While living in Seattle, CIRI shareholder Vickie Olson remembered her many Alaska summers as a youth, camping and fishing with her relatives. She shared her Alaska stories with her children, and hoped that one day they could experience the beauty of Alaska too. In October 2003, she made that dream a reality by moving back to Alaska, after 10 years of living away, with her two daughters to be closer to her large extended family and teach her daughters about their Inupiat culture.

“When I was growing up in Alaska, the family would camp together on weekends and gather subsistence foods for the winter. I want my kids to have that memory too,” shared Olson. With more than 100 relatives in Alaska, she has many teachers to help her daughters. “My cousins are teaching my daughters how to sew, bead and speak the Inupiaq language,” Olson said.

Olson decided she wanted to learn more about CIRI and applied for the CIRI receptionist position, which she began in December 2003. Olson is usually the first person to greet visitors and directs them to the appropriate department or resource. She also coordinates the mail, schedules the meeting rooms, and assists departments with special projects.

To help shareholders and other visitors, Olson has learned about the many resources provided by the non-profit family that includes Cook Inlet Tribal Council, Southcentral Foundation, Cook Inlet Housing Authority, and The CIRI Foundation.

“I’ve learned that shareholders have an incredible number of resources through the CIRI non-profits to help them. Everything from childcare to employment assistance,” said Olson.

Olson is the daughter of the late CIRI shareholder Andrew Kalerak from Golovin, Alaska, and the late Patricia Kalerak from Pennsylvania. Her siblings are CIRI shareholders Cheryl Kalerak and Marshall Kalerak from Washington. Olson has three children: 19-year-old Kenneth (Inupiaq name is Koorun); 14-year-old Ashley (Inupiaq name is Sicusulik, which means the water never freezes); and 9-year-old Autumn (Inupiaq name is Bunik, which means daughter).

Olson enjoys visiting with her relatives, playing bingo, and hunting for hidden treasures at garage sales and thrift stores. Olson is looking forward to a busy summer of camping, fishing and sharing her Inupiat culture with her children.