May/June 2013 - NANA Regional Corporation

May - June 2013 | Volume 35
Published by NANA Regional Corporation, Inc.
INSIDE
2013 Field Season
pg. 2
‌W
hile being raised by my
grandmother, Nellie Karmun,
I never imagined, for a single
instant, that one day I would be standing
in front of the general assembly at
the United Nations World Conference
on Indigenous Peoples delivering a
message on behalf of the Arctic Caucus.
While we have dreams and goals, we
never truly know where our paths in
life will lead us. The important thing
is to do all you can to be prepared for
whatever the future has in store.
Looking at the photos of the shareholder
graduates as we prepared this issue
of the Hunter, I tried to imagine what
their lives will be like in the future.
Will one of them be NANA’s president,
or the borough mayor, Alaska’s next
senator, or the Secretary of State?
Which ones become artists, engineers,
accountants, or work at Red Dog Mine?
2013 Graduates
pg. 6
Subsistence
Spotlight
pg. 8
Success in life doesn’t happen overnight,
it is the culmination of a series of
small choices we make every day.
One positive choice shareholders can
make is to reach out for assistance
Each person is responsible for making the
most of their own lives. But, we also have
responsibility to each other. Develop your
talents to the fullest, not only so you can
live your own life, but to contribute to the
betterment of your family and community.
While I never imagined myself in the
role I am in today when I was 18, I was
guided by the Elders and my family to
be of service to our people. I can tell you
that, while service is not always an easy
road, it creates opportunities to connect
with others and grow as a person.
As you consider all the possibilities that
are in front of you, be mindful of the fact
that each of us, no matter what age or
phase of life, together we are creating
the future for our people. That is a great
responsibility, but one that has been
met by countless generations before us.
When the way seems hard, we can draw
strength from that and each other.
Marie N. Greene in Alta, Norway at the Global
Indigenous Preparatory Conference for the World
Conference on Indigenous Peoples, hosted by the
Sámi Parliament of Norway.
To the graduates, I pray that God
will bless you and guide you on your
journey, and regardless of where life
leads you, you will always be able
to find your way back home.
NANA Shareholder Development
Specialists Announced
Anchorage, AK
Permit No. 444
PO Box 49
Kotzebue, Alaska 99752
PO Box 49
Kotzebue, Alaska 99752
PAID
PRSRT STD
U.S. Postage
PAID
PRSRT STD
U.S. Postage
Anchorage, AK
Permit No. 444
Calendar
pg. 12
Graduating from high school, trade
school, or post-secondary institutions
is a great accomplishment and a
stepping stone on the way to success.
I applaud all the graduates.
and advice. The NANA shareholder
development specialists (story below)
can help shareholders map out a path
to their personal and professional
goals, connect them with resources
and assistance from NANA and other
organizations, and help them achieve
their vision of the future. I urge all
shareholders to contact the shareholder
development specialist near you.
The new NANA Shareholder Development Specialists are based in each NANA community to assist individual shareholders with achieving their life goals. (L
to R): Bertha Commack (Shungnak), Bonita Barr (Deering), Agnes Bernhardt - Director (Kobuk), Cheryl Curtis (Kiana), Mary Jayne Ramoth (Ambler), James
Henry (Buckland), Kelly Soxie (Noatak), Ellen Coffin (Noorvik), Andrea Henry (Selawik), Kristen Jackson (Kotzebue), Janissa Reich ( Anchorage), Josie Adams
(Kivalina, not pictured).
N
ANA is pleased to announce a
range of shareholder development
services now available
through the newly formed shareholder
development division. The division,
staffed by 12 shareholder development
specialists, works directly with
shareholders to assist them in identifying
and reaching personal, educational, and
career goals. This division is housed in
the Shareholder Relations department
and directed by Agnes Bernhardt.
“NANA works hard to respond to
changing shareholder needs and to
make them aware of opportunities
available to them,” said Gia Hanna, vice
president of Shareholder Relations.
SHAREHOLDER DEVELOPMENT
Continued on page 4
NANA
Field Season
he summer field season is always
a busy time for natural resources
production and exploration on
NANA lands and on adjoining state lands.
Responsible resource development creates
many opportunities for individual NANA
T
shareholders, the region as a whole, and
for NANA service companies contracting
with the projects. Field season brings jobs
to the region and, at the peak, more than
100 will be employed by work associated
with these projects. 
Red Dog Mine
Fairhaven
UKMP
2013
Year-to-date, zinc and lead concentrate
production at the mine is above plan
due to softer ore. Currently, seven
NANA companies hold contracts at
the mine and crews are gearing up
for the 100-day shipping season. Five
Tuuq drilling rigs are assisting Teck
with drilling and exploration. Teck is
continuing its geological mapping and
rock sampling in the Red Dog District.
A small, six-to-eight person field
crew is working this summer out of
Independence Camp south of Candle.
The focus is on gold and base metal
exploration. NANA shareholders James
Mills (Noatak), Allen Adams (Kivalina)
and Alex Henry (Kenai/Soldotna) are
crew members and are conducting
geological exploration work on NANA
and NANA held state claims through
the end of July. No drilling will occur.
Why is exploration important?
It takes, on average, 20-30 years for most mineral projects to go from
exploration to development. With this time frame in mind, NANA
engages in exploration today so we can create employment opportunities,
corporate dividends and a strong NANA region for the future.
1-?? years
2-5 years
5-7 years
7-10 years
12-16 years
16+ years
Exploration
Scoping
Feasibility
Permitting
Construction
Production
Article 8 Lands Committee
HUNTER // MAY - JUNE 2013
Under current policies NANA
Shareholders living in the region are
entitled to up to 100 cubic yards of
gravel per year. Requests should be
submitted in writing to the Natural
Resource specialist/gravel point of
contact in Anchorage or to the local site
manager. Currently the tribal entities
in Noorvik and Buckland are each
managing their own sites, with others
(Kiana and Deering) soon to follow.
Please submit your gravel request in
writing to Elia Sakeagak, 3150 C St.,
Anchorage, Alaska 99503 or by email
[email protected]. You may also
reach her by telephone at 907-265-3758.
The NANA region is blessed with minerals of value in the subsurface of our lands. Responsibly developing
these minerals could be important to NANA's future and the future of the region.
The Lands department team traveled
with members of the Natural Resources
department and the Village Economic
Development department to the NANA
region in May and June to provide
updates on NANA’s Alaska Native
Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA)
Conveyances, the 14(c) status, the
Trespass Program, NANA Lands Mapping
project and other land related topics.
2
NANA Gravel
Closure
Lands Update
NANA Vice President of Lands and Regional
Affairs, Walter Sampson, speaks at a Lands
Meeting in Buckland.
The Bornite Camp opened on May 1,
2013, and is expected to close in late
August. Drilling this summer is in the
immediate Bornite area, with 7,500
meters planned. NANA continues its
engagement with NovaCopper as part of
the Oversight Committee for the project.
The next committee meeting is scheduled
for August 8, 2013, at the Bornite Camp.
A UKMP Subsistence Committee is
currently being formed for the villages
of Kobuk, Shungnak, Ambler, Kiana,
Noorvik and Selawik with the cooperation
and advisement of those communities.
Community updates and visits will
continue throughout the summer.
Inquiries or comments about
field season activities can be sent
to [email protected]
or by calling 1(907)265-4360.
The Lands Department met with the
Article 8 Committee for the Upper
Kobuk on May 24, 2013. The committee
approved a resolution authorizing
staff to work with the Department
of Transportation (DOT) on a permit
or easement for construction of an
access road to the new gravel site
for the community of Ambler.
Trespass Program
Staff attended the Unit 23 Game
Management Working Group meeting in
Kotzebue. This meeting covered updates
on the Western Arctic Herd population,
caribou and moose harvest data, the
2012 hunting season and the upcoming
2013 season. NANA is working with
Purcell Security to prepare for the
upcoming season and to plan the
trespass officer training program. In
total, 10 trespass officers are hired by
NANA during the fall hunt. This year,
two additional officers will be hired to
cover the Kivalina area. The trespass
officer positions are currently being
advertised. To fill out an application,
log on to www.nana.com/employment
or visit the shareholder development
specialist in your community.
NANA
E
Elia Sakeagak (NRC), Angela Snyder (NOSI)
and Annette Zella (NDC) participated in the
2013 Alaska Run for Women as members of the
One NANA team.
arly in the morning on Saturday,
June 8, women from throughout
the NANA family of companies
gathered under the giant pink arch
marking the finish line of the 2013
Alaska Run for Women. Among our
NANA team were coworkers, daughters,
moms, sisters, cousins and friends.
Fifty women from throughout the NANA Family of
Companies joined together to support the Alaska
Run for Women this June.
Laura Orenga de Gaffory
NANA Team Races to the Finish
Line for Women's Health
All were there to raise awareness about
breast cancer and women’s health.
This year, fifty women joined the NANA
team to walk or run in the event. Many
team members wore special cards pinned
to their shirts in honor or in memory of
a loved one affected by breast cancer.
NANA is a proud sponsor of this event. 
Lila Moto (NDC) and Laura Orenga,
shareholder development intern at NDC,
together at the Alaska Run for Women.
Native Youth Olympics 2013
The 2013 Native Youth Olympics (NYO),
April 25-27, 2013 in Anchorage, Alaska,
featured exciting athleticism and great
sportsmanship as students from across
the state competed in traditional sports.
NANA was again a proud sponsor of this
Cook Inlet Tribal Council (CITC) hosted
event that brings middle and high school
students together to appreciate Alaska
Native traditions, values and ways of life.
NANA sponsored the One-Foot High
Kick and presented awards to this year’s
male and female medalists alongside
shareholder, Tim Field. Field has been
a top competitor in the event and holds
the NYO state record at 114 inches.
The Northwest Arctic Borough School
District (NWABSD) team was coached
by Lance Kramer and chaperoned by
Leslie Zibell. Team members included:
Brettlyn Reich (Kotzebue), Ethan Hadley
(Buckland), Loren Fields (Kotzebue),
Gary Eakin (Kotzebue), Stephen Hyatt
(Kotzebue), Rocci Mills-Bain (Kotzebue),
Flora Tebbits (Noorvik), Brittnee Mills
(Noatak), and Debra Hersrud (Noorvik).
Members of the Northwest Arctic Borough School District NYO team gathered before the opening ceremonies. (L to R) Stephen Hyatt, Brittnee Mills, Gary Eakin,
Loren Fields, Ethan Hadley, Rocci Mills-Bain.
This year, in addition to event
sponsorship, NANA supported
the NWABSD team with new
sweat suits and a banner to carry
in the opening ceremonies.
Congratulations to all the athletes,
you represented the region well! 
Shareholders Sonny and Cora Henry and their
family stopped by the NANA booth after watching
the One-Foot High Kick event.
Debra Hersrud, from Noorvik, competed in
the Indian Stick Pull, taking fifth place for the
NWABSD team.
NWABSD team visited the NANA Regional
Corporation booth during the games.
HUNTER // MAY - JUNE 2013
3
NANA
NANA's Shareholder Summer Interns
I
n addition to the interns at NANA
Regional Corporation, NANA
Development Corporation has
31 working at five NANA companies
and more may be hired throughout
the summer. Several of the interns
have come back for a second and third
internship with NANA, working in
new fields at NANA businesses.
SHAREHOLDER RELATIONS
Continued from front page
The interns attend weekly workshops
to prepare them for working in a
corporate environment. They learn
practical office system skills like
using Microsoft Office. They also go
through an orientation regarding
professionalism. These skills will help
them navigate in the corporate world.
Laura Orenga
This year, the shareholder employment
and development department is trying
something new. They’ve hired an
intern to run the internship program.
Forest Williams
Melanie Schuerch
Forest Williams, a senior at Fort
Lewis College in Colorado, first
began interning with NANA two
summers ago, working with Akima
in their accounting department and
then for DOWL HKM. Through his
experience interning he’s become more
comfortable in the professional world.
Melanie Schuerch is working as a project
coordinator for Five Rivers Services, a
federal contracting company based in
Colorado Springs, Colo. Since beginning
her internship, the Fort Lewis College
freshman, says she’s worked in several
departments, learning the ropes of what
it takes to thrive in a federal contracting
company. She’s worked in the contracting
office, the HR department, programs,
and projects relations and just completed
a week in business development.
This summer, he’s working with
NANA WorleyParsons, a NANA
engineering firm, on locating power
generators in Anchorage. He said he is
gaining an understanding about solar
energy and project management.
Meet, Laura Orenga de Gaffory,
shareholder employment and
development events coordinator
intern and senior at the University
of Alaska Anchorage (UAA). From
Eagle River, Orenga de Gaffory
is the events coordinator for the
internship program. She’s been tasked
with scheduling and implementing
the summer workshop series.
This is Orenga de Gaffory’s first
internship with NANA. She says
she’s been able to utilize her sociology
studies often enough by peoplewatching and understanding how
the interns interact, especially
in a professional setting.
Kristina Patrick (left) is senior director of
Shareholder Employment and Development at
NANA Development Corporation.
“By looking at data, we saw a need
for local, direct service to help
shareholders create pathways to
attaining personal and professional
goals. The shareholder development
specialists will meet this need.”
Located in each NANA office in
Northwest Alaska, and at the NANA
office in Anchorage, the shareholder
development specialists connect
people with information about postsecondary education, training, and
grants and scholarships. By working
together, and focusing on job readiness,
shareholder development specialists
and shareholders increase the capacity
of the region, and help shareholders
reach their personal goals.
Shareholder Employment
and Development at
NANA companies
Alaska Technical Center Holds Core
Driller’s Helper Training
The Shareholder Employment and
Development (SHED) department
continues to connect shareholders
with employment opportunities at
the NANA family of companies.
In addition to working with NANA
companies to reach their shareholder
employment and development goals,
the SHED team provides a wide range
of services to shareholders seeking
employment, or already employed
within the NANA family of companies.
By conducting job placement searches,
holding employability workshops
and orchestrating the companywide internship program, SHED is
able to help connect shareholders
with opportunities at NANA.
A
s companies prepare to begin
core drilling near Red Dog Mine
this spring, 16 northwest Alaska
residents were trained in the basics of
assisting drillers, in hopes of becoming
employed. The Core Driller’s Helper
Training program is a collaborative
effort between NANA Development
Corporation’s subsidiary, Tuuq Drilling,
LLC, subcontractor Ruen Drilling,
Incorporated, and the Alaska Technical
Center in Kotzebue. The 40-hour course
includes a combination of classroom
instruction and hands on learning.
Although no jobs are guaranteed,
Thom Schmidt, health, safety and
4
HUNTER // MAY - JUNE 2013
environmental director for Ruen Drilling,
said training events like these are a great
opportunity to scout out local talent, as
the company gets ready to drill at the
nearby Red Dog Mine, one of the largest
producers of zinc in the world. “Some
of the guys, even ones who have never
worked in mining before, really showed
an aptitude for the work,” said Schmidt.
Tuuq Drilling General Manager Mike
Baker said up to 20 entry-level workers
are needed to help, as NANA looks
for more core deposits at Red Dog
and possibly at Bornite in the Ambler
Mining District 200 miles away. “Tuuq
doesn’t have people trained on the
drills. In our partnership with Ruen,
we have similar goals, like getting
the work and making a profit. But
we also have a goal of helping NANA
shareholders learn to drill and eventually
have a company run completely by
the shareholders,” said Baker.
The training ended March 30, with
an additional 16 hours of Mine
Safety and Health Administration
(MSHA) training. A critical component
of training for anyone wishing to
work in the mining industry. 
“Because we’re so closely connected to
our businesses, we understand what
the job opportunities are,” said Kristina
Patrick, SHED senior director. “We
take what has been successful in one
company in terms of shareholder hire
and duplicate it at another subsidiary.”
With their complementary missions,
the shareholder development
specialists and SHED are working
to help shareholders, and NANA,
achieve goals and be successful.
For more information about
shareholder development specialists,
call 1 (800) 478 3301 or email
[email protected].
To reach SHED, call (907) 265-4100,
toll-free at (800) 478-2000, or
email [email protected]. 
NANA
Board Members Visit GIS
Facilities in Louisiana; Meet
with Shareholder Employees
1
3
E
very year, the NDC board visits
some of our subsidiary locations to
learn more about their operations
and meet with clients and employees.
In June, the board visited GIS Oilfield
Services facilities in Louisiana. The
first day, GIS board members held
their regular board meeting while
other NRC board members toured
the Abbeville Fabrication Facility,
where GIS is working on a number
of projects for clients in the Gulf of
Mexico. The next day, board members
along with Marie Greene, President/
CEO of NRC, visited a number of GIS
facilities including the logistics facility,
Galliano office, safety training facilities,
and the yard at Port Fourchon. 
2
4
6
5
7
1. NRC board member Ron Moto Sr. learns about
onto boats. Board member Henry Horner talks with
4. Board members Henry Horner, Ron Moto Sr.,
Horner, Alice Moore and Lowell Sage are also
the Abbeville operations from plant manager Lee
crane operator Michael Baudoin while Robert looks
Linda Lee, and Alice Moore, along with NDC
pictured. Later, Lowell Sage led the group in a prayer
Bordelon Jr. The Abbeville facility is on 17 acres
on. Not pictured are Shedarion Davis of Shabuta,
President Helvi Sandvik and NRC President/CEO
to bless the facilities and workers, joined by Ronald
on the Vermilion River, which flows through to the
Mississippi; Xavier Funches of Fayette, Mississippi;
Marie Greene with shareholder Jace Baker.
and Rey.
Gulf of Mexico. The yard has 22,000 square feet of
and Nicholas Smith of Chauvin, Louisiana. The GIS
covered shop space with overhead cranes, and one of
Port Fourchon facility provides material storage and
5. Board member Henry Horner is dwarfed by a large
7. NDC President Helvi Sandvik, NDC Board Chair
the only indoor, climate-controlled paint facilities in
transfer services to oil and gas companies operating
crane at the Abbeville facility. The crane is used to
Luke Sampson, board members Robert Sampson,
the region. Lee Bordelon Jr. worked at the plant for
in the Gulf of Mexico.
load and unload materials and finished components
Don Sheldon and Janice Westlake-Reich, and NRC
completed by the fabrication plant workers.
President/CEO Marie Greene with shareholder
his father until his promotion to manager. His father
now works for GIS at their headquarters office in
3. Shareholder Jay Kennedy takes a brief break
Galliano, Louisiana.
from welding at the Galliano facility to say goodbye
6. The logistics facility is also home to GIS employees
facility. The GIS logistics facility, also known as
to visiting board members. Jay has completed his
from the Philippines, who live there in between their
the “bunkhouse,” includes shared rooms, recreation
2. At Port Fourchon, board members invited
welding certification, passing a series of written and
shifts offshore. Ronald Cabico, in blue, played the
facilities, laundry service, and a cafeteria serving
shareholder Robert Cleveland and his crew onto the
practical tests, and is now qualified to be a welder
guitar and sang a Filipino song for board members.
three meals a day – very similar to camps at Red Dog
air conditioned bus for cold water and a brief break
anywhere in the world.
Employee Rey Dalangin is in white. Board members
Mine or on the North Slope.
from their task of loading 8,000 bags of material
James Wells from Noorvik, who lives at the
Dood Lincoln, Luke Sampson, Linda Lee, Henry
HUNTER // MAY - JUNE 2013
5
NANA
Congratulations
Graduates
Mary J. Ramoth
Ambler High School
NANA is very proud of all the 2013 graduates. Each has accomplished something very important, often with the
help and support of family and friends. Whether graduating from Kindergarten, 8th grade, high school, a secondary
school program or even military boot camp, NANA applauds their success and wishes each a bright future.
2013 Graduates from Ambler, Alaska, Brent Jones
and Michelle Johnson.
Laura Washington
Mary J. Ramoth
Ambler Kindergarten
Buckland Kindergarten
(L to R) Summer Weber, Mickey Washington, Nolan Ticket, Nicole Ticket, Nickolas Ticket, Herbert Thomas, Savanna Swan, Cadence
Swan, Boz Sheldon, Kaylene Oviok, Daisy Lee, Tony Jones III, Willie Hadley Jr., Taishaun Hadley, Andrea Hadley, Charles Foster Jr., Zoe
Curtis, Harold Curtis, Adrian Ballot.
(L to R) Cody Greist, Madelyn Thurman, Lorena Williams and Lawrence
Jones, Jr.
Laura Washington
Tina Swan
Deering Kindergarten
Buckland High School
(L to R) Stephanie Washington, Leah Thomas, Michael Sheldon Jr., Norman Lee, Janet Jones, Lyle Hadley, Esther Hadley, Amelia Hadley,
Tamara Geary, Stevie Gavin, Lila Barger, Trasi Armstrong, April Ahkpuk.
(L to R) Jasen Stalker, Shianne Henry, Maurice
Minks III, Irving Morris, Laura Reed, Doreen
Stalker, Gilbert Thomas, and Johnathan Westlake.
(L to R) Danielle Douglas, Christian Stein, Skylah
Foster, Daniel Williams-Sampson, Lucy Gooden and
Aiden Schuerch.
Kivalina Kindergarten
2013 high school graduates from Deering, Alaska,
Wilbur Karmun III and Darlon Barr.
Kivalina High School
(L to R) back row-Randy Travis Swan, Sherry Swan. (L to R) front row-Enoch
Swan, Richard Elaypuk Sage, Carlos John Sage, Aaron Mitchell, Zachariah
Hawley, Roger Hawley, Camille Hawley, Damien Frankson, Gabrielle Brown,
Seth Jimmie Rivers Adams, (twins )Melvin and Jeffrey Adams, Ethel Adams.
2013 Kivalina high school graduates Rita Ramoth
and Shield Stalker.
Raven Hunnicutt
Kotzebue Kindergarten
Ann Sieh
Kotzebue High School
Dolly Foster
Dolly Foster
Johnetta Horner
Kobuk Kindergarten
(L to R) Kyle Custer, Cheree Horner, Mackenzie Tickett.
Deering High School
Ellie Bayou
Cheryl Curtis
Johnetta Horner
2013 graduate Alfred “Putu” Foxglove Jr. from
Kobuk, Alaska.
Kiana Kindergarten
Tina Swan
Kiana High School
Kobuk High School
(L to R) Mikayla Swan, Johnathon Moto, Isaiah Iyatunguk, Hailie Moto, Kylie
Cleveland, Jeremy Jones, Aidan Barr.
(L to R) back row: Eliza Williams-Downey, Enoch Williams, Solomon Schindler, Kirsten Schaeffer, Noah
Roetman, Isaac Peacock, Emily Nipper. (L to R) front row: Marquay Nelson, Clara Nelson, Nick Madison,
Keoloni Kotch, Leah Karmun, Rebecca Jones, Brendan Hulley, Courtney Howarth.
6
HUNTER // MAY - JUNE 2013
2013 June Nelson Elementary School graduates from Kotzebue, Alaska.
NANA
Noatak Kindergarten
Kelly Soxie
Kelly Soxie
Noatak High School
(L to R) Jayla Booth, David Barger, Amazia Reich, Alexandria Howarth, Jayden Ashby, Renae "Maasak"
Johnsen, Leah Wesley, Keith Norton Jr., Alexander Walton, Danielle Onalik, Keira Seibert, Vincent
Onalik Jr., Brooke Schaeffer, James "JD" Mitchell, Eunice "Momsy" Booth, Ayden Wesley, Charlie Woods,
Gretchen Naylor -Downey, Craig Onalik, Allison Goodro, Elmer Vestal.
(L to R) Colleen Ashby, George Phillips, Della Walton, Amy Arey, Sean Tyler Mitchell, David Pungalik,
Christina Norton, Angel Barr, Jessie Sours, Laura VanAmburg, Sarah VanAmburg, Anthony Ashby.
Ellen Coffin
(L to R) Floyd Ramoth, Elmer Armstrong III, Arthur Ballot Jr., Christina Ashby, Hannah Cleveland, Danny
Wells and Tori Newlin.
CON
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Selawik Kindergarten
(L to R) Daisy Booth, Vernita Foster, Tasha Snyder, Bryson Lee, Lawrence
"Bobbo" Foster, Jared Ramoth.
Maureen Ticket
Andrea Henry
Selawik High School
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Noorvik High School
(L to R) Eric Hingsbergen Jr, Zevidiah Dexter, Gavin Brantley, Albert Sheldon, Timber Black, Autumn
Brown, Andrew Skin, Kelsey Sheldon, Eric Ticket.
Shungnak high school graduation (L to R) Denise Douglas, Anna Woods, Leisa
Jones & Brittany Mitchell.
Sean Asiqłuq Topkok
Crystal Tickett
(L to R) Laci Lee, Laney Jones, Ethan Davis, Brent Sun, Kendra Barr, Jazmine
Jones, Selena Cleveland, Tiana Griest, Jazlin Douglas and Madison Sheldon.
Christopher Topkok is a NANA shareholder and
graduated from high school May 10, 2013.
University of Alaska Chukchi Campus
Alaska Technical Center
2013 Alaska Technical Center graduates
(L to R) Wanda Baltazar, Marceline Lee and Priscilla Ballot wait to receive their diplomas.
Mt. Edgecumbe
US Army
Crystal Tickett
Forks Washington
Effie Kokrine Early College
Charter School
Shungnak Kindergarten
Elvira Commack
Shungnak High School
Justin Scott Breithaupt graduated June 8, 2013 from
Forks High School, Forks, WA. His parents are David
and Crystal Breithaupt and his grandparents are
late Sophie and Sen. Frank R. Ferguson. Justin is
enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and ships
to boot camp on August 5, 2013.
Nicole Tickett (L) with fellow graduates of the Class of 2013 at Mt. Edgecumbe.
Kyle Karmun graduated from U.S. Army boot
camp at Fort Benning, Ga. on April 29, and is now
stationed at Fort Lewis in Washington. Kyle's family
is originally from Deering - his parents are Heather
Karmun and Grant Geffe and his grandparents are
Martin and Marilyn Karmun.
HUNTER // MAY - JUNE 2013
7
NANA
Lil Hunters
SUBSISTENCESPOTLIGHT
Stephanie Stalker
EGG HUNTING
Color in the
Seal, Salmon,
and Caribou.
Stephanie Stalker
Iqalugruaq
Adam Greene
Uguruk
Tuttu
‌ pringtime in the NANA
S
region means it’s time for
egg hunting. People travel great
distances in search of these delicacies
including gull, goose and swan eggs.
Most people take their boats up
river or down the coast and have
to do quite a bit of walking before
they find any nests. People wear
chest waders when out searching
to keep from getting wet and cold.
1
2
‌Nests can be found near the
edges of lakes, creeks, rivers or on
the edges of cliffs. There are a few
people who drive snowmachines
on what’s left of the ocean ice
and on the snow-free tundra in
search of these tasty eggs.
I‌ t is common to pile eggs
together while looking for
more. Seagull eggs are spotted and
swan eggs are larger and white.
The hardest task is getting eggs
home without damaging them. Some
people use grub boxes, creating a
base layer of cushion with grass,
then placing the eggs on that layer.
Then grass is placed on top to
provide even more cushion. Rifle
cases are also used. Once home,
eggs are often eaten boiled.
3
NEWFACES
@ NANA
Albert Smith is back for a
second year as a summer intern in the
Shareholder Records department at
NANA. His parents are Alvin Smith from
Kotzebue and Edna Smith from Noorvik.
Albert will graduate this fall with an
Associate of Arts degree in Liberal Arts
and he plans to continue to study for
a Bachelor's Degree in social work.
8
HUNTER // MAY - JUNE 2013
Damon Miligraaq Schaeffer Elizabeth Niiqsik Ferguson
joined NANA as Village Construction
Projects Manager, working on the Village
Economic Development Committee
construction projects. Damon’s parents
are Leo Schaeffer Jr. of Kotzebue and
Roberta Jackson of Kobuk. Prior to
accepting this position, he worked with
the Northwest Iñupiat Housing Authority.
is an intern in the Shareholder
Relations department. Prior to returning
to Kotzebue, Elizabeth attended
Minnesota State University Moorhead
doing coursework in paramedic.
Elizabeth’s parents are Archie and
Lena Ferguson of Kotzebue.
NANA
The Ikautaq Project Launches in the NANA Region
Students can still participate in
traditional summer subsistence activities
while earning their certificate.
Candidates for the Ikautaq Project
should have an interest in working with
children and adults, communication
skills, the desire to learn and teach, and
a commitment to make a difference in
other’s lives. Direct Service Specialists
provide community-based support
for individuals who have a traumatic
brain injury, mental illness, autism,
or other disabilities. People who work
in Children’s Behavioral Health are
committed to helping kids develop
the skills to face life’s challenges.
Ikautaq Interview on KOTZ Radio (L to R) Dr. Richard Kiefer O’Donnel, Lolly Carpluk, and Tasha
Ryder.
T
he Aqqaluk Trust and Center for
Human Development are now
recruiting students for the new
Ikautaq (Bridge) Project. The Ikautaq
Project was created to help bridge the
gap to provide services for people with
disabilities in the NANA Region.
Dr. Richard Kiefer O’Donnell with the
Center for Human Development is
coordinating the project. Kiefer O’Donnell
states, “The Ikautaq Project is exciting
because it’s individualized to the NANA
Region needs, it’s also individualized
to the culture and learning style needs
of the students in the program, and it
will be a unique way for community
members to respond to their own local
support needs for children, youth,
and adults with disabilities.”
There are two different occupational
endorsement certificates available
through the Ikautaq Project: Direct
Service Specialist and Children’s
Behavioral Health. Both certificates
can be completed from home via
e-Learning classes online. The
certificates can be earned in three
semesters, with no summer classes.
STOCK WILL DRAWING WINNERS
May: Eva Onalik
Jesse Janitscheck is the new
Information Technology (IT) site manager
for NANA Regional Corporation.
His parents are Gerald and Barbara
Janitscheck of Kotzebue. Prior to
accepting this position, Jesse worked as
an IT technician for Maniilaq Association.
June: George Gray
Millie Stalker
is the new
receptionist at NANA Regional
Corporation. Her parents are Lee and
Patsy Stalker from Noatak and Kotzebue,
repsectively. Prior to accepting this
position Millie worked for Maniilaq
Health Center as a patient financial
counselor and as a registration clerk.
Full scholarship funding and laptops
for the Ikautaq Project are provided
by a grant from the US Department
of Education and the Alaska Native
Education Equity Program. Additional
scholarship funding is available from the
Aqqaluk Trust for NANA Shareholders
and their descendants who meet
certain eligibility requirements.
Kiefer O’Donnell believes this project is
beneficial for students and communities.
“Ikautaq project students will benefit
from scholarships, computer skills,
networking with other college students,
and mentor support. The mentor support
is especially beneficial because mentors
can help bridge the jump from village
life to a college classroom, all without
the student leaving home.” He adds,
“Ultimately the Ikautaq project will
help provide a highly skilled workforce
to assist people with disabilities in
their communities. There are jobs out
there which need local people trained
as Direct Service Specialists and in
Children’s Behavioral Health.”
The Ikautaq Project is being piloted
in the NANA Region with plans to
expand the project statewide. Aqqaluk
Trust President Erica Nelson is
enthusiastic about this project, “The
Ikautaq Project is a great opportunity
for NANA Shareholders. We get to
be the first participants in this much
needed program. I am very proud of
our partnership with the Center for
Human Development and look forward
to seeing NANA Shareholders take
advantage of this opportunity.”
Ikautaq Project applications will
be available at your local NANA
Resource Office and the Aqqaluk Trust
offices in Kotzebue. The application
deadline is August 1, 2013. For more
information about the Ikautaq Project
contact Tasha Ryder at the Aqqaluk
Trust 1-866-442-1607 or Lolly
Carpluk at the Center for Human
Development 1-800-243-2199. 
Do you have a
story, photos or
comments for us?
Contact [email protected]
and let us know.
Paul Anderson is the newest
member of the NANA Lands team.
Paul has been with the NANA family
since 1996, starting out at NMS and
later moving to Sivuniq/WHPacific as
an environmental scientist. He earned
a bachelor’s degree in geography from
Humboldt State University. Paul works
on the computer-based mapping of
NANA lands, and the region. He is the
son of Mary “Sue” and Allen Anderson
and grandson of Bessie and John Cross.
Teressa Baldwin
is a summer
intern working with both the Community
and Government Affairs department
and Shareholder Relations. Teressa
is the daughter of Sarah Randall of
Ambler and Clyde Baldwin Jr. of
Kiana. Teressa is a student at the
University of California, San Diego, and
conducts work in suicide prevention.
Prior to accepting this position she
worked for Senator Mark Begich.
HUNTER // MAY - JUNE 2013
9
Pauline Mills
NANA
Sandra Ramoth
(Top Right) More than 70 people
gathered in Noatak for the Statewide
Silent Walk for Katie John in June.
Walks like this took place all around
Alaska in honor of John, Athabascan
Elder and passionate advocate for
Alaska Native subsistence rights.
Pauline Mills
WORLD
OF NANA
SHAREHOLDERS
(Left) Eric and Jenny Hingsbergen
on their April wedding day with their
children, Zacharia, Gabriel, Eric Jr.,
and Cainen.
(Right) Pauline Mills, Resource
Technician, is a member of the Noatak
volunteer fire department. Every
month they conduct drills, testing and
improving how quickly they can put
on their gear. In May, Pauline slashed
her best time in half, clocking in at
just 37 seconds.
Courtesy of NBC Basketball Camp
(Bottom Right) Alannah Jones and
Corilyn Adams at the NBC Basketball
Camp in Anchorage, with NBC Camp
President Fred Crowell.
Nuna Piqpagigikput
HUNT RIVER
SAND DUNES
GREAT KOBUK
SAND DUNES
Combined, the Little Kobuk Sand Dunes, Great Kobuk Sand Dunes and Hunt
River Sand Dunes cover more than 20,000 acres in the Kobuk Valley National
Park near Ambler.
T
he 38,000 square mile NANA
region features a wide variety
of landscapes – from the ocean’s
shore to mountain peaks, with lots of
rolling tundra in between. Even in the
midst of this spectacular variety, the
presence of an active sand dune field
above the Arctic Circle is unexpected.
10
HUNTER // MAY - JUNE 2013
Small, sturdy plants root themselves in the sand dunes and, over time, this
process shifts the geography of the dunes. Scientists are studying the sand dunes
in the NANA region to learn more about the surface of Mars, and water that may
be below.
Just south of the Kobuk River are the
Great Kobuk Sand Dunes, Little Kobuk
Sand Dunes and the Hunt River Sand
Dunes, together covering more than
20,000 acres of land in the Kobuk Valley
National Park (designated in 1980).
An annual caribou migration takes
place across the sand dunes, and Onion
Portage, just to the north, has been a
tuttu hunting location for 9,000 years.
People hiking in to view or hunt from the
dunes typically come up from the Kobuk
River. The trek heads uphill through
spruce trees and across tundra, and then
a climb up the last, very steep, short hill
before reaching the dunes, which spread
out across the horizon. Dunes loom as
high as 100 feet and the area is being
researched to see if it can reveal anything
about the possibility of water hiding
LITTLE KOBUK
SAND DUNES
Map courtesy of the National Park Service
Translations: The Land We Love
The three active sand dunes located near the Kobuk
River include the Great Kobuk Sand Dunes, which
the National Park Service describes as “the largest
active dune field in arctic North America.”
beneath the surface of Martian dunes.
Plants such as quaking aspen grow in
the sand and the dunes are the only
place where Oxytropis kobukensis
(Kobuk locoweed) grows. 
NANA
In M e moria m
Delmar Pope
Walter Laws
Dustin A Smith
Daniel O. Sage
Mona M. Stoyer
Alfreeda P Herring
Gary Baldwin
Ada Ward
Elmer Pungalik
Kathriann R. Russell
Gilbert Custer
Kevin Kaiser
Timothy B. Jones
Ethel Anderson
Alfred L. Coffin
Robin A. Commack
Seymour Tuzroyluk
Darlene Black
James Luther
Carl Oxereok
Tessie F. Sheldon
Dorothy E. Berikoff
Annie C. Joule
Roger V. Barger
Merri-Lu Horta
Paul M. Stanley
Pauline J. Ward
Ronald W. Brown
Dora D. Stalker
Sarah Sarich
Edith Brown
Timmie Jack Jr
Bert A. Adams Sr
Clyde Baldwin Sr
Suuyuk Brown
Wesley Mitchell
Tydell S. Ray
Eddie Gallahorn
Thomas Willock
Kalvin Ipalook
Samuel Williams Sr
Eli Wright
Gene Booth
Joseph Petro Jr
Peter Garfield Sr
Roger Clark
Wilfred Lane
Susie M. Barr
Gay Rudolph
Dorothy N. Richards Elizabeth Shepard
A Journey to Help Others to Heal
A
Although in her 70s now and officially
retired, Reimer remains active. Her latest
book, Native and White in One Breath,
will be published later this year. This
summer she traveled to Dutch Harbor
to speak to Elders on tobacco cessation
and alcohol reduction in their lives. rmed with a doctoral degree
in psychology from George
Washington University,
Catherine Iviksik Swan Reimer has
devoted her life to helping American
Indians and Alaska Natives. She has
become a renowned consultant and
counselor, her research into Alaska
Natives and suicide is highly respected.
She and her husband even
anticipate a move back to Alaska
in the coming years, back to Nome
where both their stories began.
Her first book, 1991’s Counseling the
Iñupiat, is used as course material at
the University of Alaska. Her devotion
to her profession has deep roots.
Some of Reimer’s fondest memories
stretch back some 70 years to a time
and place that remain treasured for her.
Born in Kotzebue to an Iñupiaq mother
(Elizabeth Swan) and European father
(Charles Maxwell), who insisted his
daughter be raised Anglo, Reimer moved
to Nome as a toddler. But her childhood
there was cut short at the age of five by a
bout of tuberculosis that sent her to Los
Angeles, never to return to live in Alaska.
“I remember trying to get my dog, Gene,
to pull the sled and he started to pull
and then stopped suddenly and he never
would pull it again,” she recalls from her
home in Oregon. “I remember chasing
my mom around the house because she
got some Eskimo food from someone and
was trying to secretly eat it. I saw her
and cried and cried because I wanted the
beluga and there wasn't very much.”
“As Reggie Joule said, ‘go to the place
where you want to die' or something
like that–the place where you love and
wish to be sent from this world into
the next,"she said. "Good advice.”
Catherine Reimer, PhD has roots in the NANA region and has developed counseling techniques based in
Native culture.
Reimer’s time in the hospital, where
she was often strapped to the bed
to keep her still, was traumatic. “I
missed our food, especially the wild
salmonberries and seal oil and fish.
I missed our cooler weather and my
friends, sisters, brother and parents.”
But it was an experience that Reimer
did not let define her. Her tenacity,
intellect and curiosity have taken
her to the higher levels of education,
and helped her in her 25-year career
as a counselor and consultant.
While working as a counselor in Phoenix,
she met and married John Reimer,
also half Iñupiaq and from Nome.
Her husband helped her reconnect
with her culture, an experience
she documents in her second book,
A Circle of Swans: A Native American
Counseling Spiritual Journal.
Reimer has some advice of her own for
young people struggling in this world–
words of wisdom on how to attain mental,
social, spiritual and emotional success.
“What you do today with your life will
determine the quality of life you will
have in the future, so plan each day
with a goal to make your future life
better. Study hard and go towards
excellence. You might not be making a
perfect dog sled like our ancestors did,
but you might be building a spaceship,
or be an excellent carpenter someday, or
a surgeon working on a heart, or a flight
attendant helping others, above all, smile
at your ancestors who are loving and
guiding you and are proud of you.” 
HUNTER // MAY - JUNE 2013
11
NANA
Aviation Celebration Honors Northwest Alaska Pilots
S
ummer solstice in Kotzebue
was celebrated with the roar
of vintage aircraft engines
over the Sikiagruk Shore as the
Alaska Air Show Association’s Alaska
Aviation Centennial Celebration
arrived to honor Northwest Alaska’s
place in aeronautic history.
An exhibition by pilots flying
antique airplanes, a meet-andgreet barbecue with the pilots, a
reception with presentations and
informational displays, and a parade
were all part of the festivities.
Airplanes have been flying in Alaska
since 1913 when many of Alaska’s
(and America’s) earliest fliers began
making a name for themselves in
the dangerous Arctic skies above the
NANA region. The pioneering pilots
were honored at a reception at the
National Park Service (NPS) museum.
During the event, visitors strolled by
several large panels that illustrated
the stories and photos of Northwest
Alaska’s iconic aviators. Members
of the pilots’ families, and in some
cases, the pilots themselves, read
the panels’ stories out loud sharing
smiles, laughs and a few tears.
An unexpected highlight of the
afternoon occurred when Archie
Ferguson, the grand nephew and
namesake of the Arctic aeronaut
dubbed the “craziest pilot in America”
by the 1945 Saturday Evening Post,
gave the museum a wooden propeller
from the pilot’s old airplane. According
to legend, the propeller was broken on
accident and the famous Ferguson said
he broke the other end to even it out.
Northwest Alaska pilots honored at aviation celebration
Bob and Marge Baker
The Ferguson family
Warren Thompson
John Cross
Arthur Fields Sr.
Nelson Walker Sr.
Leon Shellabarger
Thomas Richards Sr.
The statewide celebration honoring
100 years of Alaska aviation will
continue through mid-July. The panels
featuring Northwest Alaska pilots will
eventually be on permanent display
at the NPS museum in Kotzebue.
(Top Right) Warren Thompson, a pilot renowned in
the NANA region, and his family talk with visiting
pilot, Ed Kornfield.
(Left) Two North American Aviation AT- 6 Texans
flying side by side over Kotzebue Sound.
(Middle) Archie and Lena Ferguson stop for a picture
in front of the 1931 Fairchild American Pilgrim 100
at the meet-and-greet with the pilots.
(Right) Residents of Kotzebue gathered on Sikiagruk
Shore to watch the vintage aircraft barnstorm over
Kotzebue on June 21st.
(Top Left) Some of the NANA region’s distinguished
bush pilots were profiled on large story and
photograph panels. The panels were on display for
people to view at a reception held at the National
Park Service museum.
(Right) Kotzebue residents watched the “Flying
through the Midnight Sun” parade in Kotzebue late
in the evening of June 21, 2013. Warren Thompson
and family ride in a place of honor atop a fire
truck in the parade. This parade concluded the
Kotzebue portion of the statewide Alaska Aviation
Centennial Celebration.
(LEFT) NANA region residents stop by to
learn about the Stinson L-13 also known
as the "Grasshopper."
CALENDAR
JULY
10 -11 – UKMP Subsistence Committee Orientation & Meeting, Bornite
12 – Elder Potluck, Kotzebue
17 - 20 – WEIO (World Eskimo-Indian Olympics), Fairbanks
18 – Red Dog Management Committee meeting, Vancouver, B.C., Canada
23 – Village Economic Development Committee meeting
24 – Ethics and Rules Committee meeting
24 – Lands and Natural Resources Committee meeting
24 – Budget, Audit and Finance Committee meeting
25 – Board meeting, Kotzebue, 9am
26 – Bornite Legacy Days Tour (UKMP)
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AUGUST
1 – Aqqaluk Trust Deadline - Fall Scholarship
5 – Elders Potluck - Elders Care Unit, Kotzebue @ 5pm
5 – Shareholder Relations Committee meeting, Buckland
8 – UKMP Oversight Committee Meeting (Bornite)
9 – UKMP Legislative Tour (Bornite)
12
HUNTER // MAY - JUNE 2013
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