2024 • Chugach Regional Resources Commission Annual Gathering

 AwA’ahdah – Quwanakcuk – Quyana – Gunałchéesh

CRRC hosted our 22nd Annual Subsistence Memorial Gathering in person in Anchorage on March 21^st at the UAA Student Union. This year’s theme was mariculture, chosen to celebrate the marine resources that help sustain our communities and the continued goal of making mariculture work to support our region. We are still processing all of the amazing knowledge, food, and stories shared during this special event!

CRRC would like to thank all of our guest speakers: Caitlin McKinstry (NVE), Jackie Keating (ADF&G), Gayle Neufeld (ADF&G), Andrew Crow (Alaska Cooperative Development Center- UAA), Aaron Poe (Alaska Conservation Foundation), Dr. Tom Thornton (UAS), Christian Woodard (ADF&G), Dr. Kevin Berry (UAA), and David Guilfoyle (Applied Archeology). Thank you to all of our own speakers from CRRC and the Alutiiq Pride Marine Institute: Briana Murphy, Sean Den Adel, Dr. Maile Branson, Dustin Carol, Jacob Cohen, Jacqueline Ramsay, Jeff Hetrick, and Allison Carl. We appreciate your knowledge and willingness to share with our community members and partners!

This year, we were thrilled to find a venue space that allowed us to celebrate being together in the best possible way: with a beautiful Traditional dinner. From salmon to seal to herring eggs, our cooks brought it all! We are so grateful to the cooks that provided their time, skill, and foods to make this year’s dinner truly special: Diane Selanoff & Chelsea Selanoff from Valdez, Nancy Yeaton & Eugenia Moonin from Nanwalek, Kelsey Meganack & Zeth Meganack from Port Graham, Danaya Hoover & Denise Eleshansky from Cordova, and Jen Kiokan and Carol Conant from Seward. Thank you, thank you, thank you- it was delicious! And a big thank you to all of those that donated food including the Native Conservancy, Mark King, Raven Cunningham, and Diana Riedel.

Dinner was accompanied by amazing performances from the Katuwaq Ikamat Dance Group led by Shyla Krukoff, the Nanwalek Seal Dancers led by Abigail Kvasnikoff & Tikhon Kvasnikoff, the Paluwik Alutiiq Dancers led by  Dannielle Malchoff & Ephimia Moonin-Wilson, with music from the English Bay Band led by John Kvasnikoff and DJ Colin Bonfield, and a Fashion Show with traditional pieces made by Gloria Cunningham, Amiah Johnson, Reine Pavlik, Raven Cunningham, Britt’Nee Bower, Nikki at SewYupik, Zoey McCallson at Banema, and Kanisha Tiedeman-Lohse. CRRC would like to thank our beautiful models who volunteered to be in the show, Harmony Wayner, Ryen Aavurauq Richards, Amiah Johnson, Angela Peacock,  Ashley Brink, Zoey McCallson, Ashley Brankovic, Madison Wilhelm, Tunaqi Blanchett, and Alison Achee.

CRRC would like give a huge THANK YOU to our sponsors who made considerable donations to support the event, Chugach Heritage Foundation, Chugachmiut, Native Village of Eyak, Native Conservancy, and Port Graham Village Council.

We would also like to thank those who donated to our silent auction:

Angela Gonzalez, Chris Belgarde, Catherine Higley, Christine DeWeese, Danaya Hoover, Frozen Stitches, Kim’s Nature Drawings, Kobuk, Marcia Patrick, Nancy Yeaton, Orville Lind, Prince William Sound Stewardship Foundation, Raven Cunningham, Salmon Sisters, Sarah Farmer, Skinny Raven, 12 Tides, Liane Crosta, Denise Elsehanrky, and Willow Hetrick!

Thank you to our exhibitor booths, the Alaska Mariculture Alliance, Chugachmiut, Chugach Alaska Corporation, Two Bears Consulting, Kachemak Kelp Hub, GreenWave, Prince William Sound College, the Native Conservancy, and the Alaska Blue Economy Center.

Thank you to our amazing artists at the craft booths, Ernersulria and Ilanka, St Michael’s Russian Orthodox Church, Frozen Stitches, Quyanaa Nature Based Medicine, Demaris Hudson, and Amiah Johnson.

We also want to give a big thank you to our photographer, Bjorn Olson!

Special thanks to Kanisha Tiedeman-Lohse for the stunning Traditional tattooing!

Again, THANK YOU to everyone who helped with the event, it was a huge team effort, and we couldn’t have done it without you!

We look forward to seeing you at the Gathering in 2025!