AKPIRG

Huge news for Alaska: After passing UNANIMOUSLY in the Alaska State Legislature, Governor Dunleavy signed SB 249 into law on July 1! 🎉🌟

Crypto kiosks are becoming more common in Alaska, and are easily used to scam people. Prior to the passage of this law, kiosk operators had no responsibility to detect fraud or return any money to someone who was scammed. People lose thousands of dollars from these scams with Elders suffering the most.

This new law protects Alaskans from the financially devastating consequences of Crypto ATM fraud. Effective October 1, Alaskans can get full refunds for proven fraud and Crypto ATM operators will be responsible for detecting and preventing scams.

It’s a huge win for our communities and our economy. Big thanks to Senator Cathy Titlon, AARP Alaska, and all the advocates who made this happen!

Do you have a story about an experience with Crypto ATM fraud? Share it with us here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfUXoyDXCUIwJk8CkRV5Ojvq6YcmuwTYU0CRL5b0t_o7Kwhzw/viewform?pli=1

Earlier this month, AKPIRG’s Language Access Team hosted Neezhraazhii: We Are Healing, a gathering of language panelists and community members from across the state in Gwichyaa Zhee.

It was a beautiful multigenerational space filled with Native foods, workshops like traditional medicine and moose hide tanning, dancing, healing, and connection.

We’re excited to share more about the gathering in the coming weeks. For now, though, our team is taking some well-earned time to rest, recalibrate, and celebrate the incredible effort it took to bring this event together. In the meantime, here’s a small glimpse into a truly special few days. 💚

Today, we’re honored to share the final installment of the Alaska Native Languages ACS Toolkit: a beautiful three poster series created by the Neets’aii Gwich’in Language Panel 💚

These posters feature traditional dancing slippers – just as dancers follow the footsteps of those who came before them while creating new paths of their own, language moves from generation to generation, carried forward by speakers, learners, and communities.

For Gwich’in speakers and learners, marking your language on the ACS helps make Gwich’in visible and can support expanded access to resources, services, and language revitalization efforts.

It feels especially meaningful to share this final toolkit installment while all of our Alaska Native language panelists are gathered together in Gwichyaa Zhee for a healing gathering. As we celebrate the conclusion of this project, we are also celebrating the relationships, knowledge, and care that made it possible.

Mahsì’ choo to the Neets’aii Gwich’in Language Panel for sharing their vision, creativity, and language with all of us. ✨
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This message is brought to you in Dinjii Zhuh K’yaa by the AKPIRG Neets’aii Gwich’in Language Panel, with Caroline Tritt-Frank and Mildred Allen.

Graphic design in collaboration with Black and White Raven Company ( ).