Michelle (Macuar) Sparck is the Director of Get Out the Native Vote (GOTNV), a statewide voter education organization based out of Anchorage under the Alaska Federation of Natives. A member of the Qissunamiut Tribe of Chevak who grew up in Bethel, Michelle went on to become an experienced legislative aid in Washington, D.C. and Juneau. As director of GOTNV when it was housed under the Cook Inlet Tribal Council, Michelle was able to illustrate how our communities once very effectively harnessed the power of the Native Vote – that which reached its zenith in 1998 in 175 precincts at an astounding 67 percent, with many village precincts topping out with a 97.5 percent turnout rate. That voting behavior held as a cultural value through the mid-90s, but has failed to match our increasing population which now reflects as much of a quarter of the State’s vote. GOTNV under AFN, is now institutionally supported through a historic MOU by the Cook Inlet Tribal Council and the First Alaskans Institute. AFN aims to invest in a robust and effective approach to helping our communities and voters own our power, through the vote.
