The Alaska Federation of Natives convention kicked off in Anchorage Thursday under the theme of “Standing Strong, Standing United.”
The theme of unity was prominent in the keynote speech, delivered by Natasha Singh, the president and CEO of the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium. Singh highlighted the 1995 All-Alaska compact that established the system for tribal compacting for health care and education. She said it was the first multi-party tribal compact in the country.
“To be clear, unity doesn't happen on its own,” Singh said. “It takes real effort and a shared commitment. As a tribal caucus, we're often in disagreement. Extreme underfunding of our services could divide us, but we overcome.”
Singh grew up in the Koyukon Athabaskan community of Stevens Village in Interior Alaska, and made building healthy communities a centerpiece of her keynote address. She said many communities are at a “breaking point” when it comes to providing essential services.
“Healthy communities don't happen by accident,” Singh said. “They're built on access to basic health care, well-funded public schools and the fundamental promise of safety through trusted law enforcement.”
In her remarks, Singh also touched on the debate over providing a full statutory Permanent Fund dividend. While Singh said PFDs help rural Alaska residents buy their groceries, fuel and other necessities, she also said paying out a full PFD would pull support from priorities like education and public safety.
“I will not lie to my people,” Singh said. “There is not enough revenue to support healthy communities and a full PFD, and anyone who promises a full dividend and the budget that helps healthy communities is not being honest.”
Singh ended her remarks calling on attendees to stand together politically like their elders did in order to demand policies and funding to support their communities.
The AFN convention will continue through Saturday afternoon at the Dena’ina Center downtown.
