Association of Village Council Presidents (AVCP) brought the story of the salmon crash to the Nation’s Capital as part of Alaska Day 2024 hosted by The Alaska Federation of Natives (AFN).
Testimony from AVCP’s CEO, Vivian Korthuis, made a powerful impact on members of congress, the Biden administration, and other key federal leaders.
The two-day event highlighted current issues across Alaska including energy & infrastructure; government services; food security-hunting and fishing; communications, technology, and innovation; and federal-state relations.
AVCP Executive Board Chairman, Thaddeus Tikiun Jr., Chief Executive Officer, Vivian Korthuis, and Government Relations Director, Coralette Waite, attended the Alaska Day Meetings.
CEO Korthuis presented on the Panel entitled Food & Cultural Security. CEO Korthuis shared that the goal of her presentation was to “put a face on the Yukon River Salmon Crash” through a speech and PowerPoint that highlighted photos from the region.
The schedule of events included presentations from Alaska’s Congressional Delegation-Senator Lisa Murkowski, Senator Dan Sullivan, and Congresswoman Mary Peltola, as well as the Biden Administration’s top leadership. White House leadership presentations included Ambassador David Balton – Executive Director from the White House Arctic Executive Steering Committee, Office of Science and Technology, and Kristina Costa – Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy for Clean Energy Innovation and Implementation.
Special Alaskan guests included Emil Notti and Willie Hensley, transformative historical figures who have done tremendous work for Alaska Native advocacy.
In the Food & Cultural Security panel, Gayla Hoseth – Bristol Bay Native Association, Rosita Worl – Sealaska Heritage Institute, Michelle Anderson – Ahtna, Inc., and Raina Thiele – US Department of Interior presented on various impacts and challenges to food and cultural security in Alaska and the importance of protecting and carrying forward the cultural traditions and indigenous knowledge. The panel was moderated by Greg Razo, JD.
AVCP will continue to participate in and represent our region and speak on critical issues on behalf of our tribes.