First Alaskans Institute

06/03/2026

Our first full day together at our Summer Internship Program’s Orientation Week!

Today we learned caribou tufting from Joyce Roberts, learned about community organizing from ’s team, and heard from Dorothy Shockley on the importance of voting. ❤️

06/02/2026

Last week, the MMIWG2s Alaska Working Group hosted the MMIP Justice Summit and Red Dress Gala, honoring our missing and murdered relatives and bringing community together around solutions to this crisis.

FAI was grateful to support this important work, witness the participation of our community members, learn from those doing the work, and to join together at the Red Dress Gala that followed. ❤️

We encourage everyone to follow the organizations leading this work to learn more about the MMIP crisis and find ways to take action. The work continues and there’s a place for all of us in it.

Alaska Native Women's Resource Center
Data for Indigenous Justice
Alaska Native Justice Center
Native Movement

05/29/2026

Join us tomorrow!

Join us Tomorrow, Friday, May 29, from 9:00 am – 10:00 am AKDT for an "Appropriations Tracker” Webinar!

The Alaska Federation of Natives and the First Alaskans Institute are pleased to provide an “Appropriations Tracker” for Fiscal Year 2027 to assist members across the state of Alaska in following this year’s budget and appropriations process. This is a continuation of last year’s successful effort tracking appropriations FY 2026.

This free tool will provide real-time updates on both the House of Representatives and Senate versions of each of the twelve appropriations bills for FY 2027, as well as links to each bill and report language text from each congressional body, links showing congressionally directed spending items (“earmarks”) for each bill, as well as the final text of the Conference Report or Explanatory Statement at the conclusion of the appropriations process.

Join us to learn more about this exciting resource: https://bit.ly/3PRWuKZ

05/23/2026

FAI is proud to celebrate William Iggiagruk Hensley, Chair of our Board of Trustees, on receiving an Honorary Doctorate of Public Service from George Washington University. From a traditional Inupiaq upbringing in Northwest Alaska to decades of leadership that helped shape Alaska Native rights, governance and opportunity, this honor reflects a lifetime of service and impact.

Congratulations on this well-deserved honor, Willie!

05/21/2026

We’re hiring! FAI is seeking two new team members to help support Alaska Native leadership and civic engagement across our state.

Current Openings (Anchorage, hybrid):
• Civic Engagement Coordinator
• Indigenous Leadership Continuum Coordinator

Compensation: $65,000–$75,000 annually

If you, or someone in your network, are passionate about community, leadership, and supporting Alaska Native priorities, we invite you to apply or share.

🔗 Learn more & apply: firstalaskans.bamboohr.com/careers

05/13/2026

Please save the date for the 2026 Statewide Elders & Youth Conference 🧡

📍Dena’ina Civic & Convention Center in Anchorage, AK
📆 October 18-21, 2026

Updates and additional information will be shared in the coming weeks.

05/12/2026

If federal probate, land records, or enrollment documents have been on your to-do list, here's your chance to get it done! ✨ Next week, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Alaska Region is hosting a free Probate & Enrollment event with staff on hand to help.

For Alaska Native families, navigating trust estates, land records, and federal enrollment can feel like a lot. This event brings that support directly to our community. Whether you need help with your Certificate of Indian Blood (CIB), vital records, land inventories, or federal probate procedures, trained staff will be there to guide you through it.

This is an opportunity to get our records in order, for ourselves and for the generations that come after us.

📅 Tuesday, May 19
🕘 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
📍 Egan Convention Center, Anchorage

Questions before you go? Contact BIA Probate & Estate Services at (907) 931-7435 or [email protected].

05/05/2026

On this day of awareness, First Alaskans Institute stands with families, communities, and loved ones who continue to carry the weight of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples crisis.

Across Alaska, Alaska Native people continue to go missing or be taken at disproportionate rates, with inequitable response from law enforcement. In recent months, our communities have experienced continued tragedy and loss.

We honor those who are missing and those who have been taken, and we stand with the families who seek answers, healing, and justice. We also recognize the strength and leadership of our communities who have long worked to bring visibility, accountability, and change.

Those we’ve lost will always be remembered. Take action today by committing to join the conversation. We encourage our community to register for the upcoming Alaska MMIP Justice Summit & Red Dress Gala, hosted May 27–29 in Anchorage by MMIWG2s Alaska, Alaska Native Women's Resource Center, Alaska Native Justice Center, Data for Indigenous Justice, and Native Movement. The Summit is intended to build collaboration, foster education, and advance justice-driven initiatives.

To purchase tickets to the Summit, visit: mmiwg2salaska.org/current-events-1

04/25/2026

FAI is pleased to welcome Carissa Larson as Communications Director!

Carissa is Alutiiq/Sugpiaq from Kodiak and Chignik Bay, with family roots in Perryville and Dillingham. She brings experience in communications and community engagement, most recently as Communications Manager at The Alaska Center, and serves on the Board of Directors for Afognak Native Corporation. She first connected with FAI in 2017 as a Communications Intern through our Summer Internship Program.

Carissa values time with family and community and believes strongly in the role storytelling plays in carrying forward knowledge, relationships, and ways of life. She looks forward to contributing to FAI’s work in a new way and supporting the next generation of Alaska Native leaders.

In this role, she will guide FAI’s communication strategy and shape storytelling efforts that uplift Alaska Native voices, leadership, and community-driven solutions, supporting informed engagement, shared understanding, and community-led decision-making.

Full article, visit: firstalaskans.org/welcoming_fai_communications_director

02/12/2026

ATTN Official Tribal Leaders:

Your voice is needed! The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is holding its Annual Tribal Budget Consultation (ATBC) in-person on April 21st and April 22nd, 2026, in Washington, D.C. This is a critical opportunity to Tribal Leaders to directly shape the FY2028 HHS budget by elevating Tribal priorities, concerns, and recommendations.

HHS is also offering one-on-one agency meetings for Tribal Leaders in conjunction with the ATBC. To attend the ATBC and/or to request one-on-one meetings, use the links provided in HHS’s letter announcing this year’s ATBC, linked below.

In preparation for the consultation, HHS will host two online planning meetings: on
- March 18th: Overview of the HHS budget process
- April 1st: Tribal input on the ATBC agenda.

Participation in these sessions will help ensure Tribal priorities inform and guide the agenda and the issues discussed. To attend one or both of the sessions, please use the link provided in HHS’s letter, linked below.

Read the letter and find the links and deadlines here: https://tinyurl.com/bdfe5mzw