http://alaskaarma.org/2015-alaska-arma-spring-conference/

UA’s Associate General Counsel Andy Harrington moderated a panel titled “What Role for Tribal Sovereignty in Alaska?” at the Alaska Bar Association’s 2015 Annual Convention. Harrington led a distinguished panel of individuals on the forefront of Alaska Native affairs including AK Attorney General Craig W. Richards, Native American Rights Fund Senior Staff Attorney Heather Kendall Miller (UAF B.A. History 1988) and UAA Visiting Distinguished Professor of Business and Public Policy Willie Hensley. The panel addressed key questions around the problems faced by Alaska Natives such as: what role do Alaska’s federally-recognized tribal governments have in addressing those problems? And should the Alaska state government have a different relationship with Alaska’s tribes?�

Specific subjects included the history leading up to and post-1971 amendments to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act; the issues currently awaiting decision by the Alaska Supreme Court regarding tribal court jurisdiction over child support; the appeal pending in the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals over land-into-trust authority in Alaska; and whether current "co-management" proposals might point a way forward from the state's current subsistence stalemate.�(Those interested in this last topic might want to take note that a "Co-Management Symposium" is scheduled for November 18-19 in Fairbanks sponsored by the Tribal Management Program of UAF's College of Rural and Community Development, call 474-5826 for more information.)� The discussion was lively and well received by a mix of attorneys attending the bar convention and non-attorney community members to whom the Bar Association made a special outreach effort.�

It is with great regret that we announce that Susan Freel, Accounting Manager, is retiring on May 30 after 17 years with the UA Foundation. Please stop by, call or email to wish her well before she turns her focus to her 14 grandchildren!

We are delighted to announce that�Jim Thomas will be promoted to Accounting Manager effective May 31! Thomas has served as Accounting Specialist in the Foundation Accounting office for four years and has been well-trained by Freel to follow in her footsteps.

Started May 29, 2015

Dash
Outreach Specialist: Sled Dog �
UA College Savings / Education Trust of Alaska

Dash's job will be to represent the College Savings Plan at a variety of community events and activities; create goodwill in the community; and professionally represent the Plan with the same spirit and enthusiasm for College Savings and community as the staff.

Before holding this position Dash was a professional sled dog and full-time student. Dash recently graduated with a degree in Spirit Management.

Dash was born in Mississauga, Ontario and lived there shortly before moving to Alaska to live with Alaska relatives. He's been in Fairbanks for most of his life.

Dash is single but comes from a large family. He has 10 brothers and sisters. A legacy sled dog he hopes to be the lead dog someday. Dash loves to run, but more importantly, loves to save.

"I’m excited to take on this new role and look forward to helping to create a culture of saving and college preparation here in Alaska," Dash declared with a wagging tail.