[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 182 (Monday, December 7, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Page S12615]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                     REMEMBERING MITCH DEMIENTIEFF

 Mr. BEGICH. Mr. President, I wish to remember the life of a 
much respected and accomplished resident from my home State of Alaska, 
Mr. Mitch Demientieff of Nenana. Mitch passed away on December 1, 2009. 
He was 57.
  Mr. Demientieff not only held many important positions in the Native 
community, he was an ardent preserver of his Athabascan culture and a 
true family man. While a student at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, 
he accomplished something truly amazing: at age 19, he was elected 
president of the Tanana Chiefs Conference, a post he held again years 
later. One year before his election as president, he broke into the 
local political scene as mayor of Nenana.
  His legacy at the Chiefs included the modernization of the tribal 
health programs and working to provide education to the youth in the 
Native community. His personal legacy revolves around his dedication to 
preserving Native culture. Mitch was committed to making sure the 
traditions of Alaska Natives and his people were not lost. His 
interests included the stories he heard and passed on, traditional 
songs and dances, how clans were run and the practices of traditional 
medicine.
  His achievements later in life included service on the Federal 
Subsistence Board where he was a strong advocate for subsistence rights 
for Natives. At the time of his passing, he was serving on the Nenana 
City Council and was the Nenana tribal chief.
  In his personal life Mitch was an avid sports fan and coach who was 
loved by his family and community. He and his wife Kathleen, married 
for 24 years, have a blended family of six children and 14 
grandchildren. Mitch was both beloved and respected in their community 
and throughout interior Alaska. Everywhere Mitch went, he made friends.
  Mitch Demientieff will be missed by his family, friends, and all of 
the people he touched in the State of Alaska.

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