Questions from Shareholder Meetings
Q: When we go after government contracts, we as a corporation stay away from funding or security enforcement for ICE detention centers, correct?
A: Yes, that is correct.
Q: When talking about cultural scholarships, does this cover classes held at the Tlingit & Haida office in Lynnwood classes such as button blankets, regalia making, etc…?
A: Yes, they do.
Q: Since Shee Atiká is doing well, are we the shareholders going to receive 2 dividends per year like we use to? And, are we still receiving 3% of revenue into our dividends?
A: We are currently declaring one distribution per year. This is so our investments can earn income for the full year before we distribute. The intent is so that the funds can earn as much income as possible for the distribution. We do not intend to make two distributions per year currently. There is nothing in the Trust Agreement that requires that we distribute 3% of revenue to the unit holders; however, we do try to use that as a rule of thumb.
Q: How much is it to go to the Sheet’ká Rainforest Park?
A: Rack Rate: $199/person (Full course) or $99 (Half course), Sitka Resident $75, Shareholder $50
Q: How are you using or planning to use AI?
A: We use it to automate some processes, to write some proposals, some coding, to help work through large stacks of employment applications, etc…we still require human review of all work that is done with AI.
Q: I gifted shares to a family member and that family member died. I am still here. Where do my gifted shares go once the family member is deceased?
A: The shares go to whoever that person named as his/her beneficiaries on their Testamentary Disposition or Will. If they did not leave a TD or a Will, then it would be based on the State of AK Intestate Succession law. Feel free to contact the office and speak with Heleena.
Q: How many Shee Atika employees actually work in the office in Sitka? I park by the office and there are never any employees going into the building when I’m leaving for work in the morning. How much is paid in utilities, etc.?
A: There are 10 who work in the office but have a hybrid schedule where they work in the office a couple days per week and work from home a couple days per week. There are also a couple who work out at the Park a lot during the summer months. We pay approximately $1200/month in utilities, etc…but much of that is reimbursed from the other tenants in the building since we share the cost of utilities including trash collection.
Q: Will there be any infrastructure plans for properties in Katlian Bay. Tourism, shareholder access?
A: The board is currently working on a land use plan for Katlian Bay. There are not any concrete plans currently.
Q: I would like to ask if there are any ideas to having job fairs targeting Native American/AK Native/shareholders to encourage more individuals to apply for internships/positions (at colleges/high schools/job training centers). It would benefit us to increase the number of applicants for the job pool at our businesses.
A: Yes, we have attended a number of career fairs in Sitka at the Sitka High School, Mount Edgecumbe, Centennial Hall. We also attended the AISES conference, which is the Advancing Indigenous Science and Engineering Society and made a number of connections with Native students. We are hoping to connect with more career fairs with T&H and Sealaska.
Q: I’m glad that we are able to provide job opportunities to our community directly working for the corporations. As we all know the salary of the blue & pink collar workers is stagnant in relation with inflation rate. How is the corporation going to mitigate that issue?
A: Many of the blue collar jobs we have are government contract jobs and the salaries are governed by the Service Contract Act and/or a Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Q: Can the annual report have a cheat sheet type summary that shareholders can understand? An easy to read and understand summary?
A: Yes, we can consider that.
Q: One donation like to Fine Art Camp, etc. seen if you can donate to the Russian Orthodox Church in painting front of building. We have 1,000 visitors taking pictures of it.
A: Any non-profit organization can apply for a donation from Shee Atiká. Just stop by the office or give us a call or send an email to info@sheeatika.com and we can get you the application.
Q: Has there been any thought of making Katlian Bay into a hatchery? It would make money and help our fisheries.
A: No, but we will add that to our list of items to consider when we are working on our land use plan.
Q: Is there any chance of the corporation working with the tribe to get or build a museum so that we can have a place to put our repatriation of at.oow?
A: We will add it to our list for consideration. We have been working on our Art Policy because we have art currently with nowhere to display it.
Q: The board is composed primarily of male shareholders which lacks diversity and representation from female shareholders. Has the board considered a governance committee to more actively reach out and encourage various demographics to run and serve on the board?
A: We’ll pass this along to the Governance Committee.
Q: Can we help out the Blue Lake Dam to make our electricity lower?
A: We have been working with the City and Borough of Sitka and we work together with the Sitka Economic Development Association to find ways to make Sitka more affordable. We don’t know the answers, but it is something we think about a lot.
Q: Why don’t we have Christmas parties anymore?
A: It is a large expense for a small number of shareholders, so it has not been a part of the budget since 2014.
Q: Is there any way to be notified monthly of classes that Shee Atika puts on in Sitka? I seem to miss sign up time or find out too late to take time off from work.
A: Yes, we haven’t hosted any classes before. Now that we have an Indigenous Programs Manager, we will be able to plan ahead and ensure that shareholders are made aware of classes that we organize ahead of time.
Q: Are shareholders getting a spring dividend for 2026?
A: No.
Q: How do I get paperwork to will my shares to my grandkids and great grandkids?
A: You fill out your Testamentary Disposition Form, which you can get from the Sheeatika.com website, the mysheeatika.com portal, by calling the office and asking for one to be mailed to you, or by stopping by the office and picking up a copy.
Q: Have you considered adding descendants as allowable recipients for scholarships?
A: We can give this question to the Board/Governance Committee to consider.
Q: Have you considered opening up more shares for after borns?
A: We can give this question to the Board/Governance Committee to consider.
Q: Have you considered eliminating discretionary voting altogether?
A: We don’t currently use discretionary voting, but it is still allowable under the bylaws.
Q: Have you considered adding an elder benefit?
A: The SHRC is currently considering different options for elders.