NANA
2020 Annual Meeting
a Success Despite
COVID-19 Restrictions
NANA held its 2020 Annual
Meeting of Shareholders
in Kivalina on Saturday,
March 28, though it was a departure
from the festivities that typically
occur at the yearly event.
NANA leadership closely tracked
news of the COVID-19 outbreak and
coordinated with Board Chair Linda
Lee and Kivalina-based board members,
deciding to proceed with a shortened,
minimal agenda and without any NANA
representatives traveling to Kivalina. Linda
Lee appointed Mary Sage – Proxy holder
and board director from Kivalina – as
presiding officer to lead the meeting.
During the meeting, seven shareholders
were elected to serve three-year terms
on the NANA board. New board
members Gary Hadley and Crystal
Johnson joined incumbents Nellie
Sheldon, Bonita Barr, Myra Wesley,
Alex Sheldon Sr. and Lance Kramer.
We would like to acknowledge and
thank outgoing board members Tony
Jones Jr. and Ely Cyrus for their years
of service. Taikuu, Tony and Ely!
Although the changes to this year’s
meeting were unexpected, we worked
together to accomplish the one legally
required agenda item – the election
of directors. A big thank you to
everyone who was involved in the
revised meeting and arrangements,
especially the community of Kivalina.
When deemed safe by the state, borough
and community, NANA will plan a
celebratory event in Kivalina to include
full reports from Linda Lee and President
and CEO Wayne Westlake, as well as
a job fair, NANA Awards, feast and
festivities, and in-person door prizes. •
It was a beautiful day in Kivalina! Board member
and presiding officer Mary Sage (top middle photo)
opened the polls at the Annual Meeting. Thank you
to Myra Wesley for the photos.
In response to COVID-19, in-region
mining projects and operations
continuously adjust to respond to new
health and safety mandates. The following
information is current as of June 8, 2020.
UKMP
NANA Natural
Resources Advances
on Summer Projects
NANA and Ambler Metals are working
to determine how a summer field season
at the Upper Kobuk Mineral Projects
(UKMP) may progress while protecting
communities and balancing job
opportunities for residents of the region.
As partners, we are evaluating several
options, including a delayed season
start date in July or August. Given
the far-reaching economic effects of
COVID-19 and the measures required
to prioritize health and safety, there
will be a reduced project scope and
fewer jobs than originally planned.
NANA and Ambler Metals will continue to
track and evaluate federal, state and local
orders, working with the communities to
determine the best and safest way forward.
RED DOG MINE
On May 18, 2020, Red Dog updated
COVID-19 testing protocols for
employees traveling in the NANA
region. All Red Dog employees and
contractors who wish to travel home
within the region for their R&R will be
required to take the following steps:
• One day prior to travel, all personnel
manifested for an in-region flight
will be required to coordinate
with their supervisor to schedule
an appointment with the medic,
who will collect a sample for
COVID-19 testing using a nasal
swab. This sample will be collected
in the afternoon on the day before
personnel are scheduled to fly home.
• While at the appointment, the
employee will be required to complete
a Northwest Arctic Borough (NAB)
travel declaration form and will be
provided the current travel protocols
for their respective community by
Teck human resources. The employee
will be required to review and sign the
document, acknowledging that the
document has been read and received.
• Once all samples are collected from
each outbound traveler, the samples
will be sent to Maniilaq Health Center
(MHC) in Kotzebue for a same-day
analysis. A Teck-provided courier will
deliver the samples to MHC. Once
the analyses are complete, Maniilaq
officials will communicate test results
to the Red Dog medic. If the results
are negative, the employee will be
permitted to travel back to their home
community the following day on a
regional air charter from Red Dog.
• The Red Dog Mine community
relations (CR) department will submit
a travel manifest and associated
confirmation of a negative test result
to Maniilaq, NAB and each tribal
and city administrator on the day of
travel, prior to any scheduled flights
with an estimated arrival time.
• Each Monday, Red Dog CR will
contact each IRA director or their
designee to ask if any new travel
restrictions have been adopted.
These will be communicated to
all personnel traveling home to a
regional community. IRA directors
are asked to contact Red Dog CR
with any changes to travel protocols.
• When arriving at the final
destination, employees will follow
the community-specific COVID-19
guidelines and recommendations.
• Travel will be from Red Dog to an
employee’s home community. If a
flight is required to make stops in
multiple communities, employees are
required to stay on the plane until they
reach their final destination. All travel
will be coordinated by Teck Alaska.
For employees traveling to Red Dog,
upon arrival, they will report for inbound
passenger screening, which consists of
a temperature check and answering a
series of health-screening questions. •
2 HUNTER | 2020 June