Please note that these are not the official minutes of the meeting - these notes are quickly typed-in, brief notes provided by staff. Audio tapes will be available for purchase by the public at IMIG Audio/Video, 2611 Fairbanks St. Suite 100, Anchorage, AK 99503. Please contact Zena at (907) 274-2161. The price is $6 per 120 minute tape.

Goal: A more tolerant Alaska that celebrates our diversity of people and cultures.

1 p.m. Introduction of commission members

Rev. Chuck Eddy, Chair, of Anchorage
Gilbert Sanchez of Anchorage
Rep. Mary Kapsner of Bethel
Shari Kochman of Juneau
Kelly Brown of Fairbanks
Sen. Georgianna Lincoln of Rampart

1:10 Welcome from Mayor James C. Hayes, City of Fairbanks
Welcome to Fairbanks. This year will be an unforgettable year. Fairbanks residents have perished in these terrible events. What can we learn? People of different races, nationalities working together on common beliefs. Do we have problems? You bet we do. Keep on working at it

Rev. Chuck Eddy: Let's take a moment of silence to remember the people in New York and PA and DC.

Issues of Discrimination in Corrections and Juvenile Justice System
Corrections Commissioner Margaret Pugh
(overview of demographics of correctional system ­ minority overrepresentation)
Minorities overrepresented nationwide,. You'll see that 35.6 percent Alaska Native. 13.6 African American and 45.8 percent white. Percentages change on a day to day basis. Crime policies favor incarceration in the U.S. Incarceration rates higher than any other country. 423 per 100,000 incarcerated. End of 1999, 6.3 million Americans ­ 3.1 percent of adult population in prison. In Alaska we have 4097 in Prison. Book about 30,000 people per year. About 3,500 are non-criminal bookings.

Why does the United States and Alaska use incarceration and why are minorities overrepresented? The answer is mix of factors. We would do well to study each of those factors and do better, but for today, I'll provide you with facts. Prisoners are recruited from the poor, uneducated and unaffiliated. That often translates to recruitment from minority populations. Since 1973 American Incarceration rates have increased five-fold. Constituency has not changed during that time. Don't see any reversal in that trend any time soon because the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer. Median income of prisoners is one-third of national median income. Under-educated. Fewer than one in five are married. 37 percent have an immediate family member that is doing time. Mental illness is prevalent. Alcohol is the drug choice in Alaska. 80 percent of crimes in our state are alcohol related. Alaska's rates for child abuse and neglect, teenage suicide and rape and sexual assault are very high. Knowing these things helps the Dept. of Corrections deal with the challenges of this population. We have to address these challenges on multiple fronts.
Prevention. Early childhood development. I have served on the Children's cabinet in the Knowles Administration. Children in lower socioeconomic groups are quite often minorities. Head Start. We only serve 22 percent of the kids who are eligible. Those children are likely to be from more rural areas.
Lawmaking and funding for crime policies. Get tough on crime policies in last few decades. Three strikes and mandatory minimums have their problems and good points. More people are entering correctional facilities than leaving. Minorities are in effect targeted by those laws.
Managing the people within the correctional system. I'm proud of the progress we've made. But there's more to do. Regional prisons are needed to bring prisoners home, closer to family. We asked for regional prisons and that concept wasn't funded. Prisoners need a jail in their community. No jail, then prisoners have to be flown to Anchorage, pre-bail. It's simple. Criminal justice 101 ­ you have to have the facility for the DA's, prosecutors, etc. Also, it's better for the prisoner to have their family and support system around them.

(Sen. Lincoln comments that people often comment to her that it doesn't matter about regional facilities, because they are prisoners. Not enough concern for rehabilitation.)

George Buhite, Director of Division of Juvenile Justice:
Robert Buttcane, Division of Juvenile Justice.
(I missed most of this presentation due to sound system problems.)

Asset Model. Healthy support systems. Enhancing assets is successful in avoiding reincarceration. Great deal of success.

Mary Kapsner: Do other states send inmates across the state? Sending from Bethel to Juneau is almost like sending someone to Arizona. Yes, they do, says Margaret Pugh. I never believe it is as big a challenge to them as it is to us.

Thoughts on Circle sentencing and tribal justice? The probation and institutional environment is at its best when its culturally sensitive. Healing circles are like circle sentencing and have been working. Juvenile justice has done more in restorative justice.

Robert Buttcane. Breaking a law and break in the relationship with neighbors. To repair that damage you have to have a dialogue. Circle communications. Start expressing the pain and injury to begin the process of healing. Formal peacemaking circles. We have a program starting in Bethel. New application of an old idea. It is part of a whole process to rebuild the injuries coming out of the crime. Reconnect with people. It has a place in the corrections system.

Shari Kochman: Can you give us an example where restorative justice is being used.

Robert: Repair the harm is what restorative justice is. Victims share the pain and the loss that the victim has perpetrated. Most of the juvenile criminals are not cold-hearted and malicious. They are reckless and people get hurt. When you sit at a table and have victim/offender dialogue. University programs, Alaska Native Justice Programs. Youth courts is another example of restorative justice model. It's not courtrooms and distant capitals.

Margaret: Restorative justice is to allow the perpetrator understand the crime from the victims point of view.

Mary: Part of the reason we are here is because of the paintball incident. Two of those perpetrators were juveniles. Can they do a circle?

Buttcane: Can't talk specifically but yes, we do those programs to engage the young offender. Some payment of restitution. Need to give those kids some skills. Juvenile system is somewhat limited for juveniles. It's a resource issue.

George Buhite: 5000 kids10 to 17 years olds are 30 percent of population. 2100 kids now on probation. Percentages of minorities is high. Still small percentage of Alaska Native staff. 27 percent minority ­ but not Alaska Native.

Steve Ginnis, President, Tanana Chiefs Council
Athabaskan. Called Alaska home for last 10,000 years. TCC is consortium of 42 tribal governments. Most accessible by air, snowmachine or river. About 18,000 people. Appreciate your efforts to learn about minority people's issues with racism and discrimination. History riddled with examples of racism. Pain, disrespect and humiliation was the direct result of the paint ball incidents. The indirect result. Our people need equal and just treatment. We have a long way to go. In my lifetime, we have been slaves.
I offer the following proposals.
1.) Require Alaska History classes in our schools. Show our contribution to our state's culture.
2.) Launch an analysis of our state justice system. Does our justice system use the same treatments. How can circle sentencing be used more often. Tribal courts need to be used
3.) Build a stronger coalition to advocate to increase funding for tribal police officers. This same coalition could lobby Washington.
4.) Pass an amendment to state constitution on subsistence. Alaska Natives will finally feel secure in at least one portion of our lives.
5.) Move ahead actively to name Alaska's highest peak Denali. Not Mt. McKinley. Use the Native name Denali to show our people that our government is serious about protecting the history of Alaska Natives.

Georgianna Lincoln: Thanked Mr. Ginnis for all his work for the people of Interior and Alaska. Asked him why he thinks so many Alaska Natives end up in our correctional facilities.

Steve Ginnis: No economic opportunity in villages. Moving for jobs we get disconnected from our culture. Moving back to Ft. Yukon strengthened me.

Mae Marsh, Transformations (cross-cultural training)
Important times. Just last week, one of the most horrific hate crimes of the century. I'm hoping that this commission ­ that your recommendations will be raised to a new level to take action. I believe racism is a disease. I was raised in a racist family. I brought a black man to my parents home and my dad threatened to kill him. It's 30 years later now and my dad blessed my marriage to a man of color. Things can change. Coming face to face with your own racism. My husband and I developed a training program for businesses and schools we have a 40 hour course credited through the University of Alaska. Racism is a heart issue. It's time for mending the hearts. The gentlemen earlier today talking about heart to heart and soul to soul. We all have to have a role. We built a facility for this purpose. To bring people together to heal. You need to learn about what people feel ­ particularly how different it is if you are a person of color.
Recommendations:
Move forward from cultural training. We need strategy, a systematic way for fairness. The Commission needs to have a plan that can be implemented. Our training has a three-step process. Everyone first needs to understand what we're talking about.
Define the terms. Talk about racial prejudice. The cycle. Talk about how racism is acted out.
Finally, we must give people hope. Having hope gives us opportunity to heal. This commission has an important role. I went to the U.S. Commission hearings in Anchorage and heard the CA commissioner talk about how Alaska has such an opportunity to do things right, due mostly to our small population. He gave me hope. Leadership is the key.
Question: What do you believe inspires people to take your courses? Would it be good to require training for teachers and others? Answer from the members in the audience saying it is personal reasons or for class credit or to be able to get along better with people at work. Some people take it because other people told them they needed to go. Once there, you start to talk about opinions and become participants. And there's transformation. Some condensed courses are offered, but mostly 40 hour courses. Offer the course over a period of time. School district classes are every Saturday morning for 8 classes.

Annette Freiberger, Executive Director, Fairbanks Native Association
We are a social service non-profit organization providing services for Native and non-natives. Fairbanks Natives 6,000. Like other communities, Alaska Natives are more incarcerated. 31 percent of youth population in juvenile justice,
Arrested and sentenced at a much higher rate than other populations. Highlighted the doctor in Sitka who was white and let off after threatening an Alaska Airlines agent. If that was an Alaska native they would have been jailed.

Alaska Natives contribute to business community. Yet people who bring in this revenue are not treated with respect. Added to this pain is the misconception that all Alaska Natives are drunk. Out of town visitors are not treated with respect. A young native visiting Anchorage in the park had his soda poured out because the officer thought he was drinking alcohol in the soda. Homeless people/inebriates are in the downtown area because they get help there. Food, housing, community services. Young people attack these less fortunate people. One elderly gentleman was arrested downtown because the police thought he had alcohol hidden on him. He didn't. Subsistence. Self Esteem. Stop the Violence.

Mark Andrews, Associate Counsel, Tanana Chiefs
(Tribal, State child in need of aid custody issues)
Indian Child Welfare Act covers a child taken into state custody due to abuse or neglect. It does not cover juvenile justice issues. TCC has social workers on staff to help the child. TCC also has tribal courts to handle the child's issue. In August, the Alaska Supreme Court had two positive rulings: John v. Baker and CRH. Superior courts can now transfer these custody issues to tribes. This is new. CRH reinterpreted this whole area of law to allow this to take place. Tribes now have a great deal of authority over Indian children. To try to predict points of difficulty. Division of Family and Youth Services places the children into families, currently. Most of the time, DFYS will ask a member of the extended family to take the child. Now, it's going to be easier for tribes who are unhappy with placements to have more say with DFYS. The way to resolve the situation is going to be communication. Communication. The last point I have is the need for a recruitment process for Native homes, licensed by the State of Alaska. DFYS is good about asking the tribes about family, but we need more effort to find more Native placements. Anchorage is said to have a large Native population. There must be families there that have lost contact with their Native tribes and would still be willing to take children. Native foster homes. Question of the future is how the state will react to the ruling.

Were the rulings based on state or federal law? Answer: Federal.

Nancy Castillo, Chair, Bilingual Parent Advisory Committee, Fairbanks School District
When I first moved here six years ago I learned that I was Hispanic. It was a big eye-opener here. I was from a community that was 90 percent Hispanic. Very naïve when I got here. First time I had ever seen Native people but was surprised how few there were at one of the first meetings she attended. Mostly white people. I love my new job. Work with parents who speak my same language. Different languages reach out to different people speaking languages. So many parents don't speak English. Very beneficial.
Recommendation: I would like to see our leadership take the training we heard about today. Leaders need to be aware there is a problem. Kids in schools need to be tested in their own language before they are automatically put into special ed. They aren't slow learners, they just know their own language.

Barbara Burch, Fairbanks School District Board Ethnic Committee
1986 Committee formed. Standing committee. BEC priorities include academic achievement for people of color, hiring improvements for people of color
2nd largest school district in state. 1800 employees. 12.5 percent of educators are people of color. 27 percent of students are of color. There is an achievement gap for people of color. Research is profuse, but answers aren't clear. 37.5 percent of elementary students in Alaska are students of color. Racial ethnicity in student exams show Alaska Natives not performing as well. Superintendent Jim Holt has made closing the achievement gap a priority.
Recognition by policy-makers to have parent involvement. Minorities may not be active because of their own negative experiences with school. Minority parents need to be included, encouraged. Liasons are needed to parents.
Need adults of color in the schools. Ethnic minority teachers are needed. Geographic isolation, non-competitive salaries impede this. Grants and business loans to teachers could increase the pool.
Teachers need to recognize their own biases against students. Healing classes for educators. Literature recognizing contributions of different teachers.
Peer mentoring/asset building programs needed. It will take money, it will take time. Changes needed. Policy changes needed for equal education opportunities for all Alaskan students.

Georgianna Lincoln tells about students who had talked to her who were 12 or 13, and already they feel that the school system treats them differently. If you were black you got punished more but if you were Native you would really get punished. I was shocked by that. I graduated from Lathrop High School. I encountered those same issues and I just can't believe we are still dealing with the same thing. It has been years.

BJ Williams, NAACP and Board Ethnic Committee
Thank you for the opportunity to speak about prejudice, intolerance and injustice. 250 members of local branch of NAACP. In Fairbanks, because of the population demographics we are focusing on our youth. They are our last hope. Two academic scholarships each year. Family oriented events aimed toward minority youth. In 1995, when I said I was moving to Alaska my family said What? ALASKA spells Mississippi backwards. It's just like the south. I do believe they were right. Within one year I was so angry. Refused service. Ignored in public places. Called a nigger in public places. This intolerance and prejudice is mind-boggling
Lathrop Valedictorian (ARAB) highest grade point average this school district has ever seen. He talked about it in his speech. Students experience racism every day. The minority may attend a school where they never have one teacher as a person of color. I spoke to the police and asked about racial profiling. He says it doesn't exist
Asian Assemblyman sponsored a bill on racial profiling
Alaska does need a Southern Poverty Law Center program. We also need a place to go to air complaints. We need attorneys who can take discrimination cases. Not enough minorities. Lawyers would be white and juries would be white. People feel there isn't any racism. They don't believe it.
Recommendations:
Race in healing course needs to be required for teachers, legislators and political representatives.
Saturday academy.
Equitable education for kids.
Oversight committee made up from ethnic minorities. School District and Police.

Shirley May Holmburg
Spoke in Native tongue. Mother is from Galena Area. Father is from I'm from here. Born in Tanana and raised in Manley Hotsprings Grew up not really prejudice in one sense. Father half swede, half athabaskan. My father said don't marry a black man or a white man or an Eskimo man. We spent three years in E. LA and everyone called me the little Eskimo and I guess that's what I was. Maine Jr. High Barnette and Lathrop. The most discrimination was in school. Called a cruncher. Called a Klusche. Didn't know what those terms were.
Come to terms with my own feelings. One quarter Swede and Three quarters Athabaskan. I can't hate a part of me. Had I been taught my old stories before the modern education, I would have learned about the respect for all things. Respect for the spirit. Written summary. Prevention is a good thing and we have to start young. We can't rely on the schools to do all that ­ teachers are just overloaded. We have to learn from my parents. Uncle robbed and beaten by white kids ­ taken out and beaten and he was in his 70s at that time. It has to stop. We need each other to be in harmony and balance.

Darlene Herbert
Originally from Ft. Yukon. I came here so my kids could get a better education. The Ft. Yukon schools are two years behind the Fairbanks schools. My youngest daughter found out was prejudice was when she was in 6th grade. She said Mom, how come the kids don't like Native kids. And kids don't speak up for themselves. My teacher is racist.
My daughter beat the shit out of them but I didn't teach her to do that. My 13 daughter got involved with this 23 and 24 year old couple. I guess its what you call child predators. This couple was giving her alcohol and trying to give her cocaine. I went to the cops and they said there was nothing to do. She ended up getting raped for 24 hours by a couple of boys. That happened in September. In January I got a call from a Trooper that my daughter had been sexually molested. Then my daughter tried to kill herself and I had to put her in Charter North. The cops don't care. I don't know how to explain the feelings you have when you are raped. You feel guilt. She's only 13 years old. It's hard for a young child to talk to anybody. To tell their feelings. I went to the Town Meeting in Fairbanks and told my story and they told me to go the Troopers office. Officer Stickler gave me the dirtiest look I had ever seen. He got the report and said, she was drunk. Then said, so you're the one who is saying things about the Troopers. This is what you call prejudice in Fairbanks. It's in the State Troopers office. It's in the police. Native people get more time in jail. Education is the answer. Teach kids about sexual abuse and that it is wrong. When someone is sexually abused, they cannot live a full life.

Sharren Hunter
I don't want to be here tonight. I don't want to do this. I am compelled to be here to speak because others won't be able to speak. Some people that I know who are victims of racism can't talk about it. It happened again today. I am considered white and I had to learn about racism. If you are white you may be thinking, what racism? Telling the story. I'm disappointed when I saw the list this afternoon. I was struck by the absence of certain people. One of the institutional forms of racism in our State are our police and justice system. You are sitting on the corner of an intersection where a man was killed by a police officer. It hasn't been on our to-do list. There was a world conference on racism and the U.S. chose to ignore that. We must be willing to do things that we don't want to do ­ like offer public testimony.

Joe Dart
Professor. I don't have very many Native men in my class. Quite a few native women. In many ways, this meeting is about Native men. But what you won't find as you look around this room is Native men. Society. You can't pass a law as a white person and expect other cultures to follow those laws. We've created a monster here. Something going on here that is more sinister than racism. Somebody better start taking a look at this. Someone has to fix it. Suicide. Cases I've seen were Native men being indicted and Native women aren't being supportive. Native women don't see that they are carrying out white man's justice. I have seen it. Native men don't have jobs. No jobs in the village. Women have children. That gives them something to do.

Sen. Lincoln asks to clarify what Mr. Dart is saying. She asks if he is saying Native women are responsible for Native men's behavior. He implies that they are.

Tonya Brown
Thank you for being here and doing what you are doing. I'm just sorry it took a situation like the paint ball incident to get something done. I'm originally from Michigan. This is one of the most racist places I've been and I've told a lot of people that. One of the first things I heard when I arrived is watch out for the drunk natives downtown. People say things they feel are appropriate, I guess. What they see when they look at me is that I'm black. I am black and Indian. I work in the School district. I have worked in the Juvenile justice system here. My experiences come from a variety of places. I volunteer in a number of places as well. I volunteer at the Police Department. I traveled with search and patrol downtown. An officer who is no longer there implied that we needed to watch Native people. So I called her on it. It could have been out of ignorance, fear. Another time on traffic control with an officer. That person admitted they had a problem with the drunks. Schools. I'm an Alaska Native education specialist. I have to constantly educate people about how I can be native and black. What bothers me when racist incidents happen. Some sort of course like healing racism needs to be mandated from the top down.

Theresa Chrisman
I grew up in Anchorage. Born and raised. Thank you for volunteering. I know it takes a lot of time. Thanks. I guess I didn't grow up being prejudice. Really naïve. My thoughts are on the whole idea of being tolerant. Traditionally, tolerance has meant to sympathize with people's beliefs without actually sharing them. Today I see it as tolerance meaning if I don't believe in your beliefs then I am intolerant. If I disagree with you I might be viewed as intolerant. I am a Christian. We can listen and learn from people without actually agreeing. We can listen and be open. We need to teach kids young to honor one another and love each other. As a parent, I can't tolerate everything they do. I have to draw the lines somewhere. I can respect the differences without having to redefine my beliefs. Goal: Starting young with kids to love, not just tolerate.

Rex Fisher
40th year in Fairbanks. Came here to teach history, including Georgianna and her sisters. Over the last 8 or 10 years I've taught at the university. Probably read all the newspaper articles on Alaska prior to WWI. I think you need to know the history of Alaska to know how we treat minorities. Reads Newspaper Headlines from Alaska in the early days. Blacks in Alaska. Natives in Alaska. Chinese in Alaska. In 1886 in Douglas Island. Treadwell mines Chinese laborers. Some of them boarded in a boarding house. White men forced the mine administration to fire the Chinese. All through the papers you see the word, Chinks, in 1908. Throughout the news. Nome paper in 1908 a cartoon. Some jokes about Eskimos. Making a lot of fun. Fairbanks Daily Times 1906 attacking the Italians ­ Dago prince. Fairbanks paper. Hindus are invading Alaska. Serious trouble if they are allowed to displace union workers. Fairbanks. Though 700 men came down the river they were slovonians. Good only for shoveling. Undesireable citizens. Deluge of Slavs in Klondike. Towns literally overrun with slovonians. Juneau. The no-speaka-de-english have arrived to work in the Glory Hole.
Cordova. Cordova Objects to the Russians. One of the Slovonians was Stepovich of Fairbanks. And Butrovich ­ speaker of the House of Representatives. Mexican attacks. Barnette ­ the founder of Fairbanks ­ bought a ranch in Mexico. Headline. Greasers do this and Greasers do that.

Shari kochman comments: Important to learn about this so we can evolve from this. Where are we today?

Treadwell mines in 1886. Civilized Native Indian. Rampart. Indian Fiend Is Coming here. 1916 First Native to Become a Citizen because he adopted the ways of the white man. Blacks. The Coon Shines Like a Polished Boot. Juneau. Nickel Song and Dance by Six Happy Coons.

Says he will mail in written material.

Bob Sawyer
Been in Fairbanks 20 years. I have no intention to embarrass anyone today, but some of the things I say might be kind of caustic. Caribbean, Cuban, African. Racism is international. Can't blame America for being racist. 30 years in military. Racism in Vietnam. Racism in Korea. Sometimes we waste a lot of energy trying to change attitudes. Cannot change them because people. Should concentrate on empowering people to get rid of the victimization. Focus should be on fairness and the laws of the constitution. As a citizen of this country we need to understand that we are one people. We originated over 3 million years ago from east Africa. That's why I don't consider myself an African American because we all come here from east Africa originally. Race will prove this. We're all the same. As far as blacks, 75% of us are mixed blood. Very few pure. Survival of fittest. It's all about power. What bothers me when reading the papers ­ the letters to the editor ­ it's about McDonalds. At the same time that David Pringle the nazi, is setting up headquarters in Anchorage and he'll soon be heading it up here. Should be concerned about performance in schools. Not too long ago book in school was a big concern because they used the word Nigger. Yet you can walk down the hallway in any school and see all kids calling each other nigger. The next generation has to be better than what we were. We have to build a bridge in this community and state. Only way to do it is get to know each other. Talk about melting pot, talk about salad bowl. I like to think of it as a flower garden.

Kathleen McClellin
Linda McCarriston, a UAA professor, wrote a poem that was racist against Alaska Natives. And she is promoting her views as a professor. This woman offended me and my native sisters. I am proud to be a native woman. Now I will share some experiences:
Son being chased from the school. Principal said there was nothing they could do because it wasn't on the school grounds. She kept on them until the teacher spoke to the students. It didn't happen again.
Daughter in High School, age 15. Called a salmon cruncher. She hit him and he never said a word again. She was worried that she had hurt this racist kid.
Personal experience at UAF
Written comments.

Lawrence A. Murakami
Thank the commission. Tolerance commission is a very broad subject. Tough subject and it will be difficult. Thanks for working on it. Second generation Japanese American. I've lived most of my life up here and can't believe how much racism here. Had a job that took me out of state to a lot of places. Came back and realized just how racist Alaska, and Fairbanks is. University of Alaska affirmative action Plan is one example.

Olivia Torres
Didn't plan to speak but I was deeply moved by what I've heard. Been here for 22 years. Grew up in Harlem and didn't have much experience. Worked for the Army for 20 years and it is the most racist group I've ever seen. I have a daughter who will be going to college in a couple of years. School district not good here. Denali Elementary school history book. No people of color in the history books. I am taking college classes and have experienced racism at the college. Finished High School at Lathrop in the late 70s and it hasn't changed. You can change all the laws in the world but you can't change the way people think.

Sharon Tann
I'm from Tanana Alaska. Moved up here when I was young. My main reason I'm here is that I am the sister of a wrongfully accused Native man (in the death of John Hartman, a 15 year old boy who was kicked to death in October 1997, according to written flyer provided). It's all pretty clear. All white jury. We're waiting. Something needs to be done here. I'm surprised that the justice system works like this. We need an investigative committee to look at these issues of prejudice. Nothing being done and my brother is sitting in prison for something he didn't do. Investigative reporting class at UAF built on this case. Advocacy groups say justice wasn't served. (Marvin Roberts is her brother, according to the article provided).

Hazel Roberts
Mother of a wrongfully accused Native man. My daughter said it all. Thank you.

Carol Pease
Mother of Kevin Pease, another of the boys accused in the death of John Hartman, a 15 year old boy who was kicked to death in October 1997. The white boy. He is innocent. Her husband was murdered in March. He called the police twice but it was during a shift changed. He called twice. They didn't get there and my husband was murdered. Tony Knowles passed a bill the next day about the guns.

Shirley Demientieff
President, Alaska Native Youth for Justice. Doyon board. I've been on a lot of boards. I'm concerned about the boys in jail. I'm concerned because they can't speak for themselves. I go to the jail and meet with them. I'm lucky I'm still alive. Got a call couple of days ago. Got a call from a guy in jail. The four boys the women before me talked about. These boys need help. It's amazing to me that something like this can happen from something so simple. I'm impressed that you are here. You are willing to listen. I'm sorry to leave you but I'm just exhausted right now.

Dorothy Harris
Racism is rooted in our institutions, government, private enterprise and in our schools. Want to list a few experiences I've had. Local church in the community, and I'm a Christian myself. This church is picking up kids all over town from various racial groups. Giving them a pizza party and giving kids the message that its okay to socialize together but not okay to marry. And these are mixed race kids. Hunter was one of the most mixed schools, yet a black teacher wasn't welcomed there by other teachers. Black student in an advanced placement biology class and the teachers asked him why he was there. Assumed he wasn't supposed to be in the class. Need minority teachers so our kids can see people that look like them.

Stephen Hormann
Mother Eskimo woman from N. Slope. Graduated from Lathrop High School. My prejudice comes from growing up in my household. Native women with white men. Telling them they can't speak in their language. Spent a lot of time in Chicago. Father never got to see me in my adult life. Could see the problems coming. That's why I didn't return back to Alaska until 1995. Problems with employment in companies because of shareholder hire. In Fairbanks I don't like to take a cab. They talk about how they want to hook up with a Native woman. Problems with GI's on base. They want to pick fights with Natives. Lots of experiences (couldn't hear very well.

Jeff Walters
Teacher. Science Fairbanks West Valley High School. I truly hope that I can keep these comments I heard tonight to heart as I teach. I have learned a great deal and will use my experiences in the classroom. My comments are a little bit different. I want to talk about my experiences as a gay man in Alaska. Rights for partners are not the same as being married. Comments from students three times this week. Once just today. I'm somewhat encouraged by the students. There is so much silence on this issue. Just a few years ago I wouldn't have been able to admit ­ or rather, say that I was gay. I didn't come out until I was over the age of 30. A difficult process. I am discriminated against but there is no protection for me. 13 states have added sexual orientation to the list of human rights protections. I request that you do. This issue transcends all gender and ethnic backgrounds. I hope the state and school districts will consider protection for us.
No one is free if anyone is oppressed.

Shari Kochman: Fairbanks school board is considering adding sexual orientation to the harassment policy. A number of hearings past couple of weeks. Discussion of the tabling of the issue at the School Board.

Lisa Slayton
FGLSN Gay Lesbian and Straight Network. Minutes from our first board meeting. I'm tickled to be able to thank Sen. Lincoln for her stands on same sex marriage. The English only and Same-sex marriage issues that happened a few years ago. The effects of those times are still being felt. Many legislators that are blatantly homophobic. Blatantly anti-native. I'd like to echo Bob Sawyer's concerns. I notice when I am in a store at night with African Americans. I notice they are being watched. I could steal the store and they are being watched. Anti-gay issues in the school district. So much testimony and so much time to make our schools safe for all our students. Making schools safe, period. What is there to discuss. I am a lesbian and some of the things I heard from the students frightened me. These students need to be protected. School district says we don't want to do this because it's not protected in federal laws. State needs to add it to the protected class so other groups can't use it as an excuse.

Tory
It's been four years since I graduated. Lathrop High School. At the time, teachers keep asking me what I was going to do. Why am I being treated as a suspect. I go to the liquor store and buy a soda and cops think I'm drinking. I have been mentally stripped by police officers. They think I'm a drunk. The only thing you will find on me is my medication. Every day I try to ignore it but I just can't. Am I going to be on surveillance still? I'm seeing the third therapist right now. I just can't believe it. When I go and raise kids, what am I going to tell them. When I'm in the afterlife I'm going to come back with something bad.

Eleanor David
Thanks for taking the time to listen to me. I know it's well past the time you were going to stay. So I'll keep it short. I came back to testify because it's so important. My daughter asked me, Mom, is it a bad thing to be a native? Why? Some girls at school pointed at her and called her a native and laughed. Boys at school tell her that all Natives are drunks. I had to pull her out of school. She is now being home-schooled. Study of Alaska Natives. Study the culture of athabaskan arts.

Mary Lou Canney
My children are all half native. I'm white. It surprises me sometimes the hatred that people feel. People will actually say I hate the natives. I am a social worker and I hear it said to me and I can just see my children before my eyes. I have always felt really sympathetic toward black parents because I know their kids have been targeted. My son was targeted after a crime was committed because he was wearing the same color coat as someone they were looking for.

Charles Etok Edwardsen
I'm from Barrow, Alaska. I have seen the transformation in this state because I am older than Alaska. I have been to boarding schools and to BIA schools. We were given numbers. I grew up in an Alaska that hates native people. All of this hurts everybody. It's not the people who hate us. It's the enterprises that people seek to get jobs from. The state of Alaska has a contract with the feds to enforce federal rights. The subsistence issue was decided in the statehood act. What happened in this process is the statehood act compact. The McDowell case is silent on Section 4. So, we face institutional racism from the legal process itself because there has never been a court case. (read section 4 of compact act, which includes fishing rights).

For More Information: 269-8122 phone 269-7461 fax email: Tolerance@gov.state.ak.us

The Tolerance Commission is a six-month task force created to study discrimination in Alaska and report recommendations to Gov. Tony Knowles.
Goal: A more tolerant Alaska that celebrates our diversity of people and cultures.

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