About
Robert Aqqaluk Newlin, Sr. Memorial Trust is named after one of NANA’s most influential leaders, Robert Aqqaluk Newlin, Sr. from Noorvik, Alaska. He was elected as NANA’s first President when NANA first opened for business in July of 1972, and eventually became NANA’s first Chairman of the Board of Directors when John Schaeffer’s Executive Director position changed to President. Chairman Newlin led NANA’s first annual meeting of shareholders in the spring of 1974 where it is said that he used the butt of his pistol as a gavel. The theme of the first annual report was based on what the leadership at the time felt were NANA’s two most important assets, “our people and their land.”
Robert recognized that in order to survive in the changing world, young people must not only have a strong cultural identity but must also be educated and well prepared for jobs and careers. He once stated, “When an Iñupiaq person becomes educated and understands his identity, he can play a vital role and become a leader.” He always understood that the most important needs of our Inupiat people were our Inupiat spiritual needs. In the early 1980’s he helped lead efforts in the development of the Inupiat Ilitqusiat values. He understood that by acquiring a good education and being grounded in our Inupiaq values were paramount in assisting our Inupiat people to walk in two worlds with one spirit.
Robert passed away in July 1989 during a business trip to Russia. Robert Aqqaluk Newlin, Sr. Memorial Trust, also known as Aqqaluk Trust, was formed in 1989 to honor Robert’s legacy as an exemplary Inupiaq leader of the NANA region. Aqqaluk Trust’s mission epitomizes his legacy, “Empowering the Inupiat through Language, Culture, & Education.”
Staff
Administration
Miġiaq is the daughter of the late Esther Knox of Selawik and Joseph Petro of Fairbanks. Her grandparents are Anna Cook and John Knox. She and her husband, John, have three children. Migiaq served as a Trustee from 2022-2025 and was named President on October 1, 2025. She works remotely.
"I was the first in my family to graduate from college and am grateful that NANA scholarships helped make it possible. As a parent, I believe it is important to know where you are from, stay connected to family, and to further your education."
Education Program
Taksruq is an Iñupiaq manager whose work is deeply grounded in the heritage, history, and values passed down from the Koutchak and Richards families. The daughter of Donald Koutchak Sr., originally from Unalakleet, and the late Dorothy (Richards) Koutchak of Candle and Kotzebue, she draws strength from the legacy of her grandparents: the late Jack Koutchak Sr. and Ruth (Adams) Koutchak, and the late Tim Richards Sr. and Esther (Augrook) Richards. Their teachings—centered on cultural continuity, family connection, and respect for those who came before—continue to shape her identity and guide her professional path.
From 2019 to 2022, Taksruq served as President and CEO, leading with a commitment to community well-being, cultural empowerment, and organizational growth. In September 2024, she returned as Education Director, where she continues her advocacy for higher education. She believes college and vocational students have always played an important role in transforming the world around them and higher education provides skills for community well-being, fosters a sense of pride, and allows for the development of culturally relevant approaches to address community and regional needs.
Taksruq is also a proud parent of three children, who inspire her continued dedication to community, culture, and education.
Iñuunialiqput Department
I am Lucy (Gavin-Thomas-Hadley) Boyd from Buckland, Alaska. My mom is Lisa Lewis and my dad is Eddie Gavin. My grandparents are Grace and the late Lester Hadley Sr., and the late Ethel Hadley-Stork and Ed Stork. I am the Iñuuniałiqput Director at the Aqqaluk Trust.
I was born and raised in Buckland and had the opportunity to live in Fairbanks while my parents and I went to college, Selawik when my dad taught there, Sitka when I went to Mt. Edgecumbe, and Arizona, Texas, and Colorado while my husband Micah served in the Army. We have been married for nearly 20 years, and have three amazing children, Anŋiaqłuk (Micah Jr.), Saġġaq (Kamille), and Iñuŋuuluk (Leon).
I was blessed to be around my great-grandparents, Evans and Emma Thomas, and heard them Iñupiaraaq all the time, so since I was young, I’ve always wanted to learn more about our language and traditions. With this position, I’m able to work closely with the Regional Elders Council and Iñupiaq Language Commission to bring some of their vision to life in how we interact with and engage our young people in our programs.
I am a proud graduate of Buckland Middle School, Mt. Edgecumbe High School, University of Alaska Fairbanks, and the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College. In additional to working at the Aqqaluk Trust, my husband and I own a leadership development and marketing company. Earlier in my career I worked for Maniilaq in IT, NANA at many subsidiaries, and ran federal contracts for other Alaska Native Corporations.
If you have ideas on how we can promote our language and culture, I’d love to hear from you.
Paałuk Reid Magdanz grew up in Kotzebue and on the Upper Kobuk, raised by his parents Jim Magdanz and Susan Georgette. They both moved to northwest Alaska before Paałuk was born, where he was raised with his younger brother in Kotzebue and around their family camp on the Maniiḷaq River. On his dad's side, Paałuk is descended from German and English immigrants who settled as farmers in the American Midwest. On his mom's side he is a mix of Irish, Italian, and Russian arrivals who in recent generations lived in Boston, California, and West Virginia.
Paałuk has been working toward Iñupiaq language revitalization since 2014, and started work for the Aqqaluk Trust in February 2024 as the Uqapiaqta Program Manager. In this role he will be working with our team and regional partners to develop a one-year, full-time Iñupiaq language immersion fellowship for adults, as well as supporting other language-related work at the Trust.
Leadership Thru Generations Project
Leadership Interns