THE DREAM
Angoon Alive Project, Inc. (“AAP”), is a coalition of Native-Americans, business professionals and philanthropists dedicated to helping the impoverished native community of Angoon, Alaska achieve economic self-sufficiency and a vastly improved standard of living, through the implementation of a sustainable, grassroots development model.
Angoon, Alaska is a Tlingit-native village of some 500 people, living on Admiralty Island in southeast Alaska. While the Tlingit tribe numbers some 30,000 people—from Southeast Alaska all the way down to the state of Washington—only 500 reside in the remote, traditional village of Angoon. Angoon faces several extenuating factors – including no jobs, high unemployment, no hospital or health center, alcoholism, and high levels migration as people leave their “home” to seek better opportunities elsewhere. As a result, Angoon’s population of 500 reflects a 24% population decline since 2000.
AAP seeks to bring Angoon Alive through several sustainable, grassroots development modules to facilitate Angoon natives’ capacity and quest to improve their lives. Our multi faceted approach includes:
- Education in entrepreneurship, business operations and community living
- Micro-credit and mentoring to help entrepreneurs set up micro enterprises
- A farmers market through which entrepreneurs can make their wares available to the community
- Youth scholarships and youth development programs to enable the youth of Angoon to have better education, a greater sense of self and community worth and opportunities to pursue their dreams
