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THE SKAGWAY NEWS.
Reorganization PAGE 3
Details confirm dark past PAGE 3
February 11, 2022
Sk a g w ay, A l a s k a
Tribal Admin of the Year awarded to Kinjo-Hischer By Melinda Munson Sara Kinjo-Hischer, tribal administrator for Skagway Traditional Council (STC), a federally recognized tribal government, was named 2021 Tribal Administrator of the Year. The designation was bestowed by the Alaska Tribal Administrators Association, which started awarding the distinction in 2018. “Sara is a steward of truth, justice, hard-work, teamwork, community health, education and welfare,” her nomination form stated. “She is of strong moral character and ethics. And she is dedicated to working towards goals that embody the best interests of Skagway Traditional Council, its members and the interests of Indigenous peoples on a global level.” For Kinjo-Hischer, who describes herself as an introvert, the award was a surprise. “It was completely shocking,” she said. “I’m honored. There are a lot of tribal administrators out there that deserve this.” STC president Jaime Bricker thinks Kinjo-Hischer is more than deserving. “Sara is special in a lot of ways,” Bricker said. In 2014, when Kinjo-Hischer was hired by STC, the council was reeling. Their former tribal administrator, Delia Commander, embezzled nearly $300,000 from Skagway Village. The investigation and sentencing wouldn’t be complete until 2018. “We had been through a pretty traumatic experience (see page 4 - Kinjo-Hischer)
Nope. Not a typo. Page 5
$1.50
Photo by Melinda Munson
Parent Jaime Bricker waits anxiously for the final results of the First Lego League state championship. The Cargo Crocs, Skagway’s junior high robotics team, competed remotely due to weather-related travel issues.
Masks encouraged, not required at school Nurse position advertised
By Melinda Munson Changes in the Skagway School’s 2021-2022 mitigation plan now give students of all ages the option to go maskless, regardless of vaccination status. Testing to forego face coverings is not required. “Cloth face coverings or face shields are encouraged to be worn at all times inside the building (lunch excluded). Masks will remain optional for all staff and students inside the building, in all outdoor settings and extracurricular activities,” the plan states. “We still highly encourage masks,” said Superintendent Josh Coughran, noting the office has N-95 masks available to families. At a recent visit to the school, it appeared a majori-
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ty of students were choosing not to mask. Dani Arnold, who has two children enrolled at Skagway School, was pleased by the changes to the mitigation plan. Previously, only those twelve and older could be maskless. “I’m very happy for the children to be able to go to school in a somewhat normal atmosphere. If a parent doesn’t like it, they have the choice to make their kid wear it,” she said. In a letter to the school board, Teacher Courtney Ellingson expressed her support for the changes to the mask policy. “...We have many other layers of protection in place. Skagway did a great job of ensuring ease and support with testing, vaccination, travel protocols, etc. and at this point, I’d say we’re doing a pretty good job of managing COVID. The log-
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ical next step would be to encourage masks but offer choice.” Students involved in afterschool activities must test at the school once per week. Anyone traveling on behalf of the district, student or staff, will be tested before departure and three to five days after return, in which case a mask is required until receipt of a negative COVID-19 test. Parents whose children are not in extracurricular activities can contact the office and request their child be periodically tested. The school uses rapid antigen testing kits overseen by trained administrative staff. According to the Food and Drug Administration, antigen tests detect the newest COVID-19 variant, omicron, but “they may have reduced sensitivity.” Parent Raniyah Bakr, who is currently caring for a child with COVID and deal-
ing with the illness herself, wishes the school board took a more cautious approach to mitigation. She recently traveled to Whitehorse and is unsure where the exposure occurred. “This is not a great time to take masks off,” she said, citing growing research that suggests patients are testing positive with omicron long after they’ve been contagious. She’s particularly concerned for her preschooler who is too young to be vaccinated. “I don’t feel like my kids are safe. I don’t feel like my preschooler is being looked out for,” she said. Bakr has been isolating from her partner and daughter for two weeks. “It’s not just a cold,” she warned. The district will imple(see page 3 - Masks)
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