Our Mission & Values
The Sun’aq Tribe of Kodiak empowers a sustainable future for Tribal members by embracing cultural wisdom to guide, protect, and enhance Tribal lifeways.
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We address challenges and foster wellness to empower our Tribal community. We support growth with trust, collaboration, and cultural connection. Our efforts unite us to protect sovereign rights and strengthen communal bonds.
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We nurture cooperation, kindness, and programmatic assistance that values personal and community wellness. Through education and community togetherness, we dedicate ourselves to the well-being of every Tribal member.
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We protect our culture and support future generations by deepening our connection with the Alutiiq/Sugpiat people, place, and knowledge. By fostering connections between youth, elders, and national advocacy, we promote sovereignty and build a strong foundation for future prosperity.
Our History
The Sun’aq Tribe of Kodiak (STK) is a federally-recognized Alaska Native Tribe located within the City of Kodiak on Kodiak Island in the north-western edge of the Gulf of Alaska. Archaeological evidence shows an Alutiiq presence on the island for over 8,000 years and confirms the sophistication of the Alutiiq culture and subsistence activities. The STK’s traditional homelands, as identified in Tribal Resolution No. 2010-35, encompasses an area of nearly 75,000 square miles of land and sea.
Over two-thirds of the Alaska Native population living in the Kodiak archipelago are members of the Sun’aq Tribe of Kodiak, which is the largest of the 10 federally-recognized Tribes in the area and the largest Alaska Native community in the Gulf of Alaska. The Tribe serves 1,959 Tribal members who live on and off the Island’s road system.
We are one of 10 Alutiiq tribes that lived in large coastal villages along the shores of the Alaska Peninsula, the Kenai Peninsula, and the Kodiak Archipelago 7,500 to 8,000 years ago. Our people settled permanently where the city of Kodiak is now located about 2,500 years ago and interacted regularly with other tribes throughout the archipelago.
Our ancestors followed an elaborate maritime subsistence lifestyle of hunting, fishing, and gathering throughout the year. Subsistence has special meaning for Alaska Natives and refers to a way of living that emphasizes the importance of respecting the land and its resources, as well as acknowledging a connection to the natural world.
We are dedicated to rebuilding our traditional political and cultural institutions and practices. Our tribe strives to build and support Sun’aq Tribal unity, cultural identity, and life ways.
Our mission and member services seek to address current Tribal issues while creating wholesome opportunities for Tribal health and growth. We take pride in assisting Tribal members in achieving their personal and professional goals. The programs offered by the Tribe are multi-faceted, and aimed at serving the community and circumventing, mitigating, and forwarding solutions to issues surrounding Tribal justice, community safety, juvenile delinquency, and victimization issues. Our programs and services are primarily supported through Federal 477 contracts and grants. The Tribe currently employs 27 people in the following departments: Social Services, Natural Resources, Program Services, Transportation, and Administration.
Tribal Council Members
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Jeannine "JJ" Marsh
TRIBAL ADMINISTRATOR
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Emily Capjohn
CHAIR
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Carla Schauff
VICE CHAIR
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Thomas Johnson Jr.
SECRETARY / TREASURER
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Alexandria Troxwell
COUNCIL MEMBER
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Christopher Pruitt
COUNCIL MEMBER
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David Cox
COUNCIL MEMBER
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Kathleen Druckery
COUNCIL MEMBER
Tribal Departments and Staff
Search staff and direct contact information by department, or submit a general inquiry through the contact form.
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Jeannine Marsh, Tribal Administrator
jeanninem@sunaq.orgTraci Marsh, Executive Administrative Assistant / Enrollment Manager tlmarsh@sunaq.org
Anwari Kniaziowski, Office Manager
Cherie Skonberg, Tribal Housing & Elder Advocate
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Charise Olsen-Floyd, Finance Director
colson@sunaq.orgBeverly Moreno, Finance Assistant
bmoreno@sunaq.orgMary M. White, Finance Assistant
mwhite@sunaq.orgDelores Stokes, Finance Assistant
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Matthew Van Daele, Natural Resources Director
matt@sunaq.orgDaniel Smith, Tribal Biologist
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Hailey Thompson Ivanoff, Program Services Director (interim)
haileyt@sunaq.orgMelony Johnson, Supportive Services Manager
mjohnson@sunaq.orgApril McBride, Childcare Program Administrator
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Sean Hales, Social Services Director
shales@sunaq.orgKerri-lynn Kenese, Social Services Specialist II
kkenese@sunaq.org -
Randy Boskofsky, Transportation Manager
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Christ Sannito, CEO Wild Source
csannito@alaska.comDarren Rudger, Manager
drudger@wildsource.orgStacy Parker, Office Manager
parkers@wildsource.orgPrinces Pagsolingan, Office Assistant
pagsolingap@wildsource.orgJasmine Hall, Office Assistant