Latest news with #NANA
Fox News
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Trump admin implodes literal Biden roadblock with potential to unleash major mining windfall
Alaska Natives and state leaders lauded a landmark move by the Trump administration to transfer 28,000 acres of land in the Arctic to a consortium of Natives after the Biden administration balked at state officials' wishes to develop the so-called Ambler Mining Road and claimed they instead were protecting the locals. By refusing to allow the haul-road to be built between Coldfoot – a remote outpost on the "Ice Road Trucker" Dalton Highway between Deadhorse and Fairbanks – and the isolated community of Ambler about 220 miles westward, mining and other development was mooted by the feds despite both Juneau's and the Natives' wishes. Alaska Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy, a vocal proponent of responsible development of the Last Frontier's energy potential, praised President Donald Trump and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum after the land transfer was announced. "[It] demonstrates how the Trump administration is prioritizing both local control and responsible natural resource development," Dunleavy told Fox News Digital on Monday. "As governor, I look forward to working with Secretary Burgum and his staff on delivering federal lands due to the state under the Alaska Statehood Act," he said. The 1958 law signed by President Dwight Eisenhower both presaged Alaskan statehood one year later and gave the 49th state greater control over development of its natural resources. "This bodes well for both the state and our Native Corporations," he said, as "NANA" – the recipient of the land transfer – is owned by 15,000 Iñupiaq residents who live in and around Kotzebue, Ambler and northwestern Alaska. He said the move was "long overdue," as many Alaska Natives support responsible development of ANWR, Ambler (called "Ivisaappaat" by the Natives), and other lands they share with such untapped resources – despite claims to the contrary from the Lower 48. John Lincoln, NANA's president, said in a statement to Anchorage's NBC affiliate that the community is also "grateful" to the Trump administration and the state's congressional delegation for their work. "NANA's land selections [under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA)] were made many years ago by our Elders and past leadership," Lincoln said, further praising Sens. Dan Sullivan and Lisa Murkowski for their pro-development advocacy in Washington. "We look forward to continuing to work closely with our federal government on the conveyance of the remaining 100,000+ acres of selected lands and on other issues of great importance to our state and nation." NANA's position appeared to conflict with Biden administration claims that Native communities would be hurt by or might oppose the Ambler project moving forward. In April 2024, the Biden administration reversed a first-Trump-administration permit for 211 miles of road, which was compounded in June of that year by a "record of decision" from the Bureau of Land Management claiming environmental risks to caribou and fish and formally denying the permit. In a last-minute move before Trump took office, the Biden administration tripled down in January and asked the Army Corps of Engineers to at minimum suspend the Ambler project's Clean Water Act permitting. The administration also alleged negative impacts on the public health of Native communities, including "stress, subsistence/food insecurity and potential exposure to toxins [that] would disproportionately negatively affect… Alaska Native villages in and near the project area," according to the Alaska Beacon. Burgum told Fox News Digital the Ambler Mining Road land transfer was the Trump administration "delivering on its promises." He said Interior will continue to cut "red tape," honor agreements with Native communities and reduce federal barriers to resource development. AIDEA, the state's business development and export authority, cited in a 2019 proposal for the Ambler Mining Road that large caches of zinc, lead, silver, gold and cobalt could be mined, and that construction of the three-phase road project itself would create 3,000 jobs in addition to thousands from multiple planned mine prospects themselves.
E&E News
17-07-2025
- Business
- E&E News
Interior transfers thousands of acres to Alaska Native corporation
The Interior Department announced Wednesday that it will convey nearly 28,000 acres in federal lands to an Alaska Native corporation that could help pave the way for a contentious road project needed to access mining claims. The agency transferred the land to the NANA Regional, citing the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. Interior said the land transfer fulfills President Donald Trump's push to bolster energy production in Alaska. 'This land transfer is a clear example of the Trump administration delivering on its promises,' Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said in a statement. 'The Department is committed to honoring the agreements made with Alaska Native corporations, cutting federal red tape and unlocking Alaska's full potential.' Advertisement NANA could not be reached for comment.
Reuters
16-07-2025
- Business
- Reuters
US transfers acreage near proposed mining road to Alaska native group
July 16 (Reuters) - The Trump administration transferred 28,000 acres (11,331 hectares) in a remote part of Northwest Alaska to a native corporation, putting more land near a proposed mining road under local control. The move is aligned with President Donald Trump's pledge to remove barriers to energy and resource development in the state. "By putting land into Alaska Native hands, we are advancing opportunity in Alaska, while reducing federal barriers to resource development," Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said in a statement. The acreage was conveyed to NANA Regional Corporation, which is based in Kotzebue, Alaska. The corporation is controlled by the Inupiat tribe. NANA was not immediately available for comment. NANA supports construction of a road to the Ambler mining district, an area with copper, zinc and lead deposits, but severed ties last year to a project proposed by an Alaska state agency. The Biden administration later rejected that road, citing risks to caribou and fish populations and native communities.
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
30-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Akima Names Jonathan Peppard as VP of Strategic Capture
HERNDON, Va., Jan. 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Akima, a premier provider of products and services to the federal government, announced today the appointment of Jonathan Peppard as vice president of strategic capture. In this role, Peppard will lead Akima's efforts to capture new business growth opportunities focused on technology solutions and services. Peppard's leadership will be crucial to driving competitive growth and maximizing gross margins by leveraging Akima's complete portfolio of robust solutions. "Peppard's extensive expertise in business development and technology solutions, combined with his proven track record in the Federal defense and intelligence sectors, will be a major asset as we continue to expand Akima's capabilities in digital and IT markets," said Bill Monet, president and CEO of Akima. "He has a natural ability to connect with clients and deliver tailored solutions that meet their needs. I am confident his leadership will create new opportunities and strengthen our relationships across the industry." In his role, he will lead business development initiatives around various project lifecycles for defense and federal agencies, including digital modernization; digital engineering; enterprise-scale live, virtual, and constructive (LVC) training; command, control, computers, communications, cyber, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C5ISR); as well as emerging technologies including generative artificial intelligence and robotic process automation. With 27 years of expertise in capture management, business development, and program management, Peppard has been instrumental in supporting numerous defense and intelligence programs vital to national security. Over the course of his career, he has successfully led the capture of more than $3.5 billion in direct contract awards. Peppard also holds esteemed certifications in capture and program management from industry leaders such as Shipley Associates, Lockheed Martin, and Raytheon. About AkimaAkima is a global enterprise with 10,000 employees, delivering solutions to the federal government in the core areas of information technology, facilities & ground logistics; aerospace solutions; protective services; systems engineering; mission support; furniture, fixtures & equipment (FF&E); and construction. As a subsidiary of NANA, an Alaska Native Corporation owned by more than 15,000 Iñupiat shareholders, Akima's core mission is to enable superior outcomes for our customers' missions while simultaneously creating a long-lived asset for NANA consistent with our Iñupiat values. In 2024, Akima ranked #29 on Washington Technology's Top 100 list of government contractors. Learn more at View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Akima Sign in to access your portfolio
