Pretty much every major politician in Alaska will grace the three-day Alaska Federation of Natives convention that began in Anchorage on Thursday for a series of speeches and candidate forums, but it’s pretty clear all except one are striving for second place in winning the favor of attendees.
Gov. Mike Dunleavy delivered the first of the speeches on Thursday morning and, compared to the standing ovation and rock star treatment newly sworn Congresswoman Mary Peltola got during her keynote speech an hour later, he encountered some quiet moments.
“I can’t think of a better theme than ’Celebrating our Unity.’ Wouldn’t you agree?” he asked the audience at the opening, which remained quiet.
“That’s an applause line,” he prompted them.
The relatively tepid treatment wasn’t necessarily a slight of the governor so much as the first Alaska Native elected to Congress being embraced by the largest annual gathering of Alaska Natives.
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But Peltola’s speech largely focused on how the unity theme and that historical trait of Alaska Natives can be applicable on a larger scale to today’s divided and turbulent world.
Dunleavy spent most of his speech talking about his background and life experiences, and explaining how he can relate to Alaska Natives’ struggles as a result.
“I don’t have to imagine what it’s like to live in a place where the weather can mean life or death, because I have,” he said. “I don’t have to imagine the importance of catching wild fish and game to feed a family or the elders in the community.”
Dunleavy also applied familiar campaign themes such as getting state lawmakers to approve the largest Permanent Fund Dividend (not adjusted for inflation) in history, which “will help tremendously this winter with the rising price of food, fuel, and our basic necessities.”
Dunleavy offered thanks to AFN and other tribal entities in their efforts to limit the adversity of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“That isn’t to say we’re celebrating,” he said. “We’ve lost many outstanding Alaskans to this virus. At the same time, we know the way we responded saved countless lives, and for that I am grateful. Our response, and our outcomes, show what we can accomplish when we work together.”
The governor acknowledged there are further needs in rural areas needing attention.
“We need shelter,” Dunleavy said. “We need food and clean water. We need energy. And we need to be safe in our homes and communities.”
The other political events are spaced throughout the AFN convention, which is being livestreamed at the organization’s website.
Both of Alaska’s U.S. Senators are scheduled to address the convention Friday. The main political event will come Saturday morning when there are separate candidate forums for the U.S. House, U.S. Senate and Alaska governor races. Every candidate on the ballot is listed as confirming they will attend — a rarity for the multitude of forums that have occurred during the campaigns.
• Contact reporter Mark Sabbatini at mark.sabbatini@juneauempire.com
