ALASKA NATIVE FUND
The Alaska Conservation Foundation (ACF) in partnership with an Alaska Native Steering
Committee has launched the Alaska Native Fund to support Indigenous-led conservation work.
The Fund’s mission is to: “advance Alaska Native priorities for protecting the land and
sustaining our ways of life.” The goals of the Fund are to: 1) increase foundation and private
resources for the conservation work of Alaska Native organizations; 2) support Alaska Native
determination of environmental issues, strategies, solutions and funding; and 3) build
relationships that will grow and strengthen the conservation movement in Alaska.
The Fund will provide an Indigenous framework for impacting critical environmental issues
while promoting innovative strategies to strengthen the capacity of Alaska Native organizations
and communities. The Steering Committee has identified the following priority issues: impacts
of extractive industries, food security (protecting subsistence resources), climate change, energy,
and holistic wellness (environmental health.) Projects incorporating the following strategies will
be supported: leadership, policy development, art and expression, communication and
technology. In addition to grantmaking, the Fund will host gatherings of Alaska Native
organizations and leaders to address emerging issues of significance, and develop collaborative
strategies among Indigenous groups and foundations.
The genesis for the Fund was the Seminar on Private Philanthropy, Indigenous Capacity and
Environmental Stewardship that ACF hosted at the 2009 Environmental Grantmakers
Association meeting in partnership with the Oak Foundation, Native Americans in
Philanthropy, International Funders for Indigenous Peoples and Seventh Generation Fund for
Indian Development. This seminar launched an important dialogue regarding the
environmental issues impacting Indigenous communities and the role foundations could play in
advancing Indigenous-led work on these issues. ACF convened additional meetings with Alaska
Native leaders throughout 2010 to further explore strategies to strengthen understanding and
support for their work. As a result of these discussions, ACF began laying the groundwork for
creating a fund to support environmental work of Alaska Native organizations, and a Native
Steering Committee was established that brings diverse geographic, generational and
organizational perspectives to management of the Fund.
ACF is in a unique position to effectively leverage resources for, and raise awareness of, the
important contributions of Alaska Natives to conservation of Alaska’s natural environment. In
the past ten years, ACF has granted over $2.3 million to at least 40 distinct Alaska Native
organizations. This experience has guided our efforts to develop the Alaska Native Fund as
means of building connections to advance Alaska Native priorities for protecting the land and
the ways of life it sustains.
Leadership
ACF has engaged forty Alaska Native individuals and organizations, as well as a peer network of
Indigenous funders, in the evolution of this fund. The fund is now guided by an Alaska Native
Steering Committee representing diverse geographic, organizational, and generational
perspectives. The Steering Committee will set issue priorities, determine grant allocations, and
conduct outreach to potential grantees and funding partners, and evaluate the fund’s impact.
Members to date include:
441 West 5th Avenue, Suite 402 Anchorage, AK 99501
P (907) 276-1917 F (907) 274-4145
www.alaskaconservation.org
Vera Metcalf, Executive Director of the Alaska Eskimo Walrus CommissionNome. (Siberian Yup’ik) AEWC is a program of Kawerak, a regional Alaska Native nonprofit
in Nome; AEWC focuses on co-management of subsistence resources from the Northwest Arctic
south to Bristol Bay. As AEWC Director, Vera also serves on the Pacific Walrus Technical
Committee and is currently the Chair of the Pacific Walrus Conservation Fund. Vera also
represents EWC on the Indigenous People's Council for Marine Mammals, consisting of
commissions formed to 'identify and address marine mammal issues of common concerns.' She
is a former member of the U.S. Arctic Research Commission.
Orville Huntington, Construction Worker for City of Huslia (Athabascan) Orville
worked for the US Fish and Wildlife Service for fourteen years as a Tribal Biologist. He has
worked for the Huslia Tribe and advocated on behalf of Tribes for more than eight years. He has
served on the Huslia Tribal Council, Huslia City Council, Koyitl’otsina Ltd. Board of Directors
(village corporation BOD), and as Interior Regional Housing Authority BOD, AK Native Science
Comm. BOD. He continues to serve on the Alaska Federation of Natives Board of Directors, and
the Interior Athabascan Tribal College Board of Trustees as the Chair, the State of Alaska Rural
Education Committee, the Koyukuk River Advisory Committee (Fish and Game AC), and on the
NSF Office of Polar Programs AC.
Kimberly Williams, Executive Director of Nunamta Aulukestai-Dillingham.
(Yup’ik) Nunamta Aulukestai means "Caretakers of the Land” in Yup’ik and is comprised of
eight Alaska Native Village Corporations that have come together to carefully manage the future
of Bristol Bay. Kimberly has served as a land Resources Agent for the Tanana Chiefs Conference
Extension Indian Reservation Program, University of Alaska Cooperative Extension Service and
as an agent for the UAF Marine Advisory Program in Dillingham. She is a former Executive
Director of the Alaska Sea Otter and Steller Sea Lion Commission. Kimberly is very involved in
her community and region through service to the Curyung Tribal Council, Dillingham City
School Board and Bristol Bay Area Health Corporation.
Jonella Larson-White, Executive Director, Alaska Native Arts FoundationAnchorage. (Siberian Yup’ik) The ANAF promotes economic development of Alaska Native
peoples and cultural expression through the promotion and sale of Alaska Native art. A graduate
of Nome-Beltz high school and UAF, she holds a Masters degree in Museum Studies from
Harvard University.
Consultant
Evon Peter, Owner / CEO, Gwanzhii, LLC.-Fairbanks. Evon (Neetsaii Gwich'in,
Koyukon) is the former Chief of Arctic Village. Through Gwanzhii, LLC, he has consulted on
projects throughout Alaska, including an ongoing role with ACF on the development of a fund
for Alaska Native organizations and on strategies for building partnerships between Alaska
Native and non-Native environmental organizations.
ACF Staff
Polly Carr, Program Officer. Polly will provide ACF support to the fund, staffing meetings,
coordinating grant proposal/review process, and providing financial/legal considerations. Polly
has worked in the Alaska nonprofit environmental community for thirteen years, partnering
with a range of Alaska Native organizations and leaders. Her focus is building capacity of
leaders, organizations, and diverse networks to strengthen the environmental movement.
441 West 5th Avenue, Suite 402 Anchorage, AK 99501
P (907) 276-1917 F (907) 274-4145
www.alaskaconservation.org