January/February 2011 - NANA Regional Corporation

The Hunter
Published by NANA Regional Corporation, Inc. Volume 23 Number 1 January/February 2011
Developing a Regional Economy
Balancing Priorities
Marie
Creating a sustainable economy in our region
is challenging. To help with this important task,
NANA’s board of directors, voted unanimously
to create NANA’s Village Economic Development
Committee (VEDC) on May 8, 2008. This board
committee was formed at a critical point in
our region’s energy crisis – spotlighting the
overwhelming need to create and maintain
in-region jobs and to lower the cost of fuel on a
village and regional level.
In response to the VEDC goals, NANA
created the Village Economic Development
(VEDD) department. The department is
headed by Dean Westlake and staffed by
Project Manager, Delores Barr. VEDD works
in collaboration with other organizations in
the region to create economic opportunities,
reduce the cost of energy and improve
infrastructure.
continued on page 2...
Greene
On February 23, 2011, I had the privilege of
speaking to an assembly of international Inuit
leaders at the Inuit Leaders Summit on Resource
Development in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, hosted
by the Inuit Circumpolar Conference. The mandate
for this summit came from the Inuit delegates
gathered at the last ICC General Assembly
held in Nuuk, Greenland, and focused on the
various aspects of Inuit engagement in resource
development projects. I was asked to speak
to NANA’s role, as the Regional Alaska Native
Corporation for northwest Alaska, in these types
of projects.
As I was preparing my remarks, my thoughts
kept returning to the balance between culture
and development. At NANA, we have a built-in
balance to make sure our business decisions
are aligned with our cultural values. We are led
by a 23-member board of directors comprised of
shareholders. They have charged our resources
department with the task of creating wealth,
sustainable projects and sustainable communities,
all while ensuring our subsistence way of life is
protected. Based on the direction of our board
and armed with our shareholder priorities, we have
built a resources department with the expertise to
approach projects from a pro-active standpoint
that, we hope, addresses our financial as well as
our cultural needs.
Are You Energy Wise?
High energy bills mean it’s time to start using
conservation and efficiency practices in our
everyday lives. In response to the energy
crisis faced by NANA region residents, and
at the direction of the NANA board, NANA
Regional Corporation has partnered with the
Rural Alaska Community Action Program
(RurAL CAP) to deliver the Energy Wise
program to our region.
RurAL CAP’s Energy Wise Program helps
rural Alaskans save money on energy bills,
while creating local jobs. Through Energy
Wise, rural Alaskans reduce their energy
consumption and lower their home heating
and electric bills. Locally hired crews are
trained to educate community residents and
conduct basic energy efficiency upgrades
through full-day home visits. This tested model
is spearheaded by the community – a multistep educational approach involves residents
in changing home energy consumption
behaviors. Energy Wise is not a substitute
for weatherization assistance, but designed
to complement this program by providing
community-wide efficiency education that
helps people understand how their actions
impact household energy consumption.
The program is being rolled out in the NANA
region in three phases. NANA has committed
$860,000 to fund the current phase of the
project, which began in early February and will
continued on page 2...
The RurAL CA
P Energy Wise
crew members
gathered in
Selawik in 2010
. In 2010, over
2,000 homes an
d residents in
32 rural comm
unities receive
d
energy efficien
cy education an
d
low-cost, effic
iency upgrades
from Energy W
ise. The progra
m
employed 160
rural Alaskans
.
Photo by courte
sy of RurAL CA
P.
In our region, there are many partners – public and
private – working cooperatively to build a viable
future for our communities. NANA is blessed to
have the capital and the expertise to contribute
to this process. But, truly, without resource
development, we would not be in the position
we find ourselves in today. The Red Dog Mine
provides the financial foundation of our current land
management, natural resource development and
business development strategy.
In fact, the success of our company and our
ability to protect and enhance our lands began
thirty years ago. At that time, NANA leaders had
similar discussions to the one Inuit leaders had in
Ottawa. They asked themselves similar questions
to the ones we are asking ourselves now; and
came to the conclusion that development at
Red Dog Mine could be done in a way that was
in concert with our values and our subsistence
lifestyle. We developed a measurement scale that
worked for our region and struck a balance that
is still in place today. NANA’s role is to continually
monitor that balance in order to be successful.
Quyaanna
INSIDE:
3 Living Space
4
Candle in Hollywood
5
seal a window
Wise crew members
RurAL CAP Energy
loss in 2010.
at
he
lawik to prevent
with plastic film in Se
P.
CA
, RurAL
Photo by Tara Loyd
New Name for Shareholder
Development
7
The New Nullagvik Hotel Takes
Shape in Kotzebue
NANA Regional Corporation News
...continued from page 1
Are You Energy Wise?
end in June. Six villages (Ambler, Buckland,
Kivalina, Noatak, Noorvik and Shungnak) have
been invited to participate in the program. As
part of the program, homes receive a full day
home visit from a trained, locally-hired crew;
assessment of household energy/kilowatt
consumption conducted with the resident;
education on energy cost-saving strategies;
installation of up to $300 worth of basic, home
energy efficiency supplies; and a follow-up visit
and survey two to three months after initial
home visit. Planning and development for the
next phases are underway.
“We are blessed at NANA to have the
resources to be able to fund this project, and
working with RurAL CAP will allow us to take
our efforts to the next level,” said Marie N.
Greene, president and CEO of NANA Regional
Corporation. “Not only will this program help
us address the cost of energy, but it is also
an excellent village economic development
tool that offers training and employment
opportunities. It is a win/win for all involved.”
Ten crew members will be trained and
will work under the direction of a locally
hired crew chief. Each crew member will
receive Weatherization Tech I and OSHA
certifications, and 8-12 weeks of work.
A Community Energy Fair will kick off the
program in each village. Every household
in each village that wishes to participate is
eligible for this service.
...continued from page 1
Energy Wise FAQ
What is the Energy Wise program?
The Rural Alaska Community Action Program,
Inc.’s (RurAL CAP’s) Energy Wise Program
helps rural Alaskans save money on energy bills,
while creating local jobs. This tested model uses
community-based social marketing to save
energy – a multi-step educational approach
involving residents in changing home energy
consumption behaviors. Locally-hired crews
are trained to educate community residents
and conduct basic energy efficiency upgrades
during full-day home visits.
How much is NANA contributing to
the program?
NANA is blessed with the resources to be
able to be the first private company to fund
Energy Wise. The program will help address the
energy crisis in northwest Alaska and will be
implemented in three phases. NANA Regional
Corporation, Inc. is providing $860,000 for
the current phase of the project. RurAL CAP
estimates the cost of the Energy Wise program
to be about $1,700 per home.
What villages are participating?
Phase I of the project is set to begin in early
February and end in May. NANA and RurAL CAP
Developing a Regional Economy
“Our department is kind of like a Leatherman
multi-tool,” said VEDD Director, Dean Westlake.
“You have to use the right tool for the job, and
you have to have a lot of tools at your disposal.
Sometimes we work with national, state, local
or tribal governments, sometimes we work with
agencies, or utilities, or service providers. It
depends on what aspect of the problem we are
trying to attack. The challenges we face as a
region are complex, so the solutions require a
team-effort regionally, as well as some out-ofthe-box thinking.”
With the support of the board and regional
cooperation, VEDD’s vision is to build a region
where those who wish to work can find meaningful employment and everyone can afford to
heat their homes and fuel their vehicles.
have invited six villages in the NANA region to
participate in the current phase:
• Ambler
• Buckland
• Kivalina
• Noatak
• Noorvik
• Shungnak
Will NANA be including the remaining five
NANA villages in the program?
Yes. NANA’s intention is to include all of the
NANA villages by completion of all three phases
of the project.
Are there any village jobs associated with
this program?
Local hire is a significant component of this
project. Approximately half of the funding
provides for local hire, the other half covers
training, supplies and coordination.
RurAL CAP will hire approximately ten people
locally (in each village where the program is
taking place) for 8 – 12 weeks. Those who
complete their training will earn Weatherization
Tech I and OSHA certification.
Recent Village Economic
Development projects:
$55,000 grants from NANA
VEDC’s very first initiative was the creation
of direct-to-village grants of up to $55,000,
intended for new energy and economic
development projects. A total of $55,000
was made available to each community,
and village and city governments are eligible
to apply. For example, the Native Village of
Selawik applied for $25,000 to extend their
boardwalk so new housing could be built,
while the City of Selawik is applying for
$30,000 for an alternative energy project.
Together, NANA, the tribes and the cities are
working to address village-identified issues.
Second Annual Grant Writing Seminar
The last week of January, VEDD conducted
its second Annual grant writing seminar
which included a section conducted
by the U.S. Census Bureau on how to
use the bureau’s new and improved
American FactFinder to help when
researching grants. NANA VEDD
sponsored registration by the eleven tribal
representatives who attended the event.
2
Knives have been a vitally important part of
our subsistence lifestyle for thousands of
years. Roy Barr uses the skills he has learned
to turn a tool into a work of art.
NANA Regional Corporation News
Aullaqniuruat
It’s the 40th year of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement
Act (ANCSA), and we’ve asked those who helped
build NANA to look back at their time with the
corporation and share memories, thoughts and
observations. Red Seeberger has worked for NANA
for 37 years, serving in a variety of postions including:
receptionist/secretary; board secretary; executive
secretary; accounting clerk; assistant to the fuel
project manager; talent bank manager; scholarship
program manager; reindeer health aide; and for many
years was the shareholder records registrar/manager.
Today she serves as vice president of Administration.
She began working for NANA in January 1973 and
vividly remembers the first office located behind the
Bayside restaurant which was a large open office in
Kotzebue, Alaska, shared by nine employees.
“Back in the early days when NANA was first
starting out, when we were short handed, we
would all just pitch in and help each other out to
get the job done--we were a hard working small
team back then.
One of my most out-of-the ordinary jobs at
NANA was part of the reindeer round-up team
at Riley Wreck, Church Rock and Candle.
Twenty to 30 people would volunteer their time
for a week to help with these round-ups in June
and October, some would say it is similar to
cattle round ups. In June, we would bring tents,
or stay in a one room building. In October, we
stayed in a two-room building to accommodate
all of us because it was too cold by then for tents.
Those days were interesting, no running water, so
we would melt snow for dishes, general clean-ups,
washing our hair, etc. One time after my sister
and I washed our hair, we had a line of ten people
behind us wanting to do the same. One thing is
for sure though, we had the best cooks at these
round-ups. Thanks to them, we ate like kings and
queens out there at reindeer camp.
Another job I had was the assistant to the Fuel
Project Manager. Back in the 70’s and 80’s, NANA
oversaw three fuel projects in Ambler, Buckland
and Deering. In the spring, we would have to travel
to these villages and climb the tanks and measure
the fuel that was left in the tanks and figure how
long it would last through the summer and how
much we would need to order for the following
year. I never thought I would have to do this, but it
was fun and interesting.
My most interesting job was the Shareholder
Records registrar/manager. I met so many
shareholders via the telephone. Some would be
so thankful for receiving dividends; others weren’t
as patient. I’ve made long lasting friendships with
shareholders who I have met via the phone but not
yet in person and am thankful for knowing them.
I’ve even had the good fortune of helping to
connect some of our shareholders who were
adopted out with their biological parents.
Those times have been so rewarding.
In the early days, we did have challenges.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the time
two of us typed dividend checks by hand
in 1978. Those were the days before good
computer systems and NANA was transitioning
to our own computer system. We had to
balance the shares, then type the checks for
the 4,600 original shareholders. We had not
yet added children born after 1971 and we
did not yet have the policy where shareholders
could ‘gift shares’, so we only had the original
shareholders.
During the almost 40 years I’ve been with the
company, I have seen tremendous growth in
NANA. We’ve gone from nine employees to
9,000, and from our original enrollment of 4,600
shareholders to over 12,500 today. I got to
know some really great people who contributed
to NANA’s success who served on the board of
directors, and who unfortunately are now gone,
including our long time chair Robert Newlin, Sr.;
Sigwien Savok; Art Douglas, Sr.; Connell
Armstrong; Stanley Custer; David Swan; Billy
Tickett; Frank Ferguson; Delores Barr; Gilbert
Karmun; Alfred Wells, Sr.; Lester Hadley; Gilbert
Mills; and Lowell Sage. Thank you to their
families for sharing these wonderful people with
us for so many years.
While there have been many changes, there
is one thing I am proud of in regards to NANA
– we have had only five presidents (John W.
Schaeffer, Willie Hensley, Ross Schaeffer, Charlie
Curtis, Marie Greene) and only three board
chairs (Robert Newlin, Sr., Christina Westlake,
Donald Sheldon). That is a testament to the
stability of leadership in our region.”
Red lives in Kotzebue with her daughter
Sarah, her dog, Alaska and continues to enjoy
the outdoors, cross country skiing, walking,
gardening, beachcombing, volunteering within
the community and her favorite pastime, berry
picking.
d directly on lands
years at NANA Regional Corporation. She worke
Red Seeberger has had many jobs in her 37
. Red Seeberger
office
NANA
the
of
pictured here in the 1970s in front
issues with Walter Sampson and Bert Griest
n.
istratio
currently serves as the Vice President of Admin
Living Space
Sustainable housing has been defined as
“development that meets the needs of the
present without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs.” One could
say the sod houses our people used in the past
were an example of this – they didn’t use up all
the sod which would have been detrimental to
future generations. Shareholder Jackie Schaeffer
is now studying how rural Alaskans might, once
again, live in sustainable homes.
The human-centeredness of sustainable
housing is important to Schaeffer, and she’s
dedicated to the NANA region. “I am blessed
to have had the inspiration of role models like
Robert Newlin, Willie Hensley, Frank Ferguson,
and my Dad, John Schaeffer growing up,” said
Schaeffer. “Their vision was to improve the
lives of our people and, I too, have that same
vision, to enrich and bless the lives of NANA
shareholders.”
Schaeffer attended the American College
in London from 1982-84, graduating with a
certificate in General Fashion. She moved home
to raise a family and is now getting back to
finishing what she started – earning a certificate
in Residential Space Planning from the Art
Institute of Pittsburgh, where she is currently
earning a BA in Interior Design. Her focus is on
sustainable housing in the NANA region, and a
12-week internship with WHPacific and NANA
Regional Corporation is helping her to hone
that vision and develop solutions that can
NANA shareholder,
Jackie
be implemented in existing homes in our region. WHPacific’s, Jay HermansoSchaeffer is interning with
One of the primary questions Schaeffer
considers regarding sustainable living spaces
is: “How do you integrate Western technology
into the Native lifestyle and make it a blessing,
not a burden?” Part of the answer is making
homeowner empowerment and education the
first priority, like Energy Wise program does.
n, to gain hands-on
sustainable residenti
experience in
al engineering. She
hopes to someday
use her knowledge
to help shareholders
create sustainable
housing in the NANA
region.
Other components to sustainable housing include:
Improved air quality, efficient space planning
(including proper storage for subsistence foods
and equipment), energy efficiency and renewable
energy, and building sustainable communities
by building new homes close to water and
energy sources.
“The way I see it, it all comes back to the people
and ripples outward to make change happen,”
said Schaeffer, “just like the Iñupiat Ixitquisiat.”
3
NANA Regional Corporation News
New Employees
NANA Regional Corporation is
expanding our employee base
to meet our business, as well as
shareholder, needs. Here are a
few of the new faces you’ll see
around our offices in Kotzebue
and Anchorage.
Greene, Vice
Chuck Anaullaqtaq
ent Relations
nm
ver
Go
President,
Chuck Anaullaqtaq Greene is NANA’s
new vice president of Government
Relations. Prior to this role, Greene was
community and government liaison with
NANA Development Corporation. Before
joining NANA, he served as mayor of
Northwest Arctic Borough for 13 years and
was the special assistant to the governor
of Alaska, linking the governor’s office to
people in the state’s rural communities.
Greene is a board member of the
Resource Development Council (RDC)
and has served on many other boards,
including: the Kotzebue City Council;
Kikitagruk Iñupiat Corporation (KIC); the
state Alcohol Beverage Control Board; and
the Rural Governance and Empowerment
Commission. Greene served his country in
the United States Navy for four years, two of
which were in Vietnam.
Jason Kuugauraq
Rutman,
Environmental Ma
nager
Jason Kuugauraq Rutman recently joined
NANA Regional Corporation as the environmental
manager with the Resources department.
Originally from Noorvik, he has also lived in
Buckland, Kiana and Shungnak, and now resides in
Anchorage with his wife and son.
The first NANA shareholder to permanently transfer
from Red Dog to another Teck mine (Pogo), Rutman
brings ten years of environmental experience to
his new position with NANA. As environmental
manager, Rutman will contribute to NANA’s
successful resource development efforts, focusing on
environmental and regulatory matters, and working
with industry leaders and regulatory agencies.
In addition to nearly ten years with Teck at the Red
Dog and Pogo mines, Rutman worked with ASRC
Energy Services, Chugach Management Services
and the Alyeska Pipeline Service Company.
Holthouse,
Priscilla Naungagiaq Hensley
cialist
Spe
ions
icat
mun
Com
ate
Corpor
Priscilla Naungagiaq Hensley Holthouse
has joined the NANA Regional Corporation
Communications department as corporate
communications specialist. Hensley’s family
is from Kotzebue and Anchorage. Prior to
accepting this position with NANA, she worked
as a consultant, providing writing, editorial,
research, project management, Web content
development and management, and a wide
variety of related assistance to a diverse client
base, including NANA. Hensley Holthouse is a
graduate of the University of Alaska Anchorage
(UAA) and holds an interdisciplinary degree in
Dance and Anthropology.
NANA Regional Corporation is a shareholder-run
organization. All but four positions are held by
shareholders.
Candle in Hollywood
Publication of Ray Wise Mala’s Biography
and Film Festival Planned
Long before Everybody Loves Whales, there was
international Iñupiat movie star, Ray Wise Mala.
A film festival featuring his work is being planned
statewide to coincide with the publication of
Lael Morgan’s biography, Eskimo Star: From
the Tundra to Tinseltown: The Ray Mala Story
published, by Epicenter Press.
Born in Candle in 1906, the son of an Iñupiat
mother and a Russian Eskimo trader who left
the region without knowing he had fathered a
child, Mala was raised traditionally in Candle
and Kotzebue by his mother’s family, and a
stepfather of Swedish origin. Left motherless by
the flu epidemic at age 12, and ordered from
his home by his stepfather’s second wife, Ray
snowshoed through the Kigluaik Mountains
mountain passes and down the coast to Nome
where he supported himself working as a
crewman for the local mail boat, traders, and a
number of arctic explorers who discovered his
talents as a cameraman.
In Nome during the 1925 Diphtheria epidemic,
Ray borrowed a camera and filmed delivery of
the now famous antitoxin via dog team, which
saved the isolated town. His sale of that valuable
footage to Pathé News eventually landed him a
job as assistant camera man at Fox Studios in
Hollywood.
Handsome, soft spoken and articulate, Mala
went on to an acting career, starring in such film
classics as Eskimo and Red Snow, and some
amusing serials, the most famous of which is
Robinson Crusoe of Clipper Island. Some of his
early work—the Pathé newsreel of the serum
4
Iñupiat Hollywood star Ray Mala
will be honored during a film festival
that will run in Alaska from the end
of March through late April. The
National Park Service will host
showings of Mala’s films at the
Western Arctic National Parklands
in Kotzebue every Tuesday from
April 5 to April 26.
run grandly titled How Death Was
Cheated in the Great Race to
Nome and Primitive Love, an early
drama shot in the Nome area—
were thought to be lost, but have
been located by his biographer
Morgan and will make their Alaska
debut as part of the festival.
Eskimo, made with a local cast
from the Teller region; Mala’s
south seas classic, Last of the
Pagans; an earlier movie titled Igloo, which
Mala made with a cast from Barrow and Point
Hope; and Mala, Secret Agent of the South
Seas will also be screened.
The film festival will premiere in Anchorage at
the Bear Tooth Theater on March 30 and 31,
following the launching of Mala’s biography at
the Anchorage Museum, March 29. The National
Park Service will host showings at its Western
Arctic National Parklands in Kotzebue every
Tuesday from April 5 to April 26.
NANA Regional Corporation News
In Memory
NANA’s board of directors and staff extend their condolences to the family and friends
of the following shareholders who have recently passed away.
Levi Coffin
Gary L. Grove
Martha Norton
Sandra Fuentes
Elmer C. Ipalook
Tina Smith
Eddie J. Goodwin
Craig E. Jones
Carlyann Sulvan
Correction: NANA apologizes to the
family of the late Levi Coffin. Levi was listed
inappropriately in a photo in last month’s
story about the Kotzebue Senior Center.
Levi passed away after publication of that
story. Our heartfelt condolences go out to
his family and friends.
Shareholder Employment and Development
New Name for Shareholder Development
Your Shareholder Development
Department is taking on a new
name – Shareholder Employment
and Development Department.
This new name more accurately
describes the work we do.
Shareholder Employment
and Development works with
shareholders on anything
related to careers. Whether you
are looking for tools to explore
career options or just need a job,
Shareholder Employment and
Development is here for you.
NANA Hosts Information Technology (IT)
Open House
The IT Open House was a four hour event held
on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in Anchorage.
School-age shareholders had this day off
from school – so it was a great opportunity to
NANA Shareholder Employment and
Development has started offering monthly
Employability Workshops in Anchorage.
Employability Workshops give NANA companies
an opportunity to share information about the
company with prospective shareholder applicants,
tell them how to apply and share information
about their corporate culture. For dates and
times of future Employability Workshops, please
contact Kristine Couse at 907-265-4365
or 1-800-478-2000 or via email at
kristine.couse@nana.com. If you are outside
of Anchorage and would like to participate
via the Web, give us a call.
College Internships and Support Program
Your Shareholder Employment and
Development Department. (l to r): Ron
Adams, Denise Koutchak, Kristine
Couse, Tami Krukoff, Kristina Patrick
and Annette Zella.
Denise Koutchak, Shareholder Employment
and Development Department’s new business partner, recently met with NANA’s
Information Technology (IT) department to talk
about ways we could work together to prepare
our youth for successful futures. After months
of collaboration and careful planning, NANA
hosted its first IT Open House.
Employability Workshops
do something productive and learn about the
hot jobs in the IT field – one of Alaska’s fastest
growing industries.
Youth learned, through hands-on activities, from
NANA’s talented IT staff and worked directly with
computers in three different career fields.
“At NANA Development Corporation we work
to provide training and new prospects for our
shareholders,” said Kristina Patrick, Shareholder,
Employment and Development Manager, “this
open house is a way to get students excited
NANA will be posting all of our internships
by the end of February through April 1 at
www.moderndayhunter.com. Last year,
NANA’s family of companies hosted 32
internship opportunities. This year we hope to
have at least the same amount of positions.
Internships give students an opportunity to
gain real-world experience in their field of
study. These opportunities are important to
the success of the student after they graduate
from college. Don’t miss this opportunity!
about a career working in IT while working for
a company that is a part of their heritage.”
Ngoni Murandu, NANA’s chief information
officer (CIO), said this is a win-win situation.
“There are so many different career fields
at NANA IT and the opportunities are only
expanding. The chance to meet some young
shareholders and show them what we do
is exciting. We want people who attend this
open house to walk away thinking – “I want
to work with NANA IT.”
l to r (front row): Melissa Kramer , Zeriah Burrell, Wilfred Lane, Kiera
Hoarst, Kiana Hoarst, Valerie
Clewis, Aaron Cleveland, Denise Koutchak. Pictured standing 2nd
row: Shyanna Avery, Keith
Avery, Michael Gudmundson (blue shirt), Ngoni Murandu, Steve Vandagr
iff. Pictured standing in
the back: Stanley Ratcliff Jr., Craig Billingsley
5
NANA Development Corporation News
NDC President’s Message
Science That Matters
Helvi Sandvik
NANA Development Corporation President Helvi
Sandvik powers the energy bike, generating electric
current during a visit to the Lawrence Livermore
National Laboratory in California.
One of the perks of my job is that I get to work
with a lot of smart people. How many people
can say they work with actual rocket scientists,
astronauts and astrophysicists?
National Laboratory. Our job there is to attract
and retain the best minds, to help the facility fulfill
its mission, to keep our country safe, and to find
future energy solutions.
Each year our NDC Board travels to one or
two of our job sites, which as we have grown,
are now all over the world. The trips are
important for our company, and for our Board
members, who have the responsibility to
oversee our business investments. They help
all of us make sure each individual company
is aligned with our goals. It gives the Board
and our management team the opportunity
to meet face to face with our employees and
clients. With employees located far away
from the NANA Region, it is important that we
remind them of the who we are as NANA, and
how much we appreciate the hard work they
do for our company and shareholders, while
also delivering outstanding services to our
customers.
Housed inside a 10-story building– the size of
three football fields– is the world’s biggest laser.
These powerful lasers have the potential to meet
our future energy needs. Scientists conduct top
secret experiments; some tests are done only at
night under the strictest security. The day we were
there, we saw the control room which looks like
NASA’s space command center.
Last month I traveled with the NDC board
and several members of our NDC team to
Livermore, California, where we met some
incredible scientists and saw the work they
do. Last year our company Akima won a
five-year contract at the Lawrence Livermore
The laboratory looks like something out of a sci-fi
movie. In fact, on our tour we learned that part of
the movie “Tron” was filmed in one of the buildings
at the site. The site is huge, the size of a small
city, with its own police and fire station. On just
over one square mile, they can boast the highest
number of Ph.D.s in the country: 1,300. All of the
laboratory’s 6,400 employees share bikes–1,300
of them– to travel between the buildings.
For NANA, to have the opportunity to deliver such
important services to our country is an honor and
a privilege. We’re thankful to Akima for their hard
work, and for the helmets they provide to protect
all that brain power.
Ice Cream in Afghanistan
A fresh serving of ice cream in the mountains
of Asia might not be the first image that pops
to mind when you think of NANA’s business
operations.
But providing such amenities has become a
core part of the business for NIQI, a business
line of NANA Services. NIQI, the Iñupiaq
word for food, began operations in 2004. The
company has grown to become a top-50 food
supplier to the Department of Defense in places
such as Afghanistan and Kyrgyzstan.
NANA Shareholder Rachel Kutuk McClanahan
has played a central role in driving NIQI’s
expansion as a program manager for the
company. In that position she does a little
bit of everything from direct marketing to
managing financial aspects of the company.
McClanahan’s journey to working for NIQI was
a circuitous one. She grew up in Kotzebue, but
left at 15 to live in Florida. After she finished high
school and college, Rachel spent 13 years working
in management for Ruby Tuesdays. She moved
to Washington State in 2003 and was working for
a health maintenance organization (HMO). She
was invited to a shareholder picnic and job fair at
the Seattle Zoo in 2005. By 2006 she’d landed a
position with NANA Services as an administrative
assistant. Since NANA Services was a small
company, the job gave her a variety of handson experiences and a chance to grow with the
company.
Today, instead of resting on the successes as a
supplier to the Department of Defense, McClanahan
is helping push NIQI into other areas. One of the
same proprietary soft-serve machines that serves
military personnel overseas is now in use at an
NBC Universal Studios in southern California. It’s a
pilot project, and if all goes well, NIQI could soon be
supplying a fleet of mobile ice cream machines to
the entertainment company’s theme parks.
“The possibilities definitely seem limitless,”
she says.
McClanahan says that her status as a shareholder
and her knowledge of how business success
benefits her and other shareholders is an important
part of her work.
“To really feel that the things I do every day have an
impact on their lives—I just find that really satisfying,”
she says. “As a shareholder, I take great pride in
what I do and I have greater respect for the nonshareholders who give so much of their time and
dedication to NANA each and every day.”
Military personnel at an overseas installation sample
fresh soft-serve ice cream supplied by NIQI.
cClanahan
Rachel Kutuk M
6
NANA Development Corporation News
Mike Johnson, NANA Shareholder Engineer
Mike Johnson may be fresh out
of college, but he already has a
longstanding relationship with his
new employer that few recent
graduates could hope to match.
That’s been a long-time goal
for NANA says Shareholder
Development Manager
Kristina Siiqsiniq Patrick.
“Our ultimate goal is that we
Johnson, who received a
improve the quality of life of
bachelor’s of science degree in
our people, ” she says. “That’s
civil engineering in December
our mission.” And part of that
from the University of Alaska
mission includes a path like
Anchorage, is now a civil engineer
the one Johnson took.
With hard work and perseverance,
with DOWL HKM, a NANA
Shareholder Mike Johnson recently
company. He’s also a NANA
Johnson’s seamless
went from intern to employee.
shareholder, which means he’s
transition from his studies
among the growing ranks of NANA shareholders at UAA to an engineering job was made possible
who have moved into professional positions
by DOWL HKM and the Alaska Native Science
within the company.
Engineering Program, commonly known as
ANSEP. As the name suggests, ANSEP supports
Alaska Native students in their studies in
engineering and the scientific disciplines.
Several NANA companies participate in ANSEP
programs. In Johnson’s case, because of DOWL
HKM’s commitment to shareholder development and
hire, he was able to work part time during the school
year and full time during the summers while still
an undergraduate college student—a tremendous
advantage he now brings with him to the workplace.
“We want our shareholders to be in a position to
lead our companies,” says Patrick. “This is how
we’re going to get there.”
The New Nullabvik Hotel Takes Shape in Kotzebue
A year after the first pile installation began, the
new Nullabvik Hotel has taken shape on a lot
adjacent to the original Nullabvik Hotel,
first erected in 1975. The new hotel will have
78 rooms, a full service restaurant and a
meeting room.
A webcam available at several NANA
company websites allows anyone with an
internet connection to get a look at the
Kotzebue project. But what’s going on behind
that rough façade?
“We are currently working on all four floors indoors,”
says Project Manager Robert Koski, of NANA
Construction, LLC. The work now going on inside the
building includes insulation and drywall installation,
some electrical work, and work on the pipes that
will supply heat to the structure. Meanwhile,
kitchen equipment continues to be installed.
Just because it’s winter, doesn’t mean that some
work on the exterior can’t proceed. Koski’s crew
is installing gypsum board and two-inch-thick rigid
foam board on exterior walls.
Current work is in preparation for the building’s
metal siding, installation of which will begin in
spring. The building’s metal roof, main entry and
elevators all await spring’s warmer weather.
d work
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winter.
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The walls are up
ior continues
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int
’s
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ild
bu
on the
Two dates are at the top of Koski’s mind now – June
30 and July 6. June 30th is the planned completion
date for the phases that are under way now. July
6th marks the scheduled arrival of the first of the
three barges expected in Kotzebue. Details about
furniture, finishes and equipment, and artwork are
being coordinated now so that as many materials
as possible can be delivered by that barge.
“Everything else has to be flown in,” explains
Koski. “That makes it very expensive for
shipping heavy material by air.”
The full hotel and the kitchen/restaurant will
be complete by August 31, 2011.
Several NANA companies are involved with the
project. WHPacific provided the architectural
and interior design, NANA WorleyParsons
is assisting with the mechanical design,
DOWL HKM is providing civil engineering,
NANA Construction is overseeing the hotel
construction and managing the general
contractor SKW Eskimos, Inc. (an ASRC
subsidiary), while NMS Lodging Division will
manage the operation of the new property.
Koski’s crew of about 25 consists of about
60 percent shareholders and shareholder
spouses and Mega Watt Electric, an on-site
subcontractor, also employs a shareholder
among its small crew of electricians.
More online at www.newnullagvik.com.
NANA Regional Corporation News
The Snow is Whiter on the Other Side
By Gary Skin Jr.
The unmistakable crunch as my feet trod through
the freshly fallen snow and the bitter cold is
reminiscent to the frozen tundra and the village of
Selawik, where I grew up. Except this time, I am
walking in the southern Sacramento Mountain
range in south eastern New Mexico, and not the
frozen arctic. Yet, I am reminded of my childhood,
fifth grade to be exact, when I moved to Alaska
from New Mexico. Now I live in Mescalero, New
Mexico, with my wife and two young children,
where we have had memorable times as a
family in the outdoors, and where a truck now
replaces a snow machine. The scenery out in the
flat lands where figures such as Billy the Kid, or
Apaches like Cochise or Victorio once roamed are
picturesquely snow laden. These valleys, where
the snow gathers in grassy fields look just like the
valley between Buckland, Selawik and Noorvik
in the winter. The snow is still white. It is not a
respecter of states, and it will fall where it falls.
The cold air bites just the same, with one early
morning temperature here reaching negative 14
degrees Fahrenheit. The recent weather change
made me want to start up the snow machine,
pack the auger and the grub box in the sled,
and head out on the Selawik Lake for some
ice fishing. Alas, I have to deal with motorists,
many of whom do not have the slightest idea of
how to drive in the snow and ice; the lakes here
do not freeze up enough to ice fish safely and
are nowhere the size of Selawik Lake. Come to
think of it, a truck pulling a 16 foot basket sled
would not be a bright idea, but does make for
a pretty vivid mental picture. I miss Selawik, but
I am at home when the snow falls, whether in
New Mexico or Alaska. My feet love to make
that snow crunching sound. My face loves to
feel that invigorating sting from a cold wind. One
day son, one day my daughter, you will land in
the village of Selawik, where you will meet some
of the nicest Iñupiaq people there are, and you,
too, will be home there as we are here.
In memory of Andrew, Sr. and Vera Skin, we are
home in our hearts...always!
NANA shareholder Gary
Skin, Sr., is a grant writer
for the Mescalero Apache
Housing Authority and
lives with his family in Me
scalero, New Mexico.
7
P.O. Box 49
Kotzebue, Alaska 99752
PAID
Anchorage, AK
Permit No. 444
PRSRT STD
U. S. Postage
NANA Continuing History
ok.
Do you use the
Iñupiaq values
in
’s new history bo
ributing to NANA
consider cont
your life? If so,
NANA History Book Needs You
By A.J. McClanahan and Cana Crosby
Event Calendar
MARCH
2-5
Basketball regional 1A/2A combined
@ Kotzebue; Basketball regionals for
Kotzebue @ Hooper Bay
3
NANA Career Fair, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.,
Kotzebue Middle High School.
9
Friends Church meeting
14
NANA Career Fair, preceding the
Annual Shareholder Meeting.
9:00 a.m. – Noon, Ambler Gym,
Ambler, Alaska
14
NANA Annual Shareholder Meeting,
1:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m., Ambler Gym,
Ambler, Alaska
Do you have something to say about being a
NANA shareholder living in today’s world? Do
you have experience with using the Iñupiaq
values in your daily life? If so, please consider
submitting something for use in the new book
NANA is developing that focuses on NANA
history and each of the 17 Iñupiaq values. The
practical and traditional aspects of the Iñupiaq
values are explored, with the hope that we all
can find ways to use them in our lives.
Gathering information, photos, interviews and
stories to create the history of NANA and its
people are Alexandra J. McClanahan, author
and historian, and Cana Uluak Crosby, writer/
graphics designer and NANA shareholder. The
book will focus on the individual stories of the
people of NANA from Elders to youth.
The goal of the book is to teach our history to
those who were not yet born during the early
years of the corporation, and to invigorate our
youth’s passion to become involved and active
in our Native corporation and community.
NANA President and CEO, Marie Greene, has
noted that the leaders who started NANA in the
late 1960’s were very young at the time. The
accomplishment of a group of leaders so young
is a stunning achievement, but they are either
retired or in the process of stepping back to let
the young people of today take over.
“It will be our young people who will carry that
work into the future,” Greene said.
Edited by:
NANA Regional Corporation’s
Communications Department
Contributors:
Cana Crosby
Krestia DeGeorge
Priscilla Hensley Holthouse
Allison Knox
Alexandra J. McClanahan
Kristina Patrick
Shelly Wozniak
McClanahan and Crosby hope that as many
people as possible will consider sending
material for the book. There will be modest
prizes awarded to the young people who send
in submissions.
Submissions can be sent to:
NANA History Project, Attn: Cana Crosby
PO Box 49, Kotzebue, AK 99752
history@NANA.com
Submissions should be limited to 750 words
or less. These could include articles about the
impact of the Iñupiaq values on individuals’
lives, photographs of people or places
related to NANA, quotes from Elders or family
members, and/or suggestions on how to live
life according to the values.
In the case of photographs, please include
the names of anyone pictured, as well as the
location, date and a brief description of the
action. This information is important in order
to correctly identify people, as well as to place
these items in their proper context.
A release allowing use of the material will
be needed for any submissions to be used.
The release form can be found at
www.nana.com/forms
About the Editors:
A.J. McClanahan is the author of several Alaska
Native books published by the CIRI Foundation,
including “Growing Up Native in Alaska” which
has been chosen as one of the two books of
the year for the University of Alaska Anchorage
and Alaska Pacific University. McClanahan
dedicated “Growing Up Native in Alaska” to her
daughter Natasha Kañaaq Hensley Shively, who
is Iñupiaq and a tribal member of the Native
Village of Kotzebue. McClanahan and her
husband, John Shively, adopted their daughter
when she was an infant.
Cana Uluak Crosby was born in Kotzebue and
is the daughter of Gladys Pungowiyi (Wells) of
Noorvik. She is a graduate of Harvard University
with a degree emphasizing Community
Development.
Contact NANA
NANA Regional Corporation, Kotzebue
PO Box 49, Kotzebue, AK 99752
P (907) 442-3301
P (800) 478-3301 (Toll Free)
F (907) 442-2863
www.nana.com/regional
Have a story? email: news@NANA.com
8