By WILLY KEPPEL
Let me just say it straight: Rep. Nellie Jimmie’s vote to cut the PFD was wrong.
I don’t doubt her heart is probably in the right place, but when she stood on the House floor and gave an emotional and theatrical speech about the hardships in her village of Toksook Bay, high fuel prices, tough living, and the real struggles of rural Native families, she forgot one thing, the Permanent Fund dividend belongs to all of us, not just some of us.
That dividend is not a handout, it is not welfare, and it is not “free money.” It is your share, your slice of the oil and gas that comes out of Alaska’s ground. It is put in a fund that was voted on by the people, and meant to be shared equally by every resident, Native and non-Native, rich or poor, young or old. That is what “dividend” means: “an individual share of something distributed.” Simple as that.
Now, Jimmie says she cut the PFD to help her people, but guess what, that vote did not just hurt folks in urban Alaska, it hurt Gussuks and rural folks too.
Do you think a single mom in Palmer is not struggling to keep the lights on? Do you think the guy working three part-time jobs in Soldotna does not need that money just as bad? What about the veterans living off-grid, hauling water and burning wood, with no access to Indian Health Service clinics, no tribal corporation dividends, and no subsistence rights? They do not get Power Cost Equalization, they do not get free health care, and they sure do not get marine mammal hunting rights. But they get the PFD … when it is not gutted in the state Capitol.
In 2023, 150,000 Alaska Natives used Indian Health Service; some ANCSA corporation shareholders pulled in checks worth thousands. Rural communities got help from the Power Cost Equalization program, safe water grants, and all kinds of targeted spending.
And that is fine, I am not here to knock it. Native communities deserve support, but you cannot stand on the floor and say your people are the only ones hurting and then vote to cut the one check that goes to everyone, no matter where they live or what their last name is.
A full statutory PFD last year would have been much higher than the $1,702 paid last year; that number represents a fraction of what Alaskans are rightfully owed.
For many families, even that dividend was over $7,000. That money matters; it pays for fuel oil, groceries, school clothes, car repairs, or even just getting caught up on bills. For a lot of us, it is the only time all year we get ahead. Jimmie’s vote said some folks’ pain matters more than others, and that is not how this is supposed to work.
Furthermore, this theft is decimating our local corporations’ ability to keep their shelves stocked. When the full dividend flows, it injects real cash into local hardware and lumber stores, the kind of products that hardworking Alaskans actually need and can afford. You won’t see quest cards buying up the materials required to fix a leaky roof or build a new deck. Without that steady influx of cash, these businesses struggle, and that hurt ripples through our communities and our economy.
The PFD was built to unite Alaskans, it is the only thing left in this state that still treats everyone equally. You do not need to belong to a tribe, you do not need to work for the government, you just need to live here and you get your cut of the wealth. That is the promise, that is the contract. And when a legislator breaks that, it cuts deeper than just dollars; it breaks trust.
In 2024, 70% of Alaskans said they wanted the full PFD or more; that is not just Republicans or Democrats, that is everybody. Gov. Jay Hammond warned us about this, and he said Alaskans would rise up with a “militant ring” if politicians tried to take our dividend, and he was right. This is not some pet project, it is the foundation of economic fairness in Alaska, and we are not going to let it get chipped away, one vote at a time.
Nellie Jimmie floor speech:
So, to Rep. Jimmie, I say this: I understand your passion, but you missed the mark. The PFD is not just for one group, it is not for buying favor or trading votes. It is a promise to every single Alaskan. We all live with hardship in this state, we all pay the price of isolation, high costs, and broken systems. Do not take from one neighbor to help another, especially not when the law says otherwise.
I have lived the 11 years in Quinhagak, previous 27 in Bethel and the 10 before in the Athabascan village of Copper Center. I have lived the rural life most of my life. If you want to help your people, that is great; so do I. But let us start by following the law and paying the full dividend for ALL people, then we can talk about how to build a budget that works for everyone, not just a select few.
Willy Keppel is a longtime trapper and fur trader in Western Alaska.
