Bears, health and forestry in Chickaloon village

Bears, most likely a sow and her cubs, made their presence known at our fish wheel camp on the Copper River. They trashed things pretty good.

[Chickaloon tribe] Chief Gary Harrison said.

I said, Its almost as if theyre going to war with us, eating people and mauling them.

Harrison responded, Theyre not going to war with people, theyre just trying to protect their territory. If you flew over this area, you would see just how little room the wild animals have compared to what it used to be.

Council developing

100-year plan

Chickaloon Village Traditional Council will be developing a 100-year comprehensive sustainable economic-development plan for our 69,000 acres of land holdings. The first two of three planning grants have recently been awarded. One grant funds road and transportation planning. Another will assist in developing our integrated resource management plan, and the third deals with specific economic-development methods which use high environmental standards.

These planning funds will provide Chickaloon Village the opportunity to develop environmentally sound, long-term jobs, which will offer maximum value added in developing our forest-related industries. This will create economic activity of benefit to all residents.

Health department established

The Chickaloon Village Traditional Council has established the Chickaloon Health Commission as an arm of its government. The Chickaloon Health Commission is currently comprised of eight commissioners: Penny Westing, Jon Deisher, Martha & David Blanchett, Eileen Andrew-Hishon, P.A., Frances Hoyle, R.N., Charles Cameron, Kimberley Lazarus, D.C., and Chief Gary Harrison; ex officio. They will be in charge of the health department and seeking funds to expand our current health department into a full-service clinic.

Forestry department researches history

The forestry department has been researching Athabascan history in an attempt to locate, identify, record, and eventually protect Native sites of historical and cultural importance. They have completed two maps showing names of places, historical sites, and landmarks in the Ahtna and Denaina languages, respectively.

The forestry/historical staff and elder Katie Wade met with noted historian Nancy Yaw Davis. She shared information on how to locate and identify Native sites as well as the state and federal process on recording and protection of historical sites.

Housing program

Housing director Todd Erickson has kept work crews busy on rehabilitation and weatherization projects.

The Chickaloon government building in Sutton is undergoing major upgrading and remodeling and will house five offices. The mottos are Chickaloon Village Traditional Council Working to Build a Stronger Community and Turning Houses into Homes.

Patricia Wade is the editor of the Chickaloon News.