CITC’s Individual Development Accounts Program Now Available

Cook Inlet Tribal Council’s new program Individual Development Accounts assists low-income individuals and families develop the skills needed to plan for a sound financial future and to successfully purchase a home, open a business, or pay for a secondary education. The program includes incentives of matching savings dollars, with Cook Inlet Tribal Council matching $5 to every $1 saved by the program participants.

“This program is designed to assist individuals who have a dream of purchasing a home for their family, people living paycheck to paycheck, or those who have been denied credit,” said CITC Individual Accounts Specialist Kimberly Leeper.

All participants in the program attend classes on money management and budgeting, how to read and repair a credit report, banking services, and how to choose a lender and apply for a loan. Specific educational classes and workshops are available and are an important part of the financial literacy component of the program.

To be eligible for this program, participants must be Alaska Native or American Indian adults or the legal guardian of an Alaska Native or American Indian child, reside in the Municipality of Anchorage, and be eligible for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) or Earned Income Credit or have income less than 200 percent of the HHS poverty income guidelines.

Questions about the Individual Development Accounts program or eligibility should be directed to Kimberly Leeper at (907) 265-5979 or by email at kleeper@citci.com.

Alternative Treatment Available through Complementary Medicine Clinic

Southcentral Foundation’s Complementary Medicine Clinic, located in the Anchorage Native Primary Care Center, serves as an extension of the primary care system. The clinic, which opened in 2000 after several years of planning and development by the Southcentral Foundation Board of Directors and staff, strengthens the continuum of care for patients with conditions that respond positively to complementary medicine therapy.

The Complementary Medicine Clinic provides treatment to those who have suffered acute injuries and pain, and for whom the treatment may help reduce new chronic pain conditions. The program features chiropractic care, massage therapy, acupuncture and biofeedback services for provider-initiated referrals for all age groups. Services are provided to residents in the Anchorage area.
“I have been amazed with the open reception that the Native community and the staff at the hospital have welcomed this new addition of services,” said Dr. Steve Tierney, medical director for the program. “All of us feel very valued as a result.”

Staffed by 22 employees, the clinic includes certified chiropractic physicians, acupuncturists, massage therapists, patient services assistants, a clinic manager and administrative support.

For those new to complementary therapies, a brief summary usually gives the information that helps the customer understand the purpose and presentation of the treatments they may receive. Providers of care are graduates from accredited schools and hold state licenses, and also keep up-to-date with training specific to their specialized fields.

Cook Inlet Tribal Council Announces Scholarship Programs

Cook Inlet Tribal Council offers three different scholarship and grant programs: the Tribal Higher Education Scholarship, the Tribal Training Grant, and the Alyeska Match Scholarship.

The Tribal Higher Education Scholarship is available to CIRI shareholders and descendants pursuing undergraduate or graduate degrees at accredited colleges and universities, or certification through accredited training facilities. The 2004 fall deadline is June 30. Awards are based on student need and the availability of funding once the application is complete. These supplemental scholarships are awarded on a first-come, first-completed basis.

The Tribal Training Grant program is available to eligible Alaska Natives, American Indians and Native Hawaiians residing within the Cook Inlet region service area who are seeking certification or vocational funding for employment. Applications are accepted as long as there is funding available, with the need-based awards given on a first-come, first-completed basis.

The Alyeska Match Scholarship is offered to eligible Alaska Natives as part of Section 29, the part of federal law known as the Grant Right of Way (ROW). This agreement recognizes that Alaska Native landowners must be compensated for land use and occupancy by the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS). Eligible Alaska Native students must in the engineering or information technology fields to be considered for this scholarship.

Applications for all three scholarship/grant programs can be found at www.citci.com/departments. For more information, contact Tribal Scholarships and Vocational Counselor Jorie Zilys at CITC, 2600 Cordova Street, Suite 206, Anchorage, AK 99503, or call (907) 265-5904 direct, (877) 985-5900 toll free, or e-mail jzilys@citci.com.

CIRI Descendant Receives Tribal Health Consortium Scholarship

The CIRI Foundation congratulates CIRI descendant Shelley Larson, who has been accepted to the spring 2005 University of Alaska Anchorage School of Nursing, baccalaureate program and one of five people recently selected for a $5,000 Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium scholarship for the 2004-2005 academic year. Larson, who is active in Recruitment and Retention of Alaska Natives into Nursing, will minor in gerontology and looks forward to service and leadership and meeting the health care needs of Alaska Native elders. Since 2002, she has been a recipient of The CIRI Foundation’s Scholarship and Grant Program. She is originally from Gold Creek, Alaska, and graduated from Susitna Valley High School in Talkeetna. She is the daughter of CIRI shareholder Harold Larson, of Palmer, and Elaine Bradford, of Sequim, Wash. She has a son, Eli Ickes.

The CIRI Foundation Recognizes Recent Graduates

The CIRI Foundation congratulates all scholarship and grant recipients that recently graduated. The Foundation is proud of the accomplishments recipients have achieved.

• Joanne Kroto Arroyo- University of Alaska Anchorage, Associate of Arts in Accounting
• Natasha Cloutier- Abilene Christian University, Bachelor of Science in Nursing
• Shiela Isaak- Western Baptist College, Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Finance
• Linda Kakaruk- University of Alaska Anchorage, Bachelor of Arts in Human Services, Cum Laude
• Samuel McAlpine- University of Alaska Anchorage, Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering
• Edith McKee- University of Alaska Anchorage, Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering
• Melinda Moore- University of Alaska Anchorage, Master of Public Administration
• Jessie Marrs Remington- University of Washington, Doctor of Medicine
• Loretta Riley- University of Alaska Anchorage, Associate of Arts
• Debra Segelhorst- University of Alaska Anchorage, Certificate of Paralegal Studies
• James C. Smith- University of Alaska Anchorage, Bachelor of Arts in History
• Jane Standifer- Trenton University of Alaska Anchorage, Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering

June 1 and June 30 Scholarship Deadlines

The CIRI Foundation reminds CIRI original enrollees and direct lineal descendants that they are eligible to apply for scholarship, fellowship and grant programs awarded by the Foundation. Lineal descendants include natural and adopted children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. The next deadline for scholarships (for full-time students) is June 1 and June 30 for grant applications (part-time and vocational training). Scholarship and grant applications and guidelines are available upon request from The CIRI Foundation, 2600 Cordova Street, Suite 206, Anchorage, Alaska 99503, Toll-free (800) 764-3382, (907) 263-5582, e-mail tcf@ciri.com, or visit www.ciri.com/tcf/.

New Host at the Helm of Native America Calling

Patty Talahongva (Hopi) will assume the host’s chair of Native America Calling, the country’s only national Native radio talk show, while parent company Koahnic Broadcast Corporation launches a national search for a permanent host. Talahongva’s voice is familiar to many listeners as a regular fill-in host for the past several years.

Talahongva is an independent journalist who works in print, radio and television. She is president of the Native American Journalists Association and former ex-officio board member of the Radio and Television News Director’s Association. She has produced documentary productions for PBS and HBO, and has worked as a television reporter and producer in Phoenix.

Harlan McKosato, who had hosted Native America Calling for the past six years, resigned.

Koahnic Broadcast Corporation, one of the country’s leading national Native media enterprises, operates three divisions: KNBA-FM 90.3 FM, the country’s only urban, Native public radio station; national radio programming including National Native News, Earthsongs, and Native America Calling; and the KBC Training Center that works to increase the number of Native media professionals.