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Tribal Council
The Native Village of Afognak is a federally recognized tribe. A tribal council of seven members, elected by our membership, is our official governing body. The council meets regularly to exercise the functions of self-governance, to manage and protect cultural resources, to manage and protect our land resources, to reinvigorate Alutiiq identity and social structure, and to heal divisions among the Alutiiq people.
| Council Member |
Term Expires |
Nancy Nelson, Chairwoman
Ruth Dawson, Vice Chairwoman
Arlene Nelson, Secretary
Jim Dunham
Julie Knagin
Pat Kozak
Sarah Lukin
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2007
2007
2008
2009
2009
2008
2008
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The Tribal Council has seven seats, each with three-year terms. Terms are staggered so that two seats (three seats every third year) are up for election each year.
As part of its strategic planning, the council has formulated the following goals to guide its actions.
- Pride: Encourage a sense of Alutiiq identity by remembering our history and encouraging the ongoing practice of Alutiiq values.
- Unity: Work with other local tribal councils and intertribal organizations to heal divisions among Alutiiq peoples and promote a unified Native presence and identity.
- Public Policy: Create an Alutiiq presence locally, regionally, and nationally that represents and advocates for the Alutiiq community on
 boards, assemblies, and councils. - Cultural Continuity: Promote programs that teach a subsistence lifestyle, protect our archeological resources, support the ongoing practice of Alutiiq arts and crafts, and provide for our Elders.
- Land and Resource Management: Implement a resource management plan that protects our natural resources and provides for tribal ownership of Native lands.
Download the 2007 - 2014 Strategic Plan >
In 2002, our tribal council adopted a new constitution and reorganized itself under the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934.
Recent Accomplishments
Old Afognak Village Data Recovery Program: Begun in 1998 with funds from a BIA grant, this program preserves and communicates the history and cultural heritage of old Afognak village. Recorded interviews with Elders, a study of the prehistoric and historic data unearthed at Dig Afognak archaeological site, and cultural intensives, such as Elders Camp, Alutiiq Youth Dance Camp, and the Native Ways of Knowing Camp on Afognak Island, help us rediscover and keep our traditions alive.
Dig Afognak: In keeping with our tribal mission to protect and develop our Alutiiq culture, we chose to excavate the site of our ancestral village. At our cultural immersion program—Lu’macihpet—which takes place every summer at the dig, tribal members, especially the Elders and youth of our community, share traditional stories, crafts, songs, and dances.
Red Cedar of Afognak: A Driftwood Journey Children’s Book and Curriculum: Written with cultural insight by Native Village of Afognak tribal member Alisha Drabek and dendrologist Karen Adams, and beautifully illustrated with original water colors by Gloria Selby, also a Native Village of Afognak tribal member, this children’s book is a great educational tool. Developed with funding from the Administration for Native Americans, it teaches about Alutiiq history, language and culture, and introduces children to the role of the environment in Alutiiq culture. We also have developed a corresponding curriculum to be used by the Kodiak Island Borough School District and other school districts in the state.
Alutiiq Cultural Sustainability Program: Working in tandem with the Kodiak Island Borough School District, both Alutiiq and non-Alutiiq youth of Kodiak benefit from curriculum packets that focus on Sugtestun language revitalization, Native plant lore and sciences, and Afognak history.
Alutiiq Dance Camp: Sugpiaq youths come together with Elders to learn traditional dances and to create new dances applicable to modern life.
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