'The Convention is the largest representative annual gathering in the United States of Native peoples.'
The second and larger of the two gatherings, the Alaska Federation of Natives Convention, brings together delegates from tribes, village and regional for-profit corporations, and regional nonprofit entities. It’s a public event that draws from 4,000 to 6,000 people. AFN’s 2024 convention theme is “Our Children – Our Future Ancestors.” AFN’s website describes it as, “the principal forum and voice for the Alaska Native community in addressing critical issues of public policy and government.
Tickets for the evening traditional dance performances, called Quyana Alaska, regularly sell out. The Alaska Native Customary Art market, where hundreds of artisans sell items such as jewelry, clothing, sculptures, paintings, and regalia, is likewise popular. The institute’s president and CEO Roy Agloinga, who is Yup’ik and Iñupiaq, said a special feature this year is the presence of several traditional healers to help people. Agloinga said even some sessions that are not meant to be heavy can “bring up deep issues around colonization or really reclaiming our language, our culture, and our food.
The Elder keynote address will be by Rosita Worl, a longtime advocate for subsistence and the president and CEO of Sealaska Heritage Institute. The Youth keynote speaker will be Sam Hiratsuka, who is Aleut, Yu’pik, Winnemem Wintu, and Navajo. He’s a legislative assistant for U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola.said the conference typically attracts more than a thousand people.
Elders And Youth Conference Roy Agloinga
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