AFN agenda includes remarks from Secretary of Interior Haaland

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The 2021 AFN Convention will once again be a “virtual convention, sensitive to the continuing danger of Covid-19, and is scheduled for Dec. 13-14.

Many of Alaska’s most well-known elected leaders will take part in the event, with addresses from Mayor Dave Bronson, Gov. Mike Dunleavy, Congressman Don Young, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, Sen. Dan Sullivan, and a host of other dignitaries, including Secretary of Interior Deb Haaland.

View the entire agenda here.

Also giving remarks on camera will be Alaska Supreme Court Justice Sue Carney,  Chief and President of Native Village of Eklutna Aaron Leggett, and panelists discussing the 50-year history of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, including Nelson Angapak, Willie Hensley, Roy Huhndorf, Sam Kito, Jr. Georgianna Lincoln, and Rosita Worl.

People can participate by logging into the convention virtual meeting platform.  Click here for access to agenda updates, information on presenters, sponsors and exhibitors, community chat rooms, and more.

You can watch the convention live on TV on 360 North, GCI and Yukon TV Channel 1, ARCS, and listen on Koahnic public radio. The convention webcast can be watched live at AFN’s website and on Facebook.

The 2021 agenda reflects a much-less radicalized AFN than in recent years, when AFN emphasized climate change, anti-Trump, and anti-business stances. This year, it is focusing on space, technology, and Arctic defense, with lesser emphasis on oil and climate. But notably, the sponsorship from Arctic Slope Regional Corporation, a major oil services Native corporation, has not returned, after it withdrew as a sponsor due to the anti-oil agenda of AFN. This year, the organization has 24 corporate supporters, including:

GCI

AARP Alaska

Alaska Airlines

Chugach

Donlin Gold
ExxonMobil

NANA

Walmart Foundation

Wells Fargo

Ahtna

Alaska Commercial Co.

Alaskans for Better Elections

Alyeska Pipeline Service Company

Bristol Bay Native Corporation

ConocoPhillips

First National Bank Alaska

Alaska IBEW Local 1547

Landye Bennett Blumstein LLP

Northern Air Cargo

One Alaska

Southcentral Foundation

Tanana Chiefs Conference

Teck

Visit Anchorage

10 COMMENTS

  1. So I have to wonder how many of the AFN attendees who are against oil production have refused their share of the I9 distribution from ASRC?

    • Are you referring to the ANCSA 7i and 7j distributions?

      Either way, that is a great comment!!

      I do not know if there is a responsible “auditor” of these distributions.

      I have to believe there is some system in place, I just do not know what it is or who they are.

      Where would a person go to find out?

      • The Yale Law Review has an article (Re)Solving the Tribal No-Forum Conundrum: Michigan v. Bay Mills Indian Community by Matthew L.M. Fletcher it reviews the impacts of how compacting w out the tribes or tribal organizations writing laws that clarify jurisdiction & issues of equality and representation in tribal law. For example had the Alaska tribal organizations created laws that protect the treatment of all people regardless of race the non Indian health service study participants in the Alaska tribal health compact could be treated instead of studied like the native study participants in the hepatitis a vaccine studies and one tribe wouldn’t sell out other tribal members or take advantage of the tribal members that are disabled- it’s time to quit protecting the tribal egomaniacs and take care of all people in our areas regardless of race but tribal organizations don’t allow all native people to vote or to allow the people living in their jurisdiction to vote. Alaska tribal organizations are blocking any type of law enforcement and oversight.

  2. Good for ASRC to put its money where its mouth is and not support such petty and selfish people who think they know what’s best for others. Thanks for letting us know this. Rex Rock is a no nonsense leader.

  3. Many that will be speaking have been undermining our great state, Murkowski, Young, Sullivan
    And sponsors like Wells Fargo who are enforcing and forcing esg upon us all (the end of oil and gas)
    Haaland is a complete joke, shes assisting the Xiden admins policies of undermining our Alaskan industries. the senators and congressman have already voted with these policies and against Alaska. Whatever they say, they are lying, its their voting that counts, and they vote against us every time.

  4. Regardless of positions on issues, these speakers are invited because of their positional power.

    It is better to have them at the meeting to inform, advocate, challenge, etc while they are not at the podium.

    Having their staff there is also helpful, since oftentimes, its staff that carry significant influential power.

    I agree, Rex Rock needed to draw a line in the sand when paying significant membership dues to AFN.

    But, I would encourage major players to become active sponsors.

    As sponsors likely know, with sponsorship comes a more open ear.

    ASRC shouldn’t have to do this on behalf of all oil and gas companies.

    There needs to be a more concerted effort by the industy leaders to engage strategically and effectively with stakeholders.

    This is still the most significant gathering to do this.

    There are additional opportunities out there for industry leaders to be more involved in ways that can shape the future.

    Looking forward to watching in on the convention.

  5. The oil and gas industry leaders have seen the writing on the wall, and are increasing their foreign investments, at the expense of their dwindling American investments. “Multinational” no longer includes America.

  6. It’ll be interesting how the Infrastructure Act will be spun by the Army Corps of Engineers’ COL Delarosa and Mr Boyle of the Denali Commission. Probably could be summed up like this:
    We have elected to screw current and future generations in order to involve special interests; permitting them to consume taxpayer funding plus future tax revenue in an effort to look busy while making our friends and donors wealthy. Thank you! God Bless America! Nothing further. Nothing to see. Carry on.

    Meanwhile future generations are groaning under the weight of debt this Administration and Congress is producing. The rest of us are asking why…why did we choose the lesser of two evils instead of demanding better representatives to foster better governance?

Comments are closed.