North Star Group

21/01/2021

Look who stopped by our booth yesterday before heading to the inauguration! Busy day for Senator Sanders.

15/01/2021

Anchorage Assembly establishes formal government relationship with Native Village of Eklutna

"This is the beginning of a journey... It is what we will make of it, what we do now.” - A quote from North Star Group’s very own Team Lead, Veronica Slajer.

NSG worked with the Anchorage Assembly to help establish a formal government-to-government relationship with the Native Village of Eklutna and the Anchorage Assembly. Last night made history.

View the full story below

The ordinance codifies respect and recognition for Anchorage’s Indigenous Dena’ina Athabascan people into municipal code.

09/01/2021

The Arctic and World Order

Start off the New Year by learning and increasing your knowledge of the ever-changing Arctic! Many virtual resources are available to support NSG’s 2021 goal of contributing to the broad distribution of Arctic knowledge and information sources.

In furtherance of this goal, NSG’s Strategic Partner Wilson Center will host a virtual launch for the new book The Arctic and World Order on Tuesday, Jan. 12 at 1:00 p.m. ET.

The Arctic and World Order is authored by a group of Arctic experts and professionals including Wilson Centers Fellow Lawson Brigham. In the book, scholars and people with direct interests from Anchorage to Moscow, and from Nuuk to Hong Kong, explore the tremendous political, legal, social, economic, and environmental challenges facing the Arctic, and what they mean for the future of the current world order.

In this new book, scholars and practitioners – from Anchorage to Moscow, from Nuuk to Hong Kong – explore the huge political, legal, social, economic, geostrategic and environmental challenges confronting the Arctic regime, and what this means for the future of world order.

15/10/2020

Alaska Federation of Natives (AFN) holds the largest representative annual gathering in the United States of Native peoples. This year the AFN Convention is going virtual!

Today marks the first day of AFN, Oct 15th - 16th, AFN will be streaming live, packed with speakers, dancers, and much more. To watch the live stream and for more information visit https://www.nativefederation.org/

The 54th Annual AFN Convention starts today at 9 am! Make sure you have downloaded the 2020 AFN App from Apple or Google to access to the digital Convention agenda, bios, and photos, Quyana Alaska, Exhibit Hall, Sponsor Booths. Visit www.nativefederation.org/convention for more information.

13/10/2020

Supreme Court grants Trump administration request to end Census count

It’s not too late to fill out the census! With the latest Supreme Court ruling, Trump Adminsitration can close the window early, so complete it today at this link to be counted: https://2020census.gov/

The Supreme Court granted the Trump administration's request to end the Census count as soon as possible, overturning a federal order.

12/10/2020

It’s Indigenous Peoples Day 2020 and the second day of First Alaskans Institute, Elders and Youth Conference 2020 (EYC)! EYC is celebrating #IndigenousPeoplesDay with their Elder Keynote speaker, Dr. Rev. Traditional Chief Trimble Gilbert, a Tribal Leader, an Episcopal priest, a Native knowledge holder, culture bearer, and Gwich’in teacher.
Also on the schedule for today will be a lunch and learn discussion of "Forgotten Slavery of our People" and tonight Chin'an a night of culture celebrations from 5-6 (AKDT) Watch, learn, acknowledge, and celebrate.

Watch here: https://firstalaskans.org/?fbclid=IwAR0lfTl_jprBCfMEYahsUHvparOJir6cRe-xINDctkGGL18vt8DbGgwFHaI

Pictured below is NSG Communication Associate, Andrea Wagner photographed with creators of Molly of Denali at last year's 2019 EYC conference. Molly of Denali is the first nationally distributed children's show to feature an Alaska Native lead character!

06/10/2020

Convention - Alaska Federation of Natives

Next week -- Thursday, October 15th will kick off the start of the Alaska Federation of Native (AFN) virtual convention! This will be a virtual 2-day event, featuring a combination of live presentations and pre-recorded videos of top local, state, federal, and Native leaders and elected officials, interactive panels, and much more.

For more information visit their website: https://www.nativefederation.org/convention/ and stay tuned!

The annual convention serves as the principal forum and voice for the Alaska Native community in addressing critical issues of public policy and government.

23/09/2020

ONE WEEK left to finish the #Census2020. It only takes a few minutes of your time, but the results will impact communities for the next 10 years!

Respond here: https://my2020census.gov/

22/09/2020

English

The deadline for the Census is quickly approaching. Households have 8 days left to be counted!

Alaska is one of the hardest states to count, communities are spread out and difficult to access. It takes less than 10 minutes to respond online (link below) Undercounting means the state does not get its fair share of federal funding and could hurt communities for the next decade. This year's census determines whether your community receives the resources and representation it needs.
Don’t go unaccounted for, respond today!

Respond here: https://2020census.gov/en.html

Learn about the 2020 Census - how to respond, and why it matters. Shape your future. START HERE.

10/09/2020

The U.S. Air Force Arctic Strategy, Alaska, and the New Arctic: A Conversation with Alaska's Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan

Alaska continues to play a leadership role in U.S. international Arctic strategy! Alaska’s Senator Lisa Murkowski and Senator Dan Sullivan will join NSG’s global partner, Polar Institute director Dr. Mike Sfraga of the Wilson Center, to discuss the U.S. Air Force’s newly released Arctic Strategy for monitoring international Arctic activities and safeguarding North America from the top of the world. This webcast will feature analysis and discussion about the new report and its implications for the United States, the North American Arctic, and Alaska.

This live webcast is scheduled for Monday, Sept. 14, 2020 at 12:00 noon (AKDT). Please RSVP using the link below.

On July 21, 2020, the United States Department of Air Force released its Arctic Strategy. The strategy “recognizes the immense geostrategic consequence of the region and its critical role for protecting the homeland and projecting global power,” stated Secretary of the Air Force Barbara Barrett....

19/08/2020

Make your community count! Alaska schools, communities, hospitals, roads, public works, and broadband coverage depend on the results of the federal census - respond today! Currently, Alaska’s census response rate is the lowest in the country, which will result in a massive loss of federal dollars that support essential services and programs throughout the state.

The solution—if you have not already done so—is to respond to the 2020 Census now! Alaska Federation of Natives - Official Page (AFN), which is currently working on a census support campaign throughout rural Alaska, has authored a joint letter with the National Congress of American Indians and the Native American Rights Fund to the U.S. Congress detailing the increased difficulty of meeting the moved-up deadline of September 30th for its national count from October 31st.

NSG is in full support of AFN and encourages those who have not yet participated in the 2020 Census to respond through the link below.

https://2020census.gov/?cid=23746:census:sem.ga:p:dm:en:&utm_source=sem.ga&utm_medium=p&utm_campaign=dm:en&utm_content=23746&utm_term=census

29/07/2020

Realism in the Arctic

Wilson Center’s Polar Week is wrapping up! There are still two webinars you can join before the week ends. This Thursday and Friday, Polar Institute will be hosting webinars covering the European Union’s Arctic strategy and possible U.S.- Russian cooperation in the Arctic.

The European Union and the Arctic: Thursday, July 30th 11:30 (EDT): As the European Union considers its role and aspirations in the new, global Arctic, as well as its role in complementing EU members states’ Arctic strategies, EU Ambassador at Large for the Arctic Michael Mann will provide an overview of the EU’s current position on the Arctic and insights as to the important issues the EU is considering in the coming years. Ambassador Mann will be joined by Terkel Petersen, Senior Advisor in the European External Action Service, to discuss their efforts to advance and enable the EU’s strategic Arctic direction.

Realism in the Arctic: Friday, July 31st, 1:00 pm (EDT): The Wilson Center's Polar Institute and Kennan Institute will discuss how the Arctic may be an avenue through which the United States and Russia can build cooperative measures. The conversation will reference a recent article, “Realism in the Arctic,” published by National Interest.

Article Link Below

The United States and Russia have disagreements on many issues, including the organization of the international system. No “reset” in relations is in sight but there is a need to put a floor in the relationship and work on possible areas for cooperation. The Arctic can be one.

23/07/2020

Wilson Center

Gear up for Polar Week! Next week, North Star Group's global partner, the Wilson Center's Polar Institute will host its second edition of Polar Week. It will be a series of five webinars addressing:

- Maritime activity in the Bering Strait

- Canada's Arctic and Northern Policy Framework

- European Union's Arctic policy

- The complex relationship in the Arctic between the United States and Russia

- Marine Protected Areas in the Southern Ocean

Webinars will be starting Monday, July 27th at 11am (EDT) through Friday, July 31st, at 1pm (EDT) View the full agenda here:

Independent Research, Open Dialogue & Actionable Ideas

16/07/2020

Opportunity from Chaos: Lending and Investing in the time of COVID

Alaskans looking for guidance on how to make smart economic choices during this pandemic should watch this webinar and, it's not just because it features NSG associate Erin Eloise Baca!

Tune in next Wednesday (7.22) at noon - Opportunity from Chaos: Lending and Investing in the time of COVID, hosted by Commonwealth North.
The webinar is the second of a three-part series on Alaska's economy and the road to recovery.

In her role as Program Manager at 49th State Angel Fund, an entrepreneurship fund that supports Alaska businesses, Erin will join two other panelists to speak about finding opportunities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

We hope you will join us in supporting Erin at Commonwealth North's webinar next week. You can find more information and register for the event below:

Opportunity from Chaos: Lending and Investing in the time of COVID at Online on Wed Jul 22 2020, 12:00pm AKDT: CWN Presents Opportunity from Chaos:...

07/07/2020

Webinar | Improving Legal Frameworks for ESIA and Management - Intergovernmental Forum

If you are interested in sustainable development, ocean management, or corporate responsibility, check out these three webinars happening on Wednesday!

Wednesday July 8, 9:00 am (EST) The Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals & Sustainable Development will host a webinar to discuss its newest guidance for governments to improve legal frameworks for environmental social impact assessment and management. The webinar will include a multi-stakeholder panel discussion about emerging environmental social impact assessment issues in the mining sector.
https://www.igfmining.org/event/webinar-esia-guidance-for-governments-launch-best-practices-in-legal-frameworks/

Wednesday, July 8, 1:00 pm (EST) The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management will be hosting a webinar as part of its West Coast Renewable Energy Science Exchange, a series of webinars about offshore scientific research that will inform decisions about the planning, leasing, and development of ocean renewable energy. David Ball, a marine archaeologist, will present on BOEM-funded historic preservation research.
https://www.boem.gov/west-coast-renewable-energy-science-exchange

Wednesday, July 8th, 2:00 pm (EST) Business for Social Responsibility will be hosting a webinar to discuss how businesses can modernize their practices to improve the 21st-century social contract. The webinar will cover specific principles that businesses can follow to strengthen corporate responsibility.
https://www.bsr.org/en/events/view/the-business-role-in-creating-a-21st-century-social-contract

Join the Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development (IGF) on Wednesday, July 8, at 9 a.m. Ottawa / 3 p.m. Geneva for a webinar to discus its newest Guidance for Governments: Improving Legal Frameworks for ESIA and Management. The Guidance provides IGF’s 76 memb...

26/06/2020

Say hello to our newest Arctic Policy Communication Intern for 2020, Helen Wang! This year's cohort of candidates was highly competitive, but Helen rose to the top and we are so excited to welcome her to NSG.

Helen grew up in Canada and the Midwest and spent the last four years on the coast of Maine. She just recently graduated from Bowdoin College with a bachelor’s degree in Government & Legal Studies and History. Helen previously interned at Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada and at the Embassy of Canada in DC. When she isn’t studying or working she enjoys hiking, cooking, and watching documentaries.

Welcome, Helen! NSG looks forward to the great experiences and perspectives you will bring to the team.

20/06/2020

So much has changed since June 2019 when NSG's Veronica Slajer and Michaela travelled to Skellefteå, Sweden for the meeting of the OECD Mining Regions and Cities initiative. It was the 3rd such gathering of communities, mining companies and other stakeholders to delve into the future changes needed for sustainable development. While last year’s theme was how mining regions can transition to the green economy and develop skills, this year’s theme was planned to focus on how Indigenous communities can leverage benefits to promote community economic development; due to the pandemic, the 4th OECD Meeting of Mining Regions & Cities has been be postponed and will now take place June 1-4, 2021 in Karratha, Western Australia.

The Karratha meeting will focus on regional productivity and economic diversification, including. We will keep you posted as those plans progress. In the meantime, the OECD is hosting a virtual discussion on the Impacts and Opportunities from Covid-19 on Mining Regions and Cities, next Tuesday, June 23rd. The discussion will serve as a platform to share experiences and best practices in the context of the Covid-19 crisis. Click here to register: https://meetoecd1.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEof-2tpzopGdNb8IPZuGHXa9zhnDgd30eP

For more information visit http://www.oecd.org/regional/Mining-Regions-Meeting.htm or contact [email protected].

19/06/2020

The Historical Legacy of Juneteenth - Google Arts & Culture

HAPPY JUNETEENTH - THE UNITED STATES' SECOND INDEPENDENCE DAY!

NSG is pleased to share the Smithonian Institution's reflections... Although the Emancipation Proclamation officially took effect on January 1, 1863, freedom did not immediately come for all enslaved people because Confederate-controlled states refused to implement it. Freedom finally came nationally on June 19, 1865, when some 2,000 Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas. The army announced that the more than 250,000 enslaved people in the state were free by executive decree. This day came to be known as "Juneteenth" by the newly freed people in Texas.

You can learn more about Juneteenth on a virtual tour right now from home. Discover its historical legacy by visiting this Google Arts and Culture online exhibit – which includes a video feature about the Emancipation Proclamation with prominent historians and former Attorney General Eric Holder – curated by the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Take the Smithonian Tour » https://artsandculture.google.com/story/_QUh41SUsLCX6w?s_src=Z2000PE&s_subsrc=em_C_AH_O_CTABTN-1_SI_fy20-juneteenth_2020-06-19_6681_87585.0&autologin=true
NSG is pleased to share the Smithonian Institution's reflections...

Our country’s "Second Independence Day" has long been celebrated among the African American community, and it's time to share this history with a wider public

02/06/2020

Join us in congratulating NSG's talented Communication Associate, Andrea Wagner!

Last week, Andrea graduated from Pima Community College with her associate's degree in Liberal Arts, and will be transferring to University of Arizona this fall to study communications.

She was also recently selected to join the 2020-2022 cohort of Arctic Youth Ambassadors (AYA). Established as a collaboration between U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Department of State, and non-profit organization Alaska Geographic, the AYA program brings together diverse youth from across Alaska to serve as ambassadors for their communities and country, working to build awareness about life in the Arctic both at home and abroad.

We are delighted to continue working with Andrea while she begins her newest pursuits - congratulations on all the hard work and accomplishments! #ThisArcticLife #USArcticYouth