BSNC Elder shareholder and Pulitzer Prize-winning writer John Tetpon’s life has been an incredible and unique journey from a childhood in our region to travels across Alaska and the Lower 48. We asked John to share some of his memories here, in his own words: I was tempted. I wanted to suggest a little humor...
BSNC and the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) eCampus have a new partnership to encourage BSNC shareholders, descendants and employees to upskill, begin or complete their college degrees – online. BSNC shareholders, descendants and employees will receive a 10% discount on all courses offered through UAF eCampus. UAF eCampus has been a national leader in...
Shareholder Richard Atuk was one of BSNC’s first employees. Today, he is involved with Kingikmiut Singers and Dancers of Anchorage and Kissaq Kingikmiurguqtuat dialect language revitalization efforts. “When we start speaking about language, we start speaking about history and culture,” said Atuk. “In the Lower 48, colonization was about taking land. In Alaska, as well...
The Peabody Museum at Harvard stewards a collection of hair samples from Indigenous people around the world assembled by anthropologist George Edward Woodbury in the 1930s and donated to the Museum. The vast majority are from North America, including clippings of hair from approximately 700 Native American children attending U.S. Indian Boarding Schools. Many of...
Fall 2022 Dear Shareholders, I hope everyone had a productive summer and fall fishing, hunting, and harvesting berries and greens in preparation for winter. As we continue to respond to the wreckage left by Typhoon Merbok and prepare for the winter ahead, we are immensely thankful that no lives were lost. While the storm was...
BSNC’s media and communications team, with Yuit Communications, was honored to receive the third place Aurora award for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion from the Public Relations Society of America – Alaska Chapter. Our 2022 Get Out the Native Vote campaign aimed to mobilize Alaska Native and American Indian voters. “Our team was honored to receive...
BSNC recently donated $250,000 to the Nome Community Center for the HomePlate Nome Apartments. The HomePlate project will include 15 studio apartments built for single occupancy, and an onsite unit for the property manager. The Project is designed to provide a path toward housing permanency for Nome’s most vulnerable, chronically homeless population. The apartments will...
Governor Mike Dunleavy and the First Lady of Alaska awarded BSNC shareholder Daisy Lockwood of Stebbins with the annual Shirley Demientieff award at the AFN Convention. During the recent storm in Western Alaska, Lockwood quickly prepared her community to apply for assistance. Stebbins was the first community to provide a complete, detailed damage assessment before anyone...
BSNC congratulates shareholder Brian Wassmann, originally from Nome, on receiving the Alaska Federation of Natives (AFN) Glenn Godfrey Law Enforcement Award. This award recognizes an Alaska Native law enforcement officer, federal, state, or local, who has shown outstanding dedication to the safety of the public in any location(s) within Alaska, often requiring heroic courage in...
BSNC congratulates shareholder Roy Ashenfelter of White Mountain on receiving the Alaska Federation of Natives (AFN) Katie John Hunter-Fisher Award. This award is given to an Alaska Native who exemplifies and preserves the spirit of successful subsistence hunting, trapping and sharing and our way of life. Nominees acknowledge and ensure that the next generation of...
