The Hunter 2018 Volume, Issue January / February | Page 6

NANA
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Alaska Federation of Natives
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2017 AFN Annual Convention
Strength in Unity: Leadership—Partnerships—Social Justice
T
he 2017 Alaska Federation of
Natives (AFN) Annual Convention
was held at the Dena’ina Center in
Anchorage, Alaska, from October 19 - 21,
2017. This year’s theme was Strength in Unity:
Leadership—Partnerships—Social Justice.
This year’s keynote speakers were Colonel
Wayne Don, Alaska Army National
Guard, and Sgt. Jody Potts, Tanana Chiefs
Conference (TCC) Director of Public Safety.
Don grew up on Nunivak Island and attended
college at the University of Alaska Fairbanks,
where he was a part of the Reserve Officer
Training Corps program. In April 2017,
he was selected by the Department of the
Army for promotion to Colonel and was
appointed by the Museum of the American
Indian to a national advisory committee to
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help develop a Native American veterans
monument on the grounds of the museum.
Jody is Han Gwich’in from the Native Village
of Eagle. A Doyon, Limited shareholder, she
serves on the Governor’s Tribal Advisory
Council and is a board member of Native
Movement. She graduated from Northern
Arizona University with a Bachelor of Science
degree in Applied Indigenous Studies with
an emphasis in Environmental Management.
In 1998 she was crowned Miss National
Congress of American Indians. When she
is not working, you can find her mushing
her dog team or training for a triathlon.
The AFN formed in October of 1966 when
more than 400 Alaska Natives, representing
17 Native organizations, conducted a historic
three-day meeting to address aboriginal land
HUNTER  2018 JANUARY / FEBRUARY
rights. Since then, AFN has held gatherings
annually to discuss Native issues and policy.
According to AFN, policy guidelines and
advocacy statements are set by the dozens of
resolutions passed by voting delegates at the
Convention. Delegates are elected based on
a population formula of one representative
per 25 Native residents in the area, and
delegate participation rates at the annual
convention typically exceed 95 percent. The
NANA region had 50 delegates this year.
Approximately 38 resolutions passed at the
convention regarding endangered species and
support for the Eskimo walrus commission
regarding the ivory ban, FEMA policy,
investigation into the U.S. Department of
Justice, Indian Health Services (IHS) budget,
rental assistance for homeless or at-risk
Indian veterans, USDA grant funding for
rural projects, change in federal and state
policies with education, support in land
allotments and conservation, economic
support in rural areas, legislation to support
the sovereign authority of Alaska tribes to
administer justice and public safety, a call on
President Trump to fulfill promise of America
first for first Americans, strengthening Alaska
state defense force in rural communities,
and an endorsement supporting Alaska
Legal Services Corporation. The full
resolutions can be downloaded from
nativefederation.org/annual-convention.
The 2018 AFN convention will be held in
Anchorage, Alaska, on October 18-20.