MONA WASHINGTON

“I grew up in Candle, Alaska. It used to be a big mining town and now it’s a ghost town. There are a few families that go there to pick berries in the summer. There are a lot of berries there and it’s a nice place to go, but it’s just lonesome. I have lived here since 1972. I am the Administrator for the Buckland IRA (Indian Reorganization Act, often used to refer to tribal governments that were organized under the federal act) Council . I have been here since 2011. I oversee the 638 grants (federal tribal government grants) for Tribal Operations. We get BIA (Bureau of Indian Affairs) money for Tribal operations and we also have a EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) grant. We also work with the fuel plant and store.

My favorite part about living in Buckland is the slower pace and I love picking berries. When we go away for workshops for work, it’s always so good to get back home. And ever since we got water and sewer in 2011, it’s always so exciting to go home. Even today, it’s so exciting inside, it’s so awesome. We are still tickled about the water, even after five years.” — Mona Washington is Inupiaq and lives in Buckland, Alaska.