The AKPIRG Advocate, March 2024
✨You're Invited!✨
AKPIRG 50th Anniversary Trivia Night
Imperial Bar, Juneau AK // March 19, 7pm
AKPIRG has accumulated a lot of fun facts in 50 years!
Join us at the Imperial Bar in Juneau for AKPIRG Trivia Night! Celebrate AKPIRG's 50th Anniversary, test your knowledge of Alaska's history, and learn about the impact AKPIRG has had on the state.
If you live in Juneau or if you'll be in town for the Just Transition Summit (more info below!!), we hope to see you there!
Free to participate. Maximum of 6 people on one team. Top 3 teams will win prizes!
Alaska Native Language Gathering & Celebration
Thank you!
Our hearts are so full after our statewide gathering of Alaska Native language panelists and cultural bearers in Anchorage last month. The panelists, who represent all regions of Alaska and cumulatively speak 9 different Alaska Native languages, created a truly sacred multigenerational space together and uplifted each other in their language revitalization work. ❤️
While we are excited to share some of the messaging that the panelists created about the American Community Survey (ACS) soon, we wanted to take a moment to express our immense gratitude to all who participated and who put in a ton of effort to make this gathering a success.
Thank you to our panelists, many of whom traveled very far to be with us, for sharing your knowledge and culture with us, and for keeping Alaska Native languages alive. Thank you to all of our funders and co-sponsors for so generously supporting Alaska Native language work. Thank you to all the businesses who donated lunches to us, and to all those who donated the delicious and nourishing Native foods for us to snack on throughout the week. Thank you to Williwaw for hosting our Language Celebration night, and to all who came out to celebrate with us. Thank you to the artists who donated door prizes for that event and gifts for panelists. To all those who contributed, thank you thank you thank you!
Most of all, thank you to our AKPIRG Language Access team; Rochelle Adams, Erin Willahan, and Amaya Shaw; for bringing us together! AKPIRG is so proud of your work, and so grateful for all you do.
We couldn't host amazing gatherings like these without the support of our community. You can support Alaska Native language revitalization work by making a donation at akpirg.org/donate. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you!
Mahsì’ choo! Tsin’aen! Chin’an! Quyanaqpak! Enaa baasee’! Gunalchéesh! Qaĝaasakung! Quyana! 🌟
AKPIRG Legislative Fly-In 2024
Last month, AKPIRG policy experts traveled to Juneau to meet with legislators for the second annual AKPIRG Legislative Fly-In! ✈️
AKPIRG staff had over 40(!) meetings with legislators and staffers over two short days. While we focused on issues like payday lending reform, enacting a renewable portfolio standard in Alaska, and creating more access to affordable renewable energy through community solar, we were also able to offer AKPIRG as a reliable resource for lawmakers and their staff as they navigate a wide variety of public interest issues.
AKPIRG is proud to be a recognized and respected name around the Capitol, and we are so grateful for all of the legislative offices who took the time to meet with us. It was an honor, and we hope to be back soon!
Upcoming Electric Co-op Elections
Preparations for Railbelt cooperative board elections are in full swing. Chugach Electric (CEA), Golden Valley Electric (GVEA), and Matanuska Electric (MEA) have all announced candidates for board seats. Eligible GVEA members interested in becoming canddiates by petition process have until Friday March 1; eligible CEA members interested in using the petition process have until March 8. Homer Electric (HEA) members interested in running for its board need to submit applications by 9 a.m. Friday March 1. The MEA nominating process is now closed.
For information on election preparations, including the continuing controversy around CEA's Nominating Committee, see the AETP article below.
X̱ʼunei Lance Twitchell
AKPIRG Language Champion
It’s time to celebrate X̱’unei Lance Twitchell, AKPIRG Language Champion of the month! In this series, we are uplifting the abundant work being done around the state to maintain, preserve, and revitalize Alaska Native Languages.
“X̱ʼunei áyá ax̱ saayí Lingít x̱ʼéináx̱, Deikeenaa x̱ʼéináx̱ Ḵʼeijáaḵw, ḵa Dleit Ḵáa X̱ʼéináx̱ Lance Twitchell… Lukaax̱.ádi áwé uháan, Yéil Hít yeedáx̱, ḵa Lḵoot yoo duwasáakw Haa Léelkʼu Hás Aaní. Aatlein ḵu.oo áwé ax̱ ée has awlitóow haa yoo x̱ʼatángi ḵa aadé ḵaa ée dultóow yé. My name in Lingít is X̱ʼunei, and in Haida Ḵʼeijáaḵw, and in English Lance Twitchell… We are of the Lukaax̱.ádi clan, from inside the Raven House, and our Ancestral Lands are called Lḵoot (Chilkoot). Many people have taught me the ways to teach people.”
X̱ʼunei is a Professor of Alaska Native Languages at the University of Alaska Southeast. He co-leads a program with Éedaa Heather Burge to develop Indigenous language teachers, and they are currently building a Master of Arts in Teaching Indigenous Languages program at UAS. His advocacy was instrumental to ensuring that Alaska Native languages became co-official languages of the state of Alaska. X̱ʼunei is currently the chair of the Alaska Native Language Preservation Advisory Council, a contributing member of the The National Coalition of Native American Language Schools and Programs, and a member of a working group that is developing the first National Native American Language Center.
When discussing the language reclamation that is happening in Indigenous communities, X̱ʼunei said, “It is coming back, all of it, and the inertia of Indigenous excellence is unstoppable and will result in populations that are transformed to strength.”
We thank X̱ʼunei, not only for his scholarship and preservation of the Lingít language, but for his invaluable advocacy for Indigenous language revitalization across the state and nation. It is an honor to have X̱ʼunei as an AKPIRG Language Panelist. Gunlchéesh!
To learn more about X̱ʼunei, visit akpirg.org/language-access.
#LanguageMatters #LanguageChampions #AKPIRGLanguageAccess
🌟REGISTER TODAY!🌟
Alaska Just Transition Summit
March 18-20, 2024 // Áakʼw Ḵwáan Juneau AK
The 2024 Alaska Just Transition Summit is less than two weeks away! We are excited to invite you to join us at the forefront of an essential movement for sustainability and justice. We are proud to be a part of the Alaska Just Transition Collective, and together, we are hosting the Alaska Just Transition Summit in Áak’w Kwáan, Juneau, Alaska.
About the Summit:
The Alaska Just Transition Summit is a key gathering for those committed to building an equitable and sustainable future. As a collective of regional organizations, we are united in our vision to transition from an extractive to a resilient, care-based economy. Our approach is deeply intertwined with indigenous wisdom, recognizing the invaluable knowledge of Alaska Native peoples under the theme of "Remembering Forward," to guide us.
Summit Details:
When: March 18-20, 2024
Where: Centennial Hall, Áak’w Kwáan, Juneau, Alaska
Registration Cost: Sliding scale payment system from $99 for a day pass, and $175-$275 for full summit attendance.
Childcare is available!
Why Attend?
The Alaska Just Transition Summit is not just an event; it's a part of a larger movement towards a just, regenerative economy rooted in the principles of equity and sustainability. By joining us, you'll be contributing to a vital dialogue and action plan for change, grounded in the respect for indigenous cultures and the natural world.
