Continuing Legal Education Program

Information

Law and Culture Day
In Partnership with Alaska Native Justice Center

Registration is closed.
Please call the AK Bar CLE Department with questions - (907) 272-7459 or email CLE@alaskabar.org

Wednesday, February 12, 2025
9:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Dena'ina Civic & Convention Center
600 W 7th Ave, Anchorage
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5.0 General & 0.75 Ethics Credits  
CLE# 2025005
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Registration fee*: $50 | After February 4: $75

*Please note that due to the reduced registration fee, additional discounts will not be available.

Agenda: 

9:30 a.m.           Welcome
      Alex Cleghorn, ANJC
      Kara Bridge, AK Bar 

9:45 a.m.           History & Overview of Alaska Native Experience
      Maria Williams & Jessica Ross, UAA

10:55 a.m.         ANCSA & Alaska Native Self-Determination within Regional and Village Corporations and Tribes
Shauna Hegna, Koniag Corporation
Alex Cleghorn, Tangirnaq Native Village and ANJC 

12:15 p.m.         Lunch & Networking 

1:00 p.m.          Subsistence
    Erin Dougherty Lynch, NARF 

2:00 p.m.          Break 

2:10 p.m.          Alaska Tribal Justice and VAWA 2022
     Alex Cleghorn, ANJC

3:00 p.m.          Self-Determination and Tribal Service Delivery
     Kyan Olanna, CITC 

3:50 p.m.          Break 

4:00 p.m.          Working with Tribal Courts (Ethics)
     Meghan (Sigvanna) Tapqaq, Kawerak 

4:45 p.m.          Closing
     Alex Cleghorn, ANJC

Faculty: 

Maria Shaa Tláa Williams
Maria, born in Tikahtnu (Anchorage), is an enrolled member of the Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska, belonging to the Raven Moiety and Deishetaan clan. She earned her M.A. and Ph.D. in Ethnomusicology from UCLA, focusing on Tlingit music and Alaska Native traditions. A 1998 Ford Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow, she researched ceremonial music and dance in Alaska. Maria has taught at the Institute for American Indian Arts and the University of New Mexico and has been a full professor at the University of Alaska Anchorage since 2011, teaching in Alaska Native Studies and Music. 

Jessica Ross 
Professor Ross, a Dena'ina tribal member of the Native Village of Eklutna, is an Assistant Professor in the Human Services and Alaska Native Studies programs at the University of Alaska Anchorage. She is pursuing a PhD in Indigenous Studies and holds a Master’s in Education (Teaching and Learning) and a Bachelor’s in Dental Hygiene. Since 2016, she has taught at UAA, starting in the Dental Hygiene program. Her work in Human Services focuses on Culturally Responsive and Trauma-Informed (CRTI) practices and leading the ICWA Occupational Endorsement Certificate program. She also founded the 

Shauna Hegna
Shauna is the president of Koniag. Prior to this role, she served as the Chief Administrative Officer for the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium. Shauna holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Alaska. She is an inductee of the Anchorage ATHENA Society, a German Marshall Memorial Fellow, and a Native American Top 40 Under 40 honoree. Shauna serves on the boards of the Alutiiq Heritage Foundation, Rural Energy Enterprises, Alaska State Chamber of Commerce, ANCSA Regional Association, Resource Development Council, and Alaska Community Foundation. 

Alex Cleghorn
Alex, born in Anchorage and raised in Fairbanks, is of Alutiiq descent and a tribal citizen of Tangirnaq Native Village. He is a shareholder of Natives of Kodiak, Koniag, and CIRI. A licensed attorney in Alaska, California, and several tribal jurisdictions, Alex serves as the Chief Operating Officer at the Alaska Native Justice Center, where he helps direct the legal and policy agenda to advance justice for Alaska Native people. He also provides training and technical assistance for tribal justice initiatives. 

Erin Dougherty Lynch
Erin is a senior staff attorney and the managing attorney of Native American Rights Fund’s (NARF) Anchorage office. At NARF, Erin works on a variety of federal Indian law issues, including Indian and tribal child welfare, subsistence hunting and fishing rights, co-management/co-stewardship agreements, voting rights, tribal jurisdiction and sovereignty, tribal sovereign immunity, and issues related to Alaska Native communities and climate change. 

Kyan Olanna
Kyan is the vice president and general counsel at Cook Inlet Tribal Council (CITC); she comes from Shishmaref and is of Inupiaq heritage. After Yale Law School, she clerked for former Alaska Chief Justice Bryner and held roles at law firms like Sonosky Chambers and Perkins Coie. Previously, she served as general counsel at Norton Sound Health Corporation and Norton Sound Economic Development Corporation, and as Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer at the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium. Currently, she chairs the board of Planned Parenthood Great Northwest, Hawai’i, Alaska, Indiana, Kentucky. At CITC, Kyan oversees the Legal Department, including contracting, risk management, and corporate governance. 

Meghan Sigvanna Tapqaq
Meghan is Iñupiaq with family roots in Nome, Mary's Igloo, and White Mountain. She currently serves as staff attorney at Kawerak, providing legal services to 20 tribes in the Bering Strait region. These services range from election assistance to providing guidance on personnel matters to tribal justice development. She graduated in 2013 with a B.A. from Dartmouth and in 2017 with a J.D. from University of Oregon School of Law. 

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This program will be offered in person only

For those unable to attend live, the event will be recorded and made available on Video On Demand (VOD) approximately 10 days after the event. This ensures you can access the content at your convenience.

Course Materials: A digital copy of the program materials is available 24 hours prior to the event by logging into your member dashboard at www.alaskabar.org/members. Select "My Course Materials," located under the "My Documents" header on the left side of your dashboard. 

If you are registered for this program, you already have an AK Bar account and can access the materials. If you need assistance with your login information, please contact the AK Bar office at 907-272-7469.
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Explore More AK Bar Programs: Don’t miss out on our other upcoming events and CLE opportunities! Click here to view our full calendar and register for additional programs. 

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Learn more about ANJC:  The Alaska Native Justice Center (ANJC) promotes justice trough culturally based advocacy, prevention, and intervention services to restore the dignity, respect and humanity to all Alaska Native people.  Visit www.anjc.org for more information.
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 Video On Demand (VOD): For those unable to attend, the event will be recorded and made available on Video On Demand (VOD) approximately 5 days after the event. This ensures you can access the content at your convenience.