Category Archives: Napaimute News

The following was taken from a September 12, 2016 press release issued by the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development, Alaska State Office:

THIRTEEN ALASKA NATIVE ORGANIZATIONS WIN $7 MILLION IN HUD INDIAN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT FUNDS TO ADDRESS HOUSING & COMMNITY PRIORITIES

We are pleased to announce that the Native Village of Napaimute was one of the 13 Alaska Native Organizations that received this funding. The purpose of NVN’s award is (as quoted from the press release):

• The Native Village of Napaimute is receiving an ICDBG of $600,000 to enhance an existing economic development program by purchasing a local sawmill and relocating the sawmill and all support buildings to its Lower Kalskag Timber Harvest Site where it will increase their timber harvesting and production capability.  With the purchase of the sawmill, timber will now be able to be milled into truss lumber, cured, stored, and then sold providing a foundation of future economic sustainability.

The ICDBG program was established in 1977 to help Indian tribes and Alaska Native villages meet their community development needs.  Federally recognized Indian tribes, bands, groups or nations (including Alaska Indian, Aleuts and Eskimos,) Alaska Native villages, and eligible tribal organizations compete for this funding each year.

The goal of the program is to develop viable Indian and Alaska Native communities, including neighborhoods with decent housing, suitable living environments, and economic opportunities. Communities can use the grants to rehab or build new housing; to buy land for housing; for infrastructure projects such as roads, water and sewer facilities; and to spur economic development including jobs.

A huge thank you to Lisa Feyereisen, NVN Administrative Support, for all her hard work towards developing a successful ICDBG proposal for our tribe:

                                                           “From Timber to Trusses”

Employment & Energy Efficiency

A proposal to put local people to work, using local renewable resources, in direct support of our regional housing authority’s mandate to provide affordable energy efficient housing throughout the Yukon-Kuskokwim Region

The Native Village of Napaimute is pleased to announce the implementation of a new environmental program for our tribe – the EPA Brownsfield Program. The purpose of this program is to allow tribes to develop the capacity to survey and inventory potential Brownfields (contaminated or suspected to be contaminated) sites such as old mines, fuel tank farms, abandoned military installations,  etc. With this capacity tribes will then be able to develop and implement plans for tribal response such as clean up and remediation. This work will also provide the means for Public participation and the establishment of a Public Record. With many old mine and other abandoned sites in the Middle Kuskokwim this can be a meaningful, interesting and exciting job.

See attached announcement for the new NVN Brownsfield Coordinator position:

BROWNSFIELD COORDINATOR JOB DESCRIPTION

L-R: Napaimute Traditional Council Member Shelly Leary with Napaimute Traditional Chief Delores Matter at the 2015 NVN Annual Meeting

The 2016 Native Village of Napaimute Annual Meeting will be held November 5th in Anchorage. The location is still being determined.

Napaimute Traditional Council Elections will be held at this time.

There are currently two seats open for election:

Seat D, 3 year term – currently occupied by Marcie Sherer

Seat E, 3 year term – currently occupied by Devron Hellings

Tribal members 18 years of age and above are eligible to run for either of these seats.

Tribal members interested in running must submit their Letter of Intent to Run no later than October 15th. Please specify which seat you are running for. Letters may be submitted by email or regular postal mail.

Please do not nominate others. Potential candidates must express their interest themselves.

Thank you.

TITLE:                        Community Family Services Specialist

SUPERVISION:         Position will be an AVCP employee but Napaimute Traditional Council and AVCP ICWA Department(partnership) will share supervision of the ICWA worker.

JOB CLASS:               Part-time position based on case load. 20-30 hours per week

Salary is $18 per hour with benefits.

LOCATION:               To be determined. This can be a home-based position.

Position open until filled – Tribal Member Hiring Preference per NVN Tribal Member Hire Policy

 SUMMARY:

The Community Family Services Specialist (CFSS) serves as the Indian Child Welfare Act and Child Welfare representative for the Native Village of Napaimute and remains under the supervision of both the NVN Director of Development and Operations and AVCP to fully carry out the intentions of the Indian Child Welfare Act.   The CFSS will provide and coordinate the necessary services to help prevent the breakup of Native families. The CFSS will also assists in reunification of families which have already experienced break-up and acts as a liaison to represent the interests and positions of the local Tribal Council in all court proceedings involving all Child in Need of Aid (CINA) cases. This can be a home-based position. There is also funding available for office lease.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Fully understand the Indian Child Welfare Act and act as an active and diplomatic liaison between the families, AVCP, the Napaimute Traditional Council, the regional service providers (like Office of Children’s Services (OCS), YKHC, and other tribal governments, etc.)
2. Conduct regular and frequent home visits with tribally identified at-risk families in order to complete a family assessment, determine treatment goals, provide referrals and on-going support, and monitor families and their progress.
3. Conduct regular and frequent home visits with families involved with OCS in order to monitor OCS ICWA compliance, provide and/or coordinate referrals for service and especially on-going support, and monitor families and their progress with their case plan or safety plan.
4. Conduct home visits and initial assessments with OCS as often as possible for reports of harm, CINA cases, and in-home cases.  Act as a diplomatic/cultural liaison between OCS and the tribe and the family to assist in communication efforts between all parties involved.  If unable to or if it is a conflict of interest, contact AVCP social workers or prevention staff to request timely assistance from the AVCP ICWA office.
5. Become the recipient for all Child in Need of Aid (CINA) notices. Prepare, in partnership with AVCP ICWA and ALSC, any and all required court documents for intervention, and present cases, in a timely manner, to the Napaimute Traditional Council for vote of intervention and actively participate in all telephonic court hearings and case reviews.  If unable to attend, contact AVCP ICWA office in advance for case coverage.
6. Maintain current case files on all In-home and Child in Need of Aid (CINA) cases with up-to-date notes of all contacts and information regarding the case. Share all case notes with AVCP ICWA department on a bi-weekly basis.
7. Maintain current case files on all tribal children’s cases with up to date notes of all contacts and information regarding the case. Work closely with AVCP Prevention staff for any needed technical assistance.
8. Maintain an updated list of families interested in becoming foster or adoptive parents and make list available to both AVCP ICWA office and the Office of Children’s Services (OCS), and assist with all recruitment efforts for Native foster and adoptive homes.
9. Plan, coordinate and conduct prevention activities to meet the needs in the village.
10. Provide monthly reports to the Napaimute Traditional Council by oral presentation at meetings about all ICWA cases, any tribal jurisdiction cases, and to AVCP ICWA by written bi-weekly report, and to BIA by completing written quarterly performance reports (submitted via AVCP).
11. Take thorough case notes during reviews, hearings, meeting, and contact with families and then provide copies to AVCP ICWA office of all CASE NOTES for all custody and OCS in-home cases as part of the bi-weekly report.
12. Actively participate in OCS’s in-home case plan development for families to ensure appropriateness for the family at-risk for in-home cases. Monitor the case plan for family compliance and assist the family in meeting the case plan requirements. Coordinate family to family meetings if possible to prevent break up of families.
13. Actively, professionally and politely communicate with OCS and other partner agencies regarding cases in common to improve and expand overall support for the families.
14. Take advantage of and effectively use appropriate training opportunities to improve ICWA program and services to families.
15. Act as a mandated reporter when receiving reports of harm.
16. Answer to both the Napaimute Traditional Council and AVCP for all job performance and employment matters.
17. Other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:

1. Knowledge of the Yup’ik/Athabascan culture, traditions, and lifestyle.
2. Knowledge of case management services to clientele consisting of family members of all ages.
3. Skills in interviewing and ability to assess needs and resources.
4. Experience working with community social service programs.
5. Must be willing to travel to attend training sessions out of the home community and occasionally out of the region.High School Diploma or GED required.

Click on the PDF link below to view the RFP:

8-11 RFP FOR NVN ACCOUNTING SERVICES – FINAL

Draft 2016 TIP – Native Village of Napaimute (1)

NVN recently completed the Middle Kuskokwim Fish Wheel Project funded by the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission.

See attached report with pictures.

Middle Kuskokwim Fish Wheel Project Final Report

Under a Cooperative Agreement with the Alaska Department of Fish & Game the Native Village of Napaimute is operating the Aniak Salmon River Weir. Supplemental funding to keep the weir operating later in the season has also been received  by NVN through a U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Tribal Wildlife Grant.

On July 6 & 7 the Napaimute Traditional Council Member Audrey Leary had the opportunity to visit the weir. Her report is attached.

NVN Salmon Weir Report

The Native Village of Napaimute is looking for a highly motivated individual to fill a position that will oversee our Fisheries Resource Information Technician program. This program is funded through the Partners in Fisheries Monitoring program administered by the USFWS Office of Subsistence Management.  Please see attached announcement for additional detail and how to apply.

NVN_coordinator_partners