Click here to learn more about and/or apply for the Glenn "Tiny" Fredericks Housing Scholarship.
On June 30th, 2007, Glenn Fredericks, the President of the Georgetown Tribal Council, died peacefully surrounded by his family and friends. Glenn's involvement the Tribe spans back to the early 1970's when he established the Tribe by enrolling people with familial connection to the Native Village of Georgetown. His actions and forethought cemented the Tribe's federal recognition and made it possible to establish a governing body that met at their own cost through the 1980's and 90's. In his time as President of the Georgetown Tribal Council, Glenn was one of the first leaders in our region to secured BIA funding to draft the Constitution and policies that govern the Tribe today, hold quarterly Council meetings and open a Tribal Council office to carry out the goals of our membership.
Under his leadership, Georgetown enrolled the descendants of the original members, bringing the Tribal membership from 37 to over 110 people. Being instrumental in the development of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, Glenn pioneered Georgetown's 14(c)3 land transfer, ensuring that the members of Georgetown would receive a part of their traditional lands and blazing the trail for other Tribe's to do the same. Glenn secured countless funding opportunities for the Tribe, including a substantial grant to fund the creation of the Georgetown Community Masterplan, which provides the Tribe a roadmap for developing their traditional lands with ownership and control.
When Georgetown's status as a federally recognized Tribe was in peril, Glenn himself led the charge in Washington DC to get Georgetown off the "phantom village" list, imparting the Tribe's emotional and physical connection to their traditional land. Glenn's early and keen understanding that impacts of the potential Donlin Creek Gold mine led the Tribe to develop one of the first Environmental Programs in the region.
The bond that runs through the membership of Georgetown and the ability to operate as an enduring and powerful Tribe was the greatest gift Glenn Fredericks could ever give to each of us. He will be remembered for his thoughtful leadership, his fearless ability to think outside the box and the trust he put in each one of us to move forward as a collective.
