Roy Agloinga, the former mayor of the Inupiat village of White Mountain, has traded in his rural home for the urban setting of Anchorage.

Agloinga is Anchorage's first-ever rural affairs coordinator. He hopes to forge greater ties between the city and rural Alaska.

The city wants to improve its image among Alaska Natives, some of whom say they don't feel welcome or safe. Those concerns prompted the Alaska Federation of Natives to move its annual conference to another city, causing officials and business leaders to lobby for its return.

Agloinga says the city and its businesses support AFN, which returns to Anchorage in October.

Get the Story:
New hire bridges cultural divide (Alaska Newspapers Inc. 9/22)
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Relevant Links:
Alaska Federation of Natives - http://www.nativefederation.org

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