On October 27, the First Alaskans Institute announced their annual Howard Rock & Ted Stevens Smokehouse Gala award winners. But two days later, John Shively was quietly removed from their website as one of the winners of the Friends of First Alaskans Ted Stevens Award.

Shively shared the award Bill Dann, who came to Alaska in 1968 to work at the Alaska Native Medical Center and later served as a rural hospital administrator. 

Shively’s name can be seen on a previous version of a Facebook post announcing award winners. Then, in Joseph Stalin fashion, the First Alaskans Institute erased Shively’s name and photo. 

Yesterday, the First Alaskans Institute posted a bizarre statement on their website about their decision to take away the award. It included, “In direct response to the feedback received from our community, FAI leadership contacted John Shively to discuss the matter. He graciously expressed appreciation for the recognition of his many contributions to the Alaska Native community. However, [sic] ultimately chose to decline the award. Based on his decision, FAI will not present him with the award at this time.”

What they left out of their statement was that the board had already voted to take the award away from Shively when they contacted him, putting Shively in a horrible no-win situation. 

Sources tell the Landmine that loud anti-development interests in the Calista and Bristol Bay regions freaked out about Shively getting the award. They threatened to boycott the gala if they did not take away the award from him. It only took the board a day to cave.

Shively, who serves as the president and CEO of the Pebble Partnership, was unacceptable to anti-mining interests who are against the proposed Pebble and Donlin mines in the Bristol Bay and Calista regions.

But Shively’s career in Alaska spans more than five decades. He came to Alaska in 1965 as a VISTA volunteer. Like many who have come to Alaska, he only intended to stay a year. After meeting Byron Mallott and Willie Hensley, Shively spent decades helping to advance Alaska Native interests. 

The First Alaskans Institute even acknowledge this in their write-up about Bill Dann. They wrote that Dann met Shively when Shively was working to help secure funding to build and stabilize the Alaska Federation of Natives (AFN).

In 1970, Shively helped secure a grant from the Office of Economic Opportunity to establish what eventually became the Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation and the Norton Sound Health Corporation. 

Shively later worked at RurALCAP and AFN. Ironically, Shively was the executive vice president of AFN from 1972-1975 when Willie Hensley was president. Hensley currently serves as board chair of the First Alaskans Institute.

Shively also overlapped with Hensley when they worked in the administration of former Governor Tony Knowles. Shively served as Knowles’ Natural Resources commissioner and Hensley served as his Commerce commissioner. 

Here is a list of board members of the First Alaskans Institute: 

• Willie Hensley, chair 
• Sam Kito Jr., vice-chair
• Val Davidson, treasurer
• Richard Glenn
• Sven Kaakanson Jr.
• Sylvia Lange
• Georginna Lincoln
• Dr. Rosita Worl

Shively also served as vice president and of COO of NANA, where he worked hard to promote the development of the Red Dog Mine – which funds nearly 90% of the Northwest Arctic Borough’s revenues and has employed thousands of people in the region since beginning operations in 1989.

Shively also served as former Governor Bill Sheffield’s chief of staff. 

All of the things Shively has done and accomplished in his long career in Alaska are great reasons to give him the award. But to the loud anti-development interests, all that matters is that Shively works for Pebble. Instead of the First Alaskans Institute board standing by Shively and their decision, they chose to discard and humiliate a great Alaskan. 

Shively told the Landmine, “I’m very comfortable with what I am doing with Pebble. And I’m very comfortable with the rest of my career in Alaska and the opportunities Alaska has afforded me, that is the real award.” 

The First Alaskans Institute did not respond to several phone calls and messages asking for comment. 

Update: The day after this story was published, the First Alaskans Institute removed their statement about Shively from their website. It can still be seen as we took screenshots!