Margaret Nelson, a Tlingit originally from Juneau, has been named president and chief executive officer of the Alaska Native Heritage Center, announced Roy Huhndorf, ANHC board chairman.

 

 

Margaret Nelson

 

Nelson has served as executive vice president and chief operating officer at the Heritage Center since May 1999 and managed day-to-day operations of the new tourist attraction and cultural center. She succeeds Perry Eaton, who resigned as president and CEO in July.

"Margaret has worked hard to make our first season at the Center a success," Huhndorf said. "The ANHC board and I are confident she will continue to fulfill the vision of the Center as a significant venue for sharing our Alaska Native cultural traditions."

A graduate of the University of Alaska Fairbanks, Nelson is a Sealaska shareholder, as well as a shareholder, former board member and former vice president of tourism of Goldbelt, Inc., the Juneau Native village corporation. Nelson has 20 years of business experience, including a record of successfully managing tourism and travel-related business start-ups and operations.

As the new president, Nelson will be responsible for strategic planning, management and overall supervision of the Center.

One of Koahnic Broadcast Corporation's most popular programs, "Native Word of the Day," found a national radio audience this November. To celebrate Native Heritage Month, radio stations across the country are broadcasting

"Native Word of the Day" during their regular program schedules.

The Koahnic-produced National Native News is presenting "Native Word of the Day: Volume 1," a collection of 30 words and short phrases spoken by Alaska Natives and American Indians ­ one for each day in November.

Initially developed for KNBA 90.3 FM in Anchorage, "Native Word of the Day" has consistently been one of the most popular and valued services to station listeners, demonstrating the richness and variety of Native languages spoken across the country.

To date, Koahnic staff have recorded speakers of Yupik (Yukon Delta, AK), Jicarilla Apache (Arizona), Athabascan (Interior Alaska), Navajo (Arizona/New Mexico), Tsimshian (Southeast Passage, AK), Potawatomi (Upper Midwest), Tlingit (Southeast Alaska), Mitchif (North Dakota), Inupiaq (Alaska's North Coast), Aleut (Aleutian Chain), and Siberian Yupik (St. Lawrence Island, AK). These recordings are often made in partnership with other Native American/Alaska Native radio stations.

The production of "Native Word of the Day" is ongoing, pending funding. "Native Word of the Day" can be heard on KNBA 90.3 FM each weekday at 8 a.m., noon and 6 p.m. It can also be accessed on the Internet at www.alaska.net.

The Alaska Native Heritage Center has unveiled two commissioned pieces of art: "Gathering of Traditions," a Raven's Tail Dancing Robe by Teri Rofkar, and a Cedar Culture Map of Alaska by James L. Grant.

"The Raven's Tail weaving and the Cedar Map are exciting additions to the Center," said Margaret Nelson, president and CEO of the Alaska Native Heritage Center. "These two pieces of art symbolize who we are at the Heritage Center. They represent all Alaska Natives, past and present."

Rofkar recaptures the woven arts of indigenous peoples. A Tlingit from Sitka, Rofkar carries on ancient traditions, such as gathering and weaving of natural materials, to help her link the past to her present and future. Her woven pieces have been exhibited at the National Museum of the American Indian in New York City and the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe.

James Grant, an Athabascan from Tanana, has mastered skills in a wide range of mediums, utilizing a variety of materials. Over the years, Grant has incorporated a variety of classic styles and techniques into all of his work. His work hauntingly mirrors the dramatic impact of a changing world on Native cultures. His current major works include "Wolf Dancer," a bentwood Athabascan singing face; "Two Old Women," a nationally acclaimed piece written by Velma Wallis and illustrated by Grant; and "Chief Isaac," a bust of a traditional Athabascan chief.

The unveiling of the two pieces occurred at the Alaska Native Heritage Center on October 22, and both artists were on hand to help celebrate the new additions to the Center.

Teri Rofkar's Raven's Tail Dancing Robe.