09 Nov Voices for Justice: Raising funds to support equality and justice for Alaska Native people and other Alaskans

Your Voice. Your Justice.

The numbers tell the story: Alaska Native people face barriers in the justice system.

Alaska Native women are nearly four times more likely to be sexually assaulted than non-Native women.[1] Alaska Native children are about seven times more likely than White children to be in foster care.[2] And while Alaska Native people represent only 16 percent of the general population, 42 percent of Alaska’s incarcerated population is Alaska Native.[3]

But behind every statistic is a person, a family, and a community.

People like Toni Sanderson, who struggled with addiction and ended up in prison. Communities like the youth incarcerated at McLaughlin Youth Center, who often leave with few resources and face the very real possibility of reoffending and going back to detention. Or the broader Alaska Native community, which faces significant barriers to receiving equal and fair treatment in the justice system.

The Alaska Native Justice Center[4] (ANJC) works to change the numbers. Every day, ANJC promotes fair, equitable, and culturally appropriate treatment for Alaska Native people throughout the state.

Through its advocacy, prevention, and intervention programs, ANJC supports survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, and human trafficking. It partners with Tribes to improve child welfare and local justice systems across Alaska. ANJC teaches, connects, and assists. ANJC breaks down barriers.

You can help. Our annual Voices for Justice fundraising campaign kicks off this week. We’re raising $100,000 to support our programs for Alaska Native people and other Alaskans—and we can’t do it without your help.

In the coming weeks, you’ll read stories of people empowered by ANJC’s services to change their lives. You will see how ANJC staff works to inform and improve the justice system on behalf of Alaska Native people. Your support makes this critical work possible.

Be a Voice for Justice. Click here to donate today.

[1] Municipality of Anchorage data (2018)

[2] Vadapalli, D., Hanna, V., Passini,  J. (November 2014). “Trends in Age, Gender, and Ethnicity Among Children in Foster Care in Alaska.” Institute of Social and Economic Research, University of Alaska, Anchorage

[3] Alaska Criminal Justice Commission Annual Report 2021

[4] The Alaska Native Justice Center is a 501c3 nonprofit