as some of the greatest countryside in the world. To have no boundaries between our brothers and sisters would be a beautiful thing for us as a single body to enjoy the same rights could help our Elders, fellow Natives and friends to sleep a little bit easier. Undivided, an entire community really can raise a child. So I am employing the audience to please consider on letting our after born have the same equality that our Elders had. To respond the opposing team who preformed awesomely, it’s not the dollar as Rebecca said a value that is important, it is the value of the individual feeling as being part of the whole. Richard from Juneau said: I always felt that any children should be included and have all the benefits to go with it.

My partner Elvis Sam and I are in favor keeping enrollment closed to those born after 1971 for the following reason; One: Corporations have put a dollar value on Alaska Native people in the form of shares, this serves as a threat to our identity as eventually the shares will be depleted. Two: All of our cultures have follow guidance of our Elders and Providers. Opening enrollment would give the responsibility of leadership to decedents who may not be prepared to this roll and this could lead to misuse of power. Three: There is a false sense of security placed in these corporations, if enrollment was open; our concern is that would mean our generation would become dependant upon the investment of our corporation and loose site of keeping our traditions alive. Finally # Four: There is certain amount of risk involved to changing the system. Some corporations have decided to open enrollment rather than facing the consequences. Peter has brought up some valid points for opening enrollment, however we feel that our reason to keep enrollment closed outweighs money. Thank you.

As Maxine Richard said from Juneau Alaska, like my daughter, she was gifted shares and inherited shares from my father. But I don’t think she truly feel a part of ‘it’, because she didn’t belong, belong from the beginning, and they as New Native they need to get that message stronger. As Willie Hensley stated, living in the small community of Kotzebue, he had a sense of belonging. Us New Natives hunger for that sense of belonging and that’s the reason why I think that New Natives should enrolled in Regional Corporations. Survey was done by Sea-Alaska corporation in November 2001 says that, 74 % of Sea-Alaska corporations stock holders think that there should be proposed put forward to include New Native as shareholders. New Natives need to be included in the regional corporations; otherwise we will get to a point that there will be no more stockholders. James of Ketchikan Alaska said that “we’re all getting older, there’s going to become a point when it’s going to be someone else turns to run the corporations, making decisions”. With me it’s descendents of the line that should be included. Thank you.

Elvis Sam, I am Doyon shareholder, and I am arguing against opening enrollment. You have heard some of the points of equality, longevity, and protection of land. First of all in regards of land, the land will always be there for us, and it is absurd, and I find it offensive that I need corporate permission to use it. The land will always be ours, in our hearts and as long as we are living here, we will always be able to use it. The idea of land equals profit or land equals money is relatively one new to us. And it is that idea that threatened our subsistence lifestyle the most. Don’t you feel the world’s eyes on what we have here? I do, I feel they are watching and waiting for us to screw up.

Another thing she talks about is longevity; I have to say something the abuse of corporate benefits that create a cycle of dependency for many people. I have this friend, who lives with his mom, and he owns shares from the largest corporations and he’s recently received one of those big checks. These big checks are really allowing him to ‘live it up’. He used one of these check to bail himself out of jail and go on a big binge of cocaine and alcohol. The last I saw him; he was out of jail and back in the bar. Although he is my fiend, I have to say that he has no drive and he has no clue how it is to be Native. Open enrollment guarantees there will be other cases like my friend. All of the stock will be considerably less if it were to open, there will still be people to abuse it. Look at me, I own Doyon stock, and last year my check for three hundred fifty dollars didn’t last very long at all. Many of my friends consider it ‘party time’, and they really don’t have any use for Doyon foundation, and they are not in school and really aren’t the office type and they are living in the village.

I do know a lot of people who are employed by Doyen but it is unrealistic to think that Doyon could employee its thirteen thousand five hundred shareholders. Jennifer brought out the notion of equality, we do deserve as well to prevent it, but there is the law saying that the regional corporation must give it. The law of ANSCA says that only the shareholders can open enrollment. Remember that the corporation is profit driven, and profit driven cannot be trusted to supply the kind of equality which we are talking about, neither that can they supply the kind of unity which is badly needed in the village. Only our cultures of sharing and cooperation as well as open hearted love can supply that kind of unity. Not this corporate culture of sharing profits, where is the love in that? Corporate authorities cannot restore the hope in our hearts either. Hope comes from the local Leaders the Elders, and the Religious people. No, we must not look forward to corporation for unity, equality or hope. Thank you.

We as the opposing team fear that too much of our identities placed into our enrollment status in these corporations. Maintaining the balance of tradition and modern ways will continue to be tricky. What helped me to become connected to my Inupiaq culture was to becoming involved in event in AFN, Worlds Providers Conference, Native Student Services and Alaska Native into Psychology at UAA. But above all, the trust I placed in my people helped guide me to finding strength in my culture. In conclusion, opening enrollment may divide us further when we are in the time and history which requires unity among all our people. Through the guidance of our Elders and history and Alaska Native values we’ll be able to endure this great strength of our cultural strength. We will contribute to the amazing stories of survival by utilizing the power of imaginations and cooperation as the Hensley family made a wonderful example as we move forward into the future. Thank you.

(Peter) Establish but no other choice but to choose who’d be left behind. Our ancestors came to this land with no knowledge of any dangers that were beyond their site, beneath their feet or what followed them across the ice bridge. Their establishment on this land with no technology was an awesome accomplishment. I can’t imagine how many people died, for them to be able to survive on this land. Through out their journey, I’ll bet anything that there were some very desperate times, with all the large animals that live around them that are also hunted them.

At last years AFN convention I heard the words, “it takes an entire community to raise a child”. Native people have helped Alaska’s Regions and areas of the lower 48 to be labeled as some of the greatest countryside in the world. To have no boundaries between our brothers and sisters would be a beautiful thing for us as a single body to enjoy the same rights could help our Elders, fellow Natives and friends to sleep a little bit easier. Undivided, an entire community really can raise a child. So I am employing the audience to please consider on letting our after born have the same equality that our Elders had. To respond the opposing team who preformed awesomely, it’s not the dollar as Rebecca said a value that is important it is the value of the individual feeling as being part of the whole. Richard from Juneau said: I always felt that any children should be included and have all the benefits to go with it. To be continued.