Birch bark texture.

Ahtna Kanas Summer 2018

Welcome New Board of Directors

Photo of Margie Ewan
Margie Ewan,
Seat A, At-Large

Recently retired from Ahtna, Margie Ewan has had a varied career with the Ahtna family of companies for over thirty years. She is a member of the Udzisyu, Caribou Clan.

Margie’s parents are the late Dan Nicklie and Tammany Monaghan. She and her late husband, Markle Frank Ewan Jr., have two sons, Kenneth and Michael, and a daughter, the late Kimberly. She has six great grandchildren and five grandchildren (Tyler, John Frank, Rylynn, Sarah and Rachelle), three of whom she’s adopted.

Margie moved to Anchorage as a teenager to attend West High School, but enjoys going home to Cantwell every summer.

To learn more about Margie, read her retirement article also in this edition.

Portrait of John Dye
John Dye,
Seat I, Gulkana

John Dye grew up in Gulkana and graduated from Glennallen High School. He has one daughter, Ryah Dye, and is the son of Brenda Tyone and John Wayne Dye. John currently lives in Glennallen and is the Facilities Manager for Copper River Native Association (CRNA). He previously served as a Laborer for Gulkana Village Council.

As a young Athabascan man, he says he would like to, “learn more about our people, land and culture. I am willing to learn as much as I can to help our people.”

Someone that has inspired John from the age of five is Fred E. Heinz. He taught him a lot as a young man such as how to operate heavy equipment and dog mush. He credits Mr. Heinz with keeping him busy and out of trouble and he was a source of encouragement to do better.

One of John’s hopes for Ahtna is to have great unity with everyone working together for a brighter tomorrow. That unity would allow Ahtna to thrive and provide so much more to shareholders he says.

John enjoys spending time with family, watching dog races and sports and volunteering as the Copper River School District’s Junior High boys basketball coach.