Representatives from Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta villages are working to form a single tribal governing body to unite them all.
Meeting at the Bethel Cultural Center this week, delegates will nominate and vote for officers to steer them through the process of agreeing to a constitution. The aim is to create a regional tribal government with the authority to issue mandates, not just suggest actions to the member tribes as the Association of Village Council Presidents (AVCP) non-profit corporation does now.
By the end of the proceedings, the group hopes to have a secretary and a new chairman for the conventions. Once elected, the chairman will call the meeting to order and proceed with discussions on developing a regional tribal government for the YK Delta. Yesterday, over fifty members of the Delta’s Yup’ik and Athabascan communities attended the conference, which will continue through Thursday, August 3.