Hello Friends, We hope the upcoming holidays are full of good health and cheer for you and your family.
As we reflect on what has been another eventful and challenging year, we are proud of all that we’ve managed to accomplish and are immensely grateful for the ongoing support of our partners – without which, our work would not be possible.
2021 brought opportunities to expand our team, to deepen our impact through existing ventures, and to extend our work in exciting new partnerships. We published papers to strengthen understanding of why Alaska should take a leading role in advancing climate change solutions and how these solutions could benefit Alaskans. And on top of that, we still found time to launch a new brand and website (nice, isn’t it?!).
In case you’ve missed anything, we’ve pulled together all of our highlights, venture updates, and publications to celebrate this year and bang the drum for what’s coming. You can find them all in one neat package on our Year in Review. We hope you’ll take a look. And of course, thank you for being here with us. We have exciting work planned for 2022. Until then, enjoy the holiday season, stay safe, and stay healthy.
The Alaska Venture Fund team
Alaska Venture Fund - News & Views Project updates, stories and perspectives that inspire our work. The Seacoast Trust is approaching its first $20M funding milestone The Seacoast Trust, which was announced in mid-September, is now only $1M away from reaching its initial campaign goal of $20M thanks to twin $1M investments from the Rasmuson and Edgerton Foundations. The Trust was designed to sustainably fund a new economic model for Southeast Alaska operating from an Indigenous foundation of values and bolstering local community partnerships, long-term regional prosperity, and environmental stewardship. Learn more on its website. Aywaa Storyhouse expands its digital footprint Aywaa Storyhouse, an Alaska Venture Fund project designed to amplify Alaska’s Indigenous narratives and illuminate solutions to environmental, climate, and social challenges in the process, has been sharing the work of its partners and broadening its online community presence. It is now public on both Facebook and Instagram, and has boosted RISING, a powerful video, expressing the root of its work and its vision for the future. This is one piece of the endeavor to create next-gen networks of expertise, mentorship, and support for Indigenous-led efforts—particularly around climate and social justice. Follow along on social media for more.
From Across Alaska ANCSA marks its 50th anniversary—perspectives and reflections: On December 18th, Alaska officially marked the 50th anniversary of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. For months now, important reflection, opinion, and historical news pieces have been published, exploring the nuances of the settlement, its impact on Alaska Native communities and the environment, and its past, present, and future meanings for different stakeholders. In a powerful series titled ANCSA 50, Indian Country Today has published over 30 articles, 16 of which interview intergenerational Alaskan stakeholders to shed light on this anniversary’s varied meanings and implications. Dive in here.
Salmon Roundtable on the crisis in Western Alaska watersheds: Key salmon scientists, fisheries managers, tribal leaders, and officials gathered virtually on December 8th-9th to discuss what to do about the devastatingly low Chinook and chum returns on the Kuskokwim, Yukon, Chignik and Unalakleet river systems this past summer. While factors at play in the collapse have been complex, climate change is a clear negative force and has made the need to quickly prioritize data, precautionary management, and more traditional knowledge in fishery systems more pressing than ever. Read about the roundtable and the leaders engaged with it here.
Why is Bristol Bay so productive? For all the salmon-lovers out there, this fascinating 10-minute video captures the resilience, history, and importance of sockeye salmon in the watersheds of Bristol Bay as well as their precarious relationship with climate change. Produced by the people at University of Washington’s Alaska Salmon Program, Mosaic is written and narrated by Dr. Daniel Schindler, with cinematography and editing by Jason Ching. In case you missed it:
Building a more sustainable future for Alaska and beyond.
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