Native Movement Blog
Rematriating Systems Keynote Panel at 2026 AK Food Festival & Conference
Thank you all for a beautiful weekend together at the 2026 Alaska Food Festival & Conference in Fairbanks! So grateful for this year's partnership between the Alaska Food Policy Council, North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems (NĀTIFS), and Native Movement. We're honored that many communities and individuals from across Alaska and the world joined together to "dig in" on some much needed discussions.
About the keynote panel from Day 1 entitled Rematriating Systems:
Rematriation is the return of land, knowledge, and cultural practice to Indigenous peoples, restoring sovereignty and relationships where colonization disrupted them. Unlike repatriation, which carries a root tied to father and ownership, rematriation centers mother, kinship, and reciprocity: land as relative, not resource.
This keynote panel brings together Indigenous women working at the intersection of food, land, economics, and culture to explore what it means to bring decision-making, knowledge, and stewardship back to the people and practices that extraction and colonization displaced.
Join Enei Begaye, Executive Director of Native Movement; Alana Peterson, Executive Director of Spruce Root; Eva Burk, Executive Director of Tlaa Deneldel Community Group; Michelle Crisostomo, Co-Executive Director of Guåhan Sustainable Culture; and Kayleen Ward-Peter, Council Member, Native Village of Venetie Tribal Government; Chair, T’ee DriinJik Tribal Conservation District, for a keynote panel on rebuilding the systems that shape their communities, from Alaska to Guam.
Together, these leaders are reclaiming land, restoring food sovereignty, building capital and economic power within communities, and healing generational trauma through culture, community, and economic development. Their work spans advocacy and agriculture, lending and education, landback and and network building. Aligned with this year's theme, Cultivating Community, Harvesting Hope, panelists will share the progress, challenges, and hope growing from this work across Alaska and beyond.
Speakers:
Enei Begaye, Native Movement, Executive Director
Eva Dawn Burk, Tlaa Deneldel Community Group, Co-Founder/Executive Director
Michelle Crisostomo, Guåhan Sustainable Culture, Co-Executive Director
Alana Peterson, Spruce Root, Executive Director
Kayleen Ward-Peter, Teedriinjik
The Alaska Food Festival and Conference Comes to Fairbanks
Native Movement proud to co-host alongside the North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems and Alaska Food Policy Council
Fairbanks-based non-profit organization, Native Movement, is proud to co-host the Alaska Food Festival & Conference Friday, October 16th - Sunday, October 18th at the Westmark Hotel & Conference Center in downtown Fairbanks. The conference is hosted annually by the Alaska Food Policy Council (AFPC), a Homer-based non-profit with the mission of connecting, advocating, and informing, to strengthen food systems for all Alaskans. AFPC partners with community organizations for each conference and prioritizes new partnerships each edition to ensure all aspects of the food sector are represented.
This year’s conference co-hosting partners are Native Movement and the North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems (NĀTIFS). NĀTIFS is a Native-led nonprofit promoting Indigenous foodways education, food access, and food sovereignty through culinary training, resources, and community-based food systems work. Native Movement is an Alaska-based Indigenous-led nonprofit that organizes grassroots advocacy, education, food sovereignty, and movement-building around Indigenous rights, environmental justice, and community-led social change.
“We are proud to help bring this conference with all the expertise and knowledge of participants, presenters, and speakers to Fairbanks. Food security in Alaska is so important. While continuing to protect access to hunting, fishing, and gathering, we must also innovate and adapt to a rapidly changing climate that includes building healthy agricultural practices.”
- Enei Begaye-Peter, Native Movement Executive Director
This year’s conference theme is “Cultivating Community, Harvesting Hope.” The conference aims to be joyful, collaborative, and deeply rooted in the people and places that shape Alaska’s food systems. It will be a weekend to celebrate, share knowledge, skills, inspiration, and strengthen the relationships that help our communities thrive. Programming includes keynote panels, breakout sessions, and workshops, with expertise in agriculture, subsistence, food waste and more. Attendees include farmers, fishers, food businesses, nonprofits, Tribal entities, government agencies, educators, students, and everyone who eats – all are welcome.
Learn more about Alaska’s largest Food Festival & Conference at www.akfoodpolicycouncil.org
Tlaa Deneldel featured in recent More Perfect Union documentary
My name is Andrés Camacho and I’m one of the video producers at Native Movement. This summer, I spent time in Nenana, filming our Community Affiliate Program Tlaa Deneldel, headed by Eva Burke. For the first time since 2020, Tlaa Deneldel was able to fish via educational fishing permit, which allowed the harvest of 10 King Salmon. For Eva’s youth interns, this was the first time they’d fished for King Salmon on their home river.
When a film crew from More Perfect Union showed up at the Nenana Culture Camp potlatch, we were excited to collaborate, to help tell the story of Alaska’s salmon crisis and the impacts of trawling. We are grateful to Eva and Tlaa Deneldel’s leadership on this issue and hope this documentary reaches people across the country and the globe.
Salmon to Reindeer: Tundra to Sea ~ We are headed to New York Climate Week
Join Us at Climate Week in so-called New York on Lenape lands, September 19-27 as we gather with allies and partners for a week of strategizing to stop the bad and build the good, featuring panel discussions and an evening reception curated by Arctic Indigenous peoples!
Indigenous peoples from across the circumpolar Arctic will speak on the impacts of climate change, extraction, cultural wellbeing, and interconnection with one another and our lands. Climate Week NYC is organized by Climate Group, an international non profit that convenes leaders across business and government. In coordination with the UN General Assembly, the event “brings together decision-makers and experts shaping capital, policy and markets across sectors and regions.”
Join us on Wednesday Sept. 23
as we partner on a full day of Indigenous led sessions
09:00 AM - 10:30 AM
It Begins with Ceremony
As Indigenous Peoples we understand that we are not above our more-than-human kin. What happens when we approach life and our community work with great humility and find new ways to stand in solidarity with one another? How do we ground our work in ceremony and how does this work provide the foundation for elements of healing and imagining to accompany us through our work. Panelists: Aka Hansen, Amanda Bremner, Louise Brady, Eva Dawn Burk Na’in’eezh Peter Moderator: Enei Begaye
11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
The Arctic is Not for Sale
From land purchase to lease sales - Extreme resource extraction is impacting us across the Arctic and speeding up carbon emissions. International companies are moving quickly to take advantage - how are we organizing (with Allies) against these threats which include 'false solutions' and even so-called 'green' solutions that violate Indigenous rights. Panelists: Tonya Garnett (Gwich’in Steering Committee), Aslak Holmberg, Aka Hansen, Sarah Furman (Fairbanks Climate Action Coalition), Krystal Lapp (Northern Center), Aakaluk Blatchford (IEN) Moderator: Sonny Ahkivgak
01:00 PM - 02:30 PM
Climate Stories from the Arctic
The most powerful protectors of place are those that have been in reciprocal relationship with the lands and waters for thousands of years. Stories embedded with traditional knowledge, Indigenous languages, untold histories and perspectives are the drivers of narrative change because they originate from the heart. These storytellers from the Arctic have been amplifying the ways in which Indigenous values can help restore, rematriate, and innovate ways in which we can safeguard our Mother Earth. Panelists: Kiliiii Yuyan, Jennifer Kilabuk, Aka Hansen, Purruq Khan (Native Movement) Moderator: Princess Daazhraii Johnson
03:00 PM - 04:30 PM
Indigenous-led Philanthropy in the Arctic: A No-Borders Approach to Protecting
Investing in the Arctic must include Indigenous communities shaping, informing, and determining the ways in which we work towards transformational change. Panelists: Anne Henshaw of the Inuit Nunaat Fund, Victoria Sweet of the Ishkode Fund, Enei Begaye of Native Movement, Alana Peterson of Spruce Root/Sinew Fund, Tia Peters of Seventh Generation Fund Moderator: Melissa Nelson of Tamalpais Trust
05:00 PM - 06:00 PM
From Salmon to Reindeer: Tundra to Sea
Across the Arctic from Alaska to Finland, salmon and other relatives are at a critical juncture and our protected rights as Indigenous Peoples under UNDRIP are being violated. Addressing the climate crisis/poly crisis necessitates a variety of tactics. As the rest of the world comes to the crossroads of protecting land or chasing profits we hear from Arctic Indigenous Peoples and their advocacy for their lands, waters, and ways of life. Panelists: Charitie Ropati, Aka Hansen, Jennifer Kilabuk, Kristen Moreland, Aslak Holmberg, Aakaluk Adrienne Blatchford Moderator: Ruth Miller
06:00 PM - 08:00 PM
Closing / Social / Dance
Join us for closing with shared traditional foods and dance!
This work is possible with Native Movement’s partnership with Inuit Nunaat Fund, Ishkode Fund, Center for Earth Ethics, Alchemy Foundation, Aligned Initiative, Oil Change International, and Braided River.
New Report points at need for Anchorage Police Accountability
Alaskans stand firm in opposition of the Ambler Road in Coldfoot, Alaska. May 16, 2026.
This week, the Municipality of Anchorage released the findings of an independent review into the Anchorage Police Department’s use-of-force practices. A press release issued by the Mayor’s Office highlighted a 17% drop in force incidents and claimed 49 of 51 recommendations have already been implemented.
Her’es what wasn’t in that press release:
Alaska Native and American Indian people were involved in 45.4% of all APD use-of-force incidents from 2021 through mid-2025, while making up only 7.3% of Anchorage’s population (p. 23-24). This is not a new problem. It is now independently documented in the Municipality’s own commissioned report.
APD uses force at a higher rate per capita than Boise, Portland, Seattle, Spokane and nearly double the rate of New Orleans, all comparable cities (p. 16-17).
A small group of officers is responsible for a disproportionate share of this force. Just 20 officers, 5% of the department, were involved in 19% of all use-of-force incidents department-wide; 6 officers were each involved in 100 or more separate force incidents (p. 17–18). This is exactly the kind of pattern an early-warning system is supposed to catch. Byt 21CP found that APD’s own EArly Intervention Program appears to be effectively dormant: officers and supervisors interviewed for the report told 21CP they’d heard nothing about it at all (p. 93).
The report also found that in more than half of all force incidents (56.2%), the subject was confirmed or possibly experiencing a mental health crisis. This underscores what our communites have said for years: Anchorage needs real behavioral health crisis response, not more encounters that escalate into force.
Additionally, the “49 of 51 recommendations implemented” that APD is publicizing, the consultants who wrote the report say plainly that they did not verify APD’s self-reported progress. This number comes entirely from APD grading it’s own work.
This is exactly why Native Movement continues to support the development of an independent community review commission, a board with real authority, not just another advisory body, and not a process where the department checks its own boxes.
A handful of officers driving a fifth of all force incidents, a dormant early-warning system, and a use-of-force rate that falls hardest on Alaska Native peoples. THESE ARE THE SYSTEMIC PATTERNS THAT REQUIRE ONGOING, INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTABILITY CHECKS.
The Municipality is holding two public opportunities this week to respond to these findings:
Community Presentation - Tuesday, Sept 8th, 5:30-7:00 PM at the Fairview Community Recreation Center (112 E 10th Ave)
Assembly Public Health & Safety Committee Meeting - Wednesday, Sept 9th, 11 AM - 12:30 PM, City Hall Room 155 (632 W 6th Ave). Testimony will be accepted at the end of the meeting, and it will livestream on the Municipality of Anchorage Meetings YouTube channel.
WE NEED YOU THERE.
Show up.
Ask Questions.
And tell the Municipality that every Anchorage resident’s safety deserves more than a self-graded report card.
We need independent, ongoing community oversight of APD - now. The independent study proves it.
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Currents of Connection: Naknek 2026 Young Adult Filmmaking Workshop
This June, six young people in Naknek, Alaska, picked up cameras and told their own stories about the place they call home. Currents of Connection brought together Bristol Bay young adults for a weeklong film intensive exploring their connection to wild salmon. The skills they learned and stories they made speak for themselves.
Explore the full StoryMap to learn more about the project and view each film.
Special thanks to Bristol Bay Media, See Stories, Native Movement, World Wildlife Fund Global Arctic Programme, and Arctic Mayors’ Forum for making this project possible!
Take Action: Stop the Data Center Domino Effect
You may have heard about how everyone is connected to the Arctic, but have you really imagined how you might be connected to the Arctic? Migratory birds may be the invisible line that connects us all back to these sacred lands. Take for example the bird called the Bar-Tailed Godwit; this bird is said to be the longest distance flying bird in the world and it is one of 200+ bird species that call the Arctic their home (1). The Bar-Tailed Godwit also named as Turraaturaq in Iñupiat, flies on a continuous journey that takes an estimated 8 to 11 days to return to Australia and New Zealand. These migratory birds are responsible for not only the living ecosystems of the Arctic, but carry responsibility across borders and across seas by aiding in the contribution of the pollination of plants, dispersing of seeds, and cycling of nutrients. The Arctic not only homes these critically important migratory birds, but it is home to caribou migrations, animal dens, and have been the frontlines of climate change for both the Iñupiat and Gwich’in communities who have lived on these lands for millennia.
Now imagine: The Turraaturaq and the 200+ species of birds returning home to the Arctic with constant blaring noise, blinding lights, disruption of their ecosystems due to continuous traffic from gravel blasts, roads being built to haul gas, and heavy loaded trucks harming their nesting grounds. These Earth-shattering destructions would encompass 715.4 acres all for an artificial intelligence (AI) data center. This is what is currently being threatened in the Arctic by STAK Energy Corporation as they claim that water consumption would be reduced by 90%, citing that Arctic air will allow for enough cooling (2). However - the Arctic is rapidly warming at a rate 4 to 5 times faster than the rest of the world. A huge building stretching over 640 acres generating heat will not have positive impacts on an already warming catastrophe.
Of the 715.4 acres of state land that’s being proposed for the AI data center by STAK, 640 acres would be used for a gravel pad. The gravel pads intended use is for stabilization, as this proposed data center would be nestled just above permafrost on spongy tundra. To create a 640 acre gravel pad this would require 7.1 million cubic yards of gravel to elevate the building 5 feet off of the tundra for a stable working surface over permafrost (3). This estimate of gravel use for this project is double the consumption of what ConocoPhillips was authorized to use for the Willow project (4).
Not only would an AI data center negatively impact migratory bird species, impact caribou migrations, and animal dens, but it would also contribute to permafrost melt, risk the exposure of water contamination, and deplete natural resources. With the threat of so many AI data centers, oftentimes we forget to mention the non-tangible destructions that impacts our minds and spirits. AI data centers have been harmful to our cognitive abilities while also challenging what we’re seeing now on our phones to be real or fake. Not giving our consent to the world of AI, especially in already vulnerable communities puts our Elders at even more of a risk navigating this world. Here at Native Movement, we stand firm in the opposition of commercial data centers in Alaska - Alaska lands are not disposable and they are certainly not for sale.
Next Action Steps:
Submit your public comment at our link here - comments are due Friday, July 17 by 4:30 PM AKST
Know about data centers near you by visiting: https://www.datacentermap.com/
Read and share resources that discuss the costs and impacts of data centers to communities through this report made by MediaJustice
Visit Honor Earth’s myth vs. fact sheet here
To find more general information about what artificial intelligence, data centers, and the consumption they use please also visit, Climate Justice Alliances website here.
Citations:
The Bar-Tailed Godwit aka Turraaturaq and its journey to Alaska, The Audubon (2026).
STAK Energy Corporations estimated water consumption, The Northern Center (2026).
Estimated gravel use for this STAK's North Slope Data Center proposal, The Anchorage Daily News (2026).
STAK Energy's Preliminary Decision, The State of Alaska (2026).
U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum teams up with Alaska Governor Dunleavy and Senator Sullivan to literally sell out Alaskans
Alaskans stand firm in opposition of the Ambler Road in Coldfoot, Alaska. May 16, 2026.
Native Movement Statement - May 16, 2026
Coldfoot, AK. – Alaskans have spoken repeatedly in opposition to the proposed Ambler Road, a 211-mile long road that would devastate intact ecosystems and destroy rural communities’ livelihoods of hunting and fishing. Yet, Alaska Governor Dunleavy and Senator Sullivan, backed by their new federal friends, are pushing for corporate welfare as they throw Alaska’s public lands and public dollars into a losing deal.
“The Evansville Tribe and 87 other tribal governments have repeated our unified and collective opposition to the proposed Ambler Road over and over. I will state our position again. The Evansville Tribe is 100% against this proposed road to ruin. We know our traditional lifestyle will likely be destroyed severely impacting our watersheds, fisheries habitat and subsistence and cultural resources.” - Evansville Tribal Chief Frank Thompson
Tribes and Native Corporations throughout the region have opposed the Ambler Road. Alaskans from every corner of the state have stood at public hearings to voice their opposition to this road and the horrible state economic plan this would enable. The proposed Ambler road won’t benefit Alaskans, instead it is a road for sending profits to international corporate interests while maiming Alaska lands and waters.
“The Alatna Village Council opposes the proposed Ambler Road and we are clear that the road will offer very few jobs and bring too many trespassers and result in a great deal of pressure on our subsistence resources. We are also concerned about the contamination of our wetlands that sustain our ecosystem and food we rely on.” - Alatna Tribal Chief Jerry Sam
When Alaska’s elected leadership does not listen to Tribes or even their own constituents, it’s time to elect new leadership. This is why every one of us needs to show up for the 2026 elections and vote for leadership that actually listens to Alaskans.
“This is corporate fascism; when our government officials suppress the call of their constituents to fill the pockets of corporate greed while ignoring democracy, what else can you call it? Alaskans must stand up once again to stop this road to resources and this act of government sponsored terrorism.” - Enei Begaye, Executive Director of Native Movement.
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Apply Today! 2026 Northern Organizers Camp
Please join Native Movement for our 2026 Northern Organizer Camp, which will focus on how we stay connected and support our communities, on a local and national level, through ongoing climate change and authoritarian threats. We will spend our time deepening our relationships, learning about one another's home regions, and sharing tangible organizer processes and useful resistance skills. Our gathering will be happening August 13th - 17th at the Nankat Wellness & Resilience Center outside of Fairbanks, Alaska.
The theme of this camp is:
Nankat: Lineages of Resistance!
This application form is for anyone within or outside of Alaska to request participation in our upcoming Northern Organizer Camp. Organizing experience isn't required, but we hope to empower people wanting to organize in their own communities and sharpen our skills together. If you have any accessibility needs, we are happy to accommodate! Please let us know your accessibility needs in your application.
Support for Family of William and Adam Rexford
Native Movement mourns the tragic loss of William Rexford who was shot and killed in his home on January 1, 2026, by Alaska State Troopers. He was only 24 years old. William's older brother Adam, an innocent bystander, was also shot and seriously injured. Adam is currently in Seattle undergoing medical treatment. William and Adam are both Iñupiaq men. William was experiencing a mental health crisis and this never should have happened. Legislators must take action to ensure the safety of all Alaskans.
No one should ever fear for their life if they are in need of help. We stand with the Rexford family during this difficult time and our hearts go out to them. Please donate or share the Go Fund Me created by Linda, William and Adam's sister. Funds will help the Rexford family cover funeral costs, medical expenses, and the many other financial costs that come up while they are grieving.
Tending to the Light 2025
You are invited to join our annual virtual fundraising gathering to connect before the winter solstice and share the work of community initiatives that keep our Qulliq lit ~ Tuesday December 16 @ 12:00pm.
One of our longest standing baskets of work is our commitment to movement building via the support of emerging and long standing grassroots-led groups and organizations. Native Movement provides administrative and fiscal support for Indigenous and grassroots-led projects that align with our vision of building healthy, sustainable, & self-determined communities for all.
We are excited to share time to learn from several change makers leading movements across Alaska. Some of these projects represent organizations who are Native Movement Community Affiliates (fiscally sponsored groups), and some are from our inaugural Open Call Fund with the rotating theme of Alaska Native Art in 2025.
Every person, regardless of the amount you are able to donate, is a meaningful part of this movement. Community and individual donations are vital to us in so many ways – help us reach our $100k goal this year!
Transgender Day of Remembrance Resolution
Anchorage Assembly Recognizes Native Movement’s Work for Trans Rights in Transgender Day of Remembrance Resolution
On November 18, 2025, the Anchorage Municipal Assembly passed Resolution AR 2025-342, formally recognizing November 20, 2025, as Transgender Day of Remembrance. In a significant acknowledgment of community organizing and advocacy, the resolution specifically names Native Movement as one of the organizations “working tirelessly to restore and expand basic human rights, health services, and safety for transgender, nonbinary, and gender expansive people across the state.”
Native Movement Board Director Oliver Tyrrell accepted the proclamation on behalf of the organization, delivering a powerful statement about the significance of this recognition for the trans and gender expansive community.
A Resolution Born from Tragedy, A Call for Justice
The resolution traces its origins to 1998, when the brutal murder of Rita Hester, a Black transgender woman, and the lack of justice in her case moved trans advocate Gwendolyn Ann Smith to establish Transgender Day of Remembrance. The day honors Rita Hester’s memory and all transgender individuals whose lives have been lost to anti-transgender violence.
The 2025 resolution acknowledges a stark reality: in 2024 alone, at least 36 transgender or gender non-conforming people in the United States died by violent means, with many cases likely unreported or misreported. BIPOC transgender women comprised a disproportionate number of those lost to this ongoing epidemic of violence.
“Violence against transgender people, particularly Black, Indigenous, and Latina transgender women of color, is a systemic and societal issue that we must collectively commit to acknowledging and ending,” the resolution states.
Alaska’s Fight for Basic Protections
The resolution also highlights a concerning gap in civil rights protections for LGBTQ+ Alaskans. While federal law prohibits employment discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, Alaska’s Human Rights Statute currently provides limited protections. The Alaska State Commission for Human Rights has narrowed its enforcement, now only investigating employment-related complaints and removing broader protections from its public guidance. This leaves LGBTQ+ Alaskans vulnerable in areas such as housing, public accommodations, and government services.
In this context, the Assembly’s recognition of Native Movement’s work—alongside Identity Alaska and Choosing Our Roots—takes on additional significance. These organizations are filling critical gaps, fighting to restore and expand rights that should be guaranteed to all Alaskans.
Reaffirming Existence and Dignity: Statement by Native Movement Board Director Oliver Tyrrell
When accepting the proclamation, Oliver Tyrrell spoke to both personal and collective meaning:
“Receiving this is an honor and recognizes both my journey and the strength of the broader trans community and gender expansive community. It’s important because it reaffirms our existence, highlights our contributions, and reminds the world that transgender people and gender nonconforming people deserve safety, dignity, and visibility every day. This acknowledgement helps to create more of an inclusive future where all trans voices and all voices are heard and valued.”
Gratitude to Assembly Champions
Native Movement extends deep gratitude to the Assembly members who submitted this resolution and both championed and voted for its passage:
Vice-Chair Anna Brawley
Erin Baldwin Day
Zachary Johnson
George Martinez
Kameron Perez-Verdia
Felix Rivera
The resolution was also supported by Assembly Chair Constant, Assembly Members Silvers and Volland, and Mayor LaFrance.
Our Commitment Continues
This recognition strengthens our resolve to continue fighting for the safety, dignity, and full humanity of transgender, nonbinary, and gender expansive people across Alaska. Native Movement remains committed to building a future where all people, particularly those from Black, Indigenous, and communities of color who face disproportionate violence, can live freely and safely as their authentic selves.
As the resolution affirms: “We recognize and honor the bravery and resilience of Anchorage’s transgender and gender expansive community and advocate for the equal treatment, safety, respect and dignity that they deserve.”
Today we remember those we have lost. Tomorrow we continue the fight for justice.
Supplementary SNAP Assistance
UPDATE (Dec. 18, 2025):
This application is closed and all available SNAP assistance has been released. All remaining applicants have been e-mailed so please check your spam folders if you have not heard from us. At Native Movement, we are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring the security of your personal information. As a nonprofit organization dedicated to environmental and social justice, we value transparency and accountability in how we collect, use, and safeguard your data. Our Privacy Policy outlines our practices regarding the personal information we collect through our website, events, programs, and other interactions with our organization.
Nov 11, 2025
Last week, amid an unprecedented Federal Government Shut-Down, Native Movement staff decided to pull together rapid response resources and offer an opportunity for Alaska Native individuals to apply for a supplemental grant while their SNAP benefits were unavailable. We understood this effort to be just a drop in the bucket of the actual support that is needed in our communities, but doing nothing was also not feeling right as we watched neighbors and families struggle. Because of the overwhelming response to this offer, we were forced to close the application just 3 days after announcing it.
Here is what we have learned and how we are moving forward:
1. Food Security in Alaska is at a crisis level and it has been for a long time. This moment in particular has made the issue more visible than ever, and we are committed to forging new strategic partnerships to make sure that the well-being of our communities is not a bargaining chip for politicians in DC.
2. With a limited budget, we cannot even begin to help everybody that applied. It doesn’t feel fair, and yet, it is impossible for Native Movement to permanently fill the gap of food assistance that our elected State leaders should be accountable to. In fiscal year 2024 (October 2023–September 2024), the federal government provided $278.7 million in funding for SNAP benefits to Alaska residents. 1 out of every 10 Alaskans are registered for food assistance programs.
3. We are reviewing and contacting applicants until our Supplemental SNAP Assistance fund is exhausted. We will also be following up with everyone to help make sure the best information is available for organizations in Alaska that specialize in food security and have the networks and resources to better help.
4. Federal funding for SNAP benefits returned this week. To follow up we will be sharing a toolkit of resources to point towards the network of organizations that prioritize this work of food security in Alaska. Make sure to subscribe to your e-mail newsletter to stay connected.
Alaska Native Corporate Shareholder Empowerment Panel
On October 16th, Native Movement held a panel discussion on Alaska Native corporate shareholder empowerment, where panelists MacKenzie Englishoe, Chloey Cavanaugh, Amanda Bremner, Marry Knutsen, and David Leslie spoke about making change within shareholders' regional corporations. Panelists spoke about corporate accountability and how to get involved in change-making within corporations.
“I think we all want the same core things as shareholders: we want to protect the land, we want to protect the language, we want to continue our culture in any way that we can, and make sure the next generation has more sustainable opportunities than we did- because we have the choice to decide that.”
-MacKenzie Englishoe on how to identify and connect with other shareholders who share your values and concerns.
photo by Maya Jackson (@mlojackso on Instagram)
Native Movement Deputy Director Amanda Bremner led the discussion, asking panelists questions on how to approach our leaders about accountability and continuing to nourish relationships with one another.
“How do we know what to fix if it’s not brought to us? How do we know what to fix if our corporation won’t sit with us in it?…” “… It’s naming what their fears are, what are their fears if people know they messed up? What are their fears if they maybe made a bad decision? What are their fears around losing community? Will we be a stronger community if we can just name what we are seeing?”
- Chloey Cavanaugh on how to approach our leaders about accountability, where it's coming from a place of love, not judgment.
photo by Maya Jackson (@mlojackso on Instagram)
Do you have ideas for how to engage as a shareholder with your corporation? We want to hear from you. Watch the full video on our Youtube and stay tuned and sign up for our newsletter to keep apprised of our next Shareholder Empowerment panel.
Alaska Organizations Unite: Standing Against Hate, Demanding Protection
A Call to Action from Alaska's Civil Rights and Community Organizations
Today, we stand in unwavering solidarity with the NAACP Anchorage Branch as they declare a state of emergency over the escalating hate and violent threats targeting their members and families. As organizations committed to justice, equality, and the safety of all Alaskans, we cannot and will not remain silent while our neighbors live in fear.
The threats documented by the NAACP—death threats, doxxing, cyberattacks, and intimidation targeting individuals simply for speaking truth about white supremacy—represent an attack on the fundamental rights that define our democracy. When people cannot exercise their First Amendment rights without fear of violence, our entire community suffers.
A Message of Love and Protection
To those who are facing these threats: you are not alone. We see you, we stand with you, and we will not let hate silence your voices. Your courage in speaking truth deserves our protection, not intimidation. We call on every person under threat to lean on trusted community networks and reach out for support.
Love will always be stronger than hate. Our communities—Native/Indigenous, Black, Pacific Islander, and all Alaskans—have survived and thrived because we choose solidarity over division, hope over fear, and justice over intimidation.
Our Demands for Action
We join the NAACP in calling on our elected officials and law enforcement to take immediate, concrete action:
To our elected officials: Public denouncement is not enough. We need you to strengthen hate crime protections, allocate resources for victim support, and demonstrate through policy that Alaska will not tolerate political violence or racial intimidation. Your leadership in this moment will define whether Alaska remains a place where all voices can be heard safely.
To law enforcement at every level: These threats demand swift, transparent, and thorough investigation. The documented pattern of intimidation targeting civil rights advocates requires a coordinated response that treats these crimes with the seriousness they deserve. Justice delayed is justice denied.
To employers, faith leaders, and community members: Neutrality in the face of threats is complicity. We call on every Alaskan to actively reject hate in all its forms and create spaces where truth-telling is protected, not punished.
The Stakes Are Clear
The NAACP's warning that "the atmosphere of hostility has reached a critical tipping point" reflects a national pattern we have seen play out violently in other states. Alaska has a choice: we can act now to protect our neighbors, or we can watch as intimidation silences voices and fragments our communities.
The imagined boundaries between online hate and real-world violence have collapsed. What begins as social media harassment escalates to families living in fear at work, at home, and in public spaces. We cannot allow this cycle to continue unchecked.
Alaska Must Choose
Alaska can either be a state where hate thrives in silence, or one where love, justice, and protection for all voices define our character. We choose love. We choose protection. We choose a future where every Alaskan can speak truth without fear.
Hate will not win in Alaska—not on our watch.
Signed by:
Native Movement
Alaska Black Caucus
Alaska Center
Alaska Just Transition Collective
Data for Indigenous Justice
Anchorage NAACP Legal Redress Committee
Pacific Community of Alaska
YUKON FLATS NOT FOR SALE
Last July, we asked you to contact the Alaska Department of Natural Resources to stop taking proposals for oil and gas exploration in the Yukon Flats. Sadly, the state DNR ignored the voice of the people most impacted, and issued an exploration permit to Hilcorp, a privately held exploration and production company based in Houston, Texas.
Hilcorp has a horrific history of environmental and safety violations, including oil spills, on-site deaths, and numerous other violations. Hilcorp should not be operating in Alaska at all, and especially not in the Yukon Flats - a rich area of wetlands, forest, and bogs, on the confluence of the Yukon River, Porcupine River, and Chandalar River in central Alaska - is an irreplaceable natural treasure, teeming with biodiversity and supporting a vast array of wildlife.
The potential long-term consequences of industrial development outweigh any short-term economic gains. Clean water and land are a necessity for the Indigenous people of the Yukon Flats. Yukon King salmon are already facing severe habitat loss throughout the watershed, and further oil and gas development will only contribute to the continued loss and fragmentation of the freshwater habitat the salmon need for their survival. Make your voice heard and tell The Alaska Department of Natural Resources that the Yukon Flats is not for sale and to revoke Hilcorp's exploration permit.
Send an email to them below or check out these talking points and create your own email. This vital area should be protected, and all future oil and gas exploration proposals should be rejected. Emails to Alaska Department of Natural Resources due by October 22nd.
Applications open for 2025 Movement Fund Project Awards
Native Movement is excited to invite grant applications for two thematic open calls. Applicants may submit an application proposal for one of two themes outlined below.
Accepting Applications:
September 1 through October 20, 2025
Selection Process:
October 20, 2025-December 15, 2025
Funding Release:
February 2026
Note: Applicants must be Alaska Native (Indigenous to Alaska), live full-time in Alaska, and be at least 18 years old. Projects taking place in rural Alaska receive priority consideration.
Theme 1: Alaska Native Language Open Call
The Alaska Native Language Open Call is designed to support and empower Indigenous language learning and visibility across Alaska. We recognize that Indigenous language learning can transmit Indigenous worldviews, joy, and knowledge of our shared histories while helping to counter systematic erasure of our cultural identities. We invite applicants to build upon existing projects or promote new projects that grow opportunities for language sharing and language learning.
Projects that fit within the Alaska Native Language Open Call include the development of language focused culture camps, language study groups, translation and documentation work, support for after-school language programs, Indigenous theater projects, curriculum development, and place naming and/or signage, among other projects.
Theme 2: Resistance Open Call
Indigenous communities have long sought solutions to preserve, protect, and assert control of our cultural lifeways. The Resistance Open call is focused on protecting and advocating for water/land/human interests.
Projects that fit with this Open Call might support activities around environmental justice, land-based learning, site stewardship, strengthening community connectivity, and supporting wellness through ceremony.
The “Open Call” Movement Fund is a recognition that there is essential work happening that we are not always aware of, and by soliciting applications broadly, we can expand the scope and vision of this fund. The intention of this fund is to increase access to capital for Indigenous artists and community developers in order to amplify liberatory, grassroots and Queer/BIPOC led initiatives.
Native Movement’s Open Call Movement Fund aims to inspire and support movements for social justice, Indigenous rights, and the rights of Mother Earth through the direct funding of grassroots, intergenerational, and collective leadership efforts. The Movement Fund seeks to redistribute single one-time grants of $5,000-$25,000 to individual Alaska Native artists or artist collectives based full-time in Alaska.
Here Are Some Examples of What Types of Project Might Fit Into the Various Tiers of Funding:
Grants in the $5,000 range might support individual art projects.
Grants in the $5,000-$15,000 range might support artist pairings among highly experienced artists and those who are learning and practicing various art forms.
Grants in the $15,000-$25,000 range might support collaborative arts projects such as hide tanning camps.
Protect the Central Yukon Resource Management Plan and Roadless Rule
Photo: Jackie Cleveland
Nick Begich, Dan Sullivan, and Lisa Murkowski are trying to use federal power to brush aside the voices of Alaska Native communities and open up huge areas of Alaska to new oil and gas drilling, mining, and roads.
Take action TODAY with the form below and tell Alaska’s congressional delegation that they need to respect the voice of Alaskans and save the Central Yukon Regional Management Plan and protect the Roadless Rule!
This September, there are two key fights to protect Alaska’s lands and waters:
The Central Yukon Regional Management Plan:
The Central Yukon Regional Management Plan governs management of 13.3 million acres of public land in central and northern Alaska. The current Central Yukon Regional Management Plan, which was finalized in 2024, was developed over 13 years of public input with local stakeholders including 33 public meetings and with six Tribes as cooperating agencies. It was designed to promote thoughtful stewardship - including protections for declining species and promoting sustainable uses for the land.
Now, Alaska’s congressional delegation is trying to repeal this plan using the Congressional Review Act - allowing congresspeople from across the country to tell Alasakans how they are or are not allowed to manage their land. Congress has never used the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to overturn a regional resource management plan, and doing so would create a dangerous precedent that could empower the federal government to override regional management plans across the country.
The Roadless Rule
The 2001 Roadless Rule protects over 9 million acres of the Tongass from extractive-focused roadbuilding and industrial timber harvest (and over 44.7 million acres nationally). The Trump administration is attempting to roll back the Roadless Rule in order to pave the way for more logging and mining in areas that are critical to economies, communities, and livelihoods.
Our friends at the Southeast Alaska Conservation Council are also asking for your support to protect the Roadless Rule in a public comment period by September 19!
Roadbuilding and logging in these areas disrupt wildlife habitat, fragment migration corridors, and increase sediment in spawning streams. Sedimentation and habitat fragmentation from logging roads can persist for decades, harming fish and wildlife populations and decimating subsistence hunting and fishing that sustain Alaska Native communities.
We know that the people who know the land best are the ones who can best decide how to manage it. Take action and tell the Alaska congressional delegation stop letting DC dictate how Alasakans manage their land.
We know we may not win all of these fights - but MUST stand up to all of the Trump administration's efforts to treat Alaska like a resource warehouse for the rest of the country and the world. We know that Alaska Native communities, and all residents, can protect our sacred land and waters better than any DC bureaucrats - and together we will win.