ALASKA VENTURE FUND; IGIUGIG VILLAGE COUNCIL

“Ciuqlirput ciuniurluku taugaam” or “towards our future only” meaning “to draw upon our history and knowledge to think about our future and the ones coming behind us.”

– Grandmother

Hometown/Current City: Igiugig

Education: Bachelor's degree, Native American studies and anthropology, Dartmouth College, 2008; First Nations Futures Program Fellow, Stanford University, 2012; Master's degree, rural development, UAF, 2021 Community Work: Indigenous leader and President of the Igiugig Village Council; Of Yup’ik and Aleut descent - was raised in the village of Igiugig; Worked for the Igiugig Tribal Village Council as Acting Administrator from 2008 to 2017, and as President from 2008 to the present; Vice President of the Igiugig Native Corporation board, which is responsible for stewardship of 66,000 acres; Leading the revitalization of two endangered Alaska Native languages - Lake Iliamna dialect of Yup’ik and Dena’ina - with the tribes that call Lake Iliamna, Alaska’s largest lake, home; Design-building of a community cultural center as a space to celebrate Igyararmiut wellbeing, language and tribal self-determination; Serve on the Nilavena Tribal Health Consortium and the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History advisory board; In 2015, invited to President Obama’s roundtable discussion with Alaska Native leaders; Praised by Sen. Dan Sullivan, in 2017, on the Senate floor for helping strengthen the community and making it an incredible place to live; Partner at Alaska Venture Fund and leads investments in sustainable communities in the Bristol Bay region.

Family: Maternal granddaughter of John Olympic of Kokhanok, and Mary Gregory of Kukaklek; paternal granddaughter of Robert Salmon and Margery Jones of Penfield, N.Y.; daughter of the late Daniel Salmon of Penfield and Julia Olympic of Igiugig; lives and works alongside brothers and sisters in Igiugig; adopted two girls in 2012, Dolly Ann and Fewnia, and has four: Erika, Mavrik, Luke and Addison.

What is your favorite place in Alaska and why?: My grandmother's fish camp at the outlet of Lake Iliamna as it flows into the Kvichak River, where our family has put up fish since time immemorial. It is home to my favorite childhood memories, my favorite summer activity of putting up fish and boating. And the water is crystal clear, pristine and the most refreshing in the world.

Name the person you respect and why: The person I respect is my father, the late Dan Salmon, because he raised us in the village but made sure we were connected to opportunities at home and abroad. He was a visionary leader who led by example and dedicated his life to serving our community and region.

What is your favorite pastime or hobby away from work?: Two of my favorite pastimes are being out on the land adventuring and picking berries.

What was your first job?: My sister and I formed our first company providing housekeeping, babysitting and other odds and ends while in middle school. This led into several years of housekeeping at area sportfishing lodges. My official employment began with Igiugig Village Council as a librarian in ninth grade, and I have continued working for the tribe in various capacities since 2001.

What has been your most rewarding community service?: Serving as Igiugig's health care representative to Nilavena Tribal Health Consortium and helping our region move to care under Southcentral Foundation in 2015. Since then, we have enjoyed greater health care coverage and expanded services. In your professional life, what has been a project or achievement you have found to be the most fulfilling?: At the time I went to undergraduate school, Igiugig had identified a Community Cultural Center as a top three priority to accomplish. For my rural development master's degree I used a community-based participatory research method to inform the design, function and program of the Igiugig Community Cultural Center. Today, we are at 100% design and have received initial construction funding. The project should be completed in 2024, and has been the most challenging, but fulfilling project I have worked on - yet to be achieved fully. In the meantime, we have worked vigorously at language and cultural revitalization projects, which will be celebrated in the center once completed.

Based on your own experiences, what advice would you give on maintaining a good work-life balance?: Honestly, my work is life, so I feel very blessed that I do not need to separate the two to maintain balance, and our approach is holistic and the beneficiaries are our future generations. So, my advice is to work on what you love and find fulfilling, and build a team or work family that share that vision and responsibility, help to lift you up and are worth your time and energy. When "work" gets overwhelming, I know it's time to spend time out on the land to reset and re-energize. The basic advice most people give to me is "Just say ‘no,’" which is far easier said than done.