DOGE slashed federal humanities funding. Here's how we're responding.

A NOTE FROM THE FORUM’S PRESIDENT & CEO

DOGE slashed federal humanities funding. Here's how we're responding.

It’s been two weeks since we learned about the widespread and abrupt termination of grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) to organizations across our state, including the Alaska Humanities Forum. I wanted to share some updates about how we and our partners are responding to this news.

What We’ve Done

• Last week, we submitted a letter to the NEH contesting our grant’s termination.

• We've been communicating with our Alaska Congressional delegation about what these cuts mean for Alaskans.

• We’ve been exploring possible legal remedies in cooperation with other state humanities councils.

• We’ve gathered more than 900 signatures on our action alert letter to Alaska’s Congressional delegation. It’s not too late to sign.

• We’re making the case far and wide for the importance of this work and the work of our partners and colleagues across the state. This story has been covered locally by the Anchorage Daily News, Alaska Public Media, and KTUU. Nationally, it’s been covered by The New York Times and NPR, among others.

• We are engaging local businesses and partners about in kind donations of meals and facility space to support current activities; if you can help please contact us!

• We’ve started a Humanities Impacts Story Bank to gather examples of how humanities programming changes lives in Alaska.

We’ve also heard so many words of support from across the state and received donations from both new and longtime friends of the Forum. Thank you so much to everyone who has donated, and to the more than 900 Alaskans who have signed on to our letter to Alaska’s Congressional delegation to advocate for restored funding.

We are a long way from filling the gap in lost NEH funding, but we are committed to meeting demand for Forum programming where we can. We will welcome a new Leadership Anchorage cohort this fall and we will continue to host Story Works for Alaskan students. Ilisautri, our partnership with the Northwest Arctic Borough School District, will continue into its second year.

All of our grant programs are currently closed. Our Alaska Studies Educator Summit will take place next month as planned. The Kotzebue premiere of the new Magnetic North series film about Willie Iġġiaġruk Hensley will take place at Kotzebue Middle-High School tomorrow, April 17, with support from NANA, Maniilaq, and the school staff.

What You Can Do

We are facing a lot of uncertainty and some difficult decisions ahead. I’ll be in touch with more updates as we have them. In the meantime, here are a few things you can do to help:

• Make some noise: Contact your US senators and representatives and tell them to protect the NEH and humanities councils. You can find a starting point here.

• Spread the news: Post about the impacts of NEH funding cuts on Alaska on social media and ask friends, colleagues, and family members to do the same. Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper. Tell anyone who will listen what’s at stake.

• Join us at Celebrating Leadership on May 9 at the Anchorage Museum! This is our biggest annual fundraiser and a joyful, connective event. Our goal is to raise $100,000 through this event.

• Share your story of why the humanities matter to you with our Humanities Impacts Story Bank.

• Give: Donate to help keep our programs available—now and in the future. You can make a gift online at akhf.org/donate.

Thank you for reading and for supporting the Forum. It’s a challenging time. But, I am heartened by what I saw at last week’s Anchorage premiere of the Magnetic North: Willie Iġġiaġruk Hensley documentary: almost 200 Alaskans from different perspectives, backgrounds and walks of life gathered together to celebrate a person who has helped to shape the history, spirit and values of Alaska. As one guest remarked, “It’s hard to believe we are all connected through one person. We could walk down the street and never know that unless someone brought us together.”

Together, we can continue the work of gathering Alaskans to ground us in our shared past and imagine what’s possible for the future.

Kameron Perez-Verdia

President & CEO