It should come as no surprise to us that Alaskans in rural areas are moving to urban centers in what may be unprecedented numbers. The astronomical cost of energy affects everything in rural Alaska. For many, the most fundamental basics of life -- food from the grocery store, heat, even the fuel required to subsistence hunt -- have become just too costly to bear.
People are moving to Anchorage, and presumably other urban centers, in search of more and better opportunities.
Migration for economic reasons is not a new phenomenon, nor is it unique to Alaska. The whole world is becoming more urbanized. (According to a United Nations report, half of the world's population is now urban. By 2030, the figure is projected to be 60 percent. In 1950, only 29 percent of the global population lived in towns and cities.)
A sudden influx of new residents poses no small challenge for the urban communities. But it's not our job to influence people's decisions about where to live or to discourage them from making choices that are best for them and their families. Our response should be to help them with the transition.
The faster and more easily new residents can settle in, the better. Moving to Anchorage can bring culture shock to families accustomed to life in the village. Everything takes getting used to: schools that are bigger than an entire village, transportation, housing, and finding a job.
The challenge for our public institutions and social service agencies is to position ourselves to meet the changing demographics in Alaska. It's a statewide issue that calls for a statewide strategy. Ultimately, we need to connect people to economic and educational opportunities. Jobs and education are central to building "human capital," which is just shorthand for productive citizens contributing to their community and economy.
Cook Inlet Tribal Council (CITC) may serve as a model for building that human capital. We work with Alaska Native people from throughout the state, as well as American Indians and Native Hawaiians to help them develop their full potential. We emphasize self-sufficiency and taking responsibility for one's own life, family and community. We promote educational opportunities and jobs as the clearest and straightest path to a productive life.
We don't do it alone. In close cooperation with the Anchorage School District, we work to raise the academic achievement of Alaska Native K-12 students and increase family involvement in children's education. Through collaborations with trade unions, employers and the Alaska Department of Labor, CITC placed 1,400 people in good, nonsubsidized jobs in 2007 alone.
Keeping kids in school, job training and job placement are necessary components of what we need in a statewide strategy but they are not the only essential building blocks of a successful community. Economic opportunities, reasonable energy costs, accessible transportation and safe and affordable housing are also critical components.
An influx of new residents from rural communities poses a challenge and an opportunity. It demands that local and state government, profit and nonprofit organizations work together, build capacity, gather resources and focus on our responsibilities to meet the needs of Alaskans regardless of where they choose to live. It won't be easy and it won't be quick. This is our opportunity to demonstrate that we can stand together as Alaskans and effectively respond to current and future migration trends within the state.
Gloria O'Neill is executive director of Cook Inlet Tribal Council Inc. in Anchorage.
By GLORIA O'NEILL