Every year, AFN honors those who have made outstanding contributions to their families and the Native community.
The Denali Award recognizes the contributions of a non-Native person who has demonstrated strong commitment, dedication, and service to the Alaska Native community and to rural Alaska. This year, the Denali Award is bestowed upon two individuals selected by the AFN Board of Directors for exemplary work that has improved the lives of Alaska Native people. The 2024 Denali Award winner is:
- Senator Lisa Murkowski, born in Ketchikan, Alaska and raised in towns across the state, including Wrangell, Juneau, Fairbanks, and Anchorage
Senator Lisa Murkowski, Alaska’s senior U.S. Senator, is a third generation Alaskan proudly serving as the first Alaskan born senator. Lisa loves spending time outdoors in Alaska. She’s an avid skier, has hiked on glaciers, enjoys fall duck hunts, and has an impressive King Salmon mounted on her office wall named “Walter.” Since joining the Senate in 2002, Senator Murkowski has earned a reputation in the Senate for her ability to work collaboratively and across the aisle to reach common sense solutions. Murkowski is well-known for her love and dedication to her state, always putting Alaska first. A leader on energy and public lands issues, Senator Murkowski recognizes that sound national policy will promote not only job creation and economic growth, but also higher standards of living and greater global stability. Senator Murkowski continues to pursue policies to advance renewable energy, increase energy efficiency, and make America’s energy cleaner, more affordable, and more reliable. Senator Murkowski has long-advocated for the Arctic as a national priority. She continues leading the charge to recapitalize and expand America’s fleet of icebreakers and has introduced legislation to raise the nation’s presence in the Arctic.