| Hello Friends, |
In summer, Alaska doesn’t hold back. With long days, spawning salmon, giant vegetables and hillsides rich with ripening berries, abundance is everywhere. This incredible bounty reminds us of what’s possible when the right conditions come together. The same is true for our work: when we build on the natural assets, knowledge and relationships rooted in this place, we can create community-driven solutions that carry Alaska forward.
This month’s stories reflect that vision: geothermal innovators drilling for heat, Indigenous birthworkers restoring ceremony and support, and rural leaders standing up for homegrown energy.
To learn more about our work or any of the projects mentioned in this email, please drop us a line.
The Alaska Venture Fund Team |
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| News & Views |
| Updates, stories, and perspectives shaping our work. |
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| Bristol Bay Protections Hold—for Now |
Last Thursday, Alaskans across the state received some good news: the developers of Pebble Mine have failed to reach a settlement with the EPA over its 2023 Clean Water Act veto, keeping federal protections for Bristol Bay in place. The legal case will now move forward in court, but this latest development is a welcome reprieve in the decades-long effort to protect the region.
Home to one of the most important fisheries in the world, Bristol Bay is essential to sustaining Alaska’s commercial fishing industry and the ways of life for Alaska Native Yup’ik, Dena’ina and Alutiiq communities across the region. Alaska Venture Fund is proud to host the Bristol Bay Defense Fund (BBDF), the unified regional effort to protect Bristol Bay. BBDF is also working alongside partners to advance new state legislation that would strengthen long-term protections for the watershed.
Read more about last week's Bristol Bay updates here. Please note that this article has a paywall. |
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| Drilling for Heat Not Hydrocarbons |
| With world-class geothermal resources and a skilled energy workforce, Alaska is uniquely equipped to lead in next-generation geothermal energy. Now, a new wave of local innovators is turning legacy oil and gas expertise toward clean, reliable power–tapping heat from beneath our feet to build a more resilient, homegrown energy future. |
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| Reclaiming Birth, Reclaiming Ceremony |
| For generations, mothers in Alaska’s rural communities have been forced to leave home late in pregnancy to give birth far from the support of their community. Alaska Native Birthworkers Community (an AVF-hosted project) is working to change that. By training a statewide network of Indigenous doulas, midwives and healers, and providing culturally rooted care, ANBC is helping families welcome new life on their own terms, with support that reflects who they are and where they come from. This powerful story from Native News Online shows how ANBC is reclaiming sovereignty from the very first breath. |
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| In Klukwan, Housing Needs Meet a Changing Landscape |
| The Chilkat Indian Village, one of AVF’s place-based investment partners, is looking to build more housing for tribal members, but climate change is complicating development. As landslide risks rise, the village is leading efforts to collect data, and plan for safer, more resilient growth. “We realized that we were underprepared if an event like [the 2020 landslide in Haines] were to happen in Klukwan. It highlighted a lot of our needs and a lot of our risks. But it also highlighted the community’s desire to build those capacities," said AVF’s Shawna Hotch. |
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| AVF Webinar for Tribal Partners: Navigating Federal Actions |
Join AVF and Nashoba Consulting for a webinar offering Tribal partners a practical overview of recent federal actions and how to respond or prepare for next steps. Led by the former Deputy Director of BLM and former Deputy Solicitor for the Department of the Interior, this webinar will walk through what the actions mean, expected processes and key actions to take.
Tuesday, July 29th or Wednesday, July 30th at 10am AKDT. |
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| Funder Spotlight: MacArthur Foundation Launches Native Self-Determination Program |
| The MacArthur Foundation recently launched a new Native self-determination program – a meaningful step in their commitment to Indigenous-led work, inspired in part by the powerful examples underway in Alaska. We are proud to be among their grantees, with MacAuthur’s support helping to advance place-based leadership in Igiugig, Klukwan and Quinhagak, and strengthen Tribal co-management initiatives. We are deeply grateful for their vision and partnership, and excited to see them deepen their commitment to uplift and honor the community-driven work that Indigenous peoples have been doing for millennia. Read more. |
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| In case you missed it |
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In a recent op-ed, United Tribes of Bristol Bay executive director Alannah Hurley calls for the passage of a new state bill that would prohibit mines like Pebble in Bristol Bay and ensure a future where thriving communities can remain rooted in traditional salmon-based ways of life. |
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Today’s youth are tomorrow’s cultural and community leaders. This Tlingit & Haida-led gathering is one of many camps across Alaska raising the next generation of culture bearers, stewards and changemakers. |
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AVF Wildfire Resilience Program Director Jeff Ennenga recently hosted a webinar on carbon and landscape setting in the state’s changing wildfire environment. A recording of the presentation for Alaska’s wildfire community can be found here. |
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Video: A rural Alaskan village is turning to solar power to curb reliance on expensive, imported diesel |
| This Associated Press story spotlights how Galena—a remote, roadless Alaska community—is investing in solar and biomass to cut diesel use and create local jobs. Another powerful example of what’s possible when communities lead their own clean energy transition. |
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