ALASKA NATIVE WATER TECHNICIANS GET CERTIFICATES

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 18, 1998

Fairbanks, Alaska - Twelve trainees have completed the Water Resources Technician Training Program at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. The program, funded by the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Trust Responsibilities, was conducted by the UAF Rural Alaska Honors Institute, the BIA, and the UAF Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

These federal agencies, along with the U.S. Geological Survey, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and UAF, volunteered staff to develop the curriculum and instructional materials as well as to provide classroom instruction.

The program covered the physical, environmental, legal and cultural aspects of water resources. Students were introduced to issues such as the Clean Water Act, waste water treatment operations, ground water protection, public water supply, principles of stream flow and stream flow measurement, hazardous waste, basic fish and wildlife biology, and hatchery operations. A short section of the three-week program was devoted to the basics of land surveying.

"There is a great need and desire to have Alaska Native people manage Native resources on Native-owned lands and therefore to develop water resources management expertise," said RAHI Program Director Jim Kowalsky, "and that is what drives this project."  

Joanne Gustafson of Arctic Village, a UAF junior majoring in natural resource management at UAF, was the program facilitator. Gustafson had participated in an earlier model of the program at the Cispus Learning Center in Washington state.

The UAF training program concluded with the granting of certificates at a ceremony on the Fairbanks campus. Student participants who earned certificates are:

Harriet Carlo, Louden Tribal Council, Galena

Martha Johns, Native Village of Venetie Tribal Government (IRA), Venetie

Christopher Mowers, Metlakatla Indian Community, Metlakatla

Martin Okpealuk, Native Village of Wales (IRA) Council, Wales

Gerald Peele Haida Nation, Hydaburg

Maurice Pence, Chistochina Village Council, Gakona

Matthew Sam, Native Village of Tanana

Duane Samuelson, Bethel

Jacob Stalker, Point Lay Village Council, Point Lay

Lestser Stephan, Native Village of Eklutna, Chugiak

Franklin Tritt, Council of Athabascan Tribal Government, Arctic Village

Vernon Wright, Sitka Tribe of Alaska, Sitka

-30-

CONTACT: RAHI Program Director Jim Kowalsky 907-474-6886, email: fyrahi@aurora.alaska.edu or BIA Program Administrator Mo Baloch 202-208-6042.

DPD/8-17-98/99-009