WHEREAS, Tanana Chiefs Conference (TCC) is an Alaska Native tribal health and social services consortium established by the Interior Alaska tribes and tribal communities, to provide a unified voice in advancing sovereign tribal governments through the promotion of physical and mental wellness, education, socioeconomic development and culture of the Interior Alaska Native; and
WHEREAS, There is a limited number of Alaska Native pilots and airframe mechanics working in Interior Alaska, flying ‘bush planes’ to the rural villages across the state. With the bankruptcy of RAVN Alaska in 2019, rural villages also face less flights for both passenger and freight routes; and
WHEREAS, Rural villages are dependent on air transportation. The livelihood of all residents depends on frequent safe flights to villages to ensure that residents have access for medical, public safety, groceries / necessities, mail and transportation; and
WHEREAS, Many rural villages in the Region have no over-land roads so they rely heavily on air transportation. The Alaska pilot/mechanic population is around 8,000 – 1% of the state’s residents are currently pilots. Pilots are in high demand, as many rural village airlines need pilots. According to the FAA, over the last three decades, the number of pilots has decreased by 30 percent; and
WHEREAS, Tribal governments and TCC have been collaboratively working to improve rural village’s access to air transportation for a handful of years. The rural airlines that serve our region have participated in round-table discussions with Tribal leaders and have expressed their challenges for meeting the rural village needs, including safety issues, lack of pilots, and lack of airplanes; and
WHEREAS, It is in the best interest of all rural communities for TCC to develop a program/process that promotes and increases the amount of Alaska Native pilots and airframe mechanics we have serving Rural Alaska. Air transportation is a vital part of rural Alaskan life, and the need for bush pilots and air transportation will not decrease, and by growing our career pathways, the Region can ensure that village access for public safety, medical, and personal is possible and improving.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Tanana Chiefs Conference Full Board of Directors directs TCC to partner with the rural airline companies that serve villages in the Region and other Interior Alaska Native entities and vocational/educational institutions, including our statewide post-secondary institutions of higher education to significantly increase the recruitment and retention of Alaska Native pilots and airframe mechanics in Alaska; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that subject to the availability of funds, the TCC Full Board of Directors encourages and supports the individual and collective efforts of our Interior Alaska Native organizations to explore, create, deliberately align and maintain long-term initiatives to develop and retain Alaska Native pilots/mechanics by dedicating innovative projects, culturally-based programs, accessible scholarships, relevant professional learning opportunities, and a shared vision to systematically increase and improve the access to air transportation for our children, our communities, our region and Alaska.
Submitted By: Nulato Tribal Council
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