This is national native news. I'm Antonia Gonzalez. Memorial arrangements have started for Earl old person longtime chief and chairman of the blackfeet tribe in Montana on Tuesday a procession on the blackfeet nation brought him to tribal offices where reviewing was held. Wednesday he'll be escorted to the high school where helene state until Friday Thursday and Friday services are planned, old person passed away last week after battling cancer. He was elected to the blackfeet tribal business council in 1952 and served for more than 60 years, serving as chairman for more than 50 in 1978, he was bestowed hereditary chief. He's being remembered for his leadership and importance to the blackfeet people in both the U.S. and Canada. Earl old person was 92 years old. Elders and young people from across Alaska are taking part in learning, sharing and connecting on a virtual platform this week at the 38th annual first alaskans Institutes elders and youth conference. The event features speakers, language circles, cultural sessions and networking opportunities. This is the second year the conference is being held online due to COVID-19 health and safety concerns. Valerie Davidson is on the board of trustees for first alaskans institute and is a healthcare leader in Alaska. She urged attendees to take COVID-19 seriously talking about its impact on the Alaska native community asking people to continue to take precautions wearing masks, washing hands and being mindful of others. Our ancestors sacrificed everything for us. Everything because they love us so much and we all need each other to make it. I need you, we need each other. And so Guiana for taking all of those extra measures to keep each other safe. The better we are, the sooner we'll be able to get through this. And as my mom says, my grandma used to say, I'm telling you this because I care about you. I'm telling you this because I love you. Because sometimes the hard things need to be said and sometimes the hard things need to be heard. The state is also asking people to take precautions to help slow the spread of COVID-19 as cases in Alaska continue to be high. Meanwhile, the Alaska federation of natives announced its annual convention will be virtual. The AFM convention is held days after the elders in youth conference, AFM says the virtual event will be held for two days in December due to health and safety concerns. The AFM board postpone the annual convention in October to follow COVID-19 trends on Friday, AFM announced the virtual platform, saying current information shows continuing high rates of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths, particularly in anchorage where the convention was to be held. The Navajo Nation council passed legislation Tuesday, which prohibits the use of commercial tobacco products indoors and in public places. Health advocates have worked for years on public education on tobacco use and have been urging the tribe to approve a smoke free Bill. The air is life act was approved by a vote of 20 to three. The speaker needs to certify it, the navy president will then have ten days to either veto or approve it. The U.S. Senate committee on Indian affairs is hosting a roundtable Wednesday on economic development, chairman of the committee, senator Brian shots will lead the discussion, tribal leaders and native financial experts from across the country will join federal representatives. The roundtable will focus on leveraging federal financing to invest in native communities and economic development. Cherokee nation principal chief chuck hoskin junior on Tuesday signed into law in early childhood education act, the legislation approved by the council earlier this month invests up to $40 million to replace 8 existing head start centers and upgrade others on the Cherokee nation in Oklahoma. I'm Antonia Gonzalez. National native news is produced by colonic broadcast corporation with funding by the corporation for public broadcasting. Support by the Sanofi chambers law firm, championing tribal sovereignty and defending Native American rights since 1976, with offices in Washington, D.C., New Mexico. California and Alaska. Support by AARP the native urban elder needs assessment survey will provide data to improve urban Indian elder health equity. Elders are underrepresented in data, and you can help info and survey at UIA coalition dot org. Native voice one the Native American radio network. This is native America calling, I'm Andy Murphy. Hunting gray whales is a sacred act and a tradition the maca tribe kept going for generations. But with one brief exception, the tribe has not hunted whales for the last 100 years. Now, the tribe is the closest they've been in decades to resuming this cultural practice. Over harvesting by commercial whalers initially prompted the tribe to voluntarily stop hunting whales in the 1920s. And then after the whale populations recovered, the tribe resumed hunting in 1999. But legal challenges halted whale hunting again after 1999. So today, tribal leaders are hopeful the national marine fishery service will make an exception for the tribe in the marine mammal protection act to harvest one to two gray whales every year for the next decade. A federal judge this month recommended that exception go forward. Wildlife conservation groups continue to oppose whale hunting. So this hour we'll hear from the macaw tribe about the significance of whale hunting and we'd like to hear from you. How has your cultural relationship with a certain animals changed over time because of overhunting by outsiders? Give us a call at one 809 9 6 two 8 four 8 that's also one 800 9 9 native. And joining us from Nia bay, Washington is Timothy green, chairman of the macaw tribe, welcome to native.