Alaska Natives

This is the third in a five-part Channel 2 series on teen prostitution and its toll in Alaska. In this part, reporter Rhonda McBride examines the sex trade's harsh effects on Alaska Native teens in Anchorage. The Anchorage Police Department say one-third of the women it arrests for prostitution are Alaska Natives. Since the average age of entry into the sex trade is 14, Native teens are at high risk for exploitation -- especially those from rural Alaska. “They should just stay in the village -- stay in the village,” said Jessica, a 23-year-old Native woman at Anchorage's Downtown Transit Center.

Tuesday saw day two of the Elder's and Youth Conference, a forerunner to the Alaska Federation of Natives Convention, in Fairbanks.   You might say the Elders and Youth Conference is one big brainstorm, the old and the young, working together to make a difference. Their assignment this year: to find ways to use native language and culture as a blue print for success. Alaska Native Jeopardy is one of the most popular events at the conference and organizers of the event hope to show that learning about Native history can be fun and sometimes subject for debate.

Representative Don Young Don Young reintroduced a bill that allows Alaska Natives who served in Vietnam a chance to obtain lands under ANCSA on Thursday. Young's legislation, H.R. 3604, would amend the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act to allow approximately 2,800 Alaska Natives who served in Vietnam and missed the opportunity to apply for their Native allotment. According to Young's office, there are three major obstacles in ANCSA that prevents Alaska Native Vietnam veterans to choose lands.

Former Department of Public Safety commissioner Walt Monegan is now back to what he says is a true calling for him -- helping build safer communities. Monegan is replacing Denise Morris as president of the Alaska Native Justice Center. Morris is now director of the First Alaskans Institute. Monegan has served on the justice center’s board for 10 years and says he believes all his past experiences are important pieces of the puzzle, finding ways to help Alaska Natives and the justice system work together on the same path.

Hundreds will gather in Seattle Friday to say farewell to an Alaska Native sobriety leader. Ernie Turner died last month after a battle with cancer. Turner was born in Shageluk in 1930, but tuberculosis forced to him to move to Seattle for treatment. Once that battle was won, however, another one took its place as alcoholism nearly destroyed his life -- but Turner survived to develop treatment programs with Alaska Natives in mind.   “To me he exuded a strength, a quiet strength that you wanted to emulate,” said Orie Williams, a recovering alcoholic and former CEO of Doyon Native Corp.

by Channel 2 News staff Saturday, February 6, 2010 ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- The Alaska Native Heritage Center hosted the Indigenous World Film Festival this weekend. The festival kicked off Friday, and showings continued through Saturday evening. The goal of the event is to showcase films from around the world that are directed, produced or written by indigenous people, or are about indigenous issues. The festival also aims to promote the business of filmmaking and inspire young people to get their voice out. "As a young person, I feel it's really important to really have a clear understanding of your history and where you come from in order to have a clear view of the future," said actress Q'Orianka Kilcher.

The Alutiiq Museum has confirmed that famous Alaska Native artist Helen Jane Simeonoff has passed away. Simeonoff was known for her vibrant watercolor paintings depicting images from her life. According to her website she was born in Kodiak and studied art in San Diego, Calif. before studying watercolor painting in Adak. After working at the Anchorage Police Department for six years, Simeonoff became a full-time artist to follow her passion for Alaska Native culture. The subjects of Simeonoff’s paintings were inspired by her research; her favorite bird, the raven, is depicted in several of her works.

Walt Monegan is currently President of the Alaska Native Justice Center, with a long history in Alaska law enforcement.  Monegan is of Yup'ik, Tlingit and Irish Heritage.   Among some of the other high profile roles Monegan has played in public service:  Public Safety Commissioner and Anchorage Police Chief,  with 33 years of service in the Anchorage Police Department. 

 When it was built in 1999, the idea was to create a gathering place for all Alaska Natives, but now in its 11th season, the Alaska Native Heritage Center (ANHC) has become so much more. Just a 10 minute ride from downtown Anchorage, the center sits on a beautiful wooded lot off Muldoon Road in East Anchorage. When most people come to Alaska, they think Eskimos make up our Alaska Native Culture, but the center says it is working hard to teach people that there are 21different languages and 11 different cultures in the state.

It's an attempt to preserve Alaska's traditional languages by sparking renewed interest. A two-day language summit took place on Friday and Saturday at the Alaskan Native Heritage Center in Anchorage. The Alaska Native Language council was formed through legislation last year to preserve the languages at a time when so many elders are passing on.   People from all parts of Alaska attended to work on a plan to spread awareness and set goals on better teaching methods.