Arctic Institute for Indigenous Leadership

Arctic Institute for Indigenous Leadership
2007-2008 Participants

Norman Ayagalria
Norman is originally from a small village called Napakiak. The village has a total of 400 people in southwestern Alaska on the Kuskokwim River. He moved to the regional hub community, Bethel, Alaska, in 1998 to attend college right after he graduated from high school. Norman and his wife have one child, and have been living in Bethel, Alaska for nearly 10 years. Since then, Norman has enjoyed working for the Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation to develop grant-funded projects for the people of the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. He writes and develops program grants for 56 tribal organizations for the purpose of delivering health care services. Other duties assigned to him include infrastructure and facilities development to provide dwellings for many health care programs. 

Jessica Bissett
Born and raised in Palmer, Alaska, Jessica Bissett is a CIRI Shareholder of Dena’ina Athabascan heritage. She is currently a Ph.D. student and Eugene Cota Robles Fellow in the Department of Musicology at the University of California, Los Angeles. Prior to arriving at UCLA, Jessica received a B.M. in Music Education from Central Washington University (2003), and an M.A. in Musicology from the University of Nevada, Reno (2005). Active in the fields of musicology, music education, and performance, Jessica is in the beginning stages of composing her dissertation. Her primary research interests center on 19th and 20th century popular musics, paying particular attention to music’s role in constructing socio-cultural communities, identities, and hierarchies based on markers of race, ethnicity, class, gender, and sexuality. Most recently, Jessica was selected to participate in UCLA's 2007 Graduate Summer Research Mentorship Program based on her proposed project that will examine the role and presence of Native Americans and their music in early 20th century mainstream genres, namely jazz and blues.

Karla Booth
Karla Booth is Tsimshian of the Raven Clan.  She was raised in Seattle, WA but considers the communities of Metlakatla and Kake, Alaska home.  She is 27 and graduated from the University of Alaska Anchorage in 2003 with a BA in English and a minor in Alaska Native Studies.  Currently Karla resides in Anchorage and works at UAA for the Department of Residence Life.  She assists Alaska Native, Native American, and rural students that live on the UAA campus and creates social activities that have an Alaska Native focus.  Karla dances with a Tsimshian dance group and enjoys arts and crafts. 

Pearl Brower
Pearl Brower (Iñupiaq/Chippewa/Armenian) was raised in Barrow, Alaska and northern California.  She graduated in 2004 from the University of Alaska, Fairbanks (UAF) with double bachelor degrees in Anthropology and Alaska Native Studies.  At UAF she was named the Alaska Native Studies Scholar of the Year. She has been working within her Iñupiaq community on Alaska's North Slope since August of 2004, first as Museum Curator of the Iñupiat Heritage Center and presently as the Project Manager of the ECHO (Education through Cultural and Historical Organizations) Grant for the North Slope Borough.

John Chase
John Chase is a Planner/Grant Writer with Maniilaq Association in Kotzebue.  Born and raised in Bethel, John graduated from the University of Alaska Fairbanks Campus in 1998.  Prior to moving to Kotzebue, John was a teacher in Togiak, where he also coached basketball and wrestling.  John has traveled the world as a professional Eskimo dancer, peddled his famous t-shirt line at various venues, and most recently learned to carve bone and ivory.  John has one son, Coltrane, who will turn 4 years in August.

Karol Dixon
Karol is the daughter of Helen Hamilton of Shageluk and Richard Dixon of Iowa, and the granddaughter of the late Adolph and Margaret Hamilton.  She is working at the UAA Institute of Social & Economic Research as a First Alaskans intern for summer 2007.  A recent graduate of UNM School of Law in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the fall she will work as a judicial law clerk for an Alaska civil trial court judge in Anchorage.  Currently exploring ways to utilize her education for the benefit of our people, Karol has a keen interest in health, social, criminal, environmental and economic issues.

Crystal Dushkin
“Aang.  Kdam Idigaa asaxtakuq. Atxam ilagaan angixtakuq.  Hello, my name is Kdam Idigaa and I am from Atka island in the Aleutian chain.” Crystal Lynn Dushkin (formerly Swetzof) graduated from Atka Netsvetov School in 1998, attended UAF for a year, and returned to Atka in January 2000 as Bilingual Teacher. In August 2002 Crystal began attending UAA and is close to completing a B.A. in Anthropology, minor in Alaska Native Studies.  She and her husband plan to return to Atka, where she wants to begin a language immersion program. This is part of her larger goal; she hopes to help her village become healthier and stronger both economically and spiritually.

Judith Evans
Judith is originally from Rampart, Alaska, on the Yukon River. Her parents are Paul and Linda Evans. Paul Evans, Sr. is the son of the late Peter and Kitty Evans of Rampart, Alaska. Linda Evans is the daughter of the late Horace and Harriett Roberts of Tanana, Alaska. Judith has one younger sister, Kristine, and is a proud Auntie, to her one year-old nephew Justin, Kristina's son. She has two younger brothers, Paul and Robert. Judith is a single parent to a wonderful 9 year-old boy, Ryan. She currently resides in Fairbanks, AK, where she is an Estimator on the pipeline. Judith is taking classes in the evening to obtain an Associates in Construction Management.

Teresa Flores
Teresa was born and raised in Alaska. She grew up in mountain village and eventually moved to bethel where she graduated from high school in 1996. Teresa graduated in 2003 with a bachelor of science in psychology from UAF and then went on to work towards a degree at the University of Washington in Seattle. In 2005 she graduated with a bachelor of clinical health services as well as a certificate in physician assistant studies. She’s always been active in volunteer work as well as with leadership from a young age. Teresa is currently the unit lead for delta clinic and a sexual assault forensic examiner at YKHC.

Faith Gemmill
Faith is a Pit River/ Wintu and Neets’aii Gwich’in Athabascan from Arctic Village, Alaska. She is the current outreach coordinator for REDOIL (Resisting Environmental Destruction on Indigenous Lands.) The REDOIL network addresses the disproportionate impacts of the fossil fuel industry on Alaska Native Sovereignty and Self-Determination, Subsistence, Human and Ecological Health and Climate Change. REDOIL is a project of the Indigenous Environmental Network.  Faith previously worked on behalf of the Gwich’in Nation for over ten years as a representative, public spokesperson and Gwich’in Steering Committee staff. She continues as a public spokesperson, press and tribal liaison and human rights advocate. Faith is also a current field representative of the International Indian Treaty Council (IITC) and serves on the advisory board of Honor the Earth.

Qaiyaan Harcharek
Qaiyaan is Inupiaq of Barrow and a student graduating this summer with an anthropology degree.  He works on language and cultural preservation issues in Northern Alaska. 

Alannah Hurley
Alannah Hurley is a Yupiaq from Clark’s Point in Bristol Bay. She currently attends the University of New Mexico and majors in Political Science and Native American Studies. She has worked extensively in positive youth development, community building, and in the healing process of indigenous people. She’s been involved in the Llangcarvik, a traditional family recovery camp as well as facilitating many youth leadership and development workshops on a statewide and national level. Alannah hopes to work for the protection of native rights. During her free time she loves to yuraq, kayak, and seal oil!!

Karlin Itchoak
Karlin is living in Nome and he recently started his own planning and consulting firm: "Itchoak Tribal Services".  The company is a rural-based company with a focus on tribal services.

Julien Jacobs
Julien is Inupiaq, Black and Yupik.  His family comes from Hooper Bay, Alaska and Philadelphia.  He currently lives in San Diego.   He is a Producer/Turntablist/Music Conceptualist.  His work and hobby revolve around designing music in the hip-hop form that is innovative, positive, Inuit influenced and ground breaking.  Julien is a traveling musician and he is currently heading a panel and constructing a hip-hop symposium with UCSD.  He is a band member of a group called Descendents.  They have drawn their experiences as Inuit people, Canadian/Alaskan and are applying them in their pieces of work.  

David Karabelnikoff
At Fort Lewis College, David has developed a student constructed major titled; Native Nation Building, as his studies extend beyond the spectrum a single academic discipline. He has integrated cultural and traditional understandings with the social sciences through a praxis of knowledge that can be applied toward Indigenous community development. For his graduate studies he is interested in programs that pertain to sustainable development, ecological economics or applied economics for community development. David also enjoys making things with his hands like carving and drum making. He’d like to tan moose skins and is a natural when it comes to cutting the hair. He is happy when he gets to perform with a group of singers and dancers. He really likes salmon - subsistence foods are the best!  He likes discussing political and social issues debating, also oratory, public speaking and his favorite; story telling.  He would like to build his home with his hands and live in a way that he brings pride and honor to his family and his ancestors.

Shawna Larson
Shawna is from two Tribes in Alaska. She is Ahtna Athabascan from Chickaloon Village on her father’s side, and Supiaq from the village of Port Graham on her mother’s side. Shawna has been working for Alaska Community Action on Toxics & Indigenous Environmental Network for the past 7 years. Her current title is Environmental Justice Program Director. She works at the local to the international level on topics such as environmental justice as well as Tribal Sovereignty issues that are facing Tribes today. She currently lives in Palmer and is married with 2 children.

Randi Madison
Randi’s grandmother Madeline Carl is still living, her mother Carole died from cancer.  They are from Point Hope, Alaska.  Great grandparents were Beatrice and Peel Tooyak.  She was named Randi after her Caucasian father, Randy Madison and Nanuqtchiaq after her Great Uncle. She was born in Garden City, Kansas and raised in Spokane, Washington. She moved to Alaska when she was 24 after graduating from Eastern Washington University with a degree in Recreation Management and Administration. She now resides in Anchorage with her husband Jeff. She has produced four issues of an independent magazine (“zine”) called R.U.N. or Revolutionary Urban Native.  She works fulltime for UAA in the school of nursing helping Alaska Natives, American Indians, other minorities and disadvantaged people get through nursing school.  Her quest toward knowing herself is largely rooted in learning more about Indigenous knowledge.  She is working toward a degree in Cross Cultural Studies with an emphasis in Indigenous Knowledge Systems from UAF. She strives to promote peace and healing for herself, her family, the students she serves, her community and for all Indigenous people.

Kathy Miller
Kathy has spent most of her life in her birthplace, Sitka Alaska.  She graduated from Sitka High School and pursued further education by way of business related courses most recently focusing on Human Resources.  She’s been employed with the Sitka Tribe of Alaska since early 2004 and currently is the Director of Administrative Services.  Prior to her work for Tribal Government, she worked for the City of Sitka at the Community Hospital in the Business Office. Her family is all from Sitka with the exception of her sister, who lives in Juneau.  She’s a single mother of a teenager, who is the reason for her passion regarding young people.  She was a young mother and finds herself relating well to the young people who she mentors.

Frances Nelson
Frances is from Koliganek and she is Yup’ik.  Koliganek is located along the Nushagak River, 75 miles N.E. of Dillingham.  She is a mother of seven and works for her Tribe as the Environmental Coordinator.  Frances has been called an activist (against the proposed Pebble Mine, Bristol Bay Mining District, and changing the existing State of Alaska Mixing Zone Regulations). 

Frances was born and raised along the Nushagak River.  Her parents are Herman and Margie Nelson and she is the eldest of three.  Her parents are her teachers.  Her dad taught her to care and train his dog sled team, commercial fishing, and working in the family grocery store.  Her mom taught her to cut, dry, smoke, and salt salmon, pick berries, cooking, and cleaning.  Frances’ dad serves as the Village Council and Village Corporation President and her mom is a preschool teacher and a board member of Bristol Bay Native Association and Alaska Legal Services.  She likes her dad’s boldness and her mom’s honesty.

Casey Peavy
Casey is urban Inupiaq.  Her roots are in Wainwright.  Casey has lived briefly in Wainwright and Craig, but has mainly lived in Anchorage.  She is the mother of one daughter. Casey works for Yukon River Drainage Fisheries Association.  She has worked for tribal and/or environmental organizations for over seven years. Casey's experience with Tribal resource management started with Native American Fish & Wildlife Society's Water Monitoring Project. That position fueled Casey's interest in helping Alaska's first people with natural resource issues. Casey is going back to college soon to finish her degree in Anthropology, with a minor in Alaska Native Studies.

Evon Peter
Evon Peter is the Executive Director of Native Movement and former Chief of the Neetsaii Gwich’in from Arctic Village in northeastern Alaska. He has served as the Co-Chair of the Gwich’in Council International, on the Executive Board of the Alaska Inter-Tribal Council, and as an alternate area Vice-President to the National Congress of American Indians. Evon is a well-recognized advocate of Indigenous Peoples’ rights, youth, and a balanced world, and is active as a speaker, strategist, writer, and organizer. His experience includes work within the United Nations and Arctic Council forum representing Indigenous and environmental interests. He dedicates a significant portion of his time to youth leadership development, community building, and gathering facilitation.

Odin Peter-Raboff
Odin was born in Los Angeles California to the great Adeline Peter-Raboff and Ernest Raboff. He grew up and lived in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Arctic Village, Norman/Oklahoma, and Marysville/Washington. He attended the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Odin was a non-traditional student who took a broad range of classes but focused on Alaska Native studies and political science. He likes to hunt, fish, play basketball, hangout with my family, watch good movies, make stove-top popcorn and eat traditional food. He really, really likes baked goose. Especially with a little bit of Rhubarb jam spread on top of it. He currently works as a Tobacco Policy Coordinator for Tanana Chiefs Conference. Outside of his job Odin runs an Advertising Agency called Yahdii Media and just started a t-shirt company called Nomadic Stars.

Cathy Rexford
Cathy is Inupiaq, French-German and English. Cathy’s family comes from Kaktovik, Alaska and Dallas, Texas and she currently lives in Anchorage. She is a writer/storyteller, a myth-shatterer, an actor, a lover/junkie/producer of films. Most of Cathy’s work centers around the unique worldview of the Indigenous peoples of Northern Alaska. She has worked extensively in Native education and language efforts as well as contemporary Native theater and film projects. Her writing has been published in national and international literary journals, and she is currently writing a poetry manuscript and a children’s book based on Inupiaq culture.  Cathy is also the Alaska Director of Native Movement.

Teisha Simmons
Teisha Simmons is Koyukon Athabascan and is originally from Galena. Teisha graduated from the University of Alaska Fairbanks in 2003 with a Master's degree in Clinical Community Psychology. She currently teaches behavioral health courses at the UAF College of Rural and Community Development. Teisha is the secretary of the Interior Regional Housing Authority Board of Commissioners and the secretary/treasurer of the Statewide Independent Living Council. She is passionate about suicide prevention, policy change, and community development. Teisha enjoys reading, traveling, learning the Koyukon Athabascan language, and most of all, spending time with her daughter Tassy.

Joel Titus
Joel was raised in Minto, Alaska and attended high school at Mt. Edgecumbe and college at UAF where he received his BBA in management and organizations. His parents are Ruth Folger and Charlie Titus, Jr. He is a current employee of the Tanana Chiefs Conference as a Human Resources Generalist and is part-owner of a business called Gladiator Productions, Inc that promotes mixed marital arts fights. Joel has a little boy named Destin Evin Mayo-Titus and a beautiful girlfriend named Cari Mayo. When he is not spending time with them he enjoys training mixed martial arts, playing basketball, and driving his motorcycle.

Carl Wassilie
"Yup'iaq ancestral given name is Angut'aq.  Mother is Sandra P. Wassilie from Lake Minchumina and Father is Moses U. Wassilie from Nunapitchuk.  Born Carl G. Wassilie of worldly blood in Fairbanks, grew up in Seward for K-12 western education.  Spent childhood summers and falls learning off the land at grandma's fish camp out on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta.  Now lives in Anchorage.  BA degree in Biology from Colorado College.  Networker and grassroots organizer in the urban areas working to resist genocide of the Indigenous Alaskan Peoples.  Empowering people to get up, stand up for rights.  Keeping in the positive with music, currently playing with
"Culture Brothers".

Matt Stevens
"Matthew Stevens is Gwich’in Athabascan from Gwichyaa Zhee (Ft. Yukon, AK).  His mothers name is Daisy Stevens and His Grandparents are Hannah Solomon and the late Paul Solomon Sr.  His Gwich’in name is Diigii Nindahl, which means “To Carry on Tradition.”  His name was given in his naming ceremony by his Sitsuu Cho’ (Great Grandma) the late Sarah Able from Old Crow, Canada in the Northwest Territories.  She was 101 years old when she named him traditionally.  Matthew was raised in many different areas of America from Albuquerque, NM to Riverside, CA.  But no matter how far he traveled, he always ended up right back in Gwichyaa Zhee.  Matthew has a one year old daughter Named Amara Aht’sin (Rain) Stevens.  She is very special to his family as she was born on the same day they buried his uncle Jonathan Solomon.  The elders say that they met each other in between this world and the next.  She has the eyes of so many who came before her.  Matthew is also a rapper/producer who performs under the name “Hastyle Reign.”  He has opened up for such acts as Young Buck, Lil Scrappy, Dipset, Mr. F.A.B., Keak Da Sneak, Too Short and will be opening up for Tech Nine in October.  He has done songs with Bay Areas Dru Down and has two songs scheduled to do with Keak Da Sneak and Tech Nine in the near future."

Tyler Young
"Tyler Young is Alutiiq (Sugpiaq) and Tsimpshian, descendant of the Eagle Clan.  His father comes from the village of Port Graham (Paluwik) and his mother’s side from Metlakatla.  He was raised in Alaska, Washington, and Colorado from where he recently just moved from back to Anchorage.  Tyler is currently attending the University of Alaska Anchorage pursuing a degree in Human Services.  One of his favorite hobbies includes making rap music by recording his socially conscious, realistic lyrics over hip hop instrumentals."