Dan Salmon Education Fund

The Village of Igiugig is proud to announce the creation of an Education Fund in honor of Daniel R. Salmon, former Igiugig Village Tribal Administrator and stalwart supporter of education for 22 years. He was dedicated to encouraging higher education, vocational training, and to inspire community service to Igiugig. Dan Salmon’s passion for education reflects through the actions of students and community members in Igiugig. Igiugig School is a clear picture of his educational legacy.

Established in Dan’s memory, we hope to keep our young minds in Igiugig, through creating and providing educational opportunities and training. Facing rural out-migration, we are securing resources so that future generations can get the training and education, experience and networking we will need for a bright future of Igiugig.

Igiugig Academic Excellence

As a priority initiated by Daniel Salmon, the Village of Igiugig has steadfastly supported education, as evidenced by Igiugig School’s strong academic performance. Igiugig School has emerged as an academic leader within the Lake and Peninsula School District, consistently not just meeting, but surpassing State requirements for Academic Yearly Progress (AYP); in 2006-2007 Igiugig lead the state in AYP improvement scores. In the spring of 2008, Igiugig celebrated it’s first college graduate who honored the village by completing a Bachelor’s Degree from Dartmouth College. Other Igiugig School graduates are currently attending college or pursuing vocational training. In a region where pursuit of post-secondary education is uncommon, this is an achievement Igiugig is truly proud of. The Education Fund is our continued support of education for Igiugig’s youth far into the future.

Daniel R. Salmon

Born on August 4, 1958 in Penfield, NY, Dan attended the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, and pursued a degree in Biology. He discovered Igiugig when he was stationed on the Kvichak River while working for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. He spent the winter of 1984 trapping along the Kvichak River and learning the subsistence lifestyle; a year later he married an Igiugig Native, Julia Olympic-Salmon and began raising a family of five children. He dedicated the next twenty-two years of his life to Igiugig and the people of Bristol Bay.

He served as the Village Administrator, was a Lake and Peninsula Borough Assemblyman, on the Iliamna Lake Fish and Game Advisory Committee, and Operations Manager for the Iliamna Lake Contractors. He helped the Igiugig Native Corporation institute a Land Use Program, owned a Bristol Bay Boat Drift Permit, performed airport maintenance for the State, and oversaw many other community and personal projects.

In 2004, Dan received a Denali Commission award for his exceptional commitment to wise resource allocation and for founding a sustainable community. The key to this sustainability is youth, and Dan promoted youth decision making in village operations, incorporating youth visions in the Igiugig Community Strategic Plan. He also participated in all school functions: attending Battle of the Book contests, fundraisers, sporting events, award ceremonies, and graduations and coordinated many village projects with Igiugig School.

Dan was not just a community visionary; his thoughts went well beyond the confines of Igiugig. He thought nationally, even globally. It was important to him that the younger generation went out and experienced the world, but came back to the village, to share their knowledge with the rest of the community. Although Dan has departed, his vision for education and moving forward are still standing, and with the youth of today, we will carry on his legacy.

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Download - Informational Brochure & Donation Form

Download - Dan Salmon Education Fund Primary & Secondary Educational Opportunity Application

Download - Dan Salmon Education Fund Sustaining Recipient Application Higher Education and Vocational Education Scholarship Applicant Packet

Make Donation to Dan Salmon Education Fund

For further information or to make a donation by mail please contact us:

Dan Salmon Education Fund
c/o Igiugig Village Council
PO Box 4008
Igiugig, AK 99613

Phone: +1 907.533.3211
Fax: +1 907.533.3217
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