The AKPIRG Advocate, October 2025
Coming Together for Western Alaska 💛
Our hearts are with all of the Western Alaska communities affected by Typhoon Halong. Thousands have been displaced, homes destroyed, and entire communities are suffering from unimaginable loss – the impact is deep, and recovery will take time, care, and the support of all of us.
The recovery from Typhoon Halong is compounded by devastating cuts to critical federal funding programs in recent months. Funds that could have helped rural communities prepare for and respond to extreme weather events like this have been frozen, or terminated all together. The lasting effects of disasters such as this are a direct result of policy choices – and rural and Indigenous communities are the first to bear the cost of these choices. We all have a responsibility to hold decision-makers accountable for ensuring that those resources reach the communities who need them most.
As recovery efforts continue, AKPIRG extends gratitude to the emergency responders providing on-the-ground support and to the organizations that are stepping up to get families the resources they need to rebuild.
Here are some ways to support Western Alaska communities recover from Typhoon Halong:
Donate to the Western Alaska Disaster Relief 2025 Fund
Donations to the Alaska Community Foundation partnership fund, called the Western Alaska Disaster Relief 2025 Fund, can be made online at alaskacf.org/westernalaska, by calling 907-334-6700, or by mailing a check payable to the Alaska Community Foundation with “Western Alaska Disaster Relief” in the memo line to 3201 C St., Suite 110, Anchorage, AK 99503.
Purchase new items that will be sent directly to the Bethel Community Services Foundation
Lynden Air Cargo Donation Drive
Lynden Air Cargo is accepting dry-goods donations and flying them to Bethel. Donations can be delivered to 6441 South Airpark Place, Anchorage, AK 99502 from 8am-7pm Monday-Friday, or 8am-4pm on Saturday.
AFN is accepting donations of essential items at their annual convention at the Dena’ina Center in Anchorage this week. Click the link to see suggested donation items.
Thank you to all who have already stepped up with donations, supplies, and time – your care and solidarity make a difference.
Nihłireechyàa, We Are Counting:
American Community Survey (ACS) Resources in Alaska Native Languages
For several months, we’ve been working closely with the AKPIRG Alaska Native Language Panels to bring something special to life: accessible messaging about the American Community Survey (ACS) in nine Alaska Native languages. The ACS, an annual demographics survey conducted every year by the U.S. Census Bureau, plays a huge role in shaping how trillions of federal dollars are distributed across the country. When one person fills out the survey, it benefits the entire community.
Ensuring access to information and resources in Alaska Native languages is essential for supporting education, civic engagement, cultural continuity, and traditional ways of life in Native communities. When Alaska Native language speakers identify themselves in the ACS, it helps ensure that their whole community is counted. That can mean more funding and language access for things like voting materials, emergency response, and other essential services.
Today, we’re thrilled to share the first piece of our new digital ACS Language Toolkit: a video about the ACS and why it matters, created by the Dena’ina language panel – Edna and Jennifer. We hope you watch, share, and celebrate their voices with us!
We are deeply grateful to the Alaska Native language panelists – multigenerational language learners, language experts, and culture bearers from across the state – whose knowledge, time, and care made this project possible. Their voices and leadership are at the heart of this toolkit.
And there’s so much more to come! Stay tuned for the full toolkit launch in the coming weeks. Follow AKPIRG on social media as we highlight the work of each language panel and share the heart, care, and creative process behind these messages in Alaska Native languages.
The name of the project, Nihłireechyàa, We Are Counting Each Other, was generously shared by Mary Fields, a Gwichyaa Zhee Gwich’in elder.
NOW HIRING: Executive Director ‼️
We're hiring!🔥AKPIRG is looking for a passionate Executive Director to join our team in advocating for Alaskans’ civic, economic, and social well-being. If you or someone you know is ready to guide a mission-driven organization, build strong community partnerships, and make a real impact across the state, apply or share this opportunity!
The position is open until filled, but applications submitted by October 30 will receive priority.To see the full job description, click here.
To apply, send your resume and cover letter to info@nokomisstrategies.co
Stranded: A Community
Conversation on Transit & Housing 🏘🚐
This month, Anchorage Housing Club and YWCA Alaska co-hosted Stranded: A Community Conversation on Transit & Housing, an event that invited residents to reflect on the connections between housing and transportation challenges in Anchorage. AKPIRG’s Anchorage Housing Organizer, Nithya Thiru, guided the discussion with four grounding questions:
What barriers do you or folks in your community currently face in accessing
public transportation or getting around Anchorage?Would you consider your neighborhood walkable? Why or why not?
What is one thing you think the city could do to improve access to transit and housing?
What does your ideal neighborhood look like?
The 40 attendees split into six groups to swap stories and brainstorm together before coming back to a full-group conversation. Common themes included the need for better-maintained and accessible bus stops, safer walking routes between neighborhoods, and lots of excitement for building housing near transit.
Hands-on activities brought these ideas to life: a photo wall showcased housing styles from Alaska and beyond, sparking comments and reflections on sticky notes, and a large map of Anchorage let people mark where they live and work, highlighting the long and varied commutes so many tackle each day.
The event made clear that challenges with transportation and housing are deeply interconnected and that solutions must center the experiences of people navigating those challenges every day. By coming together to share stories, imagine improvements, and highlight barriers, participants began charting a path toward a more accessible, equitable Anchorage. Notecards collected during the event, along with the broader themes raised in discussion, will be shared with the Anchorage Assembly and the Mayor’s Office as part of the ongoing public process for the ordinance that supports housing development near existing transit lines, also known as the Transit Supportive Development Overlay (TSDO). These community voices will help inform policies that build housing near transit, connect neighborhoods, and ensure every Anchorage resident can get where they need to go, safely and affordably.
To learn more about Anchorage Housing Club and future events visit their website.
Join Us: Ancestral Voices Webinar
on Breast Cancer Prevention 🖥
What happens when public health meets language access? Over the past few months, the AKPIRG Yugtun Language Panel partnered with Alaska Community Action on Toxics (ACAT) to bring breast cancer prevention messages to life in Yugtun. We’re thrilled that panelists Rosalie Lincoln and Catherine Moses will be joining a webinar this month with ACAT to discuss their work!
Join ACAT for Ancestral Voices: Breast Cancer Prevention, Toxic Chemicals Linked with Breast Cancer, and the Importance of Alaska Native Language Revitalization – a powerful conversation about how toxic exposures, environmental justice, and Alaska Native language revitalization intersect in the effort to prevent breast cancer.
🗓️ October 28, 2025
🕙 10 am AKT / 11 am PT
Let’s come together to protect our health, our languages, and our future.
Two-Day Community Convening
Event in Seward! ✨
The Alaska Just Transition Collective is bringing people together for a two-day Community Convening in Seward on October 25–26, in collaboration with the Qutekcak Native Tribe and the Seward Prevention Coalition.
This gathering will welcome small business owners, Tribal leaders, union members, artists, educators, community organizers, faith leaders, elected officials, and workers from across key sectors to imagine and build a Seward that is more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient.
The event is free to attend, with breakfast, lunch, and childcare provided. Each morning kicks off with free yoga at Seward Yoga, and every evening features community-wide programming.
Spots are limited!
New Report: Payday Lending in Alaska
Since 2022, AKPIRG has led the effort to eliminate predatory lending in Alaska by advocating alongside a coalition of organizations for legislative action to protect Alaskans.
This May, the Alaska State Legislature passed a bill to cap payday loan interest rates with broad, multipartisan support – a major step toward ending predatory lending in our state. Unfortunately, Governor Dunleavy vetoed the bill soon after.
That veto isn’t the end of the story. As lawmakers prepare to reconvene in January, AKPIRG and our partners are continuing to push for an override, and exploring every available path to end harmful lending practices in Alaska.
Throughout two legislative sessions, AKPIRG’s research has played a central role in shaping the conversation. Lawmakers and advocates have cited our findings as key evidence that payday loans are not an acceptable form of credit for Alaskans.
Now, at this pivotal moment, we’re making that research public. Our new report compiles years of data and analysis on the real impacts of payday lending in Alaska, and outlines clear, evidence-based policy solutions to bring the predatory payday loan industry in line with responsible lending practices.
TAKE ACTION: Yukon Flats Not For Sale!
Tell the Alaska Department of Natural Resources that the Yukon Flats are not for sale! Emails are due by October 22nd.
Hilcorp, a privately held oil and gas company based in Texas, has a history of environmental and safety violations, and oil and gas development in the Yukon Flats threatens Indigenous communities’ sovereignty, subsistence practices, and food security. Yukon King salmon are already under pressure – further industrial development would put both the fish and the communities that rely on them at even greater risk.
