Doyon’s 50-year anniversary will be June 26, 2022. As part of this celebration, Doyon will be
sharing stories, highlights, and photos from past annual reports, newsletters, village corporations, shareholders, and leaders.
To highlight your village or shareholders, contact Doyon Communications Department at communications@doyon.com.
Mendas Cha-ag Native Corporation Highlight
Submitted by Ada Chapman, President, Mendas Cha-ag Native Corporation
Mendas Cha-ag Native Corporation (MCNC) is the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act village corporation for 27 shareholders originally enrolled to Healy Lake, Alaska, and their descendants.
Healy Lake is the oldest recorded archaeological site found in Interior Alaska, over fourteen thousand years of human habitation. The traditional name for the original site of the Old Healy Lake Village is Teyh Ch’ets’edze.’ The village was located on a bend around Healy Lake, strategically placed near the mouth of the Healy River. The current village is located about a mile from the traditional site of Old Healy Lake Village. Its traditional name is Mendas Cha’ag, which means “body of water, with an outlet.”
MCNC Mission: Mendas Cha-ag, protector of our ancestor’s sacred land, who lived, hunted, and trapped on it for thousands of years, is the center of our heartbeat.
In June 2021, an eventful weekend occurred when our shareholders of the Naltsiin Clan, of Mendas Cha-ag, and community residents warmly welcomed Doyon, Limited President Aaron Schutt, Vice President of Lands and Natural Resources Jamie Marunde, and Public Relations Specialist Cheyenna Kuplack, who visited our Healy Lake village. We welcomed our guests with a village tour, including a walk to the school building, a boat tour of the lake, and a visit to the old village.
