The Association of Village Council Presidents (AVCP) proposed six of this year’s 49 resolutions that passed during this year’s Alaska Federation of Natives (AFN) convention in Anchorage. The Bethel-based council focused on subsistence fisheries management, emergency preparedness, and tribal sovereignty.
One resolution advocates for the establishment of a national model for emergency management across Alaska Native communities as well as Indigenous communities across the country. It calls for the federal government's support to prioritize emergency communication planning across Indigenous communities, many of whom may be more vulnerable in “extreme remote America" or on the front lines of shifting climate.
Citing disaster events in Western Alaska including ex- typhoons Halong and Merbok, which required rapid emergency response across tribal, federal, and state governments, the resolution proposes a model for emergency communications.
The model would serve as a tribally-informed mutual aid pathway and communication plan for hazards, including storms, wildfires, and mass-evacuations. It recognizes the need for funding, the support of locally trained workforce in addition to emergency equipment and facilities.
A second resolution advocated for sustainable fisheries management for Western Alaska salmon recovery. It proposes a framework for tribal stewardship of salmon fisheries. It resolves to restore salmon abundance through increased governmental coordination and improved science-based fish monitoring systems.
The remaining three resolutions put forth by AVCP focused on supporting systems to strengthen federal trust responsibility. They included creating clearer organizational pathways when working with the federal government and introducing a framework that centers tribal self-determination.
The resolutions were approved by delegates without much public debate or deliberation on the final day of the convention.
The 49 resolutions touched on everything from tribal sovereignty and government-to-government relations with state and federal agencies, to rural energy and funding for Native radio and TV stations.
Federation leadership said those resolutions will now serve as a roadmap for future actions.
