Clarence Alexander

Clarence Lee Alexander (born March 12, 1939) is a former Grand Chief of the Gwich'in of Alaska. He was 1st Chief of Fort Yukon from 1980 to 1994. He was raised at "Shoo Taii," the "Happy Hill,"[1] which is also known by the name "Alexander Village".[2] Alexander Village is approximately 20 miles north of Fort Yukon. He co-authored the Gwich'in Dictionary with his wife, Virginia E. Alexander.[3]He has five children and had 8 brothers and sisters. The majority of his family have moved to Fairbanks, Alaska except for one son, his children, and his wife.

Clarence Lee Alexander
Alexander in November 2004
Born (1939-03-12) March 12, 1939

He co-founded the Council of Athabascan Tribal Governments with Paul Williams Sr., the former chief of the village of Beaver, Alaska . He is one of four co-founders of, and Chairman of, the Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council, a group of 70 First Nations and Tribal Governments spanning the Yukon River Watershed dedicated to "the protection and preservation of the Yukon River Watershed" . He is the former Chairman of the Gwichyaa Zhee Corporation, the local ANCSA village corporation. He founded Gwandak radio, KZPA 900 am, which broadcasts from Fort Yukon throughout the area known as the Yukon Flats.

Council of Athabascan Tribal Governments

He is credited, with Paul Williams Sr. of Beaver, with of founding the Council of Athabascan Tribal Governments, known as "CATG".[4]

Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council

Alexander is credited, along with three others, of founding the Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council, which consists of 70 Tribes and First Nations spanning the Yukon River Watershed.[5] The organization is dedicated to preserving clean water.

Awards

November 30, 2004, Clarence Alexander received the 2004 Ecotrust Indigenous Leadership Award[6]for his many years of work advocating for environmental justice, tribal rights, and protection of the Yukon River Watershed.

October 20, 2011, Clarence Alexander was awarded the 2011 Presidential Citizens Medal[7] by President Barack Obama.

References
  1. "Gwich'in Steering Committee". Gwich'in Steering Committee: Our Arctic Refuge. 2019.
  2. Anderson, David B. (September 1998). "A view from the Yukon Flats: An interview with Gwich'in leader Clarence Alexander". Cultural Survival.
  3. "Search Results | Alaska Native Language Archive". uaf.edu. Archived from the original on 2017-10-17. Retrieved 2019-08-13.
  4. , Ecotrust
  5. "2004 Ecotrust Indigenous Leadership Awardee: Clarence Alexander".
  6. "2004 Ecotrust Indigenous Leadership Awardee: Clarence Alexander". archive.ecotrust.org. Retrieved 2019-08-13.
  7. "President Obama Honors Recipients of the 2011 Citizens Medal". whitehouse.gov. 2011-10-12. Retrieved 2019-08-13 – via National Archives.

Sources
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