AFN Coverage

Photos: Political candidates vie for support at AFN

The largest annual gathering of Alaska Natives is a high-stakes political scene as much as a cultural event, with candidates vying for attention before thousands of delegates from distant villages -- and a coveted endorsement from a pivotal part of the electorate.

The three-day event in Anchorage will end Saturday after a potentially contentious vote on political endorsements. Bristol Bay Native Corp. has proposed endorsing U.S. Sen. Mark Begich. Sealaska Corp. and the Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Southeast Alaska have proposed endorsing gubernatorial candidate Bill Walker and his running mate, Byron Mallott, who once worked for Sealaska.

The endorsement proposals will be debated in executive session, then voted on Saturday by all the delegates or their proxies, Kitka said.

Read more: With endorsements at stake, candidates look to AFN convention

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