Chugach’s 2023 12 Months of Giving Kicks Off in a BIG Way!

Youth who join BBBS report increased confidence, do better in school, have a better relationship with their families, and feel better about themselves. Mentors, too, have an increased sense of purpose and connection, all while having fun and providing space for Littles to safely enjoy being a child.

Currently, there are 140 children on the BBBS waiting list in Alaska. Of these, there are six times as many Alaska Native and American Indian children looking for mentors, with a critical need for Alaska Native men. This stat prompted Ashley Christensen, Chugach’s Community Development Program Director, to take action, reach out to BBBS and become a Big.

“I spent this summer going through the volunteer process, which was extremely thorough,” Ashley recalls. “But the BBBS staff were accommodating, made it easy, and I was matched with my Little Sister just before Thanksgiving! They do a wonderful job pairing youth with mentors. It was wild all the similarities between my childhood and hers, which allowed us to create a stronger initial connection than I thought possible. It’s important to note not all youth in this program are troubled or come from troubled homes, many just need the space to be a kid and have one-on-one time to form healthy relationships.”

Ashley went on to say, “There are so many Alaska youth who are in need of a connection with someone outside their immediate circle, and there are also so many Alaskans who would make excellent role models. My Little is her own inspiring force who teaches me something every time we get together. The reward is very reciprocal; Littles add just as much, if not more value to a Bigs life, and this is the beginning of what I hope will become a lifelong friendship for us both. Being a Big does not require much. Yes, it takes some of your time and commitment to being available two to four times a month for one year, but the activities are all required to be low cost or no cost. BBBS of AK provides monthly activities at discount or free through their community partnerships.”

Volunteering to be a Big is just one way to support BBBS. “This incredible non-profit also requires donations to continue matching and supporting stable and consistent relationships,” Ashley expressed. The need for monetary support was one of the reasons that Ashley nominated BBBS in Chugach’s 12 Months of Giving, and we’re proud to say her submissions kicked off the year with BBBS being selected as the January winner in the campaign and being the first non-profit of 2023 to receive a $1,000 donation from Chugach.

To learn more about the incredible work that BBBS does and to become involved in the Big Program, go to www.bbbsak.org. Individual donations to BBBS can also be made using the same link.

Who will be the February 12 Months of Giving winner? That’s up to you. Make your nomination at 12months.chugach.com.

Lauren Johnson Named 2023 Top 40 Under 40!

Johnson’s accomplishments, professional excellence, and deep commitment to community and education, and her rise from a former Chugach intern and to an emerging leader who has played a key role in increasing Chugach’s ability to deliver benefits and services to the Chugach people, make her well deserving of this recognition.

Johnson’s leadership journey has had two paths: one grounded in a solid and extensive academic foundation, and another that goes back nearly three decades and transitioned through her adolescence to her becoming an adult as, through those years, she helped to establish and manage Nuuciq Spirit Camp, the centerpiece of Chugach culture and the annual gathering place of learning for our shareholders and descendants.

Johnson graduated from University of Alaska Anchorage in 2016 with a Bachelor of Business Administration Management. She then went on to complete Alaska Pacific University’s Alaska Native Executive Leadership Program (ANELP), and in 2019, she graduated with a Master of Business Administration.

Today as President and Executive Director, she manages the $33 million plus CHF educational endowment and oversees an organization that has awarded nearly $11 million in scholarships to Chugach shareholders and lineal descendants. In total, this represents more than 4,300 individuals who have received education funding assistance to pursue their academic and vocational dreams. Johnson has further supported education and mentorship for our shareholders and descendants through the establishment of the Chugach Connections Forum and the Chugach Native Professionals group.

In addition to CHF’s regular operations and the annual educational assistance that Johnson manages, she still oversees all of the work that makes Nuuciq Spirit Camp happen every year, orchestrating the many arrangements that bring people together from throughout the Chugach region for two-weeks of Sugt’stun language and dance classes, subsistence education, arts and craft, and other cultural related activities. Her duties also include hosting Chugach’s annual Russian New Year celebration and an array of culture workshops that take place throughout the year, each serving to keep the Chugach culture alive and vibrant.

Beyond Chugach, Johnson sits on the board of directors for the Alaska Native Heritage Center and Co-Chairs the ANCSA Educational Consortium. Without question, she has risen through the ranks of Chugach to become a shining star of the Chugach region.

We are proud of all that Lauren has done to better herself and to better our community, and we would like to thank the Alaska Journal of Commerce for honoring Lauren Johnson with a 2023 Top 40 Under 40 Award.

​​​​​​​Click here to see the full list of the 2023 Top 40 Under 40 Award recipients.

Chugach Sleep Out Participants Raise $80,000+ For Covenant House

Since 1988, Covenant House Alaska has provided that place to sleep for the Last Frontier’s homeless youth. In the last 34 years, more than 30,000 youth have passed through the Covenant House doors under the organization’s guiding vision to end youth homelessness so that Alaska’s young people can grow into the best versions of themselves.

While Covenant House serves on the frontlines to end homelessness for Alaska’s youth, they don’t do it alone. Covenant House depends on individual and corporate donations to fulfill their mission. It truly takes a community, and that’s what Chugach is great at – building community. This year, Chugach built community for Covenant House and the youth they serve to the tune of more than $80,000.

What’s more, four members of Chugach’s executive team took part in the 2022 Great Alaska Sleep Out, Covenant House’s annual flagship fundraising event, including Chugach Government Solutions VP of Business Development Christopher Crosta, Deputy General Counsel Samantha Beehner, and Director of Marketing & Communications Randi Jo Gause. On the cold evening of November 17, Chugach’s Sleep Out participants donned winter gear and sleeping bags, and braved a night outside to raise awareness about Alaska’s homeless youth and, more importantly, to raise funds for the Covenant House and their ongoing pursuit to end homelessness.

Melanie Osborne, Chugach Executive Vice President and Chief Legal & Administrative Officer, has been a longtime participant in the Sleep Out, and she shared her motivation for her commitment to the Covenant House and its mission. “I’m always struck by meeting the youth and hearing their stores of courage,” Osborne said. “This year’s Sleep Out was particularly meaningful as we had three new Chugach sleepers brave the tents and sleeping bags. I’m grateful for all the work that Covenant House Alaska does for our community and honored to participate in the Sleep Out.”

Covenant House Alaska accepts donations year-round. This crucial support goes toward programs such as shelter services, educational assistance, employment placement and youth enrichment activities, all of which are a bridge to success for the youth who depend on Covenant House Alaska. To learn more about this incredible organization and to make a donation, click here.

Thanks to individual donations that came in over the last year and through funds raised by events like the Sleep Out, 799 youth were cared for in Covenant House’s residential and outreach programs; 100 youth graduated from their education programs with a diploma or GED; and 90 beds were kept open and available for youth in need, every single night.

AWAIC selected as October’s 12 Months of Giving Winner

AWAIC provides safe shelter and support services to women, men, and children affected by domestic violence. AWAIC strives to empower survivors with a full range of choices to make their own positive life decisions, providing support and encouragement along the way. AWAIC is committed not only to providing vital services to survivors of domestic violence, but also to preventing future violence through education and prevention.

When asked about what prompted her to submit AWAIC, Holly said, “Domestic violence is something we can strive to eliminate in our state with proper funding and education, and AWAIC helps support those in need and helps to prevent the cycle of domestic violence from recurring.”

While, today, Holly is a strong supporter of AWAIC and the role it serves to eliminate domestic violence, her support for AWAIC originated at an early age with the encouragement and example set by her grandmother. “As a child, my grandma always had us do a spring and fall clean up, and after these clean ups, we would donate clothing and other items to AWAIC to help those in need.”

This lifelong commitment to AWAIC has also been guided by the results this non-profit has consistently achieved. “They give women and children of abusive situations a fighting chance to live a life without that abuse,” Holly said. “I am over the moon happy that this incredible resource is getting some extra help!”

Chugach is proud to lend extra help to AWAIC through the 12 Months of Giving campaign, and those interested in providing additional help can do so by visiting the AWAIC donation page.

Chugach Leadership Join Sleep Out To Raise Funds For Anchorage’s Homeless Youth

This year, on the dark and cold evening of November 17th, the following Chugach executives have agreed to take off their corporate hats and don warm, winter beanies:

  • Sheri Buretta, Chugach Chairman
  • Josie Hickel, President of Chugach
  • Angie Astle, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
  • Melanie Osborne, Executive Vice President and Chief Legal & Administrative Officer
  • Sam Beehner, Deputy General Counsel
  • Chris Crosta, Vice President of Chugach Government Solution’s Business Development
  • Randi Jo Gause, Director of Marketing & Communications

Click here to join our Sleep-Out champions and join them in making a donation to the CHA. Since 1988, Covenant House Alaska served more than 30,000 at-risk youth experiencing homelessness. Chugach and our Sleep-Out participants are proud to support CHA and its mission to protect and safeguard all youth and place them on the path to a better life.

For Melanie Osborne, Chugach’s Sleep-Out Captain, this year will mark her seventh Sleep Out. Melanie’s dedication and enthusiasm for CHA’s annual fundraiser began on her first night out, and she’s never looked back. “My first Sleep Out changed my life. I thought the experience would be about raising funds for youth in need. That night we toured wooded areas of Anchorage and the city’s alleys and motels and other dismal structures that were identified as places where homeless youth congregate and where they were preyed upon. We ended at a cemetery, where one of our tour guides used to sleep, because a dark cemetery is scary to most people and that made it safer for her.”

This experience and others Melanie has had over the years reinforced her commitment to supporting CHA’s mission. “I sleep out to raise funds for the safe shelter and loving care that the Covenant House provides. More importantly, I sleep out to raise awareness about these hidden parts of the city and help make the dreams of young people to overcome homelessness a reality.”

The Great Alaska Sleep Out takes place on November 17th at the Alaska Native Heritage Center. To support CHA and the youth who depend on CHA’s service, join Chugach’s Sleep-Out champions and make a donation by going to Chugach’s Team page.

 

Best Beginnings Alaska Wins 12 Months of Giving’s September Slot

Since 2006, BBA has invested funds, resources, time, and energy in growing readers, building strong families and – like Chugach’s Building Community – has engaged community to the betterment of all those they serve. To this end, BBA has endeavored to ensure that all Alaskans know that early learning and literacy are important to society and that Alaskans understand that investments in early learning pay big dividends to the state as a whole. Moreover, BBA endeavors to ensure that sufficient funds are available – from public and private sources – for every Alaska child to have the opportunity to begin school ready to succeed.

One of BBA’s programs, in particular, has drawn Josie Hickel to support this non-profit’s mission: the Imagination Library. “Dolly Parton started Imagination Library in 1996, and this program mails books to children five and under each month at no cost. This is a truly amazing resource.” Hickel went on to encourage parents to take advantage of what this program has to offer. “Reading is so important for children and fostering a love of reading at an early age helps improve literacy. If you have young kids at home, go sign up for the Imagination Library!”

Hickel also noted one of the key challenges that many Alaskans face and how the BBA overcomes this obstacle. “Not all families have access to the same resources to help their children. That’s where the BBA steps in and provides important resources to kids, parents and educators to assure all children have access to reading resources.”

To learn more about the BBA and its early childhood investment, go to www.bestbeginningsalaska.org. Donations to BBA can be made here. Thank you to Josie Hickel for submitting this incredible non-profit for consideration in Chugach 12 Months of Giving Campaign, and thank you to all of our employees for participating in this yearlong Community Building effort.

John F.C. Johnson named 2022 AFN Citizen of the Year

The following is a transcript of the comments John shared in accepting AFN’s Citizen of the Year Award:

I am very honored to receive this award from the AFN board of Directors.

My father Fred Johnson was a commercial fisherman from Prince William Sound (PWS) and a World War II army combat veteran who left Cordova at the age of 18 to serve in the South Pacific. His two older brothers also wanted to join the army and see the world, but they were mad when they were sent to the nearby military base in Whittier.

My grandmother Mary Chimovitski was born in the Suqpiaq village of Nuchek on Hinchinbrook Island in PWS. This is the location of a Russian trading post called Fort Saint Constantine and Helen which was built in the late 1790s. We have also operated the Nuchek Spirit Camp for cultural and subsistence activities for the last 28 years. And NO, we are not giving Alaska back to Vladimir Putin!

My wife Elenore Carltikoff is from the Athabaskan village of Nondalton. Her father Nickoli told us when we got married to not worry about having hard times, because he raised 16 kids with a dog team of 20 dogs and a good rifle. My wife says she wants more than 20 dogs!

My wife’s parents did not know the meaning of the great depression, their subsistence lifestyle did not change much, money was always short. They predicted that someday there would be a great hardship for those living in the big cities who could not live off the land.

Success in what we do, does not happen by magic, but with the help of many others that share the same vision.

My wife’s five brothers also helped me by going on remote trips in the Chugach Region to locate and document our historic and prehistoric subsistence sites that were selected under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) some 50 years ago. They also helped in the numerous repatriation of our ancestors back to their place of origin from museums from around the world.

I am also happy that my good friend Gordon Pullar, who has passed away this year, is also being honored today for the Citizen of the year award. He was a great leader in repatriations prior to the passage of the Native American Graves Repatriation Act.

Gordon and I both strongly believed that all human remains needed to go back home and be treated with dignity, honor, and respect. Gordon was a humble and quiet man who saw the problems and found the solution to get the job done. We both saw the need to:

    • Protect and build our culture with the great traditional knowledge and land that our ancestors have left us. Our history and subsistence of way of life is more important than any dollar in a bank.
    • We also saw the need for Alaska Natives as a whole to come up with a unified regional plan to bring the rest of our ancestor’s home from museums that are labeled as “Cultural Unidentifiable from Alaska”. These ancient ancestors need our help to make it home. If we do nothing, then don’t expect others to do it for you.
    • Not everyone gets the opportunity to make positive changes that have a lasting effect. If you see an opportunity, then you must grab that golden ring and build your foundation with truth and justice that no one can tear down. Your future depends on many things, but mostly on you.

The preservation of our heritage with the ownership of historic lands are important to our growth and survival. These historic sites are not just something from the past but are the keys to our future. Most of the elders that help identify these heritage sites have passed on, but their efforts will have a lasting and significant impact on the generations to follow. It has been a long journey, but it is worth every step that we make.

 

Chugach shareholders, descendants and family members proudly joined John on stage for is acceptance speech and for a group photo.

Chugach Chairman Sheri Buretta submitted the following letter to the AFN award committee to ask that John be considered for this prestigious award:

I would like to nominate John F.C. Johnson, our Vice President of Cultural Resources, for the 2022 Citizen Award, recognizing his contributions, strong commitment, dedication and service to the Alaska Native Community and Rural Alaska. John’s work on behalf of the Chugach people for the last five decades, and the work he has done for Indigenous Peoples throughout Alaska, the United States, and Canada has undoubtedly improved the lives of our people for generations to come.

John Johnson is a Sugpiag Native who can trace his lineage back to the last chief of Nuchek. This village was once the cultural center of Prince William Sound (PWS) and the Chugach people, and thanks to John’s guiding hand, this site has once again risen to its former prominence with the establishment of Nuuciq Spirit Camp (NSC).

The camp took its first fledgling steps as a small gathering of Sugpiaq Natives, led by John, who initially slept in tents on the sacred ground that was once home to their ancestors. Now more than two-and-a-half decades later, the camp has grown to accommodate a large dining hall and more than 50 permanent living quarters, with John orchestrating the construction of nearly every dwelling and, more often than not, cutting the wood and swinging the hammer that made each structure possible.

Every summer, Chugach Natives and Eyak, Athabaskan and Tlingit Indians from all over our region come together for NSC to learn all aspects of the Native cultural that has been handed down to our people for more than 5,000 years. Attendees learn Sugt’stun, the language spoken by the Sugpiaq. Eyak language classes also take place. They take part in and learn subsistence hunting and gathering skills. Many are involved in the construction of traditional Native kayaks, an art that has been revived over the decades that NSC has been established. All take part in numerous craft projects and immerse themselves in the Chugach Indian culture that grows stronger and stronger with each camp gathering.

On June 23, 2022, Chugach will celebrate its 50th anniversary. Beyond NSC, John has worked for the corporation, in one capacity or another, or served on the Chugach Board of Directors for more than 47 of those 50 years. He began working for Chugach as a logger on projects that cleared the way for the Trans Alaska Pipeline. He then went on to work for many of our subsidiaries that laid the foundation for Chugach’s 50 years of success. During six years on the Chugach Board, he worked with others to build upon that success. As our Vice President of Cultural Resources, he has restored the cultural center of our people, and his continued efforts have secured culturally significant lands through federal conveyances that were selected during the passing of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act.

Throughout his storied career, John has been particularly adept at identifying and working through the process of having cultural 14(h)(1) sites conveyed to Chugach. In fact, he has earned the nickname “Indiana Johnson” as a result of his adventures around our region to identify and document cultural sites. To date, Chugach has had 92 14(h)(1) sites conveyed and twelve more sites are pending and will be conveyed very soon. John’s research and tireless efforts to locate and work with the federal agencies to have these sites conveyed is an example of his dedication to lands ownership and stewardship of these heritage sites to protect and preserve in perpetuity for generations to come.

John’s passion for protection and preservation of culture extends to the invaluable work to research and ensure artifacts are repatriated to their traditional homelands on behalf of tribes across Alaska and the nation. He served on the Smithsonian’s Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) Review Committee in Washington, D.C. for six years where he assisted with the evaluation and implementation of NAGPRA between tribes nationwide and museums. As pursuant to NAGPRA, John traveled to museums in Russia, England, Germany, Denmark, and Spain to evaluate collections, and during these visits and after consultation with museum representatives, he secured the return of funerary objects and Native remains appropriated during the colonial era of our nation’s history.

Similar to his efforts to build and establish NSC, John served as one of the original founding Board of Directors for the Alaska Native Heritage Center and helped to create what has become the largest cultural gathering site in Alaska. He has served as a committee member for the Alaska Historical Records Commission. He served as the President of Keepers of the Treasure, which was a statewide organization that assists in repatriation efforts. He served as the Co-Chairman for Vitus Bering’s 250th anniversary discovery of Alaska, and was the first to raise the American flag in Kamchatka during the Russian ceremony of this historic occasion. He has also served on the board for the PWS Tourism Committee and the PWS Regional Citizen Advisory Committee which oversees and helps to ensure the safe transportation of oil through the Sugpiaq’s ancestral waters of PWS.

Closer to home, John has also served as the Chairman of the Chugach Heritage Foundation, which has made NSC and cultural events like our annual Russian New Year celebration possible, and has funded more than 1,200 scholarships for Chugach shareholders and descendants and allowed them to pursue their higher education and vocational goals.

It is not an exaggeration to say that without Mr. Johnson, Chugach would not be where we are today. The Chugach people and the entire Alaska Native community have benefitted, beyond measure, from his tireless efforts, his wisdom and knowledge, and his dedication. John has brought a wealth of experience, passion, and commitment to every role he has served in to preserve and advance the Indigenous cultures in Alaska and beyond.

It would be impossible to speak to a career that has spanned nearly five decades in a single letter, so I would welcome any opportunity to speak about John F.C. Johnson – beloved Elder, Native statesman and valued member of our Chugach family – and talk to his long list of qualifications and how his contributions have improved the lives of Alaska Native people.

Sincerely,

Sheri Buretta
Chairman of the Board ​

 

A video of John receiving the AFN Citizen Award can be found on Chugach’s Facebook page:

Congratulations to Chugach’s 2022 Elected Board Directors

Congratulations to Julie Kitka and David Totemoff on being reelected to the board, and congratulations to newly elected Board of Director Anna Hoover.

The Chugach board, the executive management team and all of the Chugach shareholders thank Josh Nadell for his time on the board and for his contributions to Chugach’s success. The election results and annual meeting prize winners can be found on the Shareholder Portal.