Dear Tribes and Tribal
Members,
Last month, we lost an exceptional leader and a tireless advocate for our region – First Chief Wilmer Beetus of Hughes. Chief Beetus was an innovative leader who demonstrated tribal self-determination every day and his loss is felt throughout our region and our State. My thoughts and prayers remain with Chief Beetus’s family, friends, and loved ones during this challenging time.
TCC’s Special Convention was originally scheduled to take place November 1st-3rd. However, due to the multiple losses throughout our region during that time, TCC chose to reduce the meeting to one-day to be respectful of those who needed to take the time to grieve, heal and attend services.
Despite shortening the meeting to one day, TCC was still able to cover the topics identified as top priorities by our Tribal Leaders: Patient Housing and Travel, Substance Abuse Treatment and the Protection of Our Way of Life.
Additionally, I am pleased to announce that the Full Board of Directors unanimously voted for TCC to move forward with the purchase of a hotel and two plots of land in Fairbanks. This purchase will address a longstanding patient housing shortage and is a step towards resolving this issue for years to come. Additionally, TCC will be assessing the viability of utilizing the acquired land for potential elder housing in the future.
Last month, I was elected to serve a two-year term as Alaska Area Vice-President for the National Congress of American Indians. I am looking forward to broadening my service to our communities across the State in this new role and I am honored to be serving alongside newly-elected alternate vice-president Clinton Cook, continuing our strong partnership with Tlingit and Haida.
On November 10th, I testified before the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs in Bethel alongside other Tribal Leaders, asking Congress to uphold their trust responsibility to Alaskan Tribes. I hope that those in positions of power listened to the testimony of our Tribal Leaders, as we have been demanding action on this crisis for many years to no avail while also shouldering the burden of conservation.
Furthermore, I had the opportunity to testify before the Bureau of Land Management in Fairbanks, advocating for the implementation of a No Action Alternative for the Ambler Road Project. I was pleased to see many Fairbanks residents showing up to the meeting to voice their opposition to the project. I encourage those who were unable to attend to submit their written comments before December 22. More information on this can be found on page 5 of this newsletter.
Finally, I am looking forward to the New Year and all that TCC will be accomplishing in the future. I hope that you spend your holiday surrounded by friends, family and loved ones.
Mahsi’ Choo,
Brian Ridley, Chief/Chairman
Tanana Chiefs Conference