Snake River Salmon
Dear Editor: Last month Southeast Alaska’s commercial fishermen found a new hero: Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson (R). On Feb. 6, Simpson released a bold proposal that would remove the four lower dams on the Snake River in the Columbia River basin; something that groups like the Alaska Trollers Association have been asking for for decades. Removing these dams would not only help the Pacific Northwest save its local salmon populations from extinction but would also help ensure that Southeast Alaska’s local fishing families don’t go extinct as well.
For years, Alaska’s commercial fishermen have had to cut our Chinook harvests and shorten our fishing seasons to account for the Snake River’s dwindling salmon runs. In the most recent renegotiation of the Pacific Salmon Treaty, our Chinook harvest was whittled down once again. These harvest cuts have been devastating for thousands of Alaskans; especially troll fishermen whose income depends largely on Chinook salmon. Alaska’s fishermen have done our part to help restore the Snake River’s salmon, but we can’t be the only ones making sacrifices That’s why I applaud congressman Simpson for proposing a real solution that would benefit not just the Northwest but Alaska as well. I encourage Alaska’s members of Congress to stand with congressman Simpson and be champions for the Snake River’s salmon and communities, families and jobs that they sustain. Salmon don’t have time to wait any long.
Norman Pillen, President,
Seafood Producers Co-op
Quilt Auction
Dear Editor: Ocean Wave Quilters held its annual scholarship auction of small quilts online this year and, thanks to everyone, it was a success.
More than $1,200 was raised from the 24 quilts donated by 14 members and proceeds will go to two scholarships for high school seniors and one to Sitka Fine Arts Camp. High school winners will be announced closer to graduation.
Of course without publicity help from the Sitka Daily Sentinel, KIFW, KTNL, Sitka Soup, Raven Radio, KSCTV and GCI we would never have been able to get the word out to all the wonderful people who bid and bid again to make it almost as lively as our usual in-person event. Here’s hoping it will be back to such next year.
Megan Pasternak and Karen Boyer,
Quilt Auction Coordinators,
Ocean Wave Quilters
AmeriCorps Week
Dear Editor: Monday marked the start of AmeriCorps week. This week is devoted to recognizing the organizations and programs that make this national service possible across the country. I would like to express my gratitude and appreciation for all the organizations and people in Sitka who have worked hard to give AmeriCorps volunteers the opportunity to serve. My name is Anna Zauner and I serve with the Sitka School District and the Sitka Tribe of Alaska under the STEPS grant.
I was given the chance to serve with AmeriCorps due to the ubiquitous and life-altering events of the COVID-19 pandemic. I was evacuated from my Peace Corps service in Guatemala during the worldwide evacuation of volunteers in March of 2020. After my time was cut short in the Peace Corps I felt as though I had not fulfilled my commitment to serve. Finding myself back in America during the largest public health crisis in a century, I was compelled to use my Peace Corps training to serve populations in America. A small community in Southeast Alaska offered me a unique opportunity to do so.
Here, I am surrounded by a mountainous landscape unimaginable from my New Jersey childhood home where I Google-searched “picture of Sitka” to get an idea of where I was going to spend the next 12 months. With this incredible opportunity on Lingít Aaní, I get to serve with the Sitka Native Education Program under the STEPS grant which has enriched my service with invaluable learning experiences. The presence of SNEP in the school district is a necessary partnership to preserve and promote the cultural and academic education of Native students.
While I only play a small part in this program, supporting the incredible work being done to connect and inspire students culturally in a COVID-safe way, I find myself learning more when providing students with academic support than teaching. When leading discussions on scientific observations of birds in Sitka during a science enrichment activity, I am pushed by students to challenge my understanding of the connections people have had with birds beyond an ecologist’s understanding. Reading picture books to Baranof students during breakfast club, I learned that Raven stories are crowd-pleasers, always. Most important of all, that a rainy day in Sitka is just an opportunity to take some time to splash in the puddles.
While I have only been living in Sitka for seven months now, I have felt welcomed, supported and challenged by the community I serve. I would like to thank the individuals who have given me the opportunity to grow and learn by offering their time and resources. I am so lucky to play a small role in supporting the efforts of the STEPS grant and SNEP program.
Anna Zauner, Sitka
