Hello, this is Crystal Duncan, a candidate for the Sitka Assembly. Thank you for your consideration; I hope this statement will serve as a tool for you to learn more about me and my candidacy.
For just a moment I’d like to take you back in time to Superbowl Sunday. We remember this moment, our town received a shout out as an internet browser was displayed on our television screen and the words typed into the search bar read that little town off the coast of Juneau. Next we heard “Hey Google, remember Loretta loved going to Alaska.”
Sitka was the star of the show, if only for one scene in that short commercial. Our community took from that moment a sense of pride because it’s true, there are many who visited Sitka and fell in love with our community. There are many who followed family members to this foreign land; there are many who showed up in pursuit of economic opportunities; and there are many who have roots that date back since time immemorial. No matter how you ended up here, we are all the benefactors of what Sitka has to offer.
My vision is this, by working together we can create a place that works for each member of this community.
Sitka has been grappling with how to maintain the health of Sitkans, ensure economic viability through uncertain times, and plan for the future despite the many unknowns brought on by COVID-19. I have watched neighbors put out of work, friends struggle to figure out childcare, and businesses unsure whether they would survive to reopen their doors. The Assembly table is where support measures are discussed and voted on, and I’m ready to cast a vote.
Additionally, at all levels of government, shrinking budgets have resulted in our town needing to accomplish more with less. A willingness to reassess, get creative, and see the big picture will help us move forward. I am here to push those conversations and decisions.
I believe one of our greatest strengths rests in our ability to partner, share resources, and strategize solutions to common concerns. As a Tribal Citizen my ability to understand and work between our two primary government structures will be beneficial to the Assembly. I look forward to a three year term in which we can address all citizen’s concerns.
My greatest successes have always been while working in partnership with others. I know how to pull in ideas from diverse industries and communities, and I’m not afraid to use my voice to amplify the needs and ideas of others.
Thank you so much for allowing me to share more about my candidacy. I would like to close by sharing this:
K’ayéitl’i yóo xat duwasáakw. Ch’áak’ naax xát sitee. Teikweidée áyá xát. Shaanax hít áwé haa naakahídi. Sheet’káx’ yéi xat nawaat. Kiks.ádi yadix xát sitee.
My name is Crystal Duncan; my Tlingit name is K’ayéitl’i. I come from a matrilineal society which means my clan is gifted to me from my mother’s line. We are eagle, brown bear, from the Valley house in Angoon. I was born and raised in Sitka. To show respect to my father’s side of the family I identify myself as the child of the raven frog clan, meaning my father’s roots are Kiks.ádi
from this place called Sheet’ka.
Gunalcheesh, I hope I can count on your vote.
