NANA
NANA Trespass
Program Recognizes
Aaquuraqpauraq
Larry Westlake Sr.
Nicole Stoops, Kotzebue
IRA Director, Named
2019 Top 40 Under 40
from Kotzebue High School in 1998 and
went on to earn a B.A. in journalism from
Boston’s Northeastern University. She
worked for The Boston Globe newspaper and
the accounting firm of Deloitte & Touche
before returning home to Kotzebue.
Nicole worked at Kikiktagruk Iñupiat
Corporation for 10 years in various roles
of increasing responsibility. In 2015, she
was hired as the executive director of the
Native Village of Kotzebue (Kotzebue IRA).
Nicole Stoops is honored as one of Alaska’s top 40
professionals under the age of 40.
Larry Westlake Sr. and his wife, Christina, boat to camp.
L
arry Westlake Sr. is a respected
Elder who models and practices
Iñupiat Ilitqusiat and demonstrates
leadership among our people. Larry
spearheaded the Kiana Elders Council’s
efforts to share traditional hunting practices
with the next generation of hunters. He
recognizes that traditional knowledge
is necessary for hunting success.
Larry was born and raised in Kiana. His
parents were the late Teddy and Jenny
Westlake. As a young man, he learned
how to hunt, sharing everything they
had. “There’s still a lot of sharing,” said
his wife, Christina. “Young people still
give their first catch to Elders in the
community—and when they hunt caribou
in the fall, they make sure that people
who don’t have hunters in their family
get meat to put away for the winter.”
Larry learned from Elders that, in order
for people to survive, the caribou herd had
to survive. “We respected the Elders,” he
said. “We followed their guidelines and we
did what we were told.” For example, “If we
let caribou cross the Kobuk River without
hunting them for two days, we would
have caribou for the rest of our lives.”
Back then, the only transportation
was by dog team. Hunting took
days and sometimes weeks.
Today, as an Elder, Larry continues to
ensure that past traditions are passed down
to and understood by our youth. He and
the Kiana Elders Council worked diligently
to create the Hunters Success Initiative, a
guide to how animals, and fellow hunters,
should be respected. This initiative is
now a model for other organizations,
such as the Kotzebue IRA, who use this
example to create their own versions.
Larry works hard to protect our subsistence
way of life. He encourages others to live as
our ancestors have taught us. He is a role
model for our younger generations. He
demonstrates how, by working together, we
can overcome many obstacles when we are
one people trying to accomplish common
goals. He has shown us how we can build
bridges with other organizations to help
protect subsistence and our way of life.
K
otzebue IRA Executive Director
Nicole Atanan Stoops has been
recognized as an emerging leader
among Alaska’s finest young professionals
by the Alaska Journal of Commerce.
Nicole is the daughter of Trygve and Mamie
Jorgensen of Kotzebue. She graduated
The 40 Under 40 honor recognizes
individuals who have demonstrated
professional excellence in their field. Past
honorees include NANA Senior Vice
President & Chief Administration Officer
Sarah Lukin (2008) and NANA Senior Vice
President & Chief Legal Officer Kimberly
Panitchiaq Sigvaun Jorgensen (2014).
NANA thanks Nicole for being a
positive role model to our shareholders
and youth in the region.
Alaska Resource
Education Inspires
Students to Explore
Larry has continually demonstrated a
strong commitment to his country, region,
community and family. He served in the
Eskimo Scouts, National Guard, and Army
Reserves for 18 years. He has participated
in dog mushing and search and rescue,
and has served on the Regional Elder’s
Council, the Kiana Elder’s Council and the
Northwest Arctic Borough Assembly.
For thousands of years, we have lived in concert with our environment—using
the gifts the land provides for our survival. It is for this reason that subsistence
is the highest and best use of our lands.
NANA actively works to protect our shareholders’ subsistence rights and the
land and waters in our region. We accomplish this by advocating on behalf of
our shareholders to government bodies and agencies.
Students in the NANA region experience STEM-integrated fun with hands-on projects—and get treated to a
few Jelly Beans in the process.
A
laska Resource Education (ARE)
offers a collection of K-8 lessons
on mineral resources. The
activities-based program gives students
of today the answers they'll need for
resource questions of tomorrow. “Mine a Pie” shows where minerals come
from. Students in grades sixth through
eighth learn the basics of exploration,
permitting, excavation and reclamation.
They mine a plot of “land” and determine a
profit or loss based on the choices they make.
Popular lessons include “Jelly Belly
Geology” and “Mine a Pie.” ARE’s mission is to educate students
about Alaska’s natural resources. Red
Dog Mine is a sustaining partner in the
nonprofit organization to help the program
grow. More information on ARE can be
found at http://akresource.org/are/
In “Jelly Belly Geology,” third-, fourth-
and fifth-graders learn how to identify
rocks. They also learn about the uses of
rocks and minerals in everyday life.
HUNTER | 2019 JULY
3