Anchorage

The Anchorage Division honors Cook Inlet Tribal Council (CITC) for its work providing social, educational, and employment services to Alaskan Natives and Native Americans living in the Cook Inlet region of Alaska. Accepting the award on behalf of the organization is Lisa Moreno.

CITC convened a group of local non-profit, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to address sex trafficking in Alaska. This unprecedented initiative of CITC provided a valuable perspective to lawmakers on the historic human trafficking issues facing Native Alaskans.

From May to October 2012, CITC led a group of 10 non-profit organizations to further explore and identify action that the state of Alaska could take to prevent and address sex trafficking and provide victim assistance. The group was later named the Alaska NGO Working Group on Sex Trafficking (The Working Group). The Working Group issued a final report with recommendations for state action.

The Working Group provided input and direction to the governor-mandated State of Alaska Task Force on Human Trafficking. CITC dedicated full-time personnel and has worked diligently to make The Working Group’s findings available to policy makers, tribal leaders, law enforcement, and the community. The recommendations outlined by The Working Group—and adopted by the governor’s task force—are expected to have a significant impact on the safety of the children of Alaska.