Latest news with #Iñupiaq
Nahar Net
6 days ago
- Business
- Nahar Net
Environmentalists criticize Trump push for new oil and gas drilling in Alaska
by Naharnet Newsdesk 04 June 2025, 15:04 Top Trump administration officials — fresh off touring one of the country's largest oil fields in the Alaska Arctic — headlined an energy conference led by the state's Republican governor on Tuesday that environmentalists criticized as promoting new oil and gas drilling and turning away from the climate crisis. Several dozen protesters were outside Gov. Mike Dunleavy's annual Alaska Sustainable Energy Conference in Anchorage, where U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin were featured speakers. The federal officials were continuing a multiday trip aimed at highlighting President Donald Trump's push to expand oil and gas drilling, mining and logging in the state. The trip has included meetings with pro-drilling groups and officials, including some Alaska Native leaders on the petroleum-rich North Slope, and a visit to the Prudhoe Bay oil field near the Arctic Ocean that featured selfies near the 800-mile (1,287-kilometer) trans-Alaska oil pipeline. Calls for additional oil and gas drilling — including Trump's renewed focus on getting a massive liquefied natural gas project built — are "false solutions" to energy needs and climate concerns, protester Sarah Furman said outside the Anchorage convention hall, as people carried signs with slogans such as "Alaska is Not for Sale" and "Protect our Public Lands." "We find it really disingenuous that they're hosting this conference and not talking about real solutions," she said. Topics at the conference, which runs through Thursday, also include mining, carbon management, nuclear energy, renewables and hydrogen. Oil has been Alaska's economic lifeblood for decades, and Dunleavy has continued to embrace fossil fuels even as he has touted other energy opportunities in the state. Another protester, Rochelle Adams, who is Gwich'in, raised concerns about the ongoing push to allow oil and gas drilling on the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Gwich'in leaders have said they consider the coastal plain sacred, as caribou they rely on calve there. Leaders of the Iñupiaq community of Kaktovik, which is within the refuge, support drilling as economically vital and have joined Alaska political leaders in welcoming Trump's interest in reviving a leasing program there. "When these people come from outside to take and take and take, we are going to be left with the aftereffects," Adams said, adding later: "It's our health that will be impacted. It's our wellness, our ways of life." Zeldin, during a friendly question-and-answer period led by Dunleavy, said wildlife he saw while on the North Slope didn't appear "to be victims of their surroundings" and seemed "happy." Burgum, addressing a move toward additional drilling in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, said wildlife and development can coexist. His agency during the Alaska trip announced plans to repeal Biden-era restrictions on future leasing and industrial development in portions of the petroleum preserve that are designated as special for their wildlife, subsistence or other values. Wright bristled at the idea of policy "in the name of climate change" that he said would have no impact on climate change. Stopping oil production in Alaska doesn't change demand for oil, he said. "You know, we hear terms like clean energy and renewable energy. These are inaccurate marketing terms," he said. "There is no energy source that does not take significant materials, land and impact on the environment to produce. Zero." Officials court Asian countries to support gas project Joining for part of the U.S. officials' trip were representatives from Asian countries, including Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Taiwan and United Arab Emirates. Asian countries are being courted to sign onto the Alaska gas project, which has floundered for years to gain traction amid cost and other concerns. The project, as proposed, would include a nearly 810-mile (1,300-kilometer) pipeline that would funnel gas from the North Slope to port, with an eye largely on exports of liquefied natural gas. Wright told reporters a goal in inviting them to the Prudhoe Bay stop was for them to see the oil pipeline infrastructure and environment and meet with residents and business leaders. Glenfarne Alaska LNG LLC, which has taken a lead in advancing the project, on Tuesday announced expressions of interest from a number of "potential partners." Costs surrounding the project — which have been pegged around $44 billion for the pipeline and other infrastructure — are in the process of being refined before a decision is made on whether to move forward.
6 days ago
- Business
Environmentalists criticize Trump administration push for new oil and gas drilling
ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Top Trump administration officials — fresh off touring one of the country's largest oil fields in the Alaska Arctic — headlined an energy conference led by the state's Republican governor on Tuesday that environmentalists criticized as promoting new oil and gas drilling and turning away from the climate crisis. Several dozen protesters were outside Gov. Mike Dunleavy's annual Alaska Sustainable Energy Conference in Anchorage, where U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin were featured speakers. The federal officials were continuing a multiday trip aimed at highlighting President Donald Trump's push to expand oil and gas drilling, mining and logging in the state. The trip has included meetings with pro-drilling groups and officials, including some Alaska Native leaders on the petroleum-rich North Slope, and a visit to the Prudhoe Bay oil field near the Arctic Ocean that featured selfies near the 800-mile (1,287-kilometer) trans-Alaska oil pipeline. Calls for additional oil and gas drilling — including Trump's renewed focus on getting a massive liquefied natural gas project built — are 'false solutions' to energy needs and climate concerns, protester Sarah Furman said outside the Anchorage convention hall, as people carried signs with slogans such as 'Alaska is Not for Sale' and 'Protect our Public Lands.' "We find it really disingenuous that they're hosting this conference and not talking about real solutions,' she said. Topics at the conference, which runs through Thursday, also include mining, carbon management, nuclear energy, renewables and hydrogen. Oil has been Alaska's economic lifeblood for decades, and Dunleavy has continued to embrace fossil fuels even as he has touted other energy opportunities in the state. Another protester, Rochelle Adams, who is Gwich'in, raised concerns about the ongoing push to allow oil and gas drilling on the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Gwich'in leaders have said they consider the coastal plain sacred, as caribou they rely on calve there. Leaders of the Iñupiaq community of Kaktovik, which is within the refuge, support drilling as economically vital and have joined Alaska political leaders in welcoming Trump's interest in reviving a leasing program there. 'When these people come from outside to take and take and take, we are going to be left with the aftereffects,' Adams said, adding later: 'It's our health that will be impacted. It's our wellness, our ways of life.' Zeldin, during a friendly question-and-answer period led by Dunleavy, said wildlife he saw while on the North Slope didn't appear 'to be victims of their surroundings' and seemed 'happy.' Burgum, addressing a move toward additional drilling in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, said wildlife and development can coexist. His agency during the Alaska trip announced plans to repeal Biden-era restrictions on future leasing and industrial development in portions of the petroleum preserve that are designated as special for their wildlife, subsistence or other values. Wright bristled at the idea of policy "in the name of climate change' that he said would have no impact on climate change. Stopping oil production in Alaska doesn't change demand for oil, he said. 'You know, we hear terms like clean energy and renewable energy. These are inaccurate marketing terms,' he said. 'There is no energy source that does not take significant materials, land and impact on the environment to produce. Zero.' Joining for part of the U.S. officials' trip were representatives from Asian countries, including Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Taiwan and United Arab Emirates. Asian countries are being courted to sign onto the Alaska gas project, which has floundered for years to gain traction amid cost and other concerns. The project, as proposed, would include a nearly 810-mile (1,300-kilometer) pipeline that would funnel gas from the North Slope to port, with an eye largely on exports of liquefied natural gas. Wright told reporters a goal in inviting them to the Prudhoe Bay stop was for them to see the oil pipeline infrastructure and environment and meet with residents and business leaders. Glenfarne Alaska LNG LLC, which has taken a lead in advancing the project, on Tuesday announced expressions of interest from a number of 'potential partners." Costs surrounding the project — which have been pegged around $44 billion for the pipeline and other infrastructure — are in the process of being refined before a decision is made on whether to move forward. ___
Daily Mail
30-04-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Bizarre new theory about why Alaska tour plane crashed and killed two people
Officials have said a deadly plane crash at a beach in Alaska this week may have unfolded after the pilot swerved to avoid a loose dog on the runway. A Cessna 207 tour plane carrying three people went down just before 2pm on Monday, killing pilot Daniel Bunker, 48, and passenger Jenny Irene Miller, 37. An unidentified male passenger was also on board, and he was rushed to hospital in Anchorage with 'serious' injuries, officials added. Witnesses said the horror unfolded after a dog ran loose on the runway in Nanwalek, where the plane had been due to land. 'What we understand now is that there may have been an animal, namely a dog, that was on the runway,' Clint Johnson, Chief of the National Transportation Safety Board's Alaska regional office, told Alaska's News Source. 'The pilot initiated a go-around. There was also another company airplane behind - he was talking to that airplane at the same time - said he was initiating the go-around, made a right turn away from the runway, pretty steep climb, and unfortunately, there was a loss of control.' Johnson said investigators believe the plane may have been hit with an aerodynamic stall, though the investigation is still ongoing. 'We don't want to draw any conclusions at this point,' he said. 'We still are in the very formative stages. We are going to be looking very closely at that airplane. 'We are in the recovery process right now to get that airplane back to Homer and probably eventually back to Anchorage here where we are going to lay it out and make sure there are no mechanical issues that led to this loss of control.' Johnson said the plane crashed on the beach close to the water, and rescuers are working to extract it. 'Right after the accident ... rescuers were able to pull that wreckage up a little bit further away from the water, but nevertheless it is in the tide zone,' he said. The plane was operated by Smokey Bay Air, a tour operator which offers trips to Seldovia and bear-viewing expeditions from Homer Airport. The NTSB said investigators are working with the operator and its insurance company to coordinate the recovery of the wreckage. Pilot Daniel Bunker was from Homer, while Jenny Irene Miller was from Anchorage. It's not known where the third passenger was from. Bunker was a father-of-two with his partner Melissa. He frequently posted family photographs on his Instagram account. He was also a naturalist brown bear guide, amateur photographer and volunteer firefighter. Bunker was remembered by Seldovia Village Tribe as 'a skilled pilot and kind soul who served our communities with dedication'. Miller was an artist and freelance photographer who created portraits of Alaska Natives and their homelands. She leaves behind her partner Nora, according to a fundraising page for her family. Miller worked as a board member for Native Movement, who said her Iñupiaq name is Wiagañmiu. 'She broadened the expression of both Alaska Native and Queer identity, making it possible for more people to be our authentic selves,' the organization said. Friends remembered her as an 'amazing human being' who would be 'deeply missed by many'. Her friend Tikaan Galbreath paid tribute to her as a 'bright and kind human doing good work for the world'. 'She was a good friend who always reminded me to be thoughtful of others and caring even when it's hard to be,' Galbreath wrote on her fundraising page. 'Every time I had the chance to be with her, it felt like the simple joys were more clearly present and laughter was easy to find. I'll sorely miss her friendship.' Officials are continuing to interview witnesses, and anyone with information is encouraged to get in touch by email to witness@
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Some Alaska Native shareholders speak out against NANA corporation's involvement in immigrant detention centers
Apr. 6—Some shareholders with one of Alaska's largest corporations are speaking out about the company's involvement in immigration detention centers overseen by U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, including at the Guantánamo Bay naval base in Cuba. NANA, an Alaska regional Native corporation from Northwest Alaska, gets most of its revenue from its Akima subsidiary. Akima owns dozens of companies that provide a variety of contracting services to the federal government. Some of the contracts include running migrant detention centers where audits and groups have criticized safety and health standards. One of those companies, Akima Infrastructure Protection, won a $163 million contract from the Biden administration last year to run a migrant detention facility at U.S. Naval Station Guantánamo Bay in Cuba, known for the separate military prison used to hold terrorism suspects. President Donald Trump, through an executive order, has ordered the detention facility to house up to 30,000 migrants. That has raised concerns among immigrant rights' advocates who have sued the Trump administration and argued that keeping detainees at the remote center will be costly, and result in violations of due process rights and humane treatment. Jackie Qataliña Schaeffer, a NANA shareholder and former board member for the corporation, said she was dismayed to read a recent article in The Guardian that discusses that contract and concerns about Akima facing accusations of civil rights abuses at some migrant detention centers. She said this issue also cropped up in 2018, and she and other shareholders are disappointed to see that it is continuing. Representatives with NANA, including NANA board chair Piquk Linda Lee and Akima chief executive Bill Monet, did not return phone calls or emails seeking comment for this story. Akima's huge role at NANA NANA reported $2.8 billion in revenues in 2024, and distributed nearly $47 million in revenue to shareholders, according to the corporation's 2024 annual report. Akima accounted for close to 80% of the revenue, pulling in $2.2 billion, the report showed. Headquartered in Herndon, Virginia, Akima had "a record-breaking $3.1 billion in contract wins in FY24," the annual report says. Founded 30 years ago, the company "supports federal missions on over 2,000 active contracts," the report says. Contracts of Akima subsidiaries include creating immersive training environments for special forces and ensuring mission readiness for aircraft, including jumbo jets and Air Force One, the report says. The companies operate satellite systems for the Department of Defense, conduct environmental studies for the U.S. Geological Survey, and maintain critical infrastructure at NASA and other agencies, the report says. Akima, which means "to win" in the Iñupiaq language, pursues benefits under the Small Business Administration's 8(a) program. The program provides contracting advantages to Alaska Native corporations, which have been designated as minority and economically disadvantaged. The 8(a) program allows companies to team up with experienced partners, and pursue large, set-aside or sole-source contracting opportunities with the federal government. The Guardian article, published in February, raised concerns about some Akima subsidiaries and immigrant detention centers. The story said that Akima Global Services runs multiple migrant detention centers, including a detention center in Buffalo and Krome North service processing center in Florida. The Guardian reported that: —Akima Global Services was faulted for violating use-of-force standards in incidents at Krome North service processing center in Miami, in an audit last year by the Department of Homeland Security Inspector General. Guards used inappropriate force on multiple occasions, including a chokehold on a detainee and pepper-spraying another detainee through a solitary confinement door slot, though the detainee didn't threaten anyone, the audit found. —The detention center in Buffalo was the subject of a civil rights complaint, when immigrant rights groups accused guards of using physical force and solitary confinement to deal with hunger strikers protesting prolonged detentions in cells and an end to free phone calls to family. Opposition to NANA's involvement Schaeffer, along with two other NANA shareholders, organized a survey last month on Facebook to ask how shareholders viewed the corporation's involvement in the detention centers, which was previously reported by Alaska Public Media. "Mostly I'm wondering why we'd even be in this line of work because it goes against everything we are as Iñupiaq," Schaeffer said, referring to traditional Iñupiaq values. Those values are spelled out on NANA's website and in a video from Akima. They include treating everyone with dignity and respect, honesty and integrity. The survey was small. Over a week, 102 people responded anonymously, all NANA shareholders, Schaeffer said. (NANA is owned by more than 15,500 Iñupiaq shareholders.) The survey asked if NANA should allow subsidiaries to operate immigration detention centers and provide services for U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement. By far, most said NANA should not let its subsidiaries provide those services. A small minority said it should. Close to half didn't know Akima operated immigrant detention centers. The results were presented to the NANA board at the corporation's annual meeting last month in the village of Shungnak in Northwest Alaska, Schaeffer said. Schaeffer said NANA leadership has provided no direct response to the shareholders who organized the survey. She said she and other shareholders plan to press the issue in a letter to the NANA board. Kat Napaaqtuk Milligan-McClellan, an author of the survey, said she wrote a letter to NANA leadership on this same topic in 2018, urging them not to pursue any contracts with Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the future, she said. "Nothing has changed since then," she said. "We still have contracts with ICE, even though we know that there have been several issues with Akima and ICE in the past." The survey results are reassuring, she said. "It was really helpful to know that other NANA shareholders agree that NANA subsidiaries should not be working with ICE, and that the mistreatment of immigrants goes against" Iñupiaq values, she said. Many survey respondents included statements with their answers. A handful expressed support for the detention centers. "These questions are based on a prejudiced view of ICE activities derived from an article in a publication critical of law enforcement, contracting, and the current administration. As a NANA shareholder, I am impressed and proud of the work Akima does and trust that Akima employees do their best. Let's support them as they support us," one comment said. About 50 respondents provided comments opposing NANA subsidiaries running detention centers. Several used the word "racist" to describe Trump's efforts to detain and deport immigrants. "We as Indigenous people know what it's like to be racially profiled and I wonder if that's what's happened to some of those detainees just because of their ethnic origin," another wrote. "I don't think Nana should partake in these types of contracts just for the money. "Hurting other humans is not in our Ilitqusit," one commenter wrote, referring to Iñupiaq values and traditions. "While cash is needed for NANA to remain operational, it cannot be at the expense of potentially hurting people in any manner," another said. Schaeffer said the lack of a response from NANA speaks volumes. "Shareholders have asked for more transparency for years and get excuses as to why it can't be done — most are because, 'It could harm our businesses and competitors,'" she said. "But we're simply asking why we are engaged in this line of work and how many such contracts there are," she said. Milligan-McClellan said she believes NANA should terminate its contracts with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. "I'm a shareholder and I should have a voice in the way that my company and subsidiaries are being run," she said. "And the other thing that is very frustrating to me is that we don't get a response from the board or from the (NANA) president. This is distressing to me because I don't know if they are going to act upon this."
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
How Alaska Native youth are protecting the land for the future
Lyndsey Brollini and Meghan Sullivan High Country News Alaska Native youth are living through a pivotal time, bearing witness to the dramatic impacts of climate change that have occurred during their lifetimes: rapidly melting permafrost, warming oceans and declining salmon runs. Subsistence living, which is critical to Alaska Native culture and rural food security, has suffered in turn, whether it involves Iñupiaq whale hunts, Gwich'in caribou harvest or Tlingit salmon fishing. The threat to a shared way of life is uniting many Indigenous people across the state, calling them to protect Alaska Native homelands and cultural continuity. In light of this, many Alaska Native youth are dedicating their careers to protecting the environment and bringing Indigenous knowledge into mainstream spaces, including environmental science, policy work, increased tribal co-management and conservation initiatives. High Country News talked to four young Alaska Native women from different parts of the state who are working in climate advocacy, from community organizing to fishery sciences. Siqiniq Jazmyn Lee Vent, Koyukon Athabascan and Iñupiaq, has attended Ambler Road meetings for half her life. Vent, who is 24, went to her first meeting at 12 years old. At that time, the Ambler Road project — which would build a 211-mile-long highway to a mining project through sensitive habitat — was in the beginning stages, and different road maps were still being considered. 'I remember that, in our hall, a bunch of our elders [were] sitting in the meeting, and even though they might have not known exactly what was going on in those early stages of the proposed development, they knew that it was really important to show up and speak out against it,' Vent said. 'So I really try to carry that with me.' Vent co-founded No Ambler Road in 2023 to amplify the voices that oppose the proposed road, which could harm caribou migration patterns and habitat along with salmon spawning streams. For Vent and many others working on No Ambler Road, the project is much too risky, given that caribou populations are declining in Alaska and across the Arctic, and people can't fish in the Yukon River. 'I really envision a future where Alaska Native people have title to our land and are able to engage in these decision-making processes that directly impact our livelihoods.' Projects like these are often at the whims of the current administration. Last year, the Biden administration rejected the Ambler Road project, citing the harmful impacts it could have on the environment. But the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers never fully revoked the project's permit, and Alaska's congressional delegation and Gov. Michael Dunleavy support building the road, while President Donald Trump has long been enthusiastic about resource extraction in Alaska. Vent wants the federal government to uphold the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) and its obligation to sustain subsistence hunting and fishing. Most of all, though, Vent wants Alaska Native people to be centered in these decisions and for companies, politicians and governments to leave their homeland alone. 'People might think this is crazy,' Vent said, 'but I really envision a future where Alaska Native people have title to our land and are able to engage in these decision-making processes that directly impact our livelihoods.' Anaan'arar Sophie Swope (Yup'ik) founded the Mother Kuskokwim nonprofit three years ago at 24 in her hometown of Bethel, Alaska. Previously, she was the self-governance director for Orutsararmiut Traditional Native Council, which was in consultation with federal agencies about the Donlin Gold Mine project. If built, it would be one of the largest open-pit gold mines in the world — and it would be located dangerously close to salmon spawning tributaries in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta (Y-K Delta). 'I noticed the energy was low,' Swope said. 'I kind of stood up and was like, 'Hey guys, this stuff is really important, and we have to really fight to take care of all of our natural resources. Because it's all that we have, and it creates who we are.'' It was a key experience that inspired her to found Mother Kuskokwim. Swope now works full-time on fighting the Donlin Gold Mine, a project that is supported by her own Native corporation, Calista Corporation, despite its potential impact on salmon populations. She helped organize a lawsuit against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, arguing that its environmental impact statement was insufficient — a lawsuit the group recently won. 'This stuff is really important, and we have to really fight to take care of all of our natural resources. Because it's all that we have, and it creates who we are.'' If chemicals from the mine get into rivers and food, it would be devastating for people in the Y-K Delta, who already suffer from extremely low salmon runs. And Swope doesn't want future generations to have to worry about toxicity in their food or having a large tailings dam nearby. 'One day, I will have children, and hopefully I'll have grandchildren, too,' Swope said. 'I want them to have the same access to these resources that our DNA was literally created to thrive off of.' Her elders taught her how to find her own voice. Now she wants younger generations to realize that they can and should use their voices when their way of life is threatened — and that they, too, have an obligation to take care of this place for future generations. 'Our time here on this Earth is very short,' Swope said. 'We were gifted all of the things that we have by our ancestors, and we're only borrowing this space on earth from the future generations.' Malia Towne, who is Haida and Tlingit, grew up subsistence fishing every summer on her family's traditional lands near Ketchikan, Alaska. As the years went by, they watched as the salmon population that their community had relied on for centuries began to fluctuate and decline. 'It made me realize that something needed to be done,' said Towne. Towne's Tlingit values drove her to work in fishing sustainability. 'Everything is circular within traditional values,' she said. 'What I do today affects tomorrow. It's the whole reason I got into this work, because I want to be able to continue practicing what my ancestors practiced and want future generations to be able to do the same.' Now a senior at Northern Arizona University, Towne, who is 20, studies environmental science, hoping to help ensure healthy fishing populations within Alaska. Last summer, she worked at the Alaska Longline Fishermen's Association, a nonprofit that promotes sustainable fishing practices and flourishing coastal communities. Her goal is to protect subsistence salmon harvesting and create more access for subsistence fishers, many of whom are Alaska Native. 'Everything is circular within traditional values. What I do today affects tomorrow.' 'My mom says it's genetic,' joked Towne. Her grandfather worked in fishing sustainability, and her sister does as well. 'It's in our blood.' Towne aims to create policies that prevent environmental damage from happening in the first place, as opposed to laws that merely slap Band-Aids on serious injuries that have already occurred. These policies would incorporate an Indigenous approach to conservation, protecting the environment while still allowing for sustainable harvesting and resource use. Towne cited the recent movement to list the king salmon as endangered. 'It's something that needs to be protected, but you shouldn't cut off all access, because that hurts more people,' she said. 'It's incredibly detrimental to subsistence fishers.' After graduating, Towne plans to return to Alaska and continue working on fishing sustainability, ideally in tribal co-management. She hopes that the policies she works on today will help salmon populations thrive for generations to come. 'What we do now is important, whether or not it's recognized or appreciated today,' she said. 'It will be appreciated eventually. Eventually, we'll be thankful for it.' Mackenzie Englishoe's great-grandparents taught her to live off the land, using Gwichya Gwich'in knowledge that had been passed down for centuries. Englishoe's great-grandparents, who experienced the dramatic changes caused by colonization, dedicated their lives to ensuring that her generation would be able to continue living the Gwich'in way of life. 'Our relationship to the land, it's physical, mental, emotional and spiritual,' said Englishoe, who was raised between the remote Chandalar Lake in the Brooks Range, and Gwichyaa Zhee (Fort Yukon), a village of roughly 500 people on the Yukon River. 'When I think about the future, I cannot — I will not — live in a future that does not have that, or where I'm not able to provide that for my family.' Englishoe, 21, is living during another time of change. Using the traditional knowledge her great-grandparents taught her, she works on climate crisis issues that impact villages in Interior Alaska: fostering healthy caribou and moose populations, protecting Indigenous land rights and water and improving wildfire management. She's been particularly involved in efforts to combat king salmon's decline in the Yukon River, advocating for closing salmon fishing in Area M near the Aleutian Islands and ending bottom trawling. 'When I think about the future, I cannot — I will not — live in a future that does not have that, or where I'm not able to provide that for my family.' 'Seeing the king salmon decline over time has really broken me,' she said. 'And then seeing people who do not have this connection to the salmon, people who are not from these lands, making decisions about it, and a lack of action from them. … It's just broken me.' Last March, Englishoe was elected the emerging leaders chair for the Tanana Chiefs Conference, representing 42 Alaska Native communities in the Interior Region through her role as youth advisor. She wants young Alaska Natives to know that they're capable of making change and that they deserve to have a seat at the table. 'Indigenous people, we do this work out of a place of love. For our community, for future generations, but also for people who are not Native,' she said. Everything is connected, she explained, from the salmon to the bears to entire food systems beyond Alaska. 'So we're trying to protect everybody, out of love.' We welcome reader letters. Email High Country News at editor@ or submit a letter to the editor. See our letters to the editor policy. This article appeared in the April 2025 print edition of the magazine with the headline 'Young with heart.'
