Senate Committee on Indian Affairs
Roundtable titled “The Alyce Spotted Bear and Walter Soboleff Commission on Native Children: Examining Draft Legislation Related to The Way Forward Report.”
Date: August 14, 2025
Time: 5:00 PM
(1:00 PM AKST)
Location: Anchorage, AK
Room: Cook Inlet Tribal Council’s Rasmuson Conference Center, Nat’uh Building (3600 San Jeronimo Drive)
Agenda:
The draft legislation addresses a wide range of issues affecting Native children and families, including child welfare, justice, physical, behavioral, and environmental health, housing and homelessness, education, child care, and the expansion of research and data capabilities.
Chairman Murkowski asks for input from the public on this discussion draft by September 12, 2025, via email to Murkowski_Outreach@Indian.Senate.Gov
A section-by-section summary of the draft legislation can be found here:
https://indianz.com/News/08-01-25-final-section-by-section-discussion-draft-native-childrens-commission-implementation-act-of-2025/
The full discussion draft is available here:
https://indianz.com/News/08-01-25-native-childrens-commission-implementation-act-of-2025-discussion-draft/
Witnesses
PANEL 1
Ms. Gloria O'Neill
President/CEO
Cook Inlet Tribal Council, and Co-Chair, Alyce Spotted Bear and Walter Soboleff Commission on Native Children
Mr. Ben Mallott
President
Alaska Federation of Natives
Mr. Brian Ridley
Chief/Chairman
Tanana Chiefs Conference
Mr. Dan Breeden
President/CEO
Bristol Bay Native Association
Ms. Vivian Korthuis
CEO
Association of Village Council Presidents
Ms. Natasha Singh
President/CEO
Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium
Ms. Jacqueline Pata
1st Vice President
Central Council of Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska
Ms. April Kyle
President/CEO
Southcentral Foundation
Dr. Tina Woods
Chief Clinical Officer
Cook Inlet Tribal Council
Ms. Patuk Glenn
Executive Director
Arctic Slope Community Foundation
Ms. Tami Jerue
Executive Director
Alaska Native Women’s Resource Center
Committee Notice:
https://www.indian.senate.gov/hearings/roundtable-titled-the-alyce-spotted-bear-and-walter-soboleff-commission-on-native-children-examining-draft-legislation-related-to-the-way-forward-report/
