Welcome to the Celebration
“Alaska’s rich history, diverse cultures, and unique contributions to the United States will play a vital role in this national celebration. I look forward to engaging Alaskans in this once-in-a-lifetime commemoration."
—Governor Mike Dunleavy
Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy recently appointed the Alaska Historical Commission to serve as Alaska’s coordinating entity in planning the state’s commemorative activities for the Semiquincentennial in 2026. In collaboration with America250 – the official nonpartisan initiative working to engage every American in celebrating and commemorating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence – the America250-Alaska Task Force will work to honor the unique history, traditions, and contributions of the state while embracing the shared values and aspirations of the American people.
Lt. Governor Nancy Dahlstrom
In May 2022, Lt. Governor Nancy Dahlstrom became the 15th Lieutenant Governor of the State of Alaska. As Lt. Governor, Dahlstrom chairs the Alaska Historical Commission, which Governor Dunleavy directed through Administrative Order 357 to serve as the official state entity for the America250.
Welcoming remarks from the Lt. Governor are coming soon!
Alaska Historical Commission
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski
On April 19, 2024, the Honorable Lisa Murkowski of Alaska was appointed to serve as a United States Semiquincentennial Commission member. The Commission was established by Congress in 2016 to plan and orchestrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Appointed by both parties' House and Senate leadership, the nonpartisan Commission comprises 16 private citizens, 4 U.S. Representatives, and 4 Senators, as well as 12 ex-officio members from all three branches of the federal government and its independent agencies.
Congressional Record | Congress.gov | Library of Congress
America250 Leadership - America250
America250Alaska: History for Tomorrow
"You are our future. We ask you to take tomorrow and dream."
— Resolution of the Alaska Constitutional Convention
The guiding principle for Alaska’s participation in the America250 commemoration is History for Tomorrow, which underpins the importance of the next generation to Alaska’s future.
The theme was inspired by the Alaska Constitution Convention members, who, in a resolution passed on February 5, 1956, bequeathed the state constitution they had just forged to Alaska’s youth. "You are our future," states the resolution. "We ask you to take tomorrow and dream."
Like Alaska's optimistic founders who created the 49th Star in the Union, we believe that when young people learn how they connect to Alaska’s past, they will be more inclined to contribute to building a prosperous Alaska future.
"Alaska youth constitute 25 percent of Alaska’s population and 100 percent of our future."
AM250AK State Programs
Coming soon! AHC Task Force: Am250Ak Framework
Alaska’s Field of Dreams Pitch (Coming Soon)
What Independence Means to You (Coming Soon)
What’s America250?
A Word from the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission
(NOTE) The following comments were recorded on Oct 3, 2024, at the Alaska Historical Commission fall meeting for a special session on the America250. Julie Sullivan, the wife of Honorable Senator Dan Sullivan, introduced Rosie Rios, Chair of the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission. Chair Rios welcomed Alaska into the America250 fold and, in anticipation of 2026, shared several tentpole projects and programs with the AHC.
Julie Fate Sullivan
The wife of Honorable Senator Dan Sullivan, Julie Fate Sullivan, was born and raised in Fairbanks, Alaska. After graduating from Harvard University in 1987, she went into journalism and communications, working as a press aide to Senator Ted Stevens, a daily reporter for The Los Angeles Times, and more recently, a writer for First Alaskans Magazine. Since 2015, Julie has immersed herself in issues involving youth homelessness and human trafficking. She is currently Vice Chair of the Board for Covenant House Alaska, the state’s largest shelter for trafficked and homeless youth ages 13-24. She is also a founding Board Member of the Alaska Native Media Group, whose mission is to encourage and promote Alaska Natives in media and journalism. As a proud Doyon shareholder and Koyukon Athabaskan, Julie also serves as a Board of Trustee for the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, DC. Julie and her husband, U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan, have three grown daughters.
Rosie Rios, Chair of the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission
Rosie Rios is the CEO of Red River Associates, an investment management consulting firm and a co-host of several reality series focused on pre-IPO investments. She was appointed by President Joe Biden as Chair of America250, the United States Congressional Commission planning the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 2026. She served as the 43rd Treasurer of the United States and was the CEO of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and the U.S. Mint, including Fort Knox, with oversight over 4,000 employees and a $5 billion budget. She also initiated and led the efforts to place a portrait of a woman on U.S. currency for the first time in over a century. Following her tenure, she was appointed as a Visiting Scholar at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University, focusing on Millennials and Post-Millennials.
Learn more about America250
America250Alaska Task Force Meeting 12/17/2024
AM250 National Programs
National Day of Service: April 19, 2025
Mission Statement
"The Alaska Office of History and Archaeology (OHA) and State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) provide programs to encourage the preservation and protection of the archaeological, historic, and architectural resources of Alaska."
