Darrin Topkok and Wallace Ungwiluk recognized at AFN
On the second day of AFN, two awardees from the Bering Strait region were recognized with prestigious awards.
Law Enforcement Award
Darrin Scott Topkok was raised in the Nome region and received the Glenn Godfrey Law Enforcement award. The award is given to an Alaska Native law enforcement officer who has shown outstanding dedication to the safety the public. Topkok became a VPSO in 2020 and worked in Teller for about three and a half years. He took a job with the juvenile probation program in Nome, and worked there for about a year, but missed law enforcement. He started working as a VPSO, this time assisting the Alaska State Troopers in villages around the region.
Topkok enjoys doing law enforcement in his own community. “I really enjoy it. It’s good to be able to work with people that I know and kind of help out in terms of a public safety role,” he said. “It’s really a blessing for me to do, and I really enjoy it.”
In June of 2025, he put in his application to become a state trooper and went to training at the Alaska Law Enforcement Training Academy in Sitka in January. For now, Topkok will be stationed in Fairbanks. “The ultimate goal is to get back to Nome, be with family,” he said.
Topkok says thank you to the people of the Bering Strait region. “For the kiddos that are young and thinking about a career, maybe consider law enforcement because we definitely need a lot more officers out there,” he said. “And if not, then don’t be afraid to pursue your dreams and go forth and conquer.”
Youth Leadership Award
Gambell resident Wallace Ungwiluk received the Roger Lang Youth Leadership award. The award is given to young men, ages 18-30, who demonstrate leadership qualities. Ungwiluk played basketball while earning bachelor’s degrees in Business Administration and Psychology, followed by a master’s degree in Management and Leadership from Multnomah University. Since moving back to Gambell, he has coached at the John Apangalook School and makes social media videos about life on St. Lawrence Island, some of which have hundreds of thousands of views.
He initially started posting on social media as a way to share his unique life in Gambell. When he would substitute teach at the school, kids would come up to him, wanting to know when his next video would be coming out. “I kind of saw it as a unique way for me to encourage kids to keep practicing their lifestyle and culture and be proud of who they are and where they come from,” he said in an interview with the Nugget.
When Ungwiluk coaches, he tries to find ways to take his athletes on trips as much as possible. Leaving a rural subsistence lifestyle for a university in the Lower 48 can be difficult. “It’s also a way for me to just expose them to the cities, what these big cities look like, and get them exposed,” he said of his athletes.
It can feel a little contradictory to encourage and prepare youth for life outside the village while also encouraging them to practice traditional lifestyles. Encouraging kids to see what’s out there could lead to them bring an awesome opportunity back home. Cost of living is climbing and the job opportunities back home are few. “For us to be able to continue to live at home and preserve our lifestyle and culture, we need more opportunities for our people in the villages,” he said. “All of that’s going to come from our youth that go off and earn a degree or earn a trade or go off and explore the world.”
In Ungwiluk’s acceptance speech, he had a long list of mentors and community members to thank for their guidance. He shared three lessons with the audience. First, just because no one from where you are from has accomplished something does not mean it is impossible, it means you have the opportunity to be the first. Second, you might not know all the steps you need to take, but if you commit, the right people will appear to help you on your way. Third, go after what’s hard.
“Dream big. If your dreams don’t scare you, you’re not dreaming big enough,” he said. “Always remember that you are capable of achieving anything you set your mind to, regardless of your circumstances or where you come from. You come from a people of strength and wisdom, a people that are resilient and adaptable.”
Other Awards
Bethel photojournalist Katie Basile was awarded the Denali award, given to a non-Native person who has demonstrated strong commitment, dedication and service to the Alaska Native community and to rural Alaska. Basile’s work has appeared nationally in PBS NewsHour, the Washington Post, NPR and the New York Times, as well as locally with radio station KYUK. She has spent more than ten years collaborating on multimedia stories with rural youth. Both Napaskiak Incorporated and Bethel Native Corporation nominated her for the award jointly, both the communities where she grew up.
Dempsey Woods, Jr, was awarded the Gin’tith Richard Frank Military Service award, given to an Alaska Native who demonstrates commitment to serve in the U.S. Armed Forces. Son of Fannie and Dempsey Woods Sr. formerly of Nome, Woods Jr. grew up as a dog musher in a military household in the Kotzebue area. His family practices a subsistence lifestyle. He enlisted in the Alaska Army National Guard after graduating from high school.
Dimitri Philemonof, from St. George Island was named the Citizen of the Year. Philemonof has worked for the Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association since 1978 and has served as its President/CEO (formerly called Executive Director) since 1985.
Kotlik educator, community leader and culture bearer Theresa Mae Prince was given the Eileen Panigeo MacLean Education Award. The award is given to an Alaska Native who has demonstrated commitment, competence and sensitivity in the educational field and whose accomplishments have improved educational opportunities for Alaska Natives. Since the 1970s, Prince has taught language, traditional skills and values to youth while pursuing several postsecondary degrees.
Barbara Jean Franks was awarded the Hannah Paul Solomon Woman of Courage award for her nearly thirty years in suicide prevention advocacy. The award is given to an Alaska Native woman who demonstrates strong cultural values and courage. Franks lost her son to suicide in 1997 and her husband to cancer two days later. She earned an Associate of Applied Science degree in Human Services, and has educated Alaskans and was the chair of Alaska’s Statewide Suicide Prevention Council.
Lifelong Alaskan hunter, fisherman, provider, community leader and advocate Anthony “Tony” Christianson was given the Katie John Hunter Fisher award. The award is given to an Alaska Native who preserves subsistence hunting, trapping and shares those values with future generations.
Heanie and Lee Staheli II, who own Lee’s Sea Air in Kiana, won the Small Business award. The Small Business award is given to an Alaska Native business owner who has demonstrated success in business and is committed to their community.
Sun’aq and Unangan physician community leader and mentor Dr. Elise M. Pletnikoff received the Health award. The Health award is given to an Alaska Native in the health field who has improved the health outcomes of native people through competence and commitment. Pletnikoff earned her degree through the WWAMI program and returned home to Kodiak after completing her education. She is now a family medicine physician and the Chief Medical Officer of the Kodiak Area Native Association.