The Dena’ina Civic & Convention Center in Anchorage, Alaska will host the Annual AFN Convention from October 19-21, 2023. The keynote speakers include Sophie Minich, President/ Chief Executive Officer of Cook Inlet Region, Inc., and 2023 Iditarod Champion Ryan Redington. The theme of the convention is “Our Ways of Life.”
“The foundation of AFN is our people,” said AFN President Julie Kitka. “We know Sophie and Ryan will do an incredible job of integrating our ways of life into their remarks and showcasing our people. The leadership that Sophie Minich provides is based on years of contributions to the Alaska Native Community, the State of Alaska, and our Nation. We are honored she will be sharing her wisdom. Ryan Redington, as Co-Keynote Speaker, will continue to be an inspiration to the stick-to-it-ness and resilience within the Native community to accomplish goals we set. We are very honored he will share his wisdoms and lessons he has learned.”
National leaders and government officials are being invited to join us. We will have news in the next Executive Report on confirmations, specific special guest speakers, panels and related workshops. The Convention promises to open up many opportunities for finding common ground on important federal and state issues.
Over 200 artists will be showcasing their work at the Convention, occupying tables on the first and second floors of the Dena’ina Center. Due to high demand, all artist tables were sold out within three weeks, and 40 more spaces were added to meet the demand.
In 1982, AFN introduced Quyana Alaska to express gratitude to the people of Alaska for supporting the Native community’s pro-subsistence vote. The term ‘Quyana’ signifies ‘thank you’ in the Yup’ik language. Over the years, this cultural celebration has played a vital role in revitalizing our traditional dances, ensuring that they are passed down to future generations. This year, Quyana Alaska will take place on Thursday and Friday of the Convention week. Dance groups who wish to participate should have applied by June 30th.
The Exhibitor Hall offers 90 tables for non-profit organizations, educational institutions, convention sponsors, and AFN members to display their services and promote their organization. AFN has partnered with Southcentral Foundation and the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium for the health fair. Tables are still available for purchase and the application and additional information can be found at www.nativefederation.org/exhibitors.
AFN highly values the support of its Convention sponsors every year. If your organization is interested in sponsoring our convention, we offer various levels to cater to your requirements. To learn about the different sponsor tiers, benefits, and additional details please visit www. nativefederation.org/sponsors.
