Profile Text
Birth Name: Mary Sattler
Place of Birth: Anchorage, Alaska, U.S.
Date of Birth: August 31, 1973
Ethnicity: * father – German * mother – Yup’ik
Mary Peltola is an American politician, and tribal judge. A member of the Democratic Party, she was a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Alaska, from September 13, 2022 to January 3, 2025, and Co-Chair of the Blue Dog Coalition for Policy, from May 24, 2023 to January 3, 2025. She sat on the Orutsararmiut Native Council, and has been a judge on the council’s tribal court; as well as an executive director of the Kuskokwim River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission, a Bethel city councillor, and a member of the Alaska state house. Her Yup’ik name is Akalleq, “the one who rolled.”
Mary is the first Alaska congressperson to have been born there, in Anchorage. She is the daughter of Elizabeth “LizAnn” Piicigaq (Andrew) Williams and Ward Sattler, who is a pilot and teacher. Her father is from Nebraska, and has German ancestry. Her mother is Yup’ik, from Kwethluk. Mary was raised in Kwethluk, Tuntutuliak, Platinum, and Bethel. She worked as a herring and salmon technician for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, while in college. Mary won the Miss National Congress of American Indians pageant in 1995.
She was married to public servant and naturalist Buzzy Peltola, until his death. Buzzy was Regional Director for Alaska for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, from July 9, 2018 to July 29, 2022. Buzzy was Yup’ik and Tlingit, and was also a tribal member of the Orutsararmiut Native Council. He also had Finnish ancestry, and his surname Peltola originated from Sievi, Finland. Mary has four children. She was previously married to Jonathan Kapsner and Joe Nelson.
Mary is of the Eastern Orthodox religion.
Mary’s paternal grandfather was named Herbert A. Sattler. Herbert was born in Nebraska.
Mary’s paternal grandmother was named Berdena L. Berdena was born in Colorado.
Mary’s maternal grandfather was named Nick Andrew. Nick was born in Kwethluk, Bethel Census Area, Alaska.
Mary’s maternal grandmother was Maria/Marie Daweak (the daughter of Michael Daweak and Anne/Anna, or Leng’iq and Pamess’aq). Maria was born in Alaska, to parents who were also born there.
Sources: Mary’s father on the 1950 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Genealogy of Mary’s mother – https://www.findagrave.com