Emmonak’s Nicholas Tucker wrote to AlaskaReport.com editor Dennis Zaki and asked him to print his letter about his dissatisfaction with Governor Sarah Palin’s slow and lackluster response to the food/fuel crisis plaguing the villages of Western Alaska.

Salmon Bycatch in the Pollock Fisheries

Our first post about the devastating effects salmon bycatch in the pollock fishing industry was having on the the salmon fisheries rural Alaskans depend on for winter sustenance.

We called for people to write letters to the North Pacific Fishery Management Council, which would be meeting in Anchorage April 1-7, demanding they call for a lower bycatch number than the one they were considering. We posted a petition and collected signatures from people from across the US and Canada and as far away as Germany who endorsed a lower bycatch. They were delivered by hand before the March 25 deadline for comments.

Victoria to Attend the NPFMC Salmon Bycatch Meeting in Anchorage

Victoria, in an update, reported that she and Ann had been invited to attend the North Pacific Fishery Management Council meeting to speak before the council about the effects salmon bycatch is having on rural Alaska. An was suffering from a persistent bug (could it have been GG?) so Vic attended the meeting in Anchorage.

Victoria Live Blogs From the NPFMC Salmon Bycatch Meeting

Victoria wrote about her first two days at the NPFMC meeting and continued to live blog through the rest of the conference. Sadly, the 68,392 limit was adopted, not the 32,500 that we had been urging, but Vic gave it all she had on behalf of all of us.

Unusually early break-up on the Ugashik River

Normally it is right around the very end of April or the first of May before we start to see holes in the ice or the river flowing.

We usually go through days or even a week or more of open holes and areas of water. Then some breaking up of the river. We woke up Sunday morning, after a night of some winds in the 20-30 knot range and the river was flowing some.

COULD NOT believe it. Hubby, who grew up in the village does not ever remember it going from basically solid to flowing like this.

First the bad news...

Out of Fuel in Nunam Iqua

Ann reported that Nunam Iqua’s fuel/stove oil tank had run dry. This happened because the early fall freeze in 2008 prevented their last fuel order from being delivered.

The next day, with the food drive slowing down, she and Victoria gave us a detailed update on the situations in their villages. This post offers another glimpse of the monumental task Ann and Vic undertook to help their fellow villagers and the extent to which people from all over pitched in to help.

Then the good news...

New Pajama Clad Anonymous Blogger/Mudpup expected to arrive mid November!

Yep, that’s right! I am pregnant :-D a lil over 10 weeks now. Approximate due date: November 21, 2009!

Awwww so that’s why I have been having problems keeping up with posts and updates. Due to first trimester pregnancy problems ie: morning sickness and extreme exhaustion I am using all my energy just trying to keep up with my rambunctious toddler Cecelia and keep my house.

Segundo, Ann and CC are moving to Ugashik for the summer!

Ann wrote:

One day I was talking in an IM with Victoria in Ugashik. She made a comment about how busy she was getting ready for the upcoming fishing season. Victoria also mentioned that they needed to find another fisherman to come and work the summer with them. Jokingly I replied... I know Segundo, CC and I can come down for the summer and Segundo can be your fisherman! That was several weeks ago and after hearing how the commercial fishing here on the Yukon would be pretty much nonexistent AGAIN this summer Segundo and I decided to take up Victoria and her husbands offer. After many emails, IM’s and phone calls it’s all set.

’Tsunami’ Of Ice Wreaks Havoc On Alaskan Town

Breakup brought it’s own challenges on the Yukon, especially in Eagle Village which was flattened by an ice flood. FEMA stepped up to the plate this time and a plan for sensibly rebuilding the town using kit homes with the help of volunteers from the US, Canada and beyond was completed before winter set in. Bloggers worldwide contributed by donating money and supplies.

Watching and Waiting for Breakup on the Yukon

As breakup continued down the Yukon, communities along the way kept close watch on the flood warnings.

Bloggers waited anxiously for news from Ann in Nunam Iqua at the rivers mouth. She sent updates on May 18, May 19, May 22, May 23, May 26 and on May 27 when she reported that planes were able to land in Ugashik and that her family would be leaving for Ugashik the next morning.,

The Stronghearts Arrived in Ugashik

Over the next few weeks Ann put up a series of posts illustrating life in Ugashik including Cecelia making friends with Vic’s dogs and chicks, cooking in Vic’s modern kitchen and bathing in the land of running water. See them here, here, here, here here and here.

Palin tweets that Emmonak residents are meeting subsistence needs

by Channel 2 News Staff
Sunday, June 28, 2009

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- According to Gov. Sarah Palin’s posts on Twitter, half of the people in Emmonak have met subsistence needs and the other half believe they can do the same. Palin says her rural advisor, John Moller, recently returned from Emmonak and those were his findings.

Emmonak villager demands apology from Palin camp

Posted by thevillage
Posted: June 30, 2009

What was that good news? I asked Palin’s spokeswoman, Sharon Leighow, today in an e-mail.

"The good news -- At the Federal Subsistence meeting in Emmonak last week, Nick Tucker reported that 50 percent of the residents have met subsistence needs and other 50 percent are confident they will meet their needs," Leighow replied.

(Tucker drew statewide and national attention this winter when he wrote a letter describing a food and fuel crisis on the lower Yukon.)

Here’s where it gets complicated. Tucker says he never said that and is demanding a public apology from the governor’s camp.

"I want them to take it back," Tucker said in a short phone interview today.

John Moller: I talked to many, many people over those two days

The Alaska Daily News rural blog, The Village, interviewed John Moller, Sarah Palin’s rural advisor, on Wednesday. They we’re specifically interested in the display of civil disobedience in Marshall but, since Moller was just back in the office after being out of cell phone range while fishing, he couldn’t address that so they talked about other rural issues including the Governor’s tweet about Emmanok.

After all the time we Alaskan Natives have been dealing with both the Palin administration’s actions and inactions toward the plight of our rural people, we now find ourselves asking a lot of questions. When I look at where we’ve come from and what I want for my people in the future, I find myself contemplating right now: What does this new leadership mean to bush Alaskans? Fisheries? Subsistence? etc etc

Vic Took a Time Out to Give Us a Glimpse of Summer in Ugashik

So much of this time of year in Alaska, at least the western parts that fish, is rush, rush, rush!! You do any projects that need decent weather, earn most of your yearly income in a few short weeks and, if you can, get the relatives up to visit when it isn’t below freezing.

In the past few weeks I felt you needed to see part of what we try to sandwich in all this work, work and more work.

Time to view all the flowers, well some call them weeds, that spring up and give us color. Even 2 year olds of all species enjoy them!

Ann Strongheart Aired Rural Woes Internationally

Monday, August 3, 2009 -- Salmon Ban on the Yukon River: (listen)

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game has banned commercial fishing for king salmon along the Yukon River and is limiting subsistence fishing. The ban is in response to the state not meeting their treaty agreement with Canada for the past two years to deliver 45,000 kings via the Yukon. But groups of Native fishermen are ignoring the ban -- facing possible jail time, heavy fines and equipment seizure. How will village residents make it through another tough winter if they’re not allowed to fish this summer? Guest is Ann Strongheart (Yu’pik) from the village of Nunam Iqua.

Ann Writes anOpen Letter to Rural Advisor John Moller

...During the program, moderator Harlan McKosato mentioned that he put in a call to you before the show but never got a call back.

Because rural Alaskans are openly voicing their serious fears about the coming winter, we were disappointed that you were not involved in the conversation with Ann and Nick on the air. Rural Alaskans need to know advisors have the ear of Governor Parnell and need to believe that the governor realizes today that things may be even worse this winter for rural Alaskan villages than the previous one....

Alaska’s Governor Parnell Urges Disaster Relief for Yukon Fishery!

In a letter today, Governor Sean Parnell asked Commerce Secretary Gary Locke to declare a fishery disaster in the Yukon River Chinook salmon fishery.

Cecelia Strongheart Turns Two! Ann looks back...

Wow where have the past two years gone? Can’t believe my baby girl is two years old already. Hmm terrible twos...sigh.

Thinking back to two years ago is kind of scary right now because as all mothers do, I think they do anyway, we start thinking about going into labor. The pain, the fear, the joy. But now when I think about that I think holy $h!+ I am going to be going through all of that again in a couple of months. Hmmm, glad this will be the last time I go through labor.

Legislature overrides Palin’s stimulus veto By SEAN COCKERHAM
scockerham@adn.com
Published: August 10th, 2009 02:31 PM
Last Modified: August 11th, 2009 06:25 PM

The Alaska Legislature voted Monday to override former Gov. Sarah Palin’s veto of $28 million in federal stimulus money for energy cost relief. But it was as close as a vote can get.

(snip) Palin vetoed the appropriation of $28 million in federal energy stimulus cash in May, two months before she resigned as governor.

She kept up her fight against the money by posting a message on her Facebook page Sunday.

"As governor, I did my utmost to warn our legislators that accepting stimulus funds will further tie Alaska to the federal government and chip away at Alaska’s right to chart its own course.

Wise Words from Respected Elder Nicholas Tucker

From a letter to a tribal administrator...

...I want you, your children and grandchildren to get education. We’ve always been strong, intelligent, and wise, particularly our culture precious with values and teachings. Take that for our next generations. But, keep your heads up, your whole generation. We will have been a forced to be reckoned with, because I think, many of us are beginning to turn to God, and we might just rule with justice, goodness, fairness, and generosity again, but educated...

Obama’s Rural Tour Visits Bush Alaska

By KYLE HOPKINS
khopkins@adn.com
Published: August 12th, 2009 10:42 PM
Last Modified: August 13th, 2009 06:20 PM

BETHEL -- Four of President Obama’s cabinet members whirled through a pair of remote Alaska communities Wednesday to hear an earful about the state’s novel needs and the borderline third-world conditions in some villages.

Ann Writes an Open Letter to Governor Parnell, John Moller and others

...Although with another non existent salmon fishing season on the Yukon and winter fast approaching I am worried that this winter will in fact be worse than last winter. I was happy to see that Governor Parnell made a disaster declaration for the Salmon Fisheries on the Yukon, although I fear that this will not be enough

We at Anonymous Bloggers have been trying, in vain, to find out if the rural villages have enough fuel for the winter. We have contacted, with little to no response, the Rural Advisory Panel and the Rural Sub cabinet and Rural Advisor Moller and the Attorney General and I could keep going and going with our attempts to get answers...

First Nations Call for Zero Bycatch

More than 65 first nations in Alaska and the Yukon are asking the United States’ Secretary of Commerce to ban the pollock industry’s bycatch of chinook river salmon.

At its annual meeting held recently at Lake Laberge, the Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council (YRITWC) voted in favour of a resolution urging Gary Locke, the U.S. commerce secretary, to invoke his emergency regulatory authority and order the pollock industry to reduce its annual bycatch to zero.

RIP Segundo Strongheart - Nov. 27, 1970 - August 18, 2009

We were all saddened by the unexpected death of Segundo Strongheart on Tuesday, August 18. He suffered a massive heart attack in the early morning hours and despite immediate attempts to resuscitate him including use a defibrillator under the guidance of medical professionals by telephone, he passed away at 6:00 A.M.

Doctors assured the family that if Segundo had been in the world’s most well-equipped hospital, the heart attack would have taken him. It was just too severe.

Click through the "Next Post" links at the top of this post to follow Segundo’s journey home to Nunam Iqua.

Ann Strongheart Continues the Fight for Her People

...Well now, as much as I would like to just curl up and only mourn the loss of my beloved Segundo and just let everything else go and become self centered and only think about Cecelia, this unborn and myself that isn’t going to happen. OOOH sure I could use this as an excuse to stop fighting for my people and rural Alaska. (LOL Which I am sure there are certain Government Officials hoping that I would do just that!) But then I think back on conversations with Segundo and how much he wanted me to keep fighting and just know that I can’t quit. Heck like I could anyway, I feel even more compelled and motivated now. PLUS..winter is fast approaching and we need to make certain that all rural Alaskans are NOT forced to choose between feeding their families or keeping their houses warm this winter like they had to last winter.

So now I continue on fighting for my people...Segundo's people...rural Alaska Natives! But now there seems to be more of a driving force because I am now doing it for Segundo, in memory of my Segundo...

Another Open Letter From Ann to Governor Parnell, John Moller and Others

...Not only is the lack of both subsistence and commercial fishing, greatly diminishing our ability to put away fish for the winter but also the lack of funds brought in from commercial fishing is now making it hard, if not impossible, for rural Alaskans to put away other subsistence game.

Moose season is now. The birds are flying now. Now is the time to be out hunting for seals and whales. All of these types of game are critical for us to survive this winter. If we cannot purchase gas to go out and hunt then I fear this winter we will have a crisis of much greater proportions than last winter. Last winter we were able to depend a little bit on other game that we had put up for the winter since we were lacking fish.

It looks like this winter that option will not be available to many rural Alaskans because they simply cannot afford the gas and other necessities required to go out hunting...

Pres. Obama Reaches Out to American Indian Tribes

By KYLE HOPKINS
khopklins@adn.com
Published: October 23rd, 2009 11:03 AM
Last Modified: October 24th, 2009 04:19 PM

The Obama administration is launching a rapid, sweeping review of the way the federal government manages subsistence hunting and fishing in Alaska, Interior Department officials said Friday.

"The system, frankly, today is broken," Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced in a video shown at the annual Alaska Federation of Natives convention in downtown Anchorage.

President Obama delivers remarks at White House, Tribal Nations conference

Pres. Obama delivered the opening remarks at a White House Tribal Nations Conference and participated in a discussion with leaders from the 564 federally recognized tribes. The conference is addressing issues facing American Indian tribes such as economic development, housing and education. This is the first such meeting since 1994. Washington, DC.

Welcome Glenna Gabriella Kegginacengaq Strongheart!

8 pounds 11 ounces, 21 1/4?, at 10:08 PM on THURSDAY, Nov 12, 2009

In Ann’s Words - The birth of a Strongheart!

Well Glenna Gabriella, GG, is now 5 days old. She began her life in Dillingham, Alaska. We have since come home to Ugashik and are settling in here. So much has happened this year it’s all very overwhelming. From food/fuel drives to food drops to making 100’s of new friends to new jobs in new places. From the death of my beloved Gundo to the birth of beautiful GG. A lot of happiness and hard work mixed with a lot of pain and loss...

Fall Sea Ice Flood in Nunam Iqua Leave Residents Struggling

This is due to the fact that on November 11, 2009 Nunam Iqua experienced a Fall Flood. As you can see from the picture above and the one below this flooding wreaked havoc on the Yukon River ice. The flooding brought in massive amounts of sea ice from the Bering Sea that unfortunately is still clogging the Yukon. Several people lost their fishing nets they had set under the ice and a couple of families even lost their boats during the flood.

With all of this sea ice still in the Yukon River at Nunam Iqua it has caused a hardship on the residents. Normally during the winter families will go out onto the river and place fishing nets under the ice to catch fresh fish. But due to the mess of sea ice currently in the Yukon this has become very difficult if not impossible to do now. Fresh fish caught under the ice with nets is a large staple for families during the winter.

Since Ann is spending this winter in Ugashik she will not be able to have a food drive and will be unable to accept flat rate boxes like last year to distribute to the needy families. So instead she is gathering information to start adopting needing families. Like last winter she will comply a list of family names, addresses, family size and specific needs. Once this list is complied individuals/families will be able to contact her and adopt a family to send food to directly. Ann will keep y’all updated and let you know when the list is available and families are ready to be adopted.

Bright Outlook for Winter in Ugashik

There is some better news this year coming from Pilot Point and Ugashik when it comes to our ability to deal with our winter conditions.

Our fishing season was much better this year than last on our main season of Sockeye salmon, although the Chinook/King returns continue to be dismal.

This allowed for most everyone to either work in the industry if they wanted/needed to and also to get fish put up for the winter...

Rollie Briggs’ Energy Ideas for Rural Alaska

Roland Briggs watches new technology, guess it might be the Mechanical Engineering part of his background which keeps him "tuned in", and he wants to share some of what he sees as exciting. As things cross his path and they look like they might have use in Alaska you will see him post on his new page in our Energy Section.

Alaska Federation of Natives calls for Native and rural subsistence priority on all Alaska lands

By Alex Demarban
The Arctic Sounder

The Alaska Federation of Natives lays out an ambitious agenda that seeks to expand hunting and fishing rights for Alaska Natives as part of the first-ever review of the federal subsistence program in Alaska.

In a letter to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar offering ways to improve the program, the statewide Native organization draws on historical arguments and legal precedent to make the case that all Natives, as well as rural residents, deserve priority over other hunters and fishermen.

Salazar announced the review in October.

The Jan. 7 letter, signed by AFN President Julie Kitka, also asks that the rural subsistence priority be applied to all land and waters in Alaska as Congress originally intended.

Read the story

Feds Declare Yukon Fishery Disaster

From Governor Parnell’s news release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 10-010

Secretary Locke Declares Federal Fisheries Disaster for Yukon Chinook January 15, 2010, Anchorage, Alaska

Governor Sean Parnell today welcomed a decision by Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke finding that a disaster has occurred with the 2009 Yukon River chinook salmon run, opening the door for federal aid to the area. “I appreciate Secretary Locke’s recognition of the severity of the situation along the Yukon River and the dependence of Alaskans on these salmon runs,” Governor Parnell said. The federal disaster declaration is in response to requests made by Governor Parnell, the Association of Village Council Presidents and the Alaska Federation of Natives. The request detailed the biological and economic situation on the Yukon River and the impacts of the reduced chinook runs. The declaration does not bring immediate aid to the affected area. The congressional delegation must still secure a federal appropriation. Federal aid, once secured, could be used for relief programs, stock research, training programs, fisheries infrastructure, or other regional projects.

New Tribal Voice Radio is Launched

Mission Statement: Preserving our sovereignty, enhancing our economic and cultural resources, and promoting self-sufficiency and self-governance for our citizens through collaboration, service, and advocacy.

Anonymous Bloggers on TV and Radio

The Anonymous Bloggers team met up in Anchorage for a few days of socializing and strategizing. During the flurry of activity they managed to get a little air time for Anomymous Bloggers.

They talked about how the blog got started and why people from outside Alaska became interested in helping Alaska Native people. They also acknowledged the need to improve the dialog surrounding subsistence issues and strive for parity and dignity so stakeholders can come to the table with mutual respect to work on finding solutions to the plight of people living in the bush.

Anonymous Bloggers on TV and Radio

Victoria attended back-to-back sustainable gardening conferences in Fairbanks.

The 6th Annual Sustainable Agriculture Conference and Organic Growers Schoolwas a two-day workshop from March 17-18 and featured a variety of presentations about sustainable agriculture from producers, agencies, and researchers around the state.