BSNC shareholder Megan Alvanna-Stimpfle was selected by the Alaska Federation of Natives Board of Directors to deliver the convention keynote address with Emil Notti. Alvanna-Stimpfle and Notti will speak on the first day of the three-day meeting taking place Oct. 20-22, 2016 at the Carlson Center in Fairbanks, Alaska.
“Our generation is to inherit our traditions, languages and culture and what a blessing it is to know who we are,” said Alvanna-Stimpfle. “We also inherit the responsibility of managing tribal governments, Native corporations as well as health and fishery institutions. By their very nature they are western democratic institutions, which require us to be engaged citizens and active shareholders. Our responsibility is to the land and to our way of life. We must ensure that our institutions remain firmly guided by our traditional values. With that we have the political and economic opportunity to define our future on our terms.”
“AFN is honored to have both distinguished and emerging leaders speak to our delegates,” said AFN President Julie Kitka. “The Native community gathers for the 50th Convention to not only celebrate, acknowledge and honor the many sacrifices our people made in the land claims movement and the formation of AFN, but also to take stock of AFN’s unfinished business in improving the lives of our people.”
Alvanna-Stimpfle was born and raised in Nome, Alaska. She is of King Island Inupiaq heritage and takes pride in Eskimo dancing and learning her language. She holds a Master’s in Applied Economics from Johns Hopkins University and a B.S. in Economics from George Mason University.
For five years, Alvanna-Stimpfle served as a legislative assistant for Senator Lisa Murkowski in Washington D.C. and was responsible for policies addressing infrastructure and sanitation, housing, health delivery, public safety and justice, land management, as well as fish and wildlife management for Alaska Native and rural Alaskans. She assisted in organizing the Arctic Imperative Summit to bring arctic and coastal Alaskan issues to the forefront of American policy. Alvanna-Stimpfle serves on the Nome Port Commission and is an elected member of the King Island Traditional Council.