Southeast Alaska: Tlingit Artist Tells Cautionary Tale About Use of Feathers in Art - Award-winning Tlingit carver Archie Cavanaugh is still reeling from federal charges that threatened to imprison him for 10 years and impose a $100,000 fine - all because he put feathers on his work.

Before: Shakee.át (headdress) adorned with flicker feathers
Photograph courtesy SHI

Cavanaugh says he did not know he was prohibited by two federal laws from using flicker feathers and raven feathers on pieces for sale, and he wants other Native artists to know they could be in legal peril as well.

“It was devastating, it was depressive. It was hurtful, painful, for a carver - a Tlingit - to go through what I did, not knowing it was a law,” Cavanaugh said.

“So many of our people use these materials and they’re not aware that selling them is prohibited. The use of flicker feathers is an ancient practice,” said Sealaska Heritage Institute President Rosita Worl. “And as far as we’re aware, flicker feathers come from birds that are not endangered.”

Cavanaugh’s ordeal began when an agent with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently contacted him, saying the artist could face prison time and substantial fines because he was attempting to sell online a shakee.át (headdress) adorned with flicker feathers and a hat that had raven feathers on it. He says a farmer in the Lower 48 gave the flicker feathers to him and an animal control officer gave the raven feathers to him.

Cavanaugh faced charges under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act for attempted sale of the flicker feathers and under the Lacey Act for attempted sale of the raven feathers. He hired a lawyer and settled the case in October, agreeing to pay a $2,000 fine with no prison time. He also was forced to strip the feathers from his pieces and hand them over to the agency.

Cavanaugh says he complied to avoid prison time and a financially devastating fine, but he doesn’t understand why he isn’t allowed to sell especially items adorned with flicker feathers, which are found on ancient pieces. A revered Tlingit carver from Wrangell named Kaajisduáx.ch (Man For You To Hear) sold such pieces, he said. - More...
Wednesday PM - October 17, 2012

Ketchikan: KIC awarded $1.2 million grant to improve Alaska Native Graduation Rate in Ketchikan - The United States Department of Education Alaska Native Education Program (ANEP) has awarded the Ketchikan Indian Community Education Department a $1.2 million, three-year grant to improve the Native student graduation rate in Ketchikan.  

John Brown, Ketchikan Indian Community Tribal Education Director
Photo courtesy KIC

The grant project, called Tribal Scholars, will be used in partnership with the Ketchikan Gateway Borough School District to enable eligible students to learn in culturally appropriate contexts while enrolled at KGBSD.  This partnership is a groundbreaking collaboration between the Ketchikan Indian Community Tribe and the Ketchikan school district.  

As reported by the Ketchikan Gateway Borough School District, the Native graduation rate in Ketchikan is approximately 56%.  The Native Scholars program’s goal is to improve the graduation rate by 15% over three years through intensive remedial instruction in core areas, culturally appropriate practices, and behavioral health support.   Each year, the Tribal Scholars program will support up to 24 learners in grades 9th through 11th grade.

KIC SSEATEC Director, John Brown, stated, “This program is the next step in a process begun three years ago with our first Alaska Native Education Program grant.  First, we learned of the problems and challenges our students were experiencing; now we are working with the school district to do something about it.” - More...
Wednesday - October 17, 2012

Alaska: Maker of "XTRATUF" Responds: Begich and Honeywell agree, “XTRATUF” corporate-tax problem requires immediate action - After shining the spotlight on the declining quality of XTRATUF boots after its manufacturer, Honeywell, moved production to China, Sen. Mark Begich may have found some common ground with the beleaguered boot-maker: both believe the U.S. corporate tax rate is too high.

Begich joined with Senate colleagues Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Dan Coats (R-Ind.) in the “Bipartisan Tax Fairness and Simplification Act of 2011” to cut the six existing corporate tax brackets to a flat corporate tax rate of 24 percent. The bill also includes provisions to allow most small businesses to expense all equipment and inventory costs and provides incentives for corporations that have moved overseas, like Honeywell, to reinvest in the United States.

“With many small businesses paying up to 35 percent in corporate taxes, my bipartisan proposal will free up capital that can be used to create jobs here in the U.S.,” Begich said. “There’s no question tax reform is needed as soon as possible, and I’ll work with anyone in the Senate, regardless of party, to get us there.” - More...
Wednesday - October 17, 2012

Political Cartoons

Vending Democracy
By Christopher Weyant ©2012
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Viewpoints
Commentary
Opinions/Letters
Basic Rules &
Freedom of Speech

VP Debate By Rob Holston - CNN Wolf Blitzer, commenting on the VP debate, said one issue was “women’s right to abortion.” Is there anyone else out there who actually recognizes the liberal left wing position that Blitzer demonstrates with this supposedly “neutral” (CNN) comment? - More...
Monday PM - October 15, 2012

Support Rep. Peggy Wilson By Linda Koons Auger - I will be voting for Representative Peggy Wilson for House District 33 on Election Day, Tuesday, November 6th.  For those of you that seem to be worried about a candidate being “LOCAL”, I would say that “SENIORITY” is what you should be concerned about! Losing one House seat due to re-districting places our community and Southeast Alaska in a potentially precarious position in the Legislature. In a 40-member House of Representatives, the SENIORITY Representative Wilson brings to the table is invaluable.   - More...
Monday PM - October 15, 2012

Theft By Jeff Lundberg - I must proclaim my disgust to the person who stole the donation jar from the Craig library on October 11 during business hours. - More...
Monday PM - October 15, 2012

Timely President's speech By A. M. Johnson - As a staunch conservative constitutional voting citizen who has NEVER voted Democrat for the obvious philosophical reasons allows me to suggest that a speech by this Democrat given in today's strain of Democrats would have current Democrats screeching much as finger nails on a black board to attempt shutting out the words. Doubt me? Then listen to that speech and you draw your conclusions of what the Democratic Party was and where it is today. - More...
Monday PM - October 15, 2012

The Bait-and-Switch on Alaskan Energy By U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski - An alliance of environmental activists and Democratic politicians has spent decades blocking the efforts of Alaskans to access the rich energy resources of our state.

When Alaskans wanted to open the 1002 area of ANWR to exploration and production, opponents of progress stymied our efforts with fear-mongering and obstructionism. In so doing, they frequently pointed to the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska in the northwest corner of the state as a preferable location for drilling. This, they argued, would protect the coastal plain of ANWR. - More...
Wednesday PM - October 10, 2012

New Trade Agreement Could Hurt U.S. Companies By Donald A. Moskowitz - The Obama administration is currently negotiating another free trade agreement, which will increase the likelihood of awarding federal contracts to foreign companies located on the Pacific Rim.  Countries in Southeast Asia will benefit by the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), add jobs, while the U.S. could lose more manufacturing jobs. - More...
Wednesday PM - October 10, 2012

Open Letter: Alaska Airlines & TSA By Donna Lewis - I flew to Seattle urgently due to a family emergency last Wednesday.  The cost of my ticket $508.40.  Being in the frame of mind that I was, I had not thought to look in my "wallet" on Alaska Air to discover that there was a 30% discount, and unfortunately since I had already booked the ticket I was not able to use that discount.  I booked my flight last night to return today and used the 30% discount with this return flight.  This cost was a total of $364.30.  All in total, my round trip ended up costing me a total of $872.70 and that was for flying in coach. - More...
Wednesday PM - October 10, 2012

Fair Tax Plan By Roy T Newsom - The unemployment report at 7.8% with 32 days left before the election gives a false impression.  Not counted were those who have stopped looking for a job, unemployment is closer to 14% with over 23,000,000 Americans unemployed or under-employed. - More...
Wednesday PM - October 10, 2012 

Fair Tax By Irving B. Welchons III - Both presidential candidates are making noise about how their tax plan will help you and their opponents will harm you.  Neither of them has talked about a plan that has been put before congress that would eliminate the income tax, payroll taxes and the IRS. - More..
Wednesday PM - October 10, 2012 

We strengthen ourselves by voting By Ishmael Hope - In November of 1912, thirteen men and one woman gathered together in Juneau to organize the Alaska Native Brotherhood, which is now celebrating its momentous Centennial in Sitka where its first camp was organized. The Founders included Peter Simpson, Ralph Young, Frank Price, Paul Liberty, Seward Kunz, James Watson, Frank Mercer, Chester Worthington, James C. Johnson, George Fields, Eli Katanook, William Hobson, Andrew Wanamaker and Marie Orsen. The Founding Fathers and Mother of the Alaska Native Brotherhood likely couldn't have imagined in their wildest dreams the great achievements of the Brotherhood and the Sisterhood. They gathered together to protect their people, and they proved to be enormously successful. - More...
Friday PM - October 05, 2012

Matt Olsen for State Rep. By Karen Eakes - As a teacher in the School District, I have known Matt Olsen since he was an elementary school student at Valley Park School. As a parent, I have known Matt as a high school friend of one of our daughters and as a fine musician in the Concert Band.  Then, years later I got to know him much better as an adult with a young family and a responsible job at the University. - More...
Friday PM - October 05, 2012

World Teachers' Day: October 5th By Arne Duncan - World Teachers’ Day gives us an opportunity to celebrate the contributions of teachers across the globe. Education is recognized worldwide as the most important driver of economic growth and social change, and teachers are the ones leading the way. - More...
Friday PM- October 05, 2012

City of Ketchikan Taxes By Douglas Thompson - Well the city taxes are coming due once more.  It is frustrating to give hard earned money to the city manager to waste.  It is more so when one such tax is illegal.  I refer to the city boat tax.  A tax that the borough has dropped for its residents even though their boats may be in city harbors.  Seems highly discriminatory although that is not why I refer to it as illegal.  The city wishes us as citizens to follow its enacted statutes but they in turn do not seem to feel obligated to follow the higher laws that govern them (state and federal).  - More...
Friday - September 28, 2012

TIME FOR ALASKA TO ALIGN WITH THE ASIAN MARKET By Bill Walker - Since the award of the AGIA contract, Alaska has funded Exxon/TransCanada in the amount of $188 million, yet Alaska  has not been told the results of the first July 2010 open season.  However, Asia’s strong demand for Valdez LNG was confirmed on September 14th when the Alaska Gasline Port Authority submitted nominations, on behalf of Asian buyers, in response to ExxonMobil/ TransCanada's AGIA second solicitation of interest.  As discussed below, the Port Authority has made those nominations public in the hope of encouraging open discourse about what steps must be taken immediately to monetize North Slope gas. - More...
Friday - September 28, 2012

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