Alaska Real

• Pelosi promises on Native health care

  From Indian Country Today:
  
  “[W]e cannot ask Indian people to be penalized for choosing to use the Indian health care system,” Pelosi wrote.
  “The House bill will ensure that the exemption from the financial penalties is extended to members of federally recognized Indian tribes, and that the [...]
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  Posted: October 21, 2009, 4:40pm EDT
  

• Alaska Teritorial Guard benefits

  If you haven't heard, last week the senate voted to keep the language in the defense authorization act to keep retirement pay to the veterans who served in the Alaska Territoral Guard.
  
  Sen. Begich press release
  
  Sen. Murkowski press release
  
  From Begich: Sens. Begich and' [...]
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  Posted: October 14, 2009, 9:06pm EDT
  

• Sen. Kookesh on subsistence

  
  
  What do you think? [...]
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  Posted: October 13, 2009, 9:50pm EDT
  

• Territorial Guard issue seems to be a no-brainer

  There's an issue that has been going around the ringer for awhile now, but really came to a head last week. Honestly, I'm still trying to make sense of it. It seems pretty simple to me.
  
  Twenty six guys, still alive today, were asked to serve their country in [...]
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  Posted: September 28, 2009, 4:02pm EDT
  

• All men (and women) created equal - and able to equally become stupid criminals

  I read Julie O'Malley's column (in the Anchorage Daily News) on the Masek sentencing last week, and it's been a point of discussion with several friends. Beverly Masek was an Alaskan representative convicted on corruption charges in the string of corruption investigations, indictments and convictions to hit the state' [...]
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  Posted: September 28, 2009, 3:52am EDT
  

• Clarification from Obama administration for health care reform and Native population

  From Indian Country Today:
  
  Obama administration makes new promise on Indian health
  
  I've been cautious to say anything on health care. As an Alaska Native, I've lived with pre-paid health care my whole life. It wasn't until I was a nanny, and had to navigate quite a' [...]
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  Posted: September 25, 2009, 8:19pm EDT
  

• Ever wanted to write a play?

  Just stumbled on this very cool opportunity for Native artists of all kinds.
  
  The Alaska Native Heritage Center is starting an Alaska Native Playwrights Project, in which artists will go through a 5-day writing intensive and 7-month mentoring process to see the story they want to tell put [...]
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  Posted: September 11, 2009, 8:39pm EDT
  

• Back in sunlight

  So I've been silent (only on here, I gaurantee) for a while, but I've literally been holed up in my apartment, ignoring work, family and friends for the last week finishing up a BIG project. Like, something I've been wanting to do, and planning on, literally since childhood. So, not' [...]
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  Posted: September 10, 2009, 10:16pm EDT
  

• State Dept. of Education hiring new rural position

  Strange, but one of my first reactions to the announcement in the Peninsula Clarion that the state was hiring a rural education director was, "Wow - they don't have that position already?"
  
  I'm glad that some of this is the focus:
  
  In Alaska, rural often means Native, [...]
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  Posted: September 02, 2009, 11:06pm EDT
  

• Awww...

  
  Okay, it's a crappy camera phone pic, and it's nothig of substance, but I went for a really long walk and snapped this mama and baby moose. [...]
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  Posted: September 02, 2009, 10:55pm EDT
  

• Obama Administration in Rural Alaska

  
  I know, I know, this is kinda late. But I was perusing Tundra Drums, and thought this was a pretty good article about the members of Obama's cabinet who visited rural Alaska recently. Interesting to hear their take on local issues. I liked what' [...]
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  Posted: August 28, 2009, 9:52pm EDT
  

• Time for another talk on subsistence

  From Alaska Indigenous:
  
  Early this morning I picked up a piece of news from the Anchorage Daily Newspaper that Sen. Al Kookesh will fight a fishing citation issued by an Alaska State Trooper wildlife officer, on Admiralty Island, Alaska...
  
  Kookesh stated the citation and fine is beside [...]
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  Posted: August 26, 2009, 1:13am EDT
  

• Healthcare video debate going for Indian Health Services tactics

  Every time I think people like Glenn Beck can't tick me off more than they have, they pull it out of somewhere.
  
  Stumbled on this little bit in Indian Country Today about Glenn Beck comparing Indian Health Service to the proposed health care reform. It is a little' [...]
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  Posted: August 24, 2009, 12:20am EDT
  

• Crow chief receives Medal of Freedom from Obama: Video

  Follow up to a previous post about Joe Medicine Crow, a war hero, war chief, and historian. He received the Medal of Freedom from President Obama last week. Video from Indan Country Today:
  
  Crow chief receives Medal of Freedom
  
  Another video,an interview with Medicine Crow. [...]
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  Posted: August 19, 2009, 12:30am EDT
  

• Hope for REAL energy solutions in rural Alaska?

  I was visiting Southeast Alaska this summer, and had a few discussions about the impact of something like a small wind farm in some of the small communities I was in. Kodiak has a few now, and CIRI is developing some over on Fire Island - I've heard of other' [...]
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  Posted: August 17, 2009, 5:25am EDT
  

• Native man wants to forgive attackers in hate crime against him

  Reporters interviewed Eddie Barr, the victim of the hate crime captured on video and posted on YouTube. What is amazing about this guy is his total willingness to forgive, despite the fear he has now, and the fact that even during the attack, he was only trying to be a [...]
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  Posted: August 15, 2009, 12:14pm EDT
  

• APD arrests two in hate crime against Native man

  From the Anchorage Daily News:
  
  

  With their video camera rolling, a young white couple threw eggs at an Alaska Native man and kicked him, slinging slurs in what appears to have been a racially motivated assault, police said Thursday. During the attack, the victim held his hand out [...]

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  Posted: August 14, 2009, 10:24pm EDT
  

• Native economy essay reminder - $10,000 for six winners!

  
  (click on image to make bigger)
  
  Just a reminder that this contest put on by the Alaska Federation of Natives (AFN), partnered with the National Congress of American Indians and Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement, has a deadline of Sept. 15 - just a [...]
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  Posted: August 13, 2009, 10:58pm EDT
  

• Obama Administration supports Native Hawaiian self-governance

  I'm a little surprised this isn't getting more play in the news, but it would mean huge changes for the Native people of Hawaii if it were to pass. From RezNet:
  
  Sam Hirsch, deputy associate attorney general for the Justice Department, told the Senate Committee on Indian [...]
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  Posted: August 12, 2009, 9:57pm EDT
  

• Native achievement gap closing.. work to be done

  From the Juneau Empire:
  
  

  The trend statewide is positive for Native students, said Eric Fry, spokesman for the state Department of Education and Early Development. Eighty-four schools statewide failed to meet requirements among the Alaska Native population during the 2007-2008 school year. That number fell to 79 [...]
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  Posted: August 10, 2009, 5:35am EDT
  

• Native American Supreme Court Justice up next?

  Interesting poll from US News and World Report - 50% surveyed would like to see the next Supreme be a Native American. As we (hopefully) have our first Hispanic Supreme shortly, this would be great to see.
  
  Respondents chose racial diversity over religious diversity or difference in sexual [...]
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  Posted: August 06, 2009, 5:06am EDT
  

• Begich gives maiden speech, introduces Inuvikput bills. Love it.

  I was really expecting a sort of typical, "Let's drill!" sort of focus, not because that's what Begich tends to do, but when an Alaskan politician gets in front of the U.S. Senate, that's kind of what I expect. Okay... not really fair, but it was a pretty long time,' [...]
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  Posted: August 04, 2009, 10:40pm EDT
  

• Native war chief to be honored with Presidential Medal of Freedom

  I was really intrigued with this man's story, after reading the article on Reznet. Joe Medicine Crow will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in America, from Obama on Aug. 12.
  
  A 95-year-old Crow Indian who wore war paint into battle beneath his World' [...]
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  Posted: August 03, 2009, 10:31pm EDT
  

• Activity on Pebble Mine in Bristol Bay region

  One of the more controversial state issues is the Pebble Mine, a potential copper/gold mine in Western Alaska - also the heart of one of the biggest salmon fisheries. Bristol Bay residents - Native and not - recently spoke out on the project, by way of a lawsuit saying the [...]
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  Posted: July 30, 2009, 11:24pm EDT
  

• Alaska Native leader speaks out on Palin

  Saw this in the ADN Newsreader today, originally from the New York Times. Willie Hensley, a prominent and VERY well-respected Alaska Native leader wrote an op-ed that landed in the Times, aptly titled "In Alaska, Qiviters Never Win." The "qiviters" is a play on a an Inuit word [...]
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  Posted: July 29, 2009, 9:54pm EDT
  

• Alaska Native contract senate hearings

  What with all the Palin news, I haven't even attempted much Native news updates. But there's a whole lot going on, especially in D.C.
  
  Senate hearings on Alaska Native contracts (from the Anchorage Daily News)
  
  Probably one of the most publicized Native news pieces is regarding the' [...]
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  Posted: July 28, 2009, 8:21pm EDT
  

• A good day or Alaska... hopefully

  In under an hour, Palin will no longer be our governor. Hallelujah.
  
  I have no idea what her plans are after this, and the only way this could be a bad thing is if she decided she still wanted to run for office. If she wants to do some [...]
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  Posted: July 26, 2009, 10:59am EDT
  

• Palin's (predictable) problems

  No exactly shocking today to hear that another of the ethics complaints against Palin have been found to have merit. Interesting, though.
  
  
  
  Here's some of my favorite Palin postings of the past few days:
  
  
  
  Shannyn Moore with "It's not Sarah's fault... just" [...]
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  Posted: July 22, 2009, 12:05am EDT
  

• Alaska Native view on Palin resignation... and what's next?

  All right, so it's only a little bit of a view, but this Indian Country Today article does a pretty good summation of Native issues and Palin.
  
  “To vacate her position early is pretty concerning. It leaves questions about her character – but maybe it will turn out [...]
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  Posted: July 13, 2009, 7:38pm EDT
  

• Arctic tribute to MJ

  Whatever your feelings about Michael Jackson, I believe history will still show him as one of the most influential artists of our time. If you think on nearly all the biggest names of music, painting, literature, etc., there were some incredibly striking personal issues, problems, whatever that history easily forgives [...]
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  Posted: July 08, 2009, 10:31pm EDT
  

• Still not sure what to say about Palin

  I've been back on dry land for a few days, trying to catch up on the Palin news after my own personal "media blackout." But to be honest, I still don't even know what to think about Palin quitting office.
  
  First reaction, disbelief. Second, glee. Third, WTF?
  
  Despite [...]
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  Posted: July 07, 2009, 8:40pm EDT
  

• Real Native Myths and Legends - Revisited #4

  I'm going to be out of Internet access for a few days. I'd like to start revisiting somethig I paused when the Palin stuff came out last fall - "Real Native Myths and Legends." I started it because there's so much stereotyping, misundestandngs and common beliefs about the Native people [...]
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  Posted: July 05, 2009, 4:43pm EDT
  

• Real Native Myths and Legends - Revisited #2

  I'm going to be out of Internet access for a few days. I'd like to start revisiting somethig I paused when the Palin stuff came out last fall - "Real Native Myths and Legends." I started it because there's so much stereotyping, misundestandngs and common beliefs about the Native people [...]
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  Posted: July 05, 2009, 9:36pm EDT
  

• Real Native Myths and Legends - Revisited #3

  I'm going to be out of Internet access for a few days. I'd like to start revisiting somethig I paused when the Palin stuff came out last fall - "Real Native Myths and Legends." I started it because there's so much stereotyping, misundestandngs and common beliefs about the Native people [...]
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  Posted: July 05, 2009, 7:39pm EDT
  

• Palin Resigns, Writing Raven stuck on Ferry.

  This special edition brought to you by Writing Ravens mom, as Writing Raven really is stuck on the ferry in Southeast Alaska. She got the shocking news before us and as usual she called and told us to turn on the tv. I managed to see the breaking news live [...]
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  Posted: July 03, 2009, 9:53am EDT
  

• Real Native Myths and Legends - Revisited

  I'm going to be out of Internet access for a few days. I'd like to start revisiting somethig I paused when the Palin stuff came out last fall - "Real Native Myths and Legends." I started it because there's so much stereotyping, misundestandngs and common beliefs about the Native people [...]
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  Posted: July 01, 2009, 6:44am EDT
  

• On the new fishery panel

  From the Dutch Harbor Fisherman: New fishery panel aims to hear rural voices
  
  From the article:
  
  The seven-member committee will meet with Native and tribal leaders, including in rural areas of the state that have traditionally had little involvement in federally managed fisheries, said Duncan Fields. The [...]
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  Posted: June 29, 2009, 3:02am EDT
  

• Fresh snow. Yeah.

  My friend was driving through the pass today on the peninsula, and caught this:
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  
  She said it was snowing on them up there, raining crazy hard just a few minutes out.

  I swear if that snow comes any closer, [...]

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  Posted: June 24, 2009, 10:36pm EDT
  

• URGENT REQUEST

  This is a special request from Dennis Zaki of the Alaska Report. The coverage is neccessary, and Dennis is one of the few - usually the ONLY - person reporting it. Not only is he getting the story, what I've seen of his work is more accurate and at the' [...]
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  Posted: June 23, 2009, 4:57am EDT
  

• Native people may have shown up a little earlier to the party

  Found this pretty interesting piece a few days ago in Indian Country Today:
  
  Scholars are pushing evidence of human habitation in North America well beyond the non-Native accepted wisdom that places it at a relatively recent 13,000 to 14,000 years ago...
  
  A perhaps-controversial 33,000 years ago, “and [...]
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  Posted: June 22, 2009, 10:12pm EDT
  

• Racking up points in the lifelong Alaskan animal sighting game

  So we're driving along, and my friend gets annoyed at the cars lined up on the highway. Construction season? No. She suddenly yells, "BEAR!" and we go into the only instinctual reaction one can go into when you hear that (in the safety of a' [...]
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  Posted: June 20, 2009, 12:51am EDT
  

• Cancer surviors and loved ones - bead a quilt square!

  
  [...]
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  Posted: June 18, 2009, 9:40pm EDT
  

• Palin's new AG pick for Alaska

  Another important appointment, this time at the state level. Palin appointed Dan Sullivan (no, not THAT Dan Sullivan) as AG. I don't know much about him either, but the Anchorage Daily News has a few bios up about him.
  
  If you remember, the last AG pick, [...]
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  Posted: June 17, 2009, 5:03am EDT
  

• Obama names Native senior policy advisor... finally!!

  Okay, my impatience has finally paid off (not sure that had anything to do with it, but moving on!)
  
  One of the major campaign promises of Obama's to Native people around the country was a Native senior policy advisor - and he's made good on that promise!
  
  From [...]
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  Posted: June 15, 2009, 11:11am EDT
  

• Swine flu hitting Inuit communities hard

  From Indian Country Today:
  
  (World Health Organization) briefed reporters June 9 that reports to the agency of infections in Inuit communities in Canada showed “disproportionate numbers of serious cases occurring,” said WHO senior official Keiji Fukuda.
  
  In general, I've been confused by all the attention the H1N1' [...]
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  Posted: June 15, 2009, 12:57am EDT
  

• Native authors summer reading list

  Was out of town for much of this week, and got a little bit hooked on a much nicer, slower frame of mind. Having a little bit of trouble getting back into life.
  
  Oprah released her summer reading list, so I figured, hey, why not me? Sure, the authors [...]
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  Posted: June 13, 2009, 12:02am EDT
  

• CIRI looking for Native artists to highlight

  Click on ad to enlarge.
  [...]
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  Posted: June 12, 2009, 9:00pm EDT
  

• Enough already on the racism defending racism

  I have no problems with scrutinizing the Supreme Court nominee - in fact, it is incredibly neccessary. Her words, her speeches, her judgements should be combed through as much as possible so the American public knows exactly who and what we are getting for a lifetime appointment of Supreme Court [...]
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  Posted: June 08, 2009, 10:02am EDT
  

• Bee Native - organization that is leading the way

  This caught my eye in a Twitter post because it seemed so random. Bees? Really?
  
  With all that is going on in the world, why is there a Native American organization focused on bee survival?
  
  But reading the information is a little eye-opening - not to [...]
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  Posted: June 06, 2009, 11:10pm EDT
  

• Alaska Real turns 1!

  A year ago today I began this blog - and so sorry to be cliche, but oh - what a year! I coudn't have dreamt up half of what happened this last year.
  
  
  
  I learned a lot from this little experiment, and will continue it further.' [...]
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  Posted: June 05, 2009, 10:33pm EDT