Hilarion R. Miguel
Dies at Home at 92
Hilarion R. Miguel, a Sitka resident for 20 years, died Oct. 27 at his home. He was 92.
An obituary will be published in the Sentinel in the next few days.
Evelyn Roehl Dies;
Was Former Sitkan
Evelyn (Sam) Roehl, formerly of Sitka, died this morning at her home in Lynnwood, Washington, at age 99.
An obituary is to be published in the Sentinel later.
NEA Big Read, UAS to Host
‘Indigenous Voices’ Event
The University of Alaska Southeast will host “A Most Powerful Song: Elevating Indigenous Voices,” in partnership with the NEA Big Read program.
The event is 7-8:30 p.m. Nov. 4 via Zoom and pre-registration is required.
Indigenous poets Vivian Faith Prescott, Marie Tozier and X̱’unei Lance Twitchell will read from their work and discuss poetic lineage, the influence of U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo and the importance of increasing visibility of Indigenous people and poetry.
Sol Neely, Cherokee Nation Citizen and associate professor of English at Heritage University, will provide introductory remarks and moderate the conversation with participants and attendees. Panelist bios, Zoom registration and more are available at www.bigreadjuneau.org.
The NEA Big Read and UAS One Campus, One Book event will continue a community celebration of Joy Harjo’s ‘‘An American Sunrise.’’
NEA Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Northwest. The event is sponsored by the Friends of the Juneau Public Library and UAS Egan Library.
For questions, contact Jonas Lamb at j.lamb@alaska.edu or 907-796-6440.
Indian Tourism
Conference Set
The Alaska travel industry is celebrating Native culture and heritage in full force at the annual American Indian Tourism Conference this week in Fort McDowell, Arizona.
Alaska Region board members from Sitka are Tlingits Rachel Moreno and Mary Goddard, and at-large member Camille Ferguson, also Tlingit.
Headlining the conference closing “The Heart Speaks” session will be Patuk Glenn, the executive director of the Article Slope Foundation who will speak about ‘‘Authentically Sharing Your Culture.’’ The celebrity Inupiaq influencer gained international fame after she shared a series of TikTok videos celebrating her Alaska Native culture.
Also joining AITC is Alaska Travel Industry Association President & CEO Sarah Leonard, who will be a co-panelist during the ‘‘How to Work with Your State Tourism Office’’ breakout session. ATIA incorporates Alaska Native tourism in its programming and digital marketing, including an Alaska Native Cultural Host Seminar training program designed with assistance from the Cook Inlet Tribal Council to provide a greater understanding and appreciation of Alaska Native culture for workers within Alaska’s hospitality and tourism industry.
AITC’s other educational sessions include the ‘‘Cultural Tourism and Youth Programming’’ at the Alaska Native Heritage Center breakout session, featuring Tara Bourdukofsky (Ahtna Athabasca), cultural heritage and education director; and Jamieann Bell (Ahtna Athabascan), facility sales and cultural tourism manager of the Alaska Native Heritage Center; and Pricing Your Product for the Travel Trade featuring AIANTA board member Camille Ferguson, the economic development director for the Sitka Tribe of Alaska.
“We are very pleased to welcome such a large cohort of Alaska Native family to AITC,” said AIANTA CEO Sherry L. Rupert. “With more than 230 federally recognized tribes in Alaska, we look forward to sharing culture and heritage with representatives from around the state. It is a true testament to the importance of Alaska Native culture that we welcome Sarah Leonard, the president and CEO of the Alaska Travel Industry Association to this year’s conference.”
In total, seven percent of conference delegates are from Alaska.
For more information, visit www.aianta.org/aitc.
Sale Listed at
White E Shop
Children’s clothes, sizes 0 to 18, are on sale for half-price at the Sitka White Elephant Shop.
Store hours are noon to 3 p.m. Thursday and Saturday, and 6 to 8 p.m. Monday.
Health Insurance
Marketplace Set
To Open Nov. 1
The Health Insurance Marketplace will begin its limited open enrollment period on Nov. 1 for patients needing health coverage.
Consumers will have more plans to choose from than before. Shop and compare plans by working with the SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium Patient Health Benefits team.
The team is available to assist anyone with the enrollment process.
“Thanks to the American Rescue Plan Act, health insurance through the Health Insurance Marketplace is now more affordable than eve,” said Susan Briles, Patient Health Benefits supervisor. “We encourage those who do not have health insurance coverage to check it out to see what may be available to them. The Patient Health Benefits team is here to help.”
The open enrollment period will close on Jan, 15. SEARHC is a Certified Application Counselor agency and offers free assistance to all Southeast residents by appointment. Those who need assistance or have questions, may contact the Patient Health Benefits team at outreach@searhc.org or call 907-966-8684.
Fish and Game
Panel to Meet
The Sitka Fish and Game Advisory Committee will meet via web-conference 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 4, via Zoom. The public is invited.
To join the meeting, go to: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84419842298?pwd=UXRaY0g2YWdtdVg0RjJLdWxmUU1hQT09; Phone Number, +1 253 215 8782; Meeting ID, 844 1984 2298; Passcode, Sitka (214050 by phone).
The agenda will include: Board of Fisheries herring proposals (props. 156-169, 233) and other business as needed.
Meetings are open to the public and all are welcomed to participate
For further information and questions, contact John Murray, vice chair, jmfish3@gmail.com or Annie Bartholomew at the Department of Fish & Game. To be added to the electronic email notices for meetings, send an email to Bartholomew.
Advisory committees are local groups that meet to discuss fishing and wildlife issues and to provide recommendations to Alaska Board of Fisheries and Alaska Board of Game.
Advisory committees are intended to provide a local forum on fish and wildlife issues. Their purpose includes: 1) developing regulatory proposals; 2) evaluating regulatory proposals and making recommendations to the appropriate board; 3) providing a local forum for fish and wildlife conservation and use, including matters relating to habitat; 4) advising the appropriate regional council on resources; and 5) consulting with individuals, organizations, and agencies.
Those who need a special accommodation to participate in any of these public meetings, call 907-465-4110 no later than 48 hours prior to the meeting, to make any necessary arrangements.
Whalefest Plans
Viewing Parties
Sitka Whalefest Symposium viewing watch parties have been set up at four Sitka locations – UAS-Sitka, Alaska Raptor Center, Sitka Sound Science Center Mill Building, and Mean Queen restaurant.
Sitkans can join fellow WhaleFest enthusiasts while watching the symposium on a big screen together and then meet some of this year’s speakers and participate in the Q&A sessions.
Registration is required for the limited capacity event at SitkaWhaleFest.org. Look for the ‘‘online registration’’ link.
