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Gov. Max A. Zuni of Izleta Pueblo in New Mexico has issued a call for action after a recent fire at a plastic storage facility near the tribal community this last weekend.
In a letter sent out to more than 16 surrounding communities, he said, “When the area was first planned, it was billed for housing, retail, and office space. Now, however, it houses industrial facilities, which impacts all of our neighbors, including the pueblo of Isleta.”
The Tribal community is located near Albuquerque.
Gov. Zuni says the Albuquerque-Bernalillo County Air Quality Program and the Isleta Fire Department issued health advisories Sunday warning residents to remain indoors through Monday morning to avoid the hazardous pollution.
Gov. Zuni said the fire threatened the community’s health during a heat wave, leaving residents to decide whether to use their evaporative air conditioners and expose their homes to hazardous pollutants, or to suffer through the extreme temperatures.
The Pueblo is calling on local governments to take action and collaborate with the Pueblo.
The Pueblo is concerned about health impacts to people and the environment.
The Alaska Federation of Natives (AFN) is fishing for photos to share at its convention this October and offering prizes for the ones which best reflect this year’s theme, “Our Ways of Life.”
The contest opened at the beginning of the month, and Ben Mallott, AFN’s Vice President of External Affairs, says there’s already been quite a catch.“
Mallott says the contest will help to generate interest in the convention but also has another important purpose.
“We tend to use the photos that we get throughout our convention materials. Look at our app, look at our convention guide. Hopefully we could use photos that show our ways of lives throughout all of our materials.”
Mallott says the more photos the better, so they can be used after the convention to help AFN continue to advocate for Native causes.
“AFN works in so many different arenas and so many different policy areas that sometimes having the right picture. It really brings it home.”
AFN wants photographs that capture Alaska landscapes, hunting, fishing, families, elders, youth, regalia, and other daily activities or special events.
So far, many of the photos capture children and elders taking part in subsistence activities.
Mallott says one his personal favorites is a snapshot of a little boy, posing alongside a freshly caught fish, making a “fish face.”
The first prize is two roundtrip Alaska Airlines tickets, with $500 in cash for second place and $250 dollars for third.
The Alaska Travel Industry Association has created a new seat on its board, set aside for tribal representation.
The head of the association, Jillian Simpson, says it’s not only the right thing to do, but good for business.
“I think people want to have an authentic experience, when they travel someplace. And Alaska is the only place in the world that has the living cultures of Alaska Native people.”
Camille Ferguson, a Lingít from Sitka, currently holds one of the ATIA’s 24 board seats.
She says it’s important that tourism marketing is culturally authentic, and a tribal representative would have the most expertise in that area.
“Authenticity from imagery content and video. It’s so important to have somebody who is at the table to help them.”
Ferguson worked for the American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association based in New Mexico, where she saw how tribal representation helped the travel industry develop culturally sensitive practices.
She says not all states collaborate with tribes, but should, not just for diversity’s sake, but to improve the overall tourism experience.
She says until recently, the Cruise industry defined the portrayal of Southeast Alaska – limiting its focus to Alaska Natives to only Ketchikan, Russian history in Sitka, and glaciers in Juneau.
Ferguson says Alaska’s travel industry is finally coming around to recognizing the untapped potential of cultural tourism.
The tribal seat on the ATIA board is open to members of a federally recognized tribe or an Alaska Native corporation shareholder, and should bring more involvement from tribal travel and tourism leaders.
Board elections are in September.
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