At the Alaska Federation of Natives (AFN) quarterly meeting on February 12, the AFN board of directors selected “Heroes In Our Homeland” as its theme for the annual convention in Anchorage this October. The theme reflects the general mood of the statewide Native community, and guides the structure and focus of the convention agenda, the presenters invited and workshops designed.
“We want to recognize the many heroes living among us,” AFN Co-Chair Ana Hoffman said. “We all have heroes in our communities, impacting lives in a positive way. From the veterans protecting our freedoms to single moms dedicating themselves to their families, and the subsistence hunters and fishers working hard to provide food, the theme is to celebrate them.”
The AFN Annual Convention is the largest representative annual gathering in the United States of any Native peoples. Policy guidelines and advocacy statements are set by the dozens of resolutions passed by voting delegates at the Convention.
Each year, the AFN Convention draws between 4,000–5,000 attendees. The economic impact on the host city is estimated to be more than $6 million. The proceedings are broadcast live statewide via television and radio and webcast to 70 countries worldwide.