“We have dealt with resource ex- traction in this community, and it’s worked well for us. For the most part, it is done responsibly and that’s what is important to all of us,” she said in that interview. She pointed to Constantine hiring locals who can buy homes offering “good-paying summer jobs” for students and purchasing all the goods it can in Haines. And experts at Constantine offered help after the recent fatal land- slide that would not have been available otherwise. “They stepped up immediate- ly,” Hill said. “They are a part of our community. “None of us want bad things to happen to our fish or any of the wildlife. We live a subsistence life- style here. We depend on our fish and moose, the bears and ducks — all the creatures that God gave us. We all have these concerns, but I believe Constantine is very respon - sible. They are very regulated; they are good stewards of the environ- ment.” Jan is proud of AMA’s work in the local branch. “I’ve been involved with AMA
since Liz Cornejo brought it to our attention and we started the chap- ter here. I’d been aware of AMA through the Southeast Conference and got on the board because I want to support responsible mining. “I’m retired now and have time to pick and choose what I do, and I really want to support mining.” Despite all the service, or per- haps because of it, Jan keeps room in her schedule for fun. “I right now like to play around with gardening. I’m a beader and I like to cook and bake, and since I live alone, share my stuff. But my favorite thing is being the drum- mer in our traditional dance group, the Chilkat dancers. “I meet cruise ships every Wednesday, meeting and greeting people, and at the end of the day we do a 15-minute performance at the dock. Through it all, she’s a relent- less, joyful booster for her home- town. “I think encourage I people to come to Haines and visit. I love to talk about Haines. We love visitors. We’re a real Alaska community. It’s a very special place!” Hill said.
Photo Courtesy Jan Hill Jan on the cruise ship dock at Haines, her favorite spot on summer days to greet Haines visitors.
“We protect the environment because this is the land where we grew up.” – Evan Polty Jr. Lead Mechanic, Donlin Gold Born in Pilot Station and Resident of Russian Mission
Respectful development for all generations.
To learn more, visit us at donlingold.com
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Winter 2022
The Alaska Miner
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