Joaqlin Estus
ICT

A leader in the national and regional tribal housing arena has passed away. Brook B. Kristovich died on July 13, 2024 at the age of 61. He was Nishga and Ingiluk Athabascan and was an enrolled member of the Native Village of Napaimute in Alaska.

Kristovich took on leadership roles in the National American Indian Housing Council as well as regional housing authorities in the Pacific Northwest and Southwest.

On his Linked In page, he said he had experience running programs on low rent, homeownership, low income housing tax credit units, and other financing. Kristovich said he was experienced in turning around troubled organizations and worked directly with tribal councils and housing boards of directors.

The National American Indian Housing Council’s obituary said, “Brook committed his career to serving the housing needs of Native Americans in Indian Country.”

The council listed leadership posts Kristovich had held at the Spokane Indian Housing Authority and later, the Colville Indian Housing Authority – both in Eastern Washington state. “He also served the Quileute Housing Authority in La Push, Washington and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Reservation in Pendleton, Oregon. He then relocated to the Southwest where he served the Mescalero Apache Tribe Housing Department, Santo Domingo Tribal Housing Authority – and most recently, he was appointed to serve as the director of Housing at the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo.

“Brook served for 20 years as the Chairman of the Board of the Northwest Indian Housing Association. He represented his region on the board of directors of the National American Indian Housing Council, served as a member of the board of AMERIND Risk Management – and notably, was elected president of the Traditional Council at his own tribe – the Native Village of Napaimute,” the Council said. “Brook graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Western Washington University in 1984.”

Laguna Housing Development and Management Enterprise wrote that it “is saddened to hear about the passing of Brook Kristovich, saying he made significant contributions as a former Board member for the Southwest Tribal Housing Alliance and also for the National American Indian Housing Council. … His impact and contributions will be remembered and good memories will be shared with all of us Laguna housing and the Southwest alliance membership. Our condolences, thoughts, and prayers are with the Kristovich family during this difficult time.”

Laguna Enterprise continued, “Brook’s leadership was grounded in his integrity, commitment, spirituality, hard work and his vast experience in tribal housing programs. His family, colleagues and co-workers knew him as a caring and loving person who saw the good in everyone.”

His sister Shelly Leary said Kristovich stayed true to his roots in the southwest Alaska village of Napaimute. She said he took part in the effort to gain federal recognition for the Napaimute tribe in the 1990s. ”We were all pretty young, and he helped get us established and worked with us to fundraise so that we can start having a little office. And so he played a very important role in that at a young age in getting us reorganized. And I think we hired him as one of our first tribal administrators.”

Kristovich served as a council member off and on over the years and was president of the council as he neared the end of his life. “When he realized that he was not going to overcome his cancer, he resigned. And it’s left a big hole in our hearts and within our tribe,” Leary said.

Kristovich always had a positive attitude, Leary said, “he looked for the good in everything. And even if it was something bad or it didn’t work out the way we wanted, it was always like, ‘well, what have we learned from this? So next time we’re faced with this, what can we do better?’ And the outcome is something that makes us who we are.”

His dedication to his people was apparent even in his last days, Leary said. She was going to bypass an elders gathering in Napaimute to see Kristovich. “I was planning to rush down to him. He told me, ‘no, Napaimute’s more important. You need to be there to make sure things go smoothly.’”

Leary said the family is going to bring his ashes home from the Southwest for burial in July, “His wishes were to be buried here. This is where his heart was. And this is who he worked for and represented. And yeah, this is home. He wanted to be back on the Kuskokwim River in Napaimute.”

Kristovich is survived by his wife Teresa Kristovich; children: Caleb and Autumn Kristovich, Melissa and Nathan Burkey, Tyler and Michelle Savage, Mariah Savage and her partner Jason, Luke Savage, and Lacey Savage; grandchildren: Jeffrey, Jackie, Finnick, Leland, Micah, Jameson, Will, Avery, Owen, Diego, and Luca; father Bill Kristovich; siblings: Bobby Kristovich, Marcie Sherer, Nick Kristovich, and Shelly Leary; nieces & nephews: Megan (Karlton), Audrey (Dominic), Kaitlin (Brandon), Katrina (James), Brianna, Sydny (Carly), and Ben; and great-nieces and nephews: Mason, Rainier, Cody, Charlie, and Finley.

He was preceded in death by his mother Bertha “Bea” Kristovich and brother John “Binky” Kristovich, grandma Agnes Hoffman Charles, and Ap’a (grandfather) Benjamin Charles.

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