September 1999

Anchorage Potlatch

CIRI shareholders and family members are invited to partake in the annual CIRI Friendship Potlatch scheduled for Saturday, October 2. The theme for this year's event is Honoring our Heritage, Celebrating our Future.

For the 15th year, CIRI is hosting the potlatch to bring shareholders and family members together in celebration of our culture and heritage. Festivities include exhibits and activities, featured Alaska Native artisans and performers, and door prize drawings during lunch and the featured program. Doors open at 11 a.m. Food service for elders begins at 11:30 a.m. followed by general food service from noon until 2 p.m. The featured program, including the traditional Athabascan cloth ceremony, invocation, Alaska Native performances, and announcement of the 1999 CIRI shareholder of the year, begins at 1:30 p.m.

All potlatch attendees are encouraged to wear traditional Native garments and regalia and are eligible to win various cash prizes during the special garment and regalia-judging contest.

15th Annual CIRI Friendship Potlatch

Saturday, October 2, 1999

11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Romig Middle School

2500 Minnesota Drive

Anchorage, AK

Northwest Potlatch

CIRI continues to host a Northwest Potlatch for shareholders living in the Pacific Northwest and other parts of the Lower 48. The fourth annual Northwest Potlatch will be held Saturday, Sept. 25 in Puyallup, Washington, at Chief Leschi School. CIRI shareholders and family members are encouraged to attend and share in food and entertainment. The Haida Heritage Dance Group will provide the featured entertainment, door prizes will be drawn, and a babysitting area will be available.

4th Annual Northwest Potlatch

Saturday, September 25, 1999

12 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Food service from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m.

Program from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Chief Leschi School

5625 52nd Street East

Puyallup, Washington

According to school staff, reaching Chief Leschi School is simplest from Interstate 5. Shareholders approaching Puyallup from the east can take I-5 and follow directions from either Portland or Seattle. Or, for those who are more familiar with the region, get to Route 167 (River Road) and follow directions below from Seattle.

South from Seattle:

I-5 south

Take exit 135 "Bay Street/Puyallup"

Turn left, travel under overpass

Follow 167 (River Road) approximately 4 miles

Turn right on 66th Avenue East, travel approximately 1/4 mile

Turn right on 52nd Street East

Chief Leschi School is on the right

North from Portland:

I-5 north

Take exit 135 "Puyallup 167 North"

Follow 167 (River Road) approximately 4 miles

Turn right on 66th Avenue East, travel approximately 1/4 mile

Turn right on 52nd Street East

Chief Leschi School is on the right

CIRI shareholder Tom Glazier is a Geographic Information System (GIS) technician in CIRI's real estate and land department. He is the person responsible for making maps. When it comes to developing a tract of land, his mapping is the beginning of a long development process.

With an intuitive and refined sense of detail and skill, he creates the initial groundwork for a project marked for future development by drawing a picture of a specified tract of land with his computer. He has mapped the project areas for the Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge, the Alaska Native Heritage Center, and the Anchorage RV Park. His challenge is pulling together and organizing all the information he gets on a tract of land and then showing it in a clear, coherent image.

Glazier was raised in Anchorage and is of Haida and Athabascan descent. A childhood interest in drawing led him to pursue an associates degree in drafting from South Seattle Community College. After earning his degree, he worked as a CIRI summer intern for two summers and has worked full-time for CIRI for the past seven years.

Away from work, he is a person with diverse tastes and interests. He enjoys attending Anchorage Aces hockey games as well as the Anchorage Symphony, and holds season tickets to both. Travel is also one of his interests. Glazier recently visited Australia and New Zealand. New Zealand turned out to be his favorite place because of the friendly people and its laid back lifestyle. He heard the trout fishing is legendary, which he says is a good reason for a return visit.

CIRI spotlight

Tom Glazier is CIRI's map maker.