Legislature(2025 - 2026)DAVIS 106
01/27/2026 08:00 AM House TRIBAL AFFAIRS
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Presentation: Alaska Native Tribal Education Consortium | |
| Presentation(s): Ilisagvik College | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON TRIBAL AFFAIRS
January 27, 2026
8:02 a.m.
DRAFT
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Maxine Dibert, Chair
Representative Ashley Carrick
Representative Robyn Niayuq Frier
Representative Andi Story
Representative Justin Ruffridge
Representative Rebecca Schwanke
Representative Jubilee Underwood
MEMBERS ABSENT
All members present
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
PRESENTATION: ALASKA NATIVE TRIBAL EDUCATION CONSORTIUM
- HEARD
PRESENTATION: ILISAGVIK COLLEGE
- HEARD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
No previous action to record
WITNESS REGISTER
JOEL ISAAK LIQ'A YES, PhD, Culture and Language Director
Kenaitze Indian Tribe
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Co-offered a presentation, titled "Alaska
Native Tribal Education Consortium."
SONYA SKAN, Education and Training Director
Ketchikan Indian Community
Ketchikan, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Co-offered a presentation, titled "Alaska
Native Tribal Education Consortium."
MISCHA JACKSON, Tribal Education Liaison
Central Council of the Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Co-offered a presentation, titled "Alaska
Native Tribal Education Consortium."
MARK ROSEBERRY, Director of Education
Inupiat Community of the Arctic Slope
Utqiagvik, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Answered questions during the "Alaska
Native Tribal Education Consortium" presentation.
JUSTINA WILHELM, President
Ilisagvik College
Utqiagvik, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Co-offered a presentation, titled "Ilisagvik
College."
FRIEDA NAGEAK, External Affairs Coordinator
Ilisagvik College
Utqiagvik, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Co-offered a presentation, titled "Ilisagvik
College."
ACTION NARRATIVE
8:02:32 AM
CHAIR MAXINE DIBERT called the House Special Committee on Tribal
Affairs meeting to order at 8:02 a.m. Representatives Carrick,
Story, Frier, Underwood, and Dibert were present at the call to
order. Representatives Schwanke and Ruffridge arrived while the
meeting was in progress.
^PRESENTATION: Alaska Native Tribal Education Consortium
PRESENTATION: Alaska Native Tribal Education Consortium
8:04:18 AM
CHAIR DIBERT announced that the first order of business would be
the Alaska Native Tribal Education Consortium presentation.
8:07:56 AM
JOEL ISAAK LIQ'A YES, PhD, Culture and Language Director,
Kenaitze Indian Tribe, co-offered a PowerPoint presentation
[hard copy included in the committee file], titled "Alaska
Native Tribal Education Consortium." He began on slide 2, which
provided an agenda for the presentation. He moved to slide 3,
from which he read the mission statement for the Alaska Native
Tribal Education Consortium (ANTEC). He said that although
ANTEC is very tribal focused, it's really about the success of
all students. He continued to slide 4, from which he read the
vision statement for ANTEC. He noted that this committee has
done work on Alaska Native languages and promotes tribal
governance. Dr. Isaak moved to slide 5, from which he read
ANTEC's purpose statement. He explained that ANTEC seeks to
amplify the tribal voice in various systems within Alaska. His
work explores how tribes work together, particularly through
governance. He said ANTEC students typically attend the public
education system and the consortium advocates for those students
on the federal level.
8:13:31 AM
SONYA SKAN, Education and Training Director, Ketchikan Indian
Community, expressed ANTEC's goal to establish a single
curriculum template that can be used statewide.
8:14:37 AM
DR.ISAAK continued on slide 5, which emphasized ANTEC's goal of
improving the educational outcomes of Alaska Native students.
8:15:27 AM
MISCHA JACKSON, Tribal Education Liaison, Central Council of the
Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska, added that there are
other regional tribal education consortiums across the country
that have collaborated. She said that previous tribal education
consortiums in Alaska were grant funded. Therefore, when
funding ceased, only some communities were able to uphold the
education curriculums established by consortiums. She said this
is a time to empower tribal voice, especially during a time with
very high teacher and administrator turnover. She emphasized
the importance of shared knowledge between tribes and between
tribal consortiums.
8:18:36 AM
DR. ISAAK moved to slide 6, which listed the remainder of
ANTEC's purpose items. He distinguished tribal governments from
non-governmental organizations (NGOs), noting that corporations
are non-government organizations and that the test for a tribe
is if they are asked to waive sovereignty. He said ANTEC wants
to make space for tribal governments, NGOs, and educational
communities. He highlighted that not all tribes have federal
tribal education agencies. The consortium can provide templates
to tribes looking to establish federal tribal education
agencies. He emphasized the difficulty in maintaining
continuity of language and cultural education amidst high
educator turnovers.
DR. ISAAK moved to slide 7, from which he read a 1763 royal
proclamation by King George III, providing a history of how
tribal sovereignty has been recognized and established since.
He moved to slide 8, from which he read United States law
defining tribal sovereignty. He moved to slide 9, which
clarified that authority of tribes is rooted in the United
States Constitution, where tribes are treated as states for tax
purposes. He continued to slide 10, which showed U.S. laws
defining tribal sovereignty, including 1934 Indian
Reorganization Act and the 1978 Federal Acknowledgement Process.
Dr. Isaak moved to slide 11, which highlighted Public Law 103-
454 of 1994, the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List Act. He
emphasized that the neither the number of federally recognized
tribes in Alaska nor in the United States is a static number.
He moved to slide 12, which defined House Bill 123 from the
Thirty-Second Alaska State Legislature, which provided state
recognition of federally recognized tribes.
8:28:27 AM
DR. ISAAK moved to slide 14, which listed the eligibility
requirements for ANTEC membership. He said that one goal of
ANTEC is to bring different tribal entities together,
recognizing the scarcity of many resources. He emphasized that
ANTEC does work to make space for non-tribal voices as well.
8:31:28 AM
DR. ISAAK, in response to questions from Representative Story,
provided examples of non-voting members of ANTEC. He said that
smaller tribes will defer to their corporations to help filter
information back to their councils. He said that university
staff and educators have attended ANTEC meetings as non-tribal
members and emphasized that allowing members who are not tribal
governments to vote would sacrifice ANTEC's ability to be
incorporated under federal law. He then described how tribally
sanctioned organizations can form.
8:35:49 AM
DR. ISAAK, in response to a question from Representative
Carrick, provided examples of tribal NGOs that have attended
ANTEC meetings. He also provided examples of local education
agencies that have attended ANTEC meetings.
8:38:28 AM
MS. JACKSON added that the representatives from local education
agencies often depend on the size of the school district. She
said that these representatives could be superintendents,
teachers, or other staff members who attend ANTEC meetings.
8:39:37 AM
MS. SKAN emphasized that NGOs are tribal serving organizations
and it would be a duplication of services to include both the
entities and the tribes.
8:40:42 AM
DR. ISAAK, in response to questions from Representative
Ruffridge, said that there are eight voting members from
federally recognized tribes currently in ANTEC and that ANTEC
represents about 50,000 tribal citizens and emphasized that this
is grassroots work. He described the relationship between ANTEC
and the Alaska Federation of Natives (AFN), which meet every
other month to keep AFN updated on ANTEC's growth and discuss
what works in these fields. He stated that AFN is eligible to
become an ANTEC member. He noted that AFN does have an
education committee, but they also engage in many other forms of
advocacy, which distinguishes it from ANTEC's narrower focus.
8:46:12 AM
DR. ISAAK moved to slide 15, which described how to become a
member of ANTEC. Tribal governments, NGOs, and other entities
follow different processes for membership. He emphasized that
membership requires contributing to the goals and purpose of
ANTEC.
DR. ISAAK moved to slide 16, which listed ANTEC formation
protocols. He explained that similar consortiums are being
developed in the Great Plains region in the United States.
Those consortiums are attempting to work across state borders
and the Canadian border. He emphasized that tribal sovereignty
should not be diminished or impaired by ANTEC. Dr. Isaak moved
to slide 17, which continued listing ANTEC formation protocols.
He emphasized that resources, both financial and human, are
limited and therefore, collaboration between entities is
essential.
DR. ISAAK moved to slide 18, from which he read a statement
acknowledging the continued impact of boarding schools on the
Alaska Native community. He moved to slide 19, from which he
read a statement acknowledging that all students and communities
benefit from understanding Alaska Native culture, peoples, and
languages.
8:52:24 AM
MR. JACKSON added that these acknowledgements allow everybody to
come to the table in a shared space, with the goal of moving
forward.
8:53:43 AM
DR. ISAAK said that his team has created space for boarding
school trauma in ANTEC meetings, in which non-Native people can
see that they, and their schools, are also affected by boarding
schools. He emphasized that ANTEC is focused on healing led by
Alaska Natives. He said that the traditional value of family
was removed by boarding schools, which affects the entire
community and environment.
DR. ISAAK moved to slide 20, which provided the ANTEC formation
timeline. He said that formation began with a meeting on April
10, 2025, and then described the growth of ANTEC from early 2025
to present day. He moved to slide 21, which offered a draft
template resolution and contact information for new tribes to
join ANTEC. He emphasized that educators want to better serve
their students, and that is why they become involved with ANTEC.
9:03:09 AM
MARK ROSEBERRY, Director of Education, Inupiat Community of the
Arctic Slope, described his experience working with students
through the Inupiat Community of the Arctic Slope (ICAS). He
said that ICAS is more community focused than other schools and
his students are more comfortable and experience less stress.
He noted that although some of the older students that come to
ICAS are behind in their proficiency levels, they often progress
from that place at a rate that exceeds expectations.
9:05:39 AM
REPRESENTATIVE STORY asked about the size of Mr. Roseberry's
school community.
MR. ROSEBERRY responded that he serves a total of 44 students:
15 in Utqiagvik, 12 in Wainwright, and the rest are home
schooled.
9:06:20 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SCHWANKE stated that ANTEC provides one of the
most transformative opportunities for parents across Alaska.
She noted that there is often a disconnect in many small rural
communities between families and education.
9:08:21 AM
DR. ISAAK provided wrap-up comments. He said the goal of ANTEC
is to be additive and his hope is to include as many voices as
possible in this work, including non-voting members' voices. He
emphasized ANTEC's shared goals of culture and education. He
provided the example that students cannot learn their native
language, without also learning to read.
9:10:30 AM
MR. ROSEBERRY, in response to a question from Representative
Ruffridge, stated that the biggest barrier to tribal education
existing is funding. His school community does not have a
stable source of funding. He said that tribal compacting and
grants are the only options he has for operational funding.
DR. ISAAK added that in the 1980s, U.S. Congress transferred
authority to meet tribal education needs to the State of Alaska,
without providing a means to receive consistent operational
funding. He distinguished the process of funding tribal
education from funding tribal healthcare in Alaska, noting that
the federal government cannot directly provide educational
services in the way that it can provide healthcare services.
DR. ISAAK, in response to a question from Representative
Ruffridge, stated that ANTEC has been working with federal
delegates to consider federal funding for staffing the
consortium. He emphasized that ANTEC's goal is not to directly
fund tribal schools. He said ANTEC advocates for more tribal
funding, increasing tribal sovereignty to fund their own
schools.
9:21:04 AM
The committee took an at-ease from 9:21 a.m. to 9:26 a.m.
^PRESENTATION(S): Ilisagvik College
PRESENTATION(S): Ilisagvik College
9:26:20 AM
CHAIR DIBERT [announced that the final order of business would
be the Ilisagvik College presentation.
9:27:58 AM
JUSTINA WILHELM, President, Ilisagvik College, gave a PowerPoint
presentation [hard copy included in the committee packet],
titled " Ilisagvik College." She began on slide 2, from which
she read a land acknowledgement. She read the Ilisagvik College
vision statement from slide 3 and then the mission statement
from slide 4. She moved to slide 5, which provided a history of
Ilisagvik College, from the Naval Arctic Research Laboratory in
1947 to its thirtieth anniversary as a college in 2026.
MS. WILHELM moved to slide 6, titled "American Higher Education
Consortium (AIHEC)," and noted that Ilisagvik College is a
member of AIHEC. She stated that AIHEC is composed of 37 tribal
colleges and universities, with more than 80 sites in the U.S.
and noted that Ilisagvik College is currently the only tribal
college in Alaska. She moved to slide 7, which listed criteria
of tribal attributes. She also described the breakdown of
funding for Ilisagvik College.
9:33:35 AM
REPRESENTATIVE DIBERT asked if federal cuts have affected
Ilisagvik College.
MS. WILHELM responded that there has been no impact so far. She
said that some grants are forward funding, ensuring funding over
at least the next few years. She said that future funding is
still uncertain.
9:34:36 AM
MS. WILHELM, in response to questions from Representative
Carrick, stated that Ilisagvik College has two funding sources
from the state. She said Ilisagvik College receives no pass-
through funds from the University of Alaska system.
9:37:49 AM
MS. WILHELM moved to slide 8, which listed institutional
attributes and partnerships. Ilisagvik College's attributes
include Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
(NWCCU) accreditation, a cost of $205 per credit hour, and
tuition waivers to students from the North Slope Borough and for
Alaska Native and Native American students. She listed some of
Ilisagvik College's partnerships as well. Slide 9 showed a
graph portraying the pathway of lifetime learning, from
elementary school to college.
9:42:46 AM
MS. WILHELM, in response to a question from Representative
Ruffridge, stated that Ilisagvik College partners with
elementary, middle, and high schools to recruit students and
share its mission.
9:44:11 AM
MS. WILHELM moved to slide 10, which listed the types of degrees
offered at Ilisagvik College. She then moved to slide 11,
titled "Enrollment 2024-2025," highlighting the work Ilisagvik
College is doing to increase the number of students aged 18-25.
9:45:57 AM
MS. WILHELM, in response to a question from Representative
Story, listed the workforce training courses that have been most
popular and most needed at Ilisagvik College, including
commercial driver's licenses (CDLs).
9:47:17 AM
REPRESENTATIVE CARRICK asked about the average enrollment for
the last 5-10 years.
MS. WILHELM responded that average enrollment has been between
1,100 and 1,200 students over the last few years, highlighting
that 1,000 students in 2024-2025 showed a drop in enrollment.
She noted that Ilisagvik College has already seen an increase
for the fall 2025 semester.
9:48:34 AM
MS. WILHELM, in response to a question from Representative
Story, stated that Ilisagvik College offers certificate programs
and is moving toward offering more stacked and condensed
courses, to accommodate the seasonal subsistence lifestyle.
9:50:30 AM
MS. WILHELM moved to slides 13 and 14 and discussed the efforts
being made to indigenize the institution. She moved to slide
15, which displayed the fiscal year 2024 (FY 24) Alaska
Technical Vocational Education Program (TVEP) report.
9:52:51 AM
CHAIR CARRICK noted that the displayed chart did not contain the
most recent TVEP data.
9:53:29 AM
MS. WILHELM moved to slide 16, which listed the workforce
training courses that Ilisagvik College offers and then to slide
18, which displayed a chart of work force data from 2020 to
2025. She moved to slide 19, which showed the number of
Ilisagvik College students that obtained different drivers
licenses in 2024 and 2025.
MS. WILHELM moved to slide 20, which listed the different phases
and costs of constructing a new college campus. She then moved
to slides 21 and 22, which listed the unmet needs of Ilisagvik
College.
9:58:34 AM
FRIEDA NAGEAK, External Affairs Coordinator, Ilisagvik College,
described her experience as a student at Ilisagvik College,
pursuing her dream of becoming a nurse. She emphasized how
genuinely Ilisagvik College embraces tribal culture.
9:59:36 AM
REPRESENTATIVE FRIER said Ilisagvik College is home for her.
She described her experience growing up on the campus and her
professional experience working with the college.
10:01:42 AM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Tribal Affairs Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at 1:01
p.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| HTRB. Illisagvik Presentation.1.27.26.pdf |
HTRB 1/27/2026 8:00:00 AM |
|
| HTRB. ANTEC Overview. 1.27.26.pdf |
HTRB 1/27/2026 8:00:00 AM |