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Fairbanks Key Note Speaker at 91st Annual
ANB/ANS Grand Camp Convention
by Gigi Pilcher

 

October 01, 2003
Wednesday - 1:15 am


Ketchikan, AK - The 91st Annual Alaska Native Brotherhood Alaska Native Sisterhood (ANB/ANS) Grand Camp convention is being held in Ketchikan at the Ted Ferry Civic Center. The convention opened on Monday and will run through the week.


Cheryl Demmert Fairbanks

Key Note Speaker Cheryl Demmert Fairbanks, Sukax
Photo by Gigi Pilcher


Monday's key note speaker was Cheryl Demmert Fairbanks, Sukax, who is Tlingit-Tsimshian (Tsimshian/Wolf; Tlingit/Eagle). Her father is the late David Robert Demmert Sr., Wolf; Wut.clen, Galwe'it'h of the Taakw.aaneidi and her mother is Alice Leask Demmert, Tsimshian, Wolf;See ti yu. Her maternal grandparents were James C. Leask and Lillian Benson Leask, Tsimshian. Her paternal grandparents were James C. Leask and Lillain Driggs Demmert, Tlingit.

Cheryl Demmert Fairbanks was born in Ketchikan, Alaska. She is an attorney currently licensed in the State of New Mexico and a partner in the law firm of Roth, VanAmberg, Rogers, Ortiz & Yepa. She is in her second three-year term as the Chief Justice of the Yavapai-Apache Tribal Court.

Fairbanks spoke to this year's Grand Camp theme, "Channeling Our Youth Toward Current Economic Opportunities and Solutions". She stressed the importance of caring for our youth as " they will be the parents of us tomorrow" and "how we treat them today is how they will treat us when the time comes for them to care for us in our old age".

She spoke to the need for educational and economic opportunities and for healthy families to nurture our children. Demmert Fairbanks said education is the key to opening the doors for future opportunities.


Markel Wallace

Markel Wallace
Photo by Gigi Pilcher


Cheryl Demmert Fairbanks introduced Markel Wallace, age 14, who is the daughter of Lee and Winnona Wallace of Saxman. Wallace spoke about how she strives to do her very best at school and that she has set high expectations for herself. Wallace said her parents have high expectations and have always stressed the importance of getting a good education. Wallace said she works to get the best and highest grades at school.



 

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