Politics

Six months ago Siikauraq Whiting applied for her dream job as superintendent for the Western Arctic Parklands. After a lengthy process, she was selected over more than 100 nationwide applicants in early January. But then on Valentine’s Day, Whiting received the news. She had been fired along with around 30 or so other probationary Park Service employees statewide.

Unofficial results show Patkotak with 54% of the vote so far, over 400 votes ahead of the next closest candidate. With a little more than 100 votes left uncounted, 29-year-old Patkotak is likely to become the youngest person to hold the position.

The three-day event had been scheduled for Oct. 21-23 in Anchorage. However, AFN President Julie Kitka said in a statement Tuesday, “the high-risk factors of holding a 5,000-person indoor meeting, with delegates coming in from across Alaska, make an in-person October gathering out of the question.”

For now, Patkotak isn’t committing to any legislative caucus. He says he hopes to take his role as an independent lawmaker seriously.

The for-profit corporations are eligible for a share of the $8 billion in funding set aside for Native American tribes. That’s led to some heated rhetoric in the Lower 48 and on Capitol Hill.

A bill that would substantially reform the state’s Village Public Safety Officer Program received public testimony last week from various Native leaders across the state.

John Lincoln, the Alaska state representative who represents the Northwest Arctic and North Slope boroughs, says he will not run for reelection.