Announcing the Spring 2026 Edition of the Chugachmiut Nupuat Newsletter! ​

We’re excited to share the latest edition of Nupuat, Chugachmiut’s quarterly newsletter! ​ This issue is packed with updates, stories, and opportunities that highlight the incredible work happening across the Chugach Region. From career openings to cultural initiatives, there’s something for everyone to explore. ​

Inside This Edition:

• Career Opportunities
• Wildland Firefighting Jobs
• Ukut Ilanka Parents as Teachers
• Scholarship Opportunities
• Multi-Benefit Fuel Breaks Study
• Adventure Therapy Camp
• Llangarwik Recovery Camp
• Housing Improvement Program
• Chugach Region Language Summit
• Health Services Division News
• Chugach Regional Writers
• Employee Spotlights – Beth Kinegak & Jacob Talbert

About the Cover: Elders, youth, educators, and language bearers gather during the 2026 Chugach Region Language Summit to strengthen and celebrate the Sugt’stun and dAXunhyuu (Eyak) languages and expand the circle of language learning. Photo by Bjørn Olson.

Stay connected with Chugachmiut and learn more about how we’re working together to strengthen our communities, celebrate our culture, and create opportunities for the future. ​

For questions or submissions for the next edition, contact us at media@chugachmiut.org. ​

Read the full Nupuat Newsletter below.

View previous editions.

Does your School District or Village Council administer Native Youth Olympics (NYO) for students in Tatitlek, Chenega, Valdez, Cordova, Port Graham, Seward, or Nanwalek?

Through a new U.S. Department of Education grant, Gwangkumciit’stun Cutmen, Chugachmiut can sponsor student NYO participation during school years 2026, 2027, 2028, 2029, and 2030.

What support may include:

• Student travel to NYO meets
• Coaching (hiring/compensation)
• Local event coordination and related costs

(Specific support will be determined in coordination with each community and the project’s allowable costs.)

Community responsibilities
NYO administrators continue to manage NYO in the community(ies) they support, including hiring coaches and facilitating student travel and logistics. Eligible costs may be supported by the Gwangkumciit’stun Cutmen project.

Interested?
Contact the Litnaurwik Department of Education at education@chugachmiut.org, (907) 562-4155, or (800) 478-4155 (toll-free).

Ready to rack up steps along Alaska’s coast? Join Coastal Striders, our community step challenge, Nov. 17–Dec. 16, 2025. The goal is simple: move more, feel better, and connect as a community.

Prizes
• Top Strider: High-quality Fitbit (Grand Prize!)
• Most Engaged: Wellness Basket
• Most Improved: Winter Gear Package

How to join

1. Download the Wellbeing+ app (Reward Gateway) or tap the link below.
2. Enter Organization Code: X5P23V3MR4
3. Enter Group Code: VY6P59YP to join “Coastal Striders.”
   Join link: https://link.wb.rewardgateway.com/join?orgCode=X5P23V3MR4&groupCode=VY6P59YP

We’ll track our progress, cheer each other on, and see how far our collective steps can take us along Alaska’s coastlines. Questions? Call (907) 562-4155 or (800) 478-4155. Tag your walking buddy and let’s get moving!

Chugachmiut and Alaska Legal Services at AFN
October 16-17, 2025
Dena’ina Center, Anchorage

Chugachmiut Realty will be at the Alaska Federation of Natives (AFN) Convention to assist Chugachmiut region members with Veterans Applications and Wills. Find us at the Alaska Legal Services Booth!

U.S. Vietnam Veterans Land Applications
The deadline for the Alaska Native Vietnam-Era Veterans Land Allotment Program is December 29, 2025. If you are a Vietnam Veteran from the Chugach Region, please stop by our booth. We can help you fill out your application before the deadline.

Help with Wills
Chugachmiut Realty and Alaska Legal Services can help you write or update your Will.

Steps:

1. We will help you fill out a Will Intake Form.
2. Chugachmiut will type it into Will format and send it to Alaska Legal Services for review.
3. Once it is approved, you will get your Will in the mail.
4. You can sign it in front of a notary — either in your community or with our Realty staff.
5. You can keep your Will at home or store it safely with Chugachmiut Realty.

Appointments Before AFN: We are also available by appointment October 13–15.

Contact Chugachmiut Realty Department
1840 Bragaw Street, Suite 110, Anchorage, Alaska 99508
Phone: (907) 562-4155
Toll-Free: (800) 478-4155
Fax: 907-563-2891
Toll Free Fax: 800-793-2891
Email: realty@chugachmiut.org

We look forward to assisting you with your real estate and estate planning needs!

To serve you better, please complete our Will Intake Questionnaire.
This information helps Chugachmiut Realty assist you efficiently with preparing or updating your Will. Please download it, fill it out and return it to the Realty Department (via fax or email).

Join us for the Division of Community and Family Services Men’s Gathering: Cultivating Healthy Men. This free gathering is open to Alaska Native men from Port Graham, Nanwalek, Chenega, and Tatitlek.

Connect with others, hear from guest speakers, and enjoy outdoor recreation and reflection time.

September 8–12, 2025
Dimond Center Hotel, Anchorage, AK

Spots are limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. To apply or if you have any questions, please contact Shelby Thompson at shelby@chugachmiut.org or (907) 342-2122.

Chugachmiut’s Nupuat Newsletter Summer Edition is available!

Topics in the Nupuat Newsletter

• Career Opportunities
• Rural Human Services Program Participants
• 2025 Firefighting Season Begins
• VPSO Program
• Exploring Energy from the Ocean’s Waves
• Chugach Regional Writers – Sand by Nancy Yeaton
• Community Submission
• Chugachmiut Regional Health Center Grand Opening
• Health Services Division News
• Realty Department Services
• Employee Spotlights

📸About the Cover: Chugachmiut Board Members Nanci Robart, Fran Norman (Chair), and Arne Hatch joined us for the grand opening of the Chugachmiut Regional Health Center in Seward (Qutekcak). Thank you to everyone who joined us in Seward on April 21. Photo by Angela Gonzalez.

Nupuat is a quarterly publication of Chugachmiut, the tribal not-for-profit organization serving the Alaska Native peoples of the Chugach Region. If you need to update your mailing address, please email us at media@chugachmiut.org.

View previous editions here.

Chugachmiut Nupuat Newsletter – Recent Editions

Join us for an Open Archive workshop #1 – Prince Williams Sound hosted by the Native Village of Eyak on Tuesday, June 17, from 10 am to noon on Zoom or at Chugachmiut’s office located at 1840 Bragaw Street, Suite 110 in Anchorage.

The Native Village of Eyak is leading community-driven research on the “Chugach Collection” of ancestral belongings in the Ethnological Museum of Berlin. Join us for virtual Open Archive sessions where knowledge holders can help identify and share stories about these items. Chugachmiut is part of this project’s Advisory Committee and will be hosting space for Tribal members to join from Anchorage.

Register using the link below, and be sure to add no-reply@zoom.us to your safe sender’s list so you don’t miss updates in your inbox!

https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/cXYCfq0yTi-OSBQ6PaKXOg

 

May 6, 2025
Contact: media@chugachmiut.org, 907-334-0160

TRIBAL CONSORTIUM SIGNS MOU FOR OCEAN WAVE ENERGY
Chugachmiut and Carnegie Clean Energy Ltd. Sign MOU

Anchorage, AK—Chugachmiut and Carnegie Clean Energy Ltd. announce a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to collaborate on exploring wave energy in the Chugach region. Carnegie Clean Energy is the Australian developer of the CETO® technology, which captures energy from ocean waves and converts it into electricity. The companies will work together to explore the feasibility of ocean wave energy in Alaska.

Carnegie uses the latest advances in onboard power generation and artificial intelligence to efficiently generate zero-emission electricity. CETO is an innovative, fully submerged, point absorber-type wave energy technology. A submerged buoy sits a few yards below the water’s surface and moves with the ocean’s waves. This constant movement drives a power take-off system that converts this motion into electricity. Being fully submerged and zero-emission, CETO won’t interfere with marine traffic, coastal aesthetics, or tourism, and has minimal impact on marine life.

Carnegie Clean Energy’s CETO technology has enormous potential to be a source of sustainable, clean electricity in Alaska. “This revolutionary wave conversion system can potentially supply electricity to communities in the Chugach region,” says Angela ‘Jan’ Vanderpool, Executive Director of Chugachmiut. “We are excited for the potential of lowering energy costs in the region, and it’s clean, renewable, and sustainable.”

Attached to the sea floor, CETO can harness wave power and become a source of zero-emission and cost-effective electricity for the Chugach region. Learn more and watch a video of the CETO technology at https://www.carnegiece.com/ceto-technology/.

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About Chugachmiut

Chugachmiut is a 501(c)3 non-profit established in 1974 to serve and promote the self-governance of the seven Native tribes of the Chugach Region of Alaska. Chugachmiut offers a range of services to its seven constituent tribal communities, including primary care, dentistry, behavioral health, addiction counseling, trust and land management, heritage preservation, and wildland firefighting. Learn more at www.chugachmiut.org.

Download a PDF of this release.

Chugachmiut received a $249,636 Tribal Climate Resiliency award from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. This funding will support the creation of a Tribal Climate Justice Commission to guide the growth of Chugachmiut’s climate education initiatives. This Commission, led by Chugach Tribal leadership, will play a vital role in integrating Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) with climate science to foster new approaches to understanding and addressing climate challenges.

The Chugachmiut Tribal Education Department will manage the grant and will support the development of its education and leadership programs by emphasizing the harmony between TEK and climate science. Commission members and regional leaders will convene in Anchorage to study and address climate issues in our communities. Their work will include analyzing existing research, collecting new data, and preparing a strategic report to identify opportunities for advancing climate education.

Elders will play a central role as knowledge-keepers and advisors, ensuring that cultural wisdom and traditional practices guide our climate resiliency efforts. This approach honors the fundamental connection between Indigenous knowledge and environmental stewardship.

Chugachmiut will also collaborate with organizations and partners who have recently completed climate resiliency studies, leveraging their insights and expertise for the commission’s success. Upon completing this project, Chugachmiut may qualify for additional funding opportunities as part of a broader effort to secure federal and state climate justice grants.

Chugachmiut is excited to announce that our Education Department has received a $5.8 million Education Innovation and Research (EIR) grant from the U.S. Department of Education. This five-year grant will fund the Chugach Identity Project to support Alaska Native high school students in grades 9-12. By fostering resilience and cultural identity through social-emotional learning activities, the project will serve 75 students in rural and remote schools, including those in the Native Village of Nanwalek and Qutekcak Native Tribe in Seward, Alaska.

The Chugach Identity Project will adapt the Identity Project curriculum and educator program using Sugpiaq and Eyak traditions. Materials from this project will be openly available to the public to encourage educational innovation and equity. Students enrolled in these classes will strengthen their cultural connections, enhance their academic engagement, and develop storytelling skills rooted in their heritage.

We are excited to collaborate with the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District and the Identity Project to deliver this program. Additionally, we are working with Dr. Heather Gordon and the Alaska Technology Development Group to evaluate its effectiveness.