(SitNews) Ketchikan, Alaska - A high number of Tribal citizens turned out Monday, January 16, 2023, as Ketchikan Indian Community held Annual Tribal Elections with 473 members casting their votes.

Incumbents Lloyd Ruaro and Judy Leask-Guthrie were reelected to retain their seats on the Tribal Council for additional three-year terms. Gianna ‘Saanuga’ Willard, who had been appointed by the Tribal Council to fill a vacant seat in September of 2021, was also elected for another term. Running unopposed, Amber Williams-Baldwin was reelected to the Advisory Health Board for a two-year term and will be joined by write-in candidate Kristina Shorey pending a successful vetting process.

The official ballot included seven candidates for the Tribal Council and one candidate for Advisory Health Board. Write-in votes were cast for four individuals for Tribal Council and five individuals for Advisory Health Board.

An official memo from Chairperson of the KIC Elections Board Bertha Hamilton certified the following election returns:

TRIBAL COUNCIL:

177 — Lloyd B. Ruaro
172 — Judy Leask-Guthrie
154 — Gianna Saanuga Willard
142 — Rushcelle “Pebbles” Hull
135 — Randy Williams
124 — Sharyl Whitesides-Yeisley
121 — David Jensen

Write-Ins:
83 — Charlie White
5 — Kristina Shorey
5 — Gloria Burns
5 - Gloria

ADVISORY HEALTH BOARD:

309 — Amber Williams-Baldwin

Write-Ins:
34 — Kristina Shorey (Placement on board pending a successful vetting proces)
26 — Rushcelle P. Hull
24 — Sharyl W. Yeisley
18 — Caroline Luckey
14 — Robert Sanderson

The Annual Membership Meeting was also held Monday afternoon and led by Trixie ‘Kayaaní Shaawát’ Bennett, president of Ketchikan Indian Community. Tribal Council and Administration presented to a packed room of Tribal citizens to share information about accomplishments of the Tribe’s programs and services in 2022 and their goals for 2023.

The highlight of the meeting was the President’s Awards where the Tribal Council recognized a number of individuals for their positive representation and service to the Tribe.

President’s Awards:

• Willard ‘Klíewaan’ Jackson was honored as the Citizen of the Year for his ongoing leadership on behalf of Tribal Veterans, his advocacy for Alaska Native causes, and his lifelong service to the Tribal community.

• Just Dandy Apothecary & Café owned by Larissa ‘Leek’u Shaa’ Sivertsen was honored as Business of the Year for exemplifying the Tribal value of ‘holding each other up’ as she mentors the fellow Tribal citizens who work for her and for her focus on providing our community with healthy food options, including locally sourced foods.

• Torah ‘Adaal’ Zamora was honored as Emerging Leader of the Year for the investments she is making into our Tribe as she puts her education and cultural heritage studies into practice while inviting other Tribal members to join her for monthly cultural gatherings, outdoor activities, and language revitalization activities.

• Alberta Shields was honored as the Herring Egg Volunteer of the Year for her hard work and enthusiasm as she assisted as KIC distributed Herring Eggs to Tribal citizens in 2022 and helped bring awareness and respect to the Tribe’s values, customs and traditions.

• Lynn Quan was honored as Employee of the Year for her dedicated service of Tribal citizens for more than 27 years, currently as director for KIC’s Social Service Department, and the dedicated way she supports a staff of 18 as they work together to serve the most vulnerable in our community.

• Cecelia ‘CC’ Johnson was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award for her advocacy for the betterment of our Tribe and of humanity. A lifelong leader in the Native community, CC has served on Tribal Council, the Advisory Health Board, the Alaska Native Health Board, as a longtime ANB/ANS member, a WISH crisis volunteer, and as a certified Advanced Alcohol Counselor in the Alaska Court System.

In addition to the formal awards ceremony at the Annual Membership Meeting, the Tribe plans to highlight each of the awardees individually. Watch social media for more details.

Ketchikan Indian Community is the second largest tribe in the state of Alaska, and its 6000+ tribal citizens are descendants of Tlingit, Haida & Tsimshian as well as Aleut and many other tribal nations. Ketchikan Indian Community incorporated in 1940 under the Indian Reorganization Act and is now a federally recognized Indian Tribe and a sovereign nation. Ketchikan Indian Community’s mission is to enhance and protect the interests of the Tribe and its Tribal citizens; to assist their Tribal members in becoming self-sufficient through the provision of socioeconomic services; and to enrich and uphold their cultural heritage and traditional way of life.

Edited/Posted by Mary Kauffman, SitNews

Source of News:

Ketchikan Indian Community
Mischa Chernick, Communications Manager
www.kictribe.org

 

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