"There are people who say villages should not exist," Emil Notti, an Alaska Native leader who was one of the founders of the Alaska Federation of Natives, told the 50-plus people gathered in Mountain Village for a two-day summit. "They say there is no reason for villages to exist. They say the state cannot afford to continue to support the villages."
But in reality, he said, rural Alaska has been the source of the wealth that fueled the state's development, oil on the North Slope and gold in Nome, timber in Southeast and salmon in Bristol Bay.
The question should be, Notti said, "Can rural Alaska continue to support the growth of cities?"
Our History
Kusilvak Rising traces its beginnings to fall 2017, when founder Loren Peterson brought together leaders from all 13 Kusilvak Census Area communities for the first regional economic development summit in memory. Held in Mountain Village, the gathering united tribes, cities, and village corporations to confront both the hardships facing the region and the strength found in its culture, land, and people.
The summit grew out of two years of work organizing what was then the Kusilvak Economic Development & Advocacy Alliance—an early blueprint for today’s Kusilvak Rising. Delegates, joined by regional and statewide partners, outlined opportunities in education, youth leadership, small business, tourism, housing, natural resources, and community wellness. Above all, they affirmed that unity was the region’s greatest asset.
As reported at the time, when the 13 villages stand together, they are “bigger than Bethel, more effective than Nome, and as strong as any major Alaska hub.”
Kusilvak Rising, Inc. carries that shared vision forward today—strengthening communities through job creation, advocacy, cultural revitalization, and strategic partnerships. What began as a single summit has grown into a long-term movement to lift the socioeconomic future of the entire region.
Read the full article on the 2017 Kusilvak Summit here.
Children in the Kusilvak communities playing together outisde.