First Alaskans Institute

Yesterday, we closed out Intern Orientation Week in Fairbanks! Here’s a look at highlights from our final two days. Interns visited the Morris Thompson Center — thank you to Tania Clucas for the tour! We gathered with our cultural mentors to explore what it means to be Indigenous and reflect on our shared values. Bryana Angulo from Tanana Chiefs Conference led a powerful presentation on the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples crisis and local efforts to address it. FAI’s Alaska Native Policy Center Director Sedaadze’ also guided interns through a beading project.

To close out the week, Joy Huntington led interns through a journaling workshop.

It was a meaningful week and FAI staff loved seeing interns show up fully, engage deeply, and step into their leadership.

Day 2 of Intern Orientation Week here in Fairbanks did not disappoint! 🌞

We opened with wisdom from our Board Chair Willie Hensley, who shared his leadership journey and what’s possible for the next generation. Then we sat down with Fairbanks North Star Borough Mayor Grier Hopkins to talk local governance and what it really looks like to include youth voices.

We were also honored to meet Kylie and Joselle, visiting all the way from Tasmania as part of the Churchill Fellowship, a program that sends Australians abroad to bring back knowledge that benefits their communities, here to learn about restorative justice and how our cultures can lead the way in keeping our people safe and supported.

UAF’s Kevin Illingworth walked us through the history of colonialism and Indigenous sovereignty, a testament to the resilience of our people and the ongoing fight to protect and preserve our cultures.

And what better way to close the day than joining the Dene’ Eslaanh Dance Group in song and dance at the Georgeson Botanical Garden. 🌸

We’re grateful for the powerful conversations and couldn’t be prouder of our interns!

Our first full day together at our Summer Internship Program’s Orientation Week!

Today we learned caribou tufting from Joyce Roberts, learned about community organizing from ’s team, and heard from Dorothy Shockley on the importance of voting. ❤️

Last week, the MMIWG2s Alaska Working Group hosted the MMIP Justice Summit and Red Dress Gala, honoring our missing and murdered relatives and bringing community together around solutions to this crisis.

FAI was grateful to support this important work, witness the participation of our community members, learn from those doing the work, and to join together at the Red Dress Gala that followed. ❤️

We encourage everyone to follow the organizations leading this work to learn more about the MMIP crisis and find ways to take action. The work continues and there’s a place for all of us in it.

Alaska Native Women's Resource Center
Data for Indigenous Justice
Alaska Native Justice Center
Native Movement

Join us tomorrow!

Join us Tomorrow, Friday, May 29, from 9:00 am – 10:00 am AKDT for an "Appropriations Tracker” Webinar!

The Alaska Federation of Natives and the First Alaskans Institute are pleased to provide an “Appropriations Tracker” for Fiscal Year 2027 to assist members across the state of Alaska in following this year’s budget and appropriations process. This is a continuation of last year’s successful effort tracking appropriations FY 2026.

This free tool will provide real-time updates on both the House of Representatives and Senate versions of each of the twelve appropriations bills for FY 2027, as well as links to each bill and report language text from each congressional body, links showing congressionally directed spending items (“earmarks”) for each bill, as well as the final text of the Conference Report or Explanatory Statement at the conclusion of the appropriations process.

Join us to learn more about this exciting resource: https://bit.ly/3PRWuKZ

FAI is proud to celebrate William Iggiagruk Hensley, Chair of our Board of Trustees, on receiving an Honorary Doctorate of Public Service from George Washington University. From a traditional Inupiaq upbringing in Northwest Alaska to decades of leadership that helped shape Alaska Native rights, governance and opportunity, this honor reflects a lifetime of service and impact.

Congratulations on this well-deserved honor, Willie!

We’re hiring! FAI is seeking two new team members to help support Alaska Native leadership and civic engagement across our state.

Current Openings (Anchorage, hybrid):
• Civic Engagement Coordinator
• Indigenous Leadership Continuum Coordinator

Compensation: $65,000–$75,000 annually

If you, or someone in your network, are passionate about community, leadership, and supporting Alaska Native priorities, we invite you to apply or share.

🔗 Learn more & apply: firstalaskans.bamboohr.com/careers

If federal probate, land records, or enrollment documents have been on your to-do list, here's your chance to get it done! ✨ Next week, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Alaska Region is hosting a free Probate & Enrollment event with staff on hand to help.

For Alaska Native families, navigating trust estates, land records, and federal enrollment can feel like a lot. This event brings that support directly to our community. Whether you need help with your Certificate of Indian Blood (CIB), vital records, land inventories, or federal probate procedures, trained staff will be there to guide you through it.

This is an opportunity to get our records in order, for ourselves and for the generations that come after us.

📅 Tuesday, May 19
🕘 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
📍 Egan Convention Center, Anchorage

Questions before you go? Contact BIA Probate & Estate Services at (907) 931-7435 or [email protected].

ATTN Official Tribal Leaders:

Your voice is needed! The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is holding its Annual Tribal Budget Consultation (ATBC) in-person on April 21st and April 22nd, 2026, in Washington, D.C. This is a critical opportunity to Tribal Leaders to directly shape the FY2028 HHS budget by elevating Tribal priorities, concerns, and recommendations.

HHS is also offering one-on-one agency meetings for Tribal Leaders in conjunction with the ATBC. To attend the ATBC and/or to request one-on-one meetings, use the links provided in HHS’s letter announcing this year’s ATBC, linked below.

In preparation for the consultation, HHS will host two online planning meetings: on
- March 18th: Overview of the HHS budget process
- April 1st: Tribal input on the ATBC agenda.

Participation in these sessions will help ensure Tribal priorities inform and guide the agenda and the issues discussed. To attend one or both of the sessions, please use the link provided in HHS’s letter, linked below.

Read the letter and find the links and deadlines here: https://tinyurl.com/bdfe5mzw