Wednesday, October 21, 2026

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Two major gatherings of Alaska Native people are taking place in Anchorage’s Dena’ina Civic & Convention Center this week: the Elders & Youth Conference and the Alaska Federation of Natives Convention.

The Alaska Desk’s Alena Naiden from our flagship station KNBA has this story.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of AFN.

“It was born out of this tremendous movement for Native unity and representation and self determination.”

Roy Agloinga (Iñupiaq) is the president of First Alaskans Institute. He says the event has been a touchpoint for most Alaska Native leaders over the years.

“It has evolved into this tremendous celebration. It’s Native New Year. It is where all of our artists gather, and our families gather, and we get to experience the very diverse cultures across the state.”

The week started with EYC, which brings together several generations through games, conversations, and workshops on Alaska Native cultures, history, and language.

Tikaan Galbreath is the Chief Operating Officer of the First Alaskans Institute, which hosts EYC.

“It’s just such a powerful thing to witness the youth coming with this idea or a dissatisfaction, like this isn’t working for me in the community, and then learning the framework to really have their voice heard.”

The AFN convention starts on Thursday. Organizers say typically up to 7,000 people attend the event and as many as 100,000 people watch it online.

This year’s keynote speaker is Tlingit leader and President of the Sealaska Heritage Institute Rosita Worl. Her Thursday speech will be followed by remarks from U.S. Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan and U.S. Rep. Nick Begich.

On Friday, there will be a political candidates forum for the upcoming November election. And on Saturday, delegates will discuss and vote on a number of resolutions that touch on healthcare, public safety, education, and subsistence in Alaska Native communities.

Agloinga says working on resolutions is one example of how people from different regions and with different priorities find common ground.

“We want our children to succeed. We want to protect our lands. We want to have access to good education. We want our languages to survive and our cultures to survive. So many of our villages are really dependent on our subsistence lifestyle, and that’s something that AFN protects.”

This year’s convention was scheduled a week later than usual to coincide with the early voting period for the general election. Organizers say they plan to encourage attendees to cast their ballots while they are visiting Anchorage for the convention.

AFN will also feature two nights of dancing and drumming at Quyana Alaska on Thursday and Friday.

EYC started Sunday and runs until today. The AFN Convention starts tomorrow and concludes Saturday.

This drawing by J. Howland, originally printed in Harper’s Weekly, depicts the council between representatives of the U.S. government and the Kiowa and Comanche tribes at Medicine Creek Lodge, Kansas, in 1867.

And on this day in 1867, leaders of the Kiowa and Comanche Nations signed the Medicine Lodge Treaty with the United States in Kansas.

The agreement sought to end conflicts on the Southern Plains, but required tribes to surrender vast ancestral lands and relocate to reservations in Indian Territory.

Although the federal government promised food, supplies, and other assistance, disagreements over treaty terms and continued westward expansion led to further conflict in the years that followed.

Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today.

Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts.

Check out today’s Native America Calling episode