Rather
than worry about life's more absurd moments, John Peratrovich prefers to laugh
at them. His philosophy is if you take everything too seriously you lose your
sense of perspective and miss out on what joy and meaning life has to offer.
Consequently, he believes that a sense of irony and humor are good things
to cultivate. Unflappable, patient and soft-spoken, he believes it's also
important to try to be open-minded about yourself, people and life in general.
John Peratrovich and his son,
Roy.
His philosophical outlook comes in handy for him as the assistant manager of administration at CIRI. For the past three years, he's kept things running smoothly for the entire administration. Along with assisting his supervisor, Sharon Boling, Peratrovich is in charge of making sure the phones and office machines are running properly. He also supervises the CIRI couriers and receptionists. He says he enjoys working at CIRI and that he has learned a lot from his job.
Before CIRI, Peratrovich worked for several years as a village public safety officer (VPSO) in Anvik. It was his job to make sure things ran smoothly there, too. This was no small feat in this small community of 90 people. It was a tough balancing act and his sense of humor, diplomacy and steadiness came in handy.
Peratrovich likes to work hard. Currently, he works 60 hours per week. He works full-time at CIRI and moonlights part-time as a doorman at an Anchorage nightclub where he keeps the peace.
Peratrovich comes from an illustrious Tlingit lineage; he is the grandson of Roy and Elizabeth Peratrovich. A CIRI shareholder of Tlingit and Haida descent, he was born and raised in Anchorage, but also spent time in Nome and Juneau. He and his fiancée Donna named their three-year-old son Roy after his grandfather.
His fiancée
is of Navajo descent from New Mexico. While in New Mexico, he observed some
Navajo religious ceremonies. In particular, Peratrovich was fascinated with
how in one ceremony, a vivid and detailed picture was created from ashes,
then it was interpreted and brushed away. According to Peratrovich, this is
a way to take meaning from life and the best way to do that is to have an
open mind. 
Southcentral Foundation's Gathering 2000 Celebrates Wellness
Southcentral Foundation
hosted the Gathering 2000 on January 29 at the Alaska Native Heritage Center.
As with past events, CIRI's non-profit affiliates were on hand to exhibit
information on their programs. Activities included staff recognitions by SCF
President and CEO Katherine Gottlieb and the SCF Board Chairperson Sophia
Chase, a welcome by Eklutna Tribal Leader Lee Stephan and performances by
the King Island Dancers and SCF Head Start Dancers. Approximately 1,500 people
stopped by throughout the day. In addition to exhibits, guests were treated
to horse-drawn sleigh rides around Tiulana Lake and free family portraits.
CITC Promotes Importance of Early Childhood Development
Cook Inlet Tribal Council is focusing its efforts this year on the importance of early childhood development, a topic integrated into its child care, parenting classes, cultural outreach and education programs.
In that effort, CITC has launched a new publicity campaign utilizing brochures,
posters, and the CITC web site as informational tools for its programs. The
campaign features photographs of Elizabeth and Victoria Rameriz, nine-month-old
twin daughters of CITC employee Holly Snowball.
"Elizabeth and Victoria
were chosen for this campaign because they represent the future promise our
Native youth hold," said CITC Executive Director Gloria O'Neill. "Many families
enroll in our programs when they 
have
small children around the age of Elizabeth and Victoria."
In different photos, the twins are posed with a variety of props representative of CITC programs. In one photo, the twins are wearing hard hats to represent CITC scholarships for vocational schooling. In another, the twins are pictured holding a computer to represent job-readiness training and the utilization of computers. And a third photo shows the twins holding an annual report and pencil, symbolic of CITC's accounting services.
Elizabeth and Victoria
Rameriz, 9-month-old twin
daughters of Holly Snowball,
are featured in CITC's new campaign
All of CITC's programs complete the mission of promoting self-esteem and self-determination
among CIRI shareholders and other Alaska Natives.
For more information about CITC
programs, call (907) 265-5900.
Alaska
Native Heritage Center Hosts All Alaska Native Juried Art Show
The Alaska Native Heritage Center is hosting its first All Alaska Native Juried Art Show at the Center from March 3-31. The show begins with a free grand opening and reception from 5-8 p.m. on March 3. At that time, the winners of the Jurors' Choice and other awards will be announced.
"The All Alaska Native Juried Art Show offers an opportunity for Alaska Native artists to show their finest pieces," said Margaret Nelson, ANHC president and chief executive officer. "In addition, the All Alaska Native Juried Art Show provides a forum for Alaska Native artists to interact with their peers and for the public to enjoy fine Alaska Native art."
Exhibit
hours at the Center are from noon to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays or by appointment.
You can call (907) 330-8000 to make an appointment to view the art. This exhibition
is made possible by generous support from the Alaska State Council on the
Arts. An Alaska Native Artist
Bazaar will be held in conjunction with the show's opening on March 3 and
will continue through March 4 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission will be not
charged for the show's opening on Friday or Saturday, March 3 and 4.
Ron Senungetuk's "Kashitagmeut"
is one of the pieces
entered in next month's First Annual All Alaska Juried Art Show.
