1. business and industrial
2. energy
3. oil

Cauyat — the beat of the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta
Bethel, Alaska | 50 cents | FREE in the villages
Vol. 42, No. 45 | January 29, 2015
www.TheTundraDrums.com
Students fly out for
STEM study
Alaska Native Science & Engineering
Program
Middle school students from
the Y-K region flew out to Anchorage last week for a week of science, technology, engineering and
math (STEM). The Alaska Native
Science & Engineering Program
(ANSEP) hosted 48 students from
the Lower Kuskokwim School
District for the academy. On Jan.
21, the students were flown to
Courtesy of ANSEP
Middle school students from the Y-K region deplane in Anchorage on their way to
12 days of studying STEM stubjects at the ANSEP program at UAA.
On the Y-K Delta
LKSD first to receive systems
accreditation
The Lower Kuskokwim School District has received the first
AdvancED Systems Accreditation in Alaska for its use of distance
learning.
With more than 4,000 students spread across 22,000 square
miles in 27 schools, ensuring students across the district can access
the same education opportunities as other parts of the country is
critical. LKSD, with the help of GCI SchoolAccess, implemented
Alaska’s largest distance education program using video conferencing. This helps connect all students in the district with highly
qualified teachers in all the right subjects. AdvancED’s accreditation committee identified the technology infrastructure, particularly
the distance learning network, as excellent. One of the best in the
world.
AdvancED is the global leader in providing continuous improvement and accreditation services to more than 32,000 institutions
serving 20 million students worldwide. (http://www.advanc-ed.
org/about-us)
Body of second man lost to
river recovered
On Jan. 21, volunteers recovered the body of a man thought to be
George Evan, 26 of Akiak, while dragging the Kuskokwim River.
Evan, along with Sally Stone, 27 of Akiak, and Ralph Demantle
went missing Dec. 12 while on a trip from Bethel to Akiak on an
ATV. They apparently went into the river at an open lead near
Kwethluk.
Demantle’s body and the four wheeler were recovered on Dec.
13.
The remains found Jan. 21 were sent to the Alaska Medical Examiner’s Office in Anchorage for autopsy and positive identification.
Kalskag man faces multiple
charges
A Lower Kalskag man was arrested on seven charges Jan. 22 for
■ See On The Y-K, Page 6
Anchorage as part of ANSEP’s
new $1 million, 3-year partnership
with Alaska Airlines.
ANSEP Middle School Academies are residential STEM
experiences designed to immerse
students in applied learning
opportunities these career areas.
Throughout the 12-day, allexpenses-paid program, students
live like college students at the
University of Alaska Anchorage
while participating in team-based
activities ranging from computer
and bridge builds to alternative
energy and biological science sessions.
Students participating in the
January academy are from 11
communities in the Bethel area,
including:
Bethel: Marc Adlaon, Jeremy
Aloysius, Noah Andrew III,
Courtney Atseriak, Frankie Bayer,
Samara Byrnes, Annie Coggins,
Chiara Demientieff, Chelonia
Jones, Elijah Lindley, Klajvis Pellumbi, Susanna Pitka, Gareth Rice,
Tekoah Tony, Makenna Westlake
■ See STEM study, Page 5
Courtesy of ANSEP
ANSEP students from the Lower Kuskokwim School District work on a project
last week at UAA
Gov. Walker haunted by
savings draw-down rate
BECKY BOHRER
Associated Press
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Even with the budget
cuts proposed by Gov. Bill Walker for next year, the
state will still face the potential of having to draw on
$3.3 billion from its savings, his budget director said
Friday.
Pat Pitney said the state needs to reduce its budget
responsibly and not rush into cuts that could be
devastating.
“This is step one,” Pitney told the House Finance
Committee, saying the cuts proposed are less than
a quarter of the 25 percent target that Walker asked
departments to look at over a four-year period.
Alaska faces projected deficits of at least $3.5 billion this year and next amid the plunge in oil prices.
It is seen as virtually impossible for cuts alone to fill
those gaps.
In a State of the Budget speech Jan. 22, Walker
proposed cutting $550 million in unrestricted general
spending next year. He called for looking at what
the right size of government should be, with an eye
toward future agency cuts and greater creativity in
how the state delivers services. Walker suggested
privatizing services, but he said Friday that he raised
that idea more as an option to consider rather than
having anything specific in mind.
The governor also said he has asked Revenue
Commissioner Randall Hoffbeck to look at different
types of investment possibilities, but Hoffbeck said
there are just ideas being discussed right now.
Walker, who took office last month, told reporters
Friday that he is uncomfortable with having the state
Traditional hunting
knowledge documented
University of Alaska Fairbanks
Alaska Native people have been
living with and harvesting marine
mammals for millennia. Now,
as the climate changes rapidly
around them, they are sharing
their knowledge with scientists
in effort to conserve the marine
environment and inform public
policy.
Recognizing the depth of local
knowledge, University of Alaska
Fairbanks researcher Chanda
Meek and cultural anthropology doctoral student Ilona Kemp
are documenting the historical
experience of three communities
in southwestern Alaska. Partner
villages Chignik Lagoon and Port
Heiden are looking at sea otter
ecology, and the Yup’ik village
of Togiak is concerned about
bearded seal, or maklak, ecology.
With funding from Alaska
Sea Grant, the goal is to create
regional-scale experience maps
to illustrate how marine mammal
ecology and harvesting patterns
have changed in the communities
over time. Port Heiden and Togiak
are on Bristol Bay, while Chignik
Send your announcements and news tips
8
54159 00003
to [email protected]
5
■ See Draw-down rate, Page 6
Lagoon faces the Gulf of Alaska.
“We hired local assistants to
introduce us to the communities
and, in Togiak, to translate Yup’ik
to English for us,” Kemp said.
“Having that entrance into the
community is really necessary
because we are limited in the time
we spend in each village.”
Kemp, with help from Meek,
has been responsible for developing protocol for the traditional
knowledge interviews. They
asked about a topic and followed
up with specific questions.
■ See Hunting knowledge, Page 6
Page 2 • January 29, 2015 • The Tundra Drums
Opinion & Ideas
Reject calls for ‘constitutional’ convention
To Y-K Tribes and Calista:
Less than a quarter century ago, I heard
a man telling us that one village thought
highly of itself and respected itself and
expected visitors to do likewise, that, when
one went in their village for a meeting, the
guest(s) were to speak as invited guests,
not as those who knew more about their
village. They have been invited, first, to put
the integrity and status of the people of that
village in high esteem ahead of theirs.
I also remember the awkward early
days of the formation and development of
Association of Village Council Presidents
(AVCP). Take the keynote: “Village Council
Presidents.” These presidents knew too well
the importance and the need for strength in
unity to become politically strong and meet
health, social and economic needs of our
villages.
It is good to revisit and remember who
we are as a community within our tribe. We
have a strong and elite past. We have each
other. We do not need “experts” coming in
from outside to tell us that we are weak,
that we are ill-informed, incapable, assume to talk for us or solve our social ills,
socio-economic needs, political strength,
etc. Yes, we can invite guests to discuss and
work with us. Otherwise, uninvited, they’re
intruding and infringing upon our right and
intelligence as good and capable people of
our tribe. We must recall and reactivate our
spiritual strength that we once had.
knowledge. Let them spend 100
This village above referred
Op-Ed
percent of their resources and
and the founders of Association
Nicholas C
time – not like Calista – a small
of Village Council Presidents
percentage of their time. Calista
knew who they were and what
Tucker, Sr.
Emmonak Tribe member and can contribute funds to AVCP
their tribes needed. AVCP has
Calista Shareholder
after approval from shareholdestablished its base within State
ers. Presently, I am not fully aware of any
of Alaska and federal government. It is the
56 elite, good and capable village tribes who authority for Calista to budget this present
committee effort. I see a few village tribes
can decide whether to unite and determine
being funded to push their agenda.
their future in strength, unity and developCalista CEO and the board are appointed
ment. It is all about the 56 tribes getting
– to insure that our shareholders assets and
together. I believe, then, we can expect the
investments are safeguarded and handled
State of Alaska and the U.S. government to
with utmost care – well into the future. Yes,
discover that these tribes meant business by
the socio-economic aspect of our Calista
getting together, in unity, and rose as one.
region is one not to ignore. But allowing an
The tribes can take the Calista committee
interest group to override everyone else is
tribal governance research and recommenoffensive to who we are as tribal members
dations as something to look at and, only
and, it is conflict of interest when such
as options. Calista and the committee have
pointed officials push that agenda. The
no inherent blessing to infringe upon any
job of our CEO and board is to be always
rights of our sovereign 56 tribes. They can
ever-watchful of the operating expenses and
respectfully come in to present their ideas
income. The 7(i)(j) will surely weaken – perand dreams – as guests and, respect AVCP
haps evaporate. Incidentally, the 7(i)(j) were
as the longstanding association and representative of the 56 tribes. AVCP can convene one of the biggest contributors to get Calista
out of its deficit – not the operations – that
its 56 tribes whether or not to decide upon a
unified, regional tribal government – always came later in the game. Calista has proven
itself to rise out of anything – let’s keep it
leaving the Calista committee recommendathat way – within the purpose and frametions only as options – not the one imposwork of a for-profit business – not a tribe
ing upon our individual tribes and telling
problem solver. Continuing to strengthen,
them they know better the tribes. Unity and
keeping intact, and diversifying its assets
regional governance is possible, perhaps
and investments is the purpose and work of
needed more than ever? The 56 tribes
Calista. This way, it will, I hope, will have
can get together in dignity, purpose, and
much more money to contribute for education, training, socio-economic contributions,
health, and infrastructure of our tribes.
I respectfully ask that all Y-K tribes denounce and reject any movements or calls
for “constitutional” convention by Calista
committee. All 56 tribal councils, IRA’s,
chiefs, or presidents are not 100 percent
fully informed and no options are presented. It will take time to meet together and
work – by the tribes – not by this committee that just popped up from nowhere and
basically force “constitutional” convention
and change the whole picture of Y-K Delta?
What are the ramifications? How long will
it take the Alaska of Alaska and the federal
government to recognize and trust this new
government? In this cash depressed region,
will we have money to pay regional tribe
taxes that add up on top of city sales taxes,
state and government unending rising
taxes? To some of the revenue that will come
from each tribe, how much will we have left
for food and heating fuel? “Constitutional”
convention overnight is insane!
AVCP is established but how long will
it take the new regional government to lay
down foundation, build revenue, and build
infrastructure, trustful enough by the state
and the federal government to work with? It
will be a sad day if the state and the federal
government find this regional government
to be only 5? 10? Or 20? Of the 56 tribes! I
fear it is too rushed!
Join Arctic-wide protest, boycott AC store Sunday
An Arctic-wide boycott of all North West
Co.-owned grocery stores is planned for
Saturday, Jan. 31. The North West Co. is the
Canadian corporation that owns 33 Alaska
Commercial Co. (AC) stores in rural Alaska,
including stores in Kotzebue, Barrow, Nome
and Bethel. The North West Co. also owns
122 “Northern” stores in Canada, which is
the only grocery store option available for
many Inuit families.
The Jan. 31 boycott is being held to raise
awareness about the unnecessarily high
prices of food sold at North West Co.-owned
AC and Northern stores in Alaska and Canada. Not shopping at AC stores on that day
will send the message that AC and Northern
store food prices are unacceptably high, and
that these prices prevent many families from
putting food on the table. By choosing not to
shop at AC on that day, you will be showing your solidarity with families who may
struggle to afford food there or at Northern
stores across the border. The goal is to see
reduced food prices in these stores.
two bedroom apartment with
The idea of holding an
Op-Ed
not enough food to eat. This
Arctic-wide boycott of North
Tim Aqukkasuk is a familiar situation in rural
West Co.-owned stores was
Alaska as well, with the major
initiated by the Inuk activist
Argetsinger
Kotzebue
difference being that we lack
Leesie Papatsie from Iqaluit,
research and the accompanying media atNunavut. Leesie started a Facebook group
tention about this problem.
called Feeding My Family that has served
Pictures of Northern store food prices
to educate thousands of Canadians about
on the Feeding My Family Facebook page
staggering food costs in the Arctic, and how
will look familiar to anyone who has ever
these costs are due in part to the monopoly
shopped at AC. At the AC store in Kotzebue
power of the North West Co. in many comyou will find $11 gallons of milk, $12 carmunities.
tons of orange juice, $7 loaves of bread, eggs
The practice of price gouging at North
(12) for $6.50, 5-pound bags of carrots going
West Co. stores has contributed to too many
for $12, small containers of blueberries for
families not having enough food to eat.
In the majority Inuit territory of Nunavut, $9, and $3.60 cans of fruit.
In Canada, the federal government has
for example, 70 percent of pre-school age
tried to help people who are also in this
Inuit children live in homes where there
situation by giving Northern and other
isn’t enough food. Led by Leesie Papatsie,
stores in the Arctic money to reduce these
Inuit gathered outside of Northern stores
prices. Such a subsidy does not exist for
across Nunavut in 2012 to protest high food
rural Alaska, where we are at the mercy of
prices.
Last week, the Huffington Post ran a story stores that attribute their high prices to fuel
and transportation costs.
about a family of nine in Nunavut sharing a
Yet lacking close oversight, the Canadian
subsidy mentioned above has gone into the
pockets of the North West Co. and other
retailers instead of being passed on to customers in the form of reduced food prices,
despite the fact that many families continue
to suffer from hunger.
The greed and callousness of the North
West Co. can be seen in Kotzebue. The
North Star Market that opened in Kotzebue
last month charges less for the same food
items sold at the local AC store: three to four
dollars less for butter, milk, eggs, and other
basic food items, despite having to pay the
same fuel and transportation costs. This is
in part because the manager of that store
recognizes that price gouging in order to
profit on the backs of hard working people
is greedy, unethical and immoral.
Choose not to shop at North West Co.owned AC stores on Saturday, Jan. 31 in
solidarity with families across the Arctic
who cannot afford to.
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Op-Ed
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are required to have an indethat determine how they may
KYUK General Manager
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Publishing the news of
the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta since 1974
Published each Thursday by
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■ See KYUK, Page 3
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The Tundra Drums • January 29, 2015 • Page 3
Kelly says he will keep open to Medicaid expansion
Becky Bohrer
Associated Press
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — A co-chair of
the Senate Finance Committee said the
state is not on a path to expanding Medicaid.
But Sen. Pete Kelly, R-Fairbanks, said
Jan. 22 that he would keep an open mind
to the possibility.
Kelly made his comments as the committee discussed hiring former state health
commissioner Bill Streur as a consultant.
Streur served under former Gov. Sean
Parnell, who resisted expanding Medicaid
coverage, citing cost concerns.
Parnell’s successor, Gov. Bill Walker, has
made expanding Medicaid a priority and
said he thinks it will lead to savings.
Walker’s health commissioner, Valerie Davidson, said even with the state’s
budget situation, expanding health care
coverage to thousands of Alaskans would
be a good investment. She said she also
sees it as a catalyst for meaningful Medicaid reform.
The state faces multibillion-dollar deficits amid a crash in oil prices.
During the Jan. 22 committee hearing,
Sen. Lyman Hoffman, D-Bethel, said he
wanted to make clear that the purpose of
the contract with Streur was not to find
ways to justify rejecting Medicaid expansion. Kelly said that was correct.
The contract’s scope of work includes a
review of potential savings from expansion
as well as consulting on the state health de-
partment budget. The committee approved
the contract, which is for up to $45,000 and
to run through April.
Kelly said the state has no choice but to
address Medicaid if it wants to reduce the
overall budget. He said Streur has experience in working to slow the growth of
Medicaid and will be a valuable resource.
He asked committee members to keep
an open mind to expansion. He said if he’s
wrong in his personal view, he wants to
know it.
Streur “may have some ideas that would
convince us that, in fact, we can find some
savings from Medicaid expansion,” Kelly
said. “I’ve never believed that, frankly, but
when I hear it from a guy like Bill Streur, I
start to think a little bit different.”
“That’s not the path we’re on; we’re not
headed for a Medicaid expansion,” Kelly
said, adding that his mind is “completely
open” to evidence that will come before
the committee.
The panel also approved a contract of
up to $100,000 for former state Revenue
commissioner Angela Rodell. She is to
consult on issues including the state retirement systems, bond ratings and the major
liquefied natural gas project the state is
pursuing.
The retainer in the contract is for nearly
$81,000, for work through the end of session. Committee co-chair Anna MacKinnon, R-Eagle River, said the authorization
to go up to $100,000 is in case the session
runs long and Rodell’s help is still needed.
Researchers puzzled by 1882 Winchester discovery
Martin Griffith
Associated Press
RENO, Nev. (AP) — Researchers are trying to crack the mystery surrounding the
discovery of a weathered, rusted Winchester
rifle in the mountains of remote eastern
Nevada.
The gun manufactured in 1882 was found
leaning against a juniper tree on a rocky
outcrop in Great Basin National Park during
an archaeological survey in November.
Nichole Andler, the park’s chief of interpretation, said officials may never know
when the .44-40 rifle was placed there, but
it’s possible it could have been left undisturbed since the 1800s.
The area along the Utah border has a
history of mining, ranching and hunting,
she said, and park researchers are scouring
historical documents to learn who might
have owned the rifle.
“I would say the possibilities are wide
KYUK
From Page 2
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By far the most important source of
unrestricted funds, however, comes from
the donations we receive from our listeners
and viewers, like you, not just during our
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twice a year but also from programs like Pick
Click Give.
We Alaskans are known for our generosity and that fact is clearly demonstrated in
the amount of support KYUK receives from
our loyal listeners and viewers. On behalf of
all of us at KYUK I thank all of you for your
continued support of public media in the Y-K
Delta.
Pick Click Give is one very simple way to
After viewing photoopen as to who owned the
“You just don’t leave a graphs of the rifle, Houze
rifle and why it was left
said, he knows why it
there,” Andler said. “It
gun like that there.”
went undetected for so
leaves a lot to the imagina—Nichole Andler, Great
long: It blended in so well
tion and it may be a myswith its surroundings.
tery that’s never solved.”
Basin National Park, Chief of
“People probably have
Herbert Houze is the
Interpretation
walked right by it,” he
former curator of what besaid. “It was a one in a
came known as the Cody
million chance they looked at it the right
Firearms Museum at the Buffalo Bill Center
way and found it.”
of the West in Cody, Wyoming.
The unloaded rifle’s wooden stock was
He said Winchester Model 1873 rifles such
as the one found in Nevada were so valuable cracked but still intact, while its barrel was
rusted. Its serial number was still visible,
that he thinks whoever owned it leaned it
which allowed experts at the Buffalo Bill
against the tree and then was unable to find
Center to determine it was made in 1882.
it.
Though a 1919 advertising campaign
“You just don’t leave a gun like that
branded the Winchester rifle as “The Gun
there,” he said.
that Won the West,” the Colt single-action
The rifles, which sold for $35 to $50 in the
Army revolver probably deserved the
1880s, now can fetch up to $15,000 in excelreputation more, Houze said.
lent condition. They were among the most
In any event, he’s thrilled by what he
popular guns on the Western frontier.
called the “rare find” in Nevada,
which will eventually go on
permanent display at the
park.
“It’s one of the most
exciting gun discoveries I’ve ever heard
of,” he said. “I’m
just tickled pink
the gun got
found.”
Photo courtesy of www.adamsguns.com
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Mike Martz is general manager of KYUK AM/
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the Y-K Delta region. He can be reached at 5433131 or [email protected].
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Obama to seek
wilderness
designation
for Alaska refuge
Becky Bohrer
Associated Press
Jim Kuhnhenn
Associated Press
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — President Barack
Obama is proposing to designate the vast
majority of Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife
Refuge as a wilderness area, including its
potentially oil-rich coastal plain, drawing an
angry response from top state elected officials who see it as a land grab by the federal
government.
“They’ve decided that today was the
day that they were going to declare war on
Alaska. Well, we are ready to engage,” said
U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and
chair of the Senate energy committee.
The designation would seal off the area in
Alaska’s northeast corner from oil exploration and give it the highest degree of federal
protection available to public lands.
The refuge’s coastal plain has long been at
the center of the struggle between conservationists and advocates of greater energy
exploration in the U.S. Political leaders in
Alaska have supported drilling and opposed
attempts to further restrict development on
federal lands, which comprise about twothirds of the state.
A bipartisan resolution passed the state
Legislature last year, urging Congress to
allow for exploration and development on
the coastal plain. A federal lawsuit brought
by the state over the Interior Department’s
refusal to consider a proposed exploration
plan for the refuge’s coastal plain is pending.
The Republican congressional delegation, along with Alaska’s new governor, Bill
Walker, sent out a joint news release Sunday
morning calling the action “an unprecedent-
The wings of the people
Running
charters
and
scheduled flights
7 days a week
907-543-3003
ed assault on Alaska.” Walker changed his
GOP affiliation to undeclared in running for
office last year.
In a White House video released Sunday,
Obama said he is seeking the designation
“so we can make sure that this amazing
wonder is preserved for future generations.”
The Interior Department issued a comprehensive plan Sunday that for the first time
recommended the additional protections.
If Congress agrees, it would be the largest
wilderness designation since passage of the
Wilderness Act in the 1960s, the agency said.
However, the proposal is likely to face
stiff resistance in the Republican-controlled
Congress. Murkowski said in an interview
that Obama is going after something “that
is not possible in this Congress.” She said
she sees it as an attempt by the administration to “score some environmental points”
and to rile passions ahead of another announcement by Interior in the coming days
that Murkowski said she was told would
propose putting off-limits to development
certain areas of the offshore Arctic.
Murkowski spoke with Interior Secretary
Sally Jewell and Jewell’s chief of staff in the
last few days, she said.
An Interior Department spokeswoman,
responding by email Sunday, did not offer details but said a proposed five-year
offshore drilling plan is forthcoming and
that environmental reviews of lease areas
in the Arctic waters off Alaska’s shores are
underway.
The department pegged the timing of
Obama’s announcement to recent legislation
proposed in Congress. Earlier this month,
U.S. Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, introduced
a bill that would allow for development on
the coastal plain. Murkowski referenced the
refuge — and the economic benefits that she
said could come from tapping a part of the
refuge — in an energy-focused Republican
weekly address on Saturday.
Young, in a statement, called the proposed
wilderness delegation a violation of the
Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act and “disgusting.”
“Simply put, this wholesale land grab, this
widespread attack on our people and our
way of life, is disgusting,” he said.
Conservation groups hailed Obama’s announcement.
David Houghton, president of the National Wildlife Refuge Association, said in
a statement released by conservation and
some Native organizations that the refuge’s
coastal plain “is one of the last places on
earth that has been undisturbed by humans,
and we owe it to our children and their children to permanently protect this invaluable
resource.”
Jim Kuhnhenn contributed to this report from
Washington, D.C.
Large bird attacks
Oregon jogger; owl
is blamed for strikes
SALEM, Ore. (AP) — An Oregon jogger
thought someone knocked him in the head
or he got hit by lightning or may have suffered a stroke when he felt a big blow to the
head earlier this month as he was jogging in
Bush’s Pasture Park.
When the 58-year-old man, Ron Jaecks
of Salem, was struck a second time he saw
a large winged animal he thought was a
massive bat.
Willamette University biology Professor
David Craig told the Statesman Journal
(http://stjr.nl/1CsmcUF ) the attacker was
likely an owl.
Great horned owls are nesting in January and are known to attack anything they
think threatens their nest.
Information from: Statesman Journal, http://
www.statesmanjournal.com
The Tundra Drums • January 29, 2015 • Page 5
LKSD students study STEM topics
Photos Courtesy of ANSEP
STEM study
From Page 1
Greta Whitney and Hunter Wright.
Chefornak: Lucy Wiseman.
Eek:
Shelaya Hoffman and Helena Miller.
Kipnuk: Emira Aliralria, Haley Aliralria,
Keoni Aliralria, Robert Amik, Reanna Jimmy, Clayton Mesak, Logan Paul, Miranda
Paul and Phillip Paul.
Kongiganak: Minnie Azean, Kirsi Beaver,
Cassandra Brown, Isadore David, Desirae
Evan, Dawson John and Leisha Lozano
Kwethluk: Kaelynne Epchook and Diane
Nicori.
Napaskiak: Kieran Bentley, Stephen
Maxie III and Jakob Sipary.
Newtok: Marilyn Fairbanks.
Nightmute: Casey Anthony, Dana Joe,
and Rosie Matthias.
Nunapitchuk: Jaden Andrew.
Quinhagek: Megan Cleveland and Adrienne Sam.
The Middle School Academy was at the
new ANSEP Academy building on the
UAA campus. “We’re beyond thankful for
the generous support of Alaska Airlines,
and thrilled to kick off a new year and
new partnership by bringing 48 Bethel
students to Anchorage for the first time,”
said ANSEP Founder and Vice Provost Dr.
Herb Ilusari Schroeder. “Thanks to Alaska
Airlines, we can expand our reach to more
students across the state, and provide them
with an unparalleled opportunity to engage
in hands-on STEM activities while learning
from industry and agency professionals.”
The Middle School Academy is a key
component for ANSEP’s goal of continually
exposing students to STEM opportunities throughout middle and high school
and into their college years, in addition to
providing them with the tools and support
they need to succeed.
The January session is one of five Middle
School Academies in the 2014-15 school
year, along with three this summer. This
is an increase from previous years thanks
to recent grants and in-kind support from
Alaska Airlines, Alaska State Legislature,
Alyeska Pipeline, Arctic Slope Regional
Corporation, ExxonMobil, Rasmuson
Foundation, Shell, the State of Alaska and
Udelhoven Oilfield System Services, among
many other generous sponsors. Middle
School Academies are also made possible
by partnerships with numerous Alaska
school districts.
To learn more about ANSEP and its components, visit www.ansep.net.
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Page 6 • January 29, 2015 • The Tundra Drums
Drawn-down rate
From Page 1
live off its savings.
“I look at it from this standpoint: Every three or four days,
we could have built a new school.
That’s what we’re doing at $10
million a day that we draw down
on our savings,” he said, adding
later: “That’s the part that haunts
me and caused me to take some
pretty strong steps on the financial
side, because I don’t like drawing
down our savings at $10 million
a day. How many miles of roads
could we have built?”
Walker referred to the state’s
budget situation as dire but has
cautioned against panic.
Depending on spending and
oil prices and production, the
constitutional budget reserve fund
could last until the early 2020s or
be gone in the next couple years.
The state is pursuing a major
liquefied natural gas project that is
seen by many as the next best shot
that oil-dependent Alaska has for
significant new revenues. Pitney
said different financing options
for the gas project were under
consideration.
Walker reiterated his commitment to the project Friday, saying
that if anything, he would like to
accelerate progress. He noted that
his license plates say AKLNG.
Kuskokwim Calendar
To submit an event for the Kuskokwim Calendar, email [email protected].
Saturday Market - Vendors from around the Yukon-Kuskokwim
Delta gather to sell Alaskan goods and services from 10 a.m. to
2 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 14 (♥) at Bethel Cultural Center. Information is at www.bethelculturalcenter.com.
Bethel City Council - The Bethel City Council discusses and
votes on various motions brought before them. Open to the
public. 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 10 at City Hall. Information is
at www.cityofbethel.org.
Bethel Chamber of Commerce Luncheon - Join the Bethel
Chamber of Commerce and a guest speaker at the Mud Hut.
Luncheons are open to the public. Noon-1 p.m., every Thursday
Mud Hut. Information is at www.bethelakchamber.org.
House Finance Committee
co-chair Steve Thompson, RFairbanks, has said other sources
of revenue, including possibly
taxes, should be part of the budget
conversation now. Walker said
he thinks Alaskans want the state
to get its financial house in order
first.
The administration has released
a broad-strokes overview of the
budget, which Pitney went over
with the Senate and House Finance committees Friday. Greater
detail is expected soon from the
departments on specific areas of
proposed cuts.
In analyzing agency cuts, the
administration looked at factors
including growth or reduction
within agencies in recent years
and the priority of the need for
particular services, Pitney said.
The labor and commerce
departments have among the
largest proposed cuts in operating
budgets from this year.
Hunting knowledge
From Page 1
“For example, we asked people
what they could tell us about sea
otter hunting in the past. The use
of topics allowed the participant
to talk about things important to
them.” Kemp said.
The interviews revealed traditional knowledge.
“In Togiak, we were doing the
interviews, and I heard people
saying the Yup’ik words ‘maklak’
and ‘maklasuk,’” Kemp said. “I
wondered, what are these different words? I learned that hunters
have three different words for
bearded seal. Maklar is a newborn to 1-year-old, maklasuk is a
1- to 3-year-old, and the adult is
maklak. Unlike the Western way
of giving a species one name, the
Yup’ik way is more specific. They
look at the animal’s face. If the
face is orange, then it is an older
seal, and the oil in that animal
would have a much stronger taste.
Three different life stages would
also have three different locations
where they hang out.”
Interviewees were asked to
mark on a map their past and
present hunting locations as well
as feeding, haul-out and pupping
sites. Participants were also asked
about the role of maklak in their
diet and how maklak has been
preserved in the past and present.
The maps and interview information are being transferred
to a GIS database. Traditional
knowledge will be shown on
regional maps that delineate areas
important for marine conservation
planning and regional subsistence
priorities.
“This project taught me that
there is so much to gain from talking with people who have lived
in these places all of their lives,”
said Kemp. “They have been part
Bearly
ACROSS
1. Supporting workers
6. Military activities
9. Self-satisfaction
13. *Mike Ditka has his
own brand of this
smoke
14. One who is not Jewish,
Yiddish
15. Done for dramatic
affect?
16. Often done for one’s
sins
17. Unagi
18. Garment enlarger
19. *The ___ ____
21. *Winners of first two
Super Bowls
23. AprËs-____
24. Keep it up?
25. State V.I.P.
28. Starch used in Asian
food
30. Extremely tiny
34. Top of Kilimanjaro, e.g.
36. Texting button
38. Result of too much
pressure
40. Pharrell Williams’
2014 album
41. Last European colony
in China
43. Muslim honorific
44. Tax evader’s fear
46. *Something to play for
47. Track ____
48. Confusion
50. Feudal laborer
52. Like humor or martini
53. Charades action
55. 401(k) alternative
57. *Super Bowl host
state
61. Fracas
65. Precedes birth
66. Former measure of
U.S. economy
68. Made cow noise
69. Mixtures
70. Earned at Wharton or
Kellogg
71. “_____ it!” said the
accused
72. *Hendricks and Ginn
Jr.
73. Make a scene
On the Y-K
From Page 1
an assault in that community.
Troopers received a report about
6 p.m. on Jan. 21 that Dwayne W.
Littlefish, 31 of Lower Kalskag assaulted the reporting party.
Troopers investigated on Jan. 22
and found that Littlefish assaulted
the man with a metal chair, physically assaulted and threatened to
kill him. While at the man’s home
he destroyed a wood stove, chimney, chain saw and other items
with an axe and hammer. In addition Littlefish had been driving
a snow machine while under the
influence of alcohol and threatened to kill both the reporting
party and the responding Troopers while he possessed a rifle.
Troopers arrested Littlefish
without incident at his home
on Jan. 22. He was remanded at
YKCC on charges of Assault II,
Assault III, Assault IV, Criminal
Mischief III, Criminal Trespass I,
Driving Under the Influence and
Misconduct Involving Weapons IV.
Tundra
Puzzles
SUPER BOWL
of the environment, hunted these
animals, know where the animals
are, and have an intimate relationship with them to validate that
knowledge.”
For information, visit the Alaska
Sea Grant website at http://
seagrant.uaf.edu/research/projects/12/imarpim-ungungsiit.
74. Type of car
DOWN
1. Wound, eventually
2. South American monkey
3. All excited
4. Vampire’s feature, pl.
5. One who ______ out at
the site of a snake
6. Curved molding
7. “The Raven” writer
8. Airy spirit
9. Dropped or fell
10. Source of artist’s
inspiration
11. ____-friendly
12. Understands
15. Alfresco meal
20. Unhealthy vapors
22. *Teams rely on this
kicker sense
24. To the point
25. Lady of “Applause”
26. Poppy product
27. Opera composer
Giuseppe _____
29. *Cleats, helmet, pads
31. Pack like sardines
32. Was violently angry
33. Shade of yellow
35. *49
37. Copenhagen native
39. *Super Bowl halftime
performer
42. Finno-_____ language
45. Malignant or benign
ones
49. Bowling target
51. Drab and unattractive
people
54. Molten rock
56. Before, in the olden
days
57. Sir Mix-_-___
58. Rapid series of short
loud sounds
59. Footnote acronym
60. Menageries
61. A quarrel
62. *Not a Super Bowl
party without it?
63. Bulgarian money
64. Place of forbidden fruit
67. *Where to watch
Solutions to previous puzzles
The Tundra Drums • January 29, 2015 • Page 7
Trooper Report
The following is from the dispatches of the
Alaska State Troopers. Those who have been
arrested, cited or summoned are presumed
innocent until found guilty in court.
Jan. 6
Troopers were notified of a sexual abuse of a
minor incident in Atmautluak. A suspect was
identified and investigation continued.
Jan. 9
While on patrol, the Aniak Village Public Safety
Officer observed a person, who he contacted
earlier in the evening, and observed them to
be intoxicated driving a four wheeler. The VPSO
contacted the driver and identified her as Patty
Gregory, 46 of Aniak. After completing the
Standardized Field Sobriety Tests unsuccessfully, Gregory was arrested and taken to the
Aniak AST Post where she refused to submit
to a chemical breath test on the Datamaster.
Gregory has two convictions for DUI in the
past 10 years. Gregory was charged with
Felony DUI and Felony Refusal to Submit to a
Chemical Breath Test. Gregory was remanded
into Bethel YKCC.
Jan. 15
The Aniak VPSO received a report of a
disturbance in the housing area. The VPSO
responded and investigation found that Clarence Cutter, 28 of Aniak, while intoxicated,
threatened a family member putting them in
imminent fear of physical injury. Cutter was
arrested for Assault IV DV and placed into
the Aniak AST temporary holding facility to
await transport to Bethel where he would be
remanded into YKCC.
Jan. 16
The Anvik VPSO received a report of someone driving while intoxicated. The VPSO
responded and investigation revealed that
Shawn Benjamin, 20 of Shageluk, was driving
a snowmachine while under the influence of
alcoholic beverages. Benjamin was arrested
for DUI. Benjamin was also charged with Minor
Operating a Vehicle after Consuming Alcohol
and Minor Consuming Alcohol. Benjamin was
remanded to YKCC.
Jan. 17
Troopers were notified of a burglary and theft
from the Atmautluak Tribal Office. A safe was
stolen from the office. Investigation continued.
Troopers received a report that a 15-year-old
female had been sexually assaulted by a
20-year-old male in Kwethluk. The investigation was ongoing.
Aniak Troopers received a report of a disturbance in Sleetmute. Due to inclement weather,
Troopers were initially not able to respond to
Sleetmute. On Jan. 18, the roving Aniak based
VPSO responded and investigation found that
Agnes Sanford, 45 of Sleetmute, went to a
family member’s residence and damaged
a family member’s property causing approximately $150 worth of damage. Sanford
was arrested for Criminal Mischief IV DV and
remanded into Yukon Kuskokwim Correctional
Center without bail.
Troopers were notified of a possible Sexual
Abuse of a Minor incident in Atmautluak. A
suspect was identified and the investigation
continued.
Jan. 18
Aniak Troopers received a report of an ongoing
fight at a residence on Spruce Street in Aniak.
Troopers and a VPSO arrived on scene and
investigation found that a 16-year-old juvenile
assaulted a family member causing physical
injury. After conferring with the Bethel Juvenile
Justice on-call officer, Troopers arrested the
juvenile for Assault IV DV. The juvenile was remanded into the Bethel Juvenile Youth Facility.
Troopers responded to Crooked Creek for a
report of a domestic dispute. Investigation
found that Jesse Andreanoff Jr., 42 of Crooked
Creek, assaulted a family member and was
arrested for Assault IV DV and remanded at
YKCC in Bethel with no bail.
While investigating an assault in Aniak, the
Aniak-based VPSO contacted Richard Wolf
Jr., 36 of Chuathbaluk. During the assault
investigation it was revealed that Wolf had
been driving a four wheeler while under the
influence of intoxicating beverages. After failing the Standardized Field Sobriety Tests, Wolf
was arrested for DUI and taken to the Aniak
State Trooper Post where he was processed
on the Datamaster. Wolf was then remanded
into YKCC on a charge of DUI.
Jan. 19
Emmonak Medical Clinic reported that a
man came to the hospital for treatment of
a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his hand.
Investigation found that the man was cleaning his .22 rifle while he was intoxicated. As
he was handling the firearm, it inadvertently
went off. Due to the severity of the injury,
personnel at YKMC and Alaska Native Medical
Center decided that the man would travel on
a medevac flight to Anchorage immediately.
Alcohol was a factor. Charges of Misconduct
Involving a Weapon were being forwarded.
Jan. 22
Troopers responded to a report of a possible
stabbing in Saint Mary’s. An investigation
found Kyle Thompson, 27 of Saint Mary’s, was
intoxicated when he assaulted a female family
member and stabbed her in the abdomen
with a knife. The female was transported via
LifeMed to Anchorage due to the extent of her
injuries. Thompson was arrested and charged
with Assault I and Assault III.
Classified Ads & Public Notices
Rates: 65 cents per word, minimum $6.50 per ad. • Deadline: Noon, Friday for Thursday publication • [email protected] • 907-224-4888
The Drums does not evaluate or endorse the
representations made by these advertisers.
For possible information, contact BBB at 5620704 or the Alaska Dept. of Labor at 907269-4900.
PUBLIC Notices
The City of Bethel seeks proposals from
qualified companies or individuals for the
purchase of three security gates to be delivered to Bethel, Alaska. Interested proposers may obtain electronic copies of the
Request for Proposals by visiting the City’s
website (www.cityofbethel.org) under Doing
Business > Request for Proposals/Bids,
or by sending a request via e-mail to Peter
Williams ([email protected]), or by
faxing 907-543-2311. Proposals are due in
City Hall by February 13, 2015 at 3:00 pm.
Pub: Jan. 22, 2015
Public Notices
Public Notices
Public Notices
Public NoticeS
PUBLIC NOTICE
STATE OF ALASKA – DEPARTMENT OF
ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION
LOWER KUSKOKWIM SCHOOL DISTRICT,
INERT WASTE MONOFILL PERMIT,
NAPASKIAK, AK
The Alaska Department of Environmental
Conservation (ADEC) has completed a permit application review for the Lower Kuskokwim School District (LKSD) for a proposed
Inert Waste Monofill and has determined
the application meets the regulatory requirements. ADEC proposes to issue Solid
Waste Disposal Permit No. SWZA068-20, to
LSKD to operate the Inert Waste Monofill in
Napaskiak, AK for waste disposal associated with the Napaskiak School Replacement
Project .
APPLICANT INFORMATION:
Landowner /Operator: Lower Kuskokwim
School District
Location: The LKSD monofill is to be located
to the west of the Napaskiak airport within
Sections 8 and 17, Township 17 North,
Range 71 West, Seward Meridian.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
The Inert Waste Monofill will be used for
the disposal of construction and demolition
(C&D) debris generated during the Napaskiak school replacement project. The project
is projected to generate 10 tons of waste
over a three year period.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
For information regarding this Solid Waste
Disposal Permit, or to obtain a copy of the
permit application, please contact Doug
Huntman at (907) 269-7642 or by e-mail at
[email protected].
OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC PARTICIPATION:
ADEC is seeking comment regarding the
proposed project only. Notice is given that
any person interested may present written
comments relevant to the proposed Permit
to ADEC. Written comments will be included
in the record if received before 5:00 p.m. on
March 3, 2015. Submit written comments
regarding the project to Doug Huntman,
ADEC Solid Waste Program, 555 Cordova
St., Anchorage, AK 99501, Fax:(907) 2697600, email [email protected].
The State of Alaska, Department of Envi-
ronmental Conservation complies with Title
II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of
1990. If you are a person with a disability
who may need a special accommodation in
order to participate in this process, please
contact Eric Hotchkiss at (907) 465-6171 or
TDD Relay Service 1-800-770-8973/TTY or
dial 711 within 30 days of publication of this
notice to ensure that any necessary accommodations can be provided.
01/16/15
s/b
Lori Aldrich
Solid Waste Program Regional Manager
AO: 68-2421-15 Pub: Jan. 22 & 29, 2015
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Page 8 • January 29, 2015 • The Tundra Drums
New dates for northern
mastodon fossils
resolve quandary
University of Alaska Fairbanks
Revised age estimates of American
mastodon fossils in Alaska and Yukon
have resolved a quandary about when
these extinct relatives of elephants lived.
In a recent publication of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,
an international team of researchers,
including University of Alaska Fairbanks
faculty members Patrick Druckenmiller,
Pam Groves and Dan Mann, report that
northern mastodon fossils are much older
than previously thought. The new dates
better match what what paleontologists
know about changes in the mastodons’
habitat during the Ice Age.
Druckenmiller said American mastodons were browsers, feeding on leaves,
twigs, and stems of shrubs and trees,
unlike their grazing relatives, the woolly
mammoths. But existing radiocarbon
dates of Arctic and sub-Arctic mastodons
suggested they lived in these regions during the height of the last Ice Age, when
much of the land was covered in cold, dry
grasslands – called steppes – not forests.
The team of scientists, led by Yukon Palaeontology Program paleontologist Grant
Zazula, set out to re-date mastodon fossils
from Alaska and the Yukon using new and
more accurate techniques in radiocarbon
dating.
“It turns out that some of the previous
dates were inaccurate and underestimated
the actual time mastodons lived in these
areas,” Druckenmiller said. “This means
mastodons were only temporary inhabitants of what became Alaska and the Yukon during warm spells of the last Ice Age.
“They did not live in Alaska during full
glacial periods between 75,000 and 10,000
years ago.”
Mann said new dating techniques used
by Zazula revealed that the younger
mastodon ages were contaminated by tiny
amounts of fresher carbon, probably coming from plant rootlets and bacteria that
penetrated bones in search of nutrients.
This young carbon cause the radiocarbon
ages obtained by older laboratory techniques to be more recent than the true ages
of the animals.
“From their tooth anatomy, we knew
these animals were eating woody vegetation,” Mann said. “We figured that maybe
they were living in willow thickets along
rivers.”
The new dates show convincingly that
all of the mastodons in Alaska and the
Yukon are older than the limits of radiocarbon dating. They most likely lived
during the last interglacial period around
120,000 years ago, when the climate was
warm and there was abundant mastodon
DON’T FLY
AWAY!
GET YOUR TAXES
DONE LOCALLY!
February 3—28
At the Bethel Community
Services Foundation
Call 907-232-2671 or Email
[email protected]
to set up a personal
appointment
Walk-ins Welcome!
(First-come. First-serve.)
“chow” available both north and south of
the Brooks Range.
The new report also suggests that humans would not have been involved in the
extermination of mastodons in the Arctic
and sub-Arctic, since the animals died out
in these areas before humans crossed over
the Bering Isthmus from Asia into North
America.
Mastodons disappeared from Alaska
and Yukon several tens of millennia before
the onset of major climatic changes at the
end of the last Ice Age 10,000 years ago.
However, mastodons did survive south
of the continental ice sheets that covered
much of North America until about 10,000
years ago, when they were among 70
species of Ice Age mammals to disappear
from North America.
Curator Druckenmiller said the UA Museum of the North has a major collection
of mastodons from Beringia, a vast area
that includes part of Northeastern Russia and east across Alaska to the Yukon.
Fifteen of the 36 specimens re-dated in the
landmark study were from the museum’s
collection – more than from any other
single collection in the U.S. or Canada.
The UAF researchers assisted in both
the collection and sampling of the Alaska
specimens. Together with former UAF
graduate student Paul Matheus and archaeologist Mike Kunz, Groves and Mann
collected numerous mastodon teeth on
Alaska’s North Slope, many of which are
preserved at the UA Museum of the North
and used in this study.
Mastodon teeth are distinctive because
of their pronounced cusps, which are
totally unlike the flat, grinding teeth of
woolly mammoth, Mann said. “Where
mastodons used their pointy teeth to
crunch woody vegetation, mammoths
used their grinding teeth to eat grass and
sedge.”
Druckenmiller said scientists were able
to extract samples from the fossils – small
chunks of bone or tooth tissue – using a
Dremel tool, which is essentially a tiny
circular saw.
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