afpc events & conferences, partner spotlight & events
2025 Alaska Food Festival & Conference Planning Partner Highlight - Kodiak Area Native Association
By Sundance Visser, Operations and Finance Director, AFPC
Today is our final conference planning committee meeting of 2024, and before we all log out of our emails and relax for the holidays, we want to introduce another of our planning partners.
Kodiak Area Native Association (KANA) is a Tribal health organization and nonprofit corporation that provides comprehensive health and social services for Alaska Natives and American Indians across the Kodiak Archipelago (Koniag region). KANA has been providing services and resources since 1966, with a mission “to elevate the quality of life of the people we serve.” KANA’s services include medical, dental, behavioral health, Elder services, child and family support, peer connection groups, and more.
As part of its commitment to community well-being, KANA supports events and services that honor cultural traditions and bring people together.
Photo Credit: Kodiak Area Native Association
Community health is closely tied to local food systems. KANA supports this through workshops on meals and traditional recipes, Elder coffee hour and holiday dinners, and providing resources and services at their community clinics. For example, KANA’s Prevention and Behavioral Health teams hosted an Old Harbor Community Connection event in October, where participants prepared frybread and discussed its cultural significance. KANA contributes valuable community knowledge and participation to the Conference Planning Committee.
“I’ve truly appreciated being part of the planning process for the Alaska Food Policy Council’s 2025 Alaska Food Festival and Conference in Kodiak. The emphasis on local resources and this year’s theme, Community Table: Collaboration for a Sustainable Food Future, beautifully highlight the importance of rural voices and partnerships in shaping Alaska’s food systems,”
– Rosa Skonberg, KANA Workforce and Economic Development Director.
Photo Credit: Kodiak Area Native Association
AFPC engages with local planning partners from the communities where we host events, and we are grateful for Kodiak’s strong support. For more information, read our post about planning partner the Kodiak Archipelago Leadership Institute (KALI), and watch for future posts introducing the Intertribal Agriculture Council and Kodiak Harvest Food Co-op.
If you’d like to join us in Kodiak on March 28-29, 2025, registration for the 2025 Alaska Food Festival & Conference is open and our Session Proposal form is live on our website.
