Last weekend, the remnants of Typhoon Merbok hammered a 1,300-mile stretch of Alaska's western coast, sweeping away homes and fish camps, destroying critical infrastructure, and severing communications and transport links to the outside world. In the wake of the storm, families in some of Alaska's most isolated communities are now facing the approach of winter having lost their shelter and subsistence harvest, as well as boats, ATVs and other equipment essential for life in rural Alaska. (To make an immediate contribution to the response effort, you can join us in donating to the Western Alaska Disaster Recovery Fund here.)
While Merbok stands out as particularly brutal, in reality, it is part of a long-term pattern of natural events fueled by climate change that impact our communities with increasing frequency and severity. Across the state, local communities and Indigenous leaders are responding by working to transform current models of land and energy management, and address climate change by centering Indigenous values and stewardship. At Alaska Venture Fund, we continue to invest in this work–seeding and supporting initiatives that seek to shift the trajectory of climate change and increase communities’ ability to adapt and thrive in the face of the challenges it brings.
Below, you'll hear about the groundbreaking work being done to develop renewable energy across Alaska, as well as our efforts to sustain and build the capacity of those working on the frontlines of the climate crisis. If you would like to learn more about this or any other aspect of our work, please drop us a line.
The Alaska Venture Fund team |
Alaska Venture Fund - News & Views
Project updates, stories and perspectives that inspire our work. | |
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| Alaskans Driving Change: Chris Rose |
While Alaska remains ground zero for climate change, its staggering renewable energy potential presents opportunities for the state to lead the way in clean energy. The Renewable Energy Alaska Project - REAP and its founder, Chris Rose, are shifting the energy conversation in Alaska from fossil fuels to renewables and securing Alaska’s role as a model for renewable energy efforts worldwide. Read more.
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| Project Update: Alaska Native Land and Water Protectors Retreat |
Indigenous women are often the first responders to threats to our lands and waters. In the midst of a climate crisis, these women work to protect their communities and ways of life. Recognizing this, AVF invited a cohort of Alaska Native women to create a program to foster self-care and peer-to-peer support. Their first in-person retreat took place this summer. More here. |
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| Indigenous Language Revitalization: Igiugig honored |
AVF Partner AlexAnna Salmon and the village of Igiugig were recently awarded one of the 2022 Contributions to Literacy in Alaska awards from Alaska Center for the Book. We are continually inspired by the innovative work Igiugig is doing to preserve and uplift the languages and culture of the Iliamna region–including establishing Igiugig as a ‘language nest,' creating bilingual children’s books, and making learning traditional languages possible in schools and through apps. Congratulations, AlexAnna!
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| New Funding: Igiugig selected for DOE partnership to transform energy systems & increase resilience. |
The Village of Igiugig is one of 12 communities nationwide selected by the U.S. Dept. of Energy to receive funding to meet resilient energy goals. The project will work with the Tribal Council to analyze electricity distribution efficiency, energy conservation, and impacts to the grid from increased renewables. This will help Igiugig move toward its goal of improving energy self-sufficiency and transitioning the community to renewable energy.
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| Welcome: New communications staff join the Alaska Venture Fund Team |
The Alaska Venture Fund team has grown so much this year and we continue to bring exciting new talent into the fold! We’re pleased to welcome Kendra Arciniega as our new Creative & Digital Specialist and Kenni Linden as our new Communications Specialist. Kendra, a longtime-Alaskan with Mexican-American roots, has a passion for celebrating Alaska's Latinx community through cultural entertainment and the arts. She's particularly excited about AVF's work to support Indigenous communities. Kenni is one of five generations of her family to live, fish and hunt in Alaska’s Matanuska Valley. She's passionate about mindfully shifting the narrative on some of Alaska's most divisive issues. We're proud to have them join our team!
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From Across Alaska
News, articles, events, videos and more. |
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Ground-breaking Representation - Mary Peltola sworn in as first Alaska Native in Congress: Elected in a special election to fill Alaska's sole seat in the House of Representatives–the one held by the late Don Young for 49 years–Rep. Mary Peltola from Bethel, ran on a platform grounded in salmon and Indigenous values. She will serve out the remainder of this term, 16 weeks, but the next two years will be determined in November when she'll again face challenger Sarah Palin in Alaska's new ranked choice voting system.
Arctic Diplomacy - State Department announces Arctic Ambassador: In recognition of the strategic importance of the region, the U.S. Department of State recently announced that an Ambassador-At-Large will be established for the Arctic region. This groundbreaking position will be a key ally in elevating Indigenous voices in the Arctic and will work closely with domestic and foreign stakeholders.
Wildfire - Why Alaska's 2022 fire season was so unusual: Two of the largest ever Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta tundra fires helped make the 2022 Alaska fire season one of the biggest since 1950. Wildfires in Alaska are not new, but warming Arctic conditions are leading to more lightning storms, drought and thawing tundra which in turn are making fires more destructive.
Permafrost Loss - Community-based climate observation: This stunning interactive StoryMap by Roberta Glenn gives us a window into the impacts of rapid environmental change in the Arctic. Community-based observers from Qikiqtaġruk to Kaktovik share their first-hand knowledge of warming water, melting permafrost and impacts to infrastructure in their home communities.
Federal Policy in Alaska - How the IRA could spur new mine development: The recently passed climate package, officially known as the Inflation Reduction Act, could justify more mining across Alaska. For green products to qualify for tax credits, companies will need to comply with domestic mineral supply regulations coming in 2023. This puts Alaska’s mineral development at top of mind for the resource extraction industry.
In case you missed it: |
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Building a more sustainable
future for Alaska and beyond. |
Alaska Venture Fund is a project of the New Venture Fund. New Venture Fund is a registered 501(c)(3) charitable organization. |
Alaska Venture Fund
721 Depot Drive
Anchorage, AK 99501 |
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