While I haven’t been able to have conversations with all of the non-profits I’ve supported, for many the outcomes of the last year make them even more vital than I anticipated in 2016. One of those is obviously the Alaska Conservation Fund, as Congress prepares to open up the beautiful wilderness to unprecedented attack.
Please read my repost from last year below and consider joining me in making a donation today.
Alaska Conservation Foundation: Alaska Native Fund
Red State: Alaska
Focus: Environmental Conservation in the interest of Native Peoples
Why?
The natural beauty of Alaska is only half of what makes it one of my favorite places to have ever visited. The people are its other asset. I had so many conversations in my travels there and despite political leanings, everyone I spoke to had immense respect for the land and the people who have been stewards of it for thousands of years. I met native folks who worked on the oil pipeline, but were deeply concerned about offshore drilling. I met burly anglo hunters who went on lengthy diatribes about how they didn’t hunt for sport, but to feed their families throughout the brutal winter. I encountered Native art everywhere I traveled, itself a reflection of the ecological bounty Mother Nature has bestowed upon that magical land.
The TL;DR on most Alaskans is that are not as flippant as a certain former governor in regards to energy and the environment. And the original Alaskans are very concerned about what the new administration full of climate change deniers could mean for their resources, not to mention potential discrimination against native peoples (we all heard our president-elect disparingly refer to Senator Warren as “Pocahontas” and apparently he railed against native casinos in the past).
I knew I wanted to find an environmental organization with the best interest of indigenous peoples in mind, so I was thrilled to find the Alaska Native Fund within the Alaska Conservation Foundation.
The Fund supports projects that elevate Indigenous Knowledge to address food security, sustainable economic development, alternative energy solutions, environmental health, and climate change.
What you can do:
Join me in making a donation today (specify that you want the gift to go to the Alaska Native Fund).
Watch the video above to learn more about the specific environmental issues affecting Alaska Natives.
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