40 under 40 winners announced
Central Council of Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska is proud to announce Executive Council 5th Vice President Ralph Wolfe and cultural heritage & education manager Sarah Dybdahl have been selected by the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development (National Center) to receive the prestigious Native American 40 Under 40 award.
The award recipients are made up of a diverse group of young women and men cultivated from across American Indian and Alaska Native communities. The award recognizes Native American, Alaska Native and First Nation citizens between 18 and 39 years of age, who demonstrate leadership, initiative and dedication to achieve significant contributions to Native communities throughout North America.
“I couldn’t be prouder of Ralph and Sarah,” said President Richard Chalyee Éesh Peterson in a press release. “They are both truly deserving of this recognition for all that they do in support of Tlingit & Haida, our culture, communities and tribal citizens.”
The National Center’s “Native American 40 Under 40” awards will be presented at the River Spirit Casino Resort in Tulsa, Oklahoma on Oct. 29-30.
Kindred Post selected for $50K grant
A Colorado-based social impact organization has chosen Kindred Post for a major business development grant, making it one of only five entities in the Pacific Northwest to receive the honor this year.
The $50,000 grant is part of the Alma Mater Platform (AMP) Accelerator Program, a new pilot project funded by Wend Ventures, which is an investment portfolio focused on driving transformation and positive change for people, communities and places.
The grant will allow Kindred Post owner, artist and activist Christy NaMee Eriksen to invest in the company’s community art programs. The programs, including a Tiny Post Office Concert series, workshops, readings, and letter writing parties, have been offered mostly free of charge, and the grant will be used to develop a sponsorship model to support and sustain accessibility; fund outreach efforts to publicize programs; and purchase chairs for performance events.
“The opportunity to connect with and learn from others in the small but mighty field of socially-conscious and creative entrepreneurship is exciting,” Eriksen said in a press release. “The grant also will allow me to invest in my favorite branch of Kindred Post’s business — community art programming — which capitalizes on my experience of creating and sharing together but has so far lacked the resources to grow.”
The grant also will allow Eriksen to attend bi-weekly seminars over three months at Alma Mater Tacoma, an artist-led community space in Washington state, to engage with other creative leaders and to hear speakers from fields that contribute to the development of the creative economy.
AWARE seeks nominations for Women of Distinction Awards
In 1997 AWARE began publicly celebrating women whose work had gone without much public recognition and who had made significant contributions to the well being of our communities.
The event is called Women of Distinction because the individuals whose voices are lifted up share a common trait; they are committed to making positive change in Juneau and in Alaska. Women of Distinction is a Juneau tradition.
The public is invited to nominate women who should be recognized by visiting www.awareak.org and clicking on the nomination form button on the main page.
The deadline for applications is Sept 28.
Each year there are multiple award recipients.
For more information call 907-586-6623 or go to the website www.awareak.org to download the form.
