Seven candidates are vying for the four open council seats, and two candidates are in the running for the chair, including the incumbent chair Lawrence “Woody” Widmark, and the incumbent vice-chair Yeidikook’áa Dionne Brady-Howard.
Unlike the divisive rhetoric of some national races, Widmark and Yeidikook’áa shared a common belief that the welfare of the Tribe’s 4,500 citizens was a top priority.
Widmark said that was achieved through building bridges.
“I think one of the things that that I’m really grateful this past year is building our relationships with our Native organizations, corporations, Sealaska, Shee Atiká,” said Widmark, “and challenging the Tribal Council to meet with them, and how we can work together instead of being adversaries for the past couple of years.”
Yeidikook’áa agreed, and saw another way forward through supporting education.
“I would really like to see more higher education and career and technical education support for students as well,” she said. “I think that we have a solid scholarship, but the scholarship in and of itself doesn’t do enough to help tribal citizens with their education when there’s so many hoops to jump through to be able to get that education.”
The seven candidates running for the four open seats on the council were a mix of incumbents, newcomers, and former council members coming back for more. Bob Sam is one of the latter. He’s well-known for his work restoring Sitka’s cemeteries, but he’s got a broader vision, and he’s eager to work on it.
“I got cataracts removed, and I have 2020 vision,” he said. “So my energy is coming back, and my energy really feels really good now. I’ve served on Council, Enrollment (Committee) and Historic Preservation (Committee). I decided to run this year to share my experience.”
Alana Peterson is one of three incumbents running for another two-year term on the Sitka Tribal Council. She’s the executive director of Spruce Root, a small-business development nonprofit. Peterson just turned 39, and supports opening council seats to citizens under 30, to keep the Tribe relevant and moving forward.
“You know, I really believe that the Sitka Tribe is doing such a great job in so many ways,” Peterson said, “but I also believe in continuous improvement. So I want to make sure we work to become a better employer with strong systems and structures in place to support all the really good work that staff are doing, and then also have the strong governance at the top. And the two things working really well together.”
Fellow incumbent Lillian Feldpausch also supported strong tribal governance, but as a means to support culture.
“Our Constitution, I feel is important as it helps guide us as we kind of move along governance,” she said. “I want to ensure that we sustain our rural status, our tribal sovereignty. A lot of this is our way of life, through culture, through language, through food.”
A third incumbent running for reelection, Louise Brady, was not present at the election forum.
Of the three candidates trying for a first term on the council, Blossom Teal-Olsen is a familiar face in local politics, having most recently served as president of the Sitka School Board. Teal-Olsen said it’s important for the Tribe – though sovereign – to remain involved at all levels in the community.
“I have an extensive history in public service, and I’d like to continue to sit at those tables to ensure that our tribal citizens do have a voice and we do have goals that we set out together and work towards,” said Teal-Olsen.
Candidate Sonya Smith would like to see more turnover on the Tribal Council, and is in support of term limits. Her top concerns involve the health and well-being of citizens, especially those struggling with alcoholism. If elected, she’d be new at the table, but she promises to be at the table.
“It’s pretty obvious that there’s a learning curve to it all I’m willing to learn, but I’m also motivated to admit that, as an artist, time is my greatest resource,” she said, “and I know what it’s like to make a commitment, to keep your word, to follow through and to show up.”
Candidate Steve Johnson has served three terms as president of the Southeast Alaska Cultural Center, but this is his first crack at elected office. He cited food security, housing, and economics as his top concerns, saying all three affected the quality of life of tribal citizens.
“If we have financial problems and problems feeding ourselves and feeding each other, then we don’t have time to perpetuate our culture,” he said, “and we don’t have time to do the things that we want to do as tribal citizens and do the things that we would love to do with our families: learn language, sing songs, have events, and so much of that I feel is in danger of being killed off by economics.”
Early voting for the Sitka Tribal Council is open now through November 11 at the Sitka Tribe of Alaska offices on Siginaka Way. Election Day is Tuesday, November 12, polls will be open 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. at the Sheet’ka Kwaán Naa Kahidi, and 4-6 p.m. at Sea Mart.
