Stop by the Sealaska booth
Sealaska staff is excited to meet with tribal member shareholders during the Alaska Federation of Natives Convention. The Sealaska booth is located in the vendor exhibit portion of the Dena’ina Civic and Convention Center.
Shareholder forms, Sealaska activity update, information about our social media outreach and door prizes are just a few of the items you’ll find when you stop by to visit. We look forward to seeing you there.
If you are not able to participate in person, don’t forget you can view the live Web stream or listen to the radio broadcast.
A complete agenda can be found here.
Pictured from left to right: Susie Kasinger, Vanessa Pazar, Tammi Meissner, Linda Churchill
Large project providing apprentice opportunities
The federally recognized tribe in Wrangell, Alaska has undertaken the project of renovating the Tlingit tribal house on Shakes Island. Wrangell Cooperative Association (WCA) says Shakes Island’s main feature is a replicated 19th century Tlingit tribal house that is set on the authentic location historically occupied by Chief Shakes’ lineage.
Master carvers Wayne Price and Steve Brown have been hired to lead the project, anticipated to be completed in the spring of 2012. A ceremony is planned for the summer of 2012.
According to WCA four women apprenticing under the master carvers are making history. WCA believes this is the first time that women have been a significant part of an adzing team. Three of the women, Linda Churchill, Susie Kasinger and Tammi Meissner, are from Wrangell and this is their first time adzing. The other woman, Vanessa Pazar, a carver from Sitka, broke open the gate for us, says Meissner.
All of the women feel fortunate and honored to be part of this historic project and to learn from the more experienced crewmembers, such as Pazar and master carver Price. They all plan to continue honing their carving skills in the future and to share their art and knowledge gained with their community.
WCA is utilizing social media to help those interested keep up to date on the project. To learn more visit http://shakesisland.com/
Dr. Janice Sheufelt wins ultramarathon bike race in California
Sealaska tribal member shareholder Janice Sheufelt, MD, beat world class competition to win her first ultramarathon 509-mile bike race, the Furnace Creek 508.
Sheufelt is clinic administrator for the SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC) Ethel Lund Medical Center in Juneau. She is Tlingit of the Wooshkeetaan (Eagle/Shark) Clan.
Sealaska extends congratulations to Dr. Sheufelt on her amazing accomplishment! More details on this story will be available soon on www.sealaska.com and the next Shareholder newsletter.
Read APRN coverage of the event here.
Sealaska takes good care of its land and strives to be a good neighbor in the Tongass National forest. Our Native values, such as Haa Shagoon
, require constant and stringent adherence to core principles in everything we do. Harvesting our land is no exception. Our forest management helps protect the environment by utilizing the latest research and studies, best practices
and environmental standards. These techniques allow us more revenue, which we use to improve our economy, create jobs
and reinvest in our local communities through scholarships, internships
and new businesses.
We hope you take the time to learn our stewardship story.
Sealaska Corporation representatives recently provided consultation to the U.S. Forest Service on a July 2011 draft report to the Secretary of Agriculture on Tribal Relations and Forest Service Policy and Procedures Review on Indian Sacred Sites. It was one of many meetings conducted across the Unites States with tribes and Alaska Native Corporations. Sealaska is a federally recognized tribe for special statutory purposes in over 100 federal legislative acts, however the corporation makes no claim to be a tribal government — it is a Native entity with whom the federal government is required to consult under existing law.
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