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Record of Proceedings

Public Naming Commission Meeting - November 12, 2025

Assembly & Committee Meetings — Friday, November 14, 2025
BodyAnchorage, Alaska
SessionAssembly & Committee Meetings
DateFriday, November 14, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
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0:00

All right, want to get started, Jamie?

0:04

Yeah, you are recording.

0:06

Oh man, I'm gonna be careful what I'm saying.

0:09

All right, let's see.

0:13

Good evening.

0:14

Let's call the uh November 12th, 2025 meeting of the public naming commission to order um change roll, please.

0:29

Um yes, Chair Hess.

0:32

Present Vice Chair Harrison present member who sent member connects spelled wrong.

0:47

Oh you spell it S E L L Name.

0:54

And member Hell.

0:56

President Chair has your form.

1:00

Thank you.

1:01

Um somebody like to volunteer to read the land acknowledgement.

1:10

I can do it.

1:12

A land acknowledgement is a formal statement recognizing the indigenous people of a place.

1:17

It is a public gesture of appreciation for the past and present indigenous stewardship of the lands that we now occupy.

1:25

It is an actual statement that marks out our collective reverent movement towards decolonization and equity.

1:34

The public naming commission would like to acknowledge that we gather today on the traditional lands of the Nina Athabas.

1:41

For thousands of years, this the Denina have been and continue to be the stewards of this land is with gratefulness and respect that we recognize the contributions, innovations, and contemporary perspectives of the upper cook and let Dana.

2:01

Could I get a motion to approve the agenda?

2:06

Motion to move the agenda.

2:10

Moved by Selma to get a second.

2:15

Thank you.

2:16

Any opposition to the agenda or any discussion?

2:20

Any discussion, any additions to the agenda?

2:31

Under new business.

2:33

Yes.

2:35

Okay, any other additions?

2:39

Any opposition to the agenda as amended?

2:45

Seeing and hearing none, the agenda as amended is approved.

2:50

Um can I get a motion to accept the minutes of the October 9th meeting?

2:58

Motion to move.

3:02

Did you move?

3:02

Yeah.

3:03

Alright, can I get a second?

3:05

How are second?

3:07

All right, Kevin's second end.

3:09

Um do you all need a minute to look over the minutes or have you already had a chance to review that?

3:36

Any discussion?

3:40

Um we have a motion.

3:44

We do have a motion to approve, right?

3:46

Yes.

3:47

Umpposition.

3:52

Seeing and hearing none of the minutes are approved.

3:56

Um that brings us to six.

4:01

Unfinished business, indigenous naming pathway policy consultation steps.

4:08

And I believe that is Kevin and Yes it is.

4:22

Yes, it is.

4:23

Um apologies for sending those documents so slowly.

4:26

Um, but we're able to look at Alberta and Linton's naming policies, specifically in how they include indigenous representation.

4:41

Um I can go through the entire document step by step, or I can also just summarize what jumped up at us for um based on the review that we did.

4:56

Um what would everyone prefer?

5:06

What's your reference?

5:09

Okay, I'll just I'll just start, I'll just start by like pointing out a few of these like important things.

5:16

So I have it organized based on the place.

5:20

So the first one being Alberta.

5:22

I also included their government's commitment, their policy statements that was made, specifically focusing on the history and the richness of our culture and natural heritage.

5:34

I really appreciated that the way they've named that, in why it is important to include native and indigenous voices and consultation.

5:43

Some of the naming restrictions that they have are very similar to the ones that we have.

5:49

One of the things that also stood out at me, uh stood out for me was how they specifically state that indigenous names and language are intellectual and cultural property of indigenous nations, and they will not adopt an Indigenous name without documented support from the relevant nations.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Native Rights████████████████████████████████████36%
Procedural█████████████████████████████████33%
Public Engagement███████████████████████████████31%
Summary of Proceedings

Public Naming Commission Meeting - November 12, 2025

The Public Naming Commission convened for its meeting on November 12, 2025, to review indigenous naming policies from Alberta and Edmonton, strategize for an upcoming joint meeting with the Native Village of Oclutna (Aknutna), and confirm the 2026 meeting schedule. The meeting featured a detailed presentation on best practices for indigenous engagement, followed by discussions on protocol development, recruitment of tribal representation, and administrative logistics.

Consent Calendar

  • The agenda was approved unanimously following a motion by Member Selma and a second.
  • The minutes from the October 9th meeting were approved unanimously following a motion and a second.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • No specific public comments or testimony from external community members were recorded during this session; the discussion regarding "public" input was limited to internal deliberations about engaging with Oclutna and Parks & Rec.

Discussion Items

  • Indigenous Naming Pathway Policy Consultation: Kevin presented a comparative analysis of naming policies from Alberta and Edmonton. He highlighted that Alberta treats indigenous names as intellectual property and prioritizes proposals from nations, while Edmonton utilizes an Indigenous Naming Advisory Circle for co-designing pathways. Kevin emphasized that policies must empower indigenous nations to appoint their own representatives rather than the municipality assuming representation.
  • Honoraria and Tax Implications: Commissioners advised caution regarding honoraria for indigenous knowledge keepers. It was noted that payments exceeding a specific threshold could trigger 1099 tax reporting, potentially affecting elders' eligibility for essential programs like meals on wheels. The group recommended balancing fair compensation with careful accounting of annual payment totals.
  • Strategic Preparations for Oclutna Meeting: The commission discussed a joint meeting scheduled for December 11, 2025. Objectives identified include inviting an Oclutna representative to join the Commission's seat and learning about Oclutna's existing consultation processes. There was a consensus to split the presentation among multiple commissioners to cover the Commission's purpose, the research findings, and the recruitment pitch.
  • Parks & Rec Engagement: A meeting with Anchorage Parks & Recreation was proposed for the December session to foster relationships and discuss naming guidelines.
  • 2026 Calendar: The commission confirmed that the regular meeting schedule (second Wednesday of the month) will remain in place for 2026, with virtual attendance options available for members with changing schedules.
  • Commissioner Residency Update: Commissioner Jen announced that while she is currently seeking employment outside Anchorage, her primary residence remains in the municipality, ensuring her continued eligibility to serve on the commission as per municipal code.

Key Outcomes

  • Adoption of Schedule: The commission maintained the current meeting schedule (second Wednesday of the month) for 2026.
  • Meeting Strategy Formulated: A specific strategy was agreed upon for the December 11th joint meeting with Oclutna: a 5-minute presentation divided among commissioners to explain the Commission's purpose, share research recommendations, and recruit a tribal representative.
  • Recruitment Goal: The commission prioritized the objective of securing a designated seat for the Native Village of Oclutna (Aknutna) on the Public Naming Commission.
  • Administrative Task: Commissioner Jenny is drafting the minutes, with a plan to include the research recommendations in the meeting packet for the December session.
  • Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned unanimously, with the next session scheduled for the second Wednesday of December (subject to the holiday schedule).

Meeting Transcript

All right, want to get started, Jamie? Yeah, you are recording. Oh man, I'm gonna be careful what I'm saying. All right, let's see. Good evening. Let's call the uh November 12th, 2025 meeting of the public naming commission to order um change roll, please. Um yes, Chair Hess. Present Vice Chair Harrison present member who sent member connects spelled wrong. Oh you spell it S E L L Name. And member Hell. President Chair has your form. Thank you. Um somebody like to volunteer to read the land acknowledgement. I can do it. A land acknowledgement is a formal statement recognizing the indigenous people of a place. It is a public gesture of appreciation for the past and present indigenous stewardship of the lands that we now occupy. It is an actual statement that marks out our collective reverent movement towards decolonization and equity. The public naming commission would like to acknowledge that we gather today on the traditional lands of the Nina Athabas. For thousands of years, this the Denina have been and continue to be the stewards of this land is with gratefulness and respect that we recognize the contributions, innovations, and contemporary perspectives of the upper cook and let Dana. Could I get a motion to approve the agenda? Motion to move the agenda. Moved by Selma to get a second. Thank you. Any opposition to the agenda or any discussion? Any discussion, any additions to the agenda? Under new business. Yes. Okay, any other additions? Any opposition to the agenda as amended? Seeing and hearing none, the agenda as amended is approved. Um can I get a motion to accept the minutes of the October 9th meeting? Motion to move. Did you move? Yeah. Alright, can I get a second? How are second? All right, Kevin's second end. Um do you all need a minute to look over the minutes or have you already had a chance to review that? Any discussion? Um we have a motion. We do have a motion to approve, right? Yes. Umpposition. Seeing and hearing none of the minutes are approved. Um that brings us to six. Unfinished business, indigenous naming pathway policy consultation steps. And I believe that is Kevin and Yes it is. Yes, it is. Um apologies for sending those documents so slowly. Um, but we're able to look at Alberta and Linton's naming policies, specifically in how they include indigenous representation.

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