Alaska Inter-Tribal Council : Advocating for Alaska Tribal Governments

AI-TC Chairman has directed AI-TC volunteers to forward this message to all Tribes, and potential commentators.

### Begin Message From Chief Stickman

Today is a great day to take advantage of our opportunity as Tribes to shape the federal subsistence regulations. Now is the time to work together to send a message that our Individual Tribal Governments have never relinquished control of our roles as the rule keepers, protectors and stewards of the land.

As Tribes, we must all unite to protect and promote Tribal resources. All Tribes must stand together to send a clear message to Secretary Salazar that we as Tribes are the only public authority on traditional Tribal lands.

Tribes alone have the legal right to manage all of the sacred animals inhabiting traditional Tribal lands. The Federally Recognized Tribes have the ability and demonstrated capacity to manage traditional and customary resources that tribes have relied on for food, bartering and trading, for cultural events, used for clothing and household items.

Respectfully,

Chief Mickey Stickman

AI-TC Chairman

### End of Message from Chief Stickman

AI-TC has prepared the following sample resolution. Please pass the sample resolution then fax/email the signed resolution back to AI-TC before December 29th.

### BEGIN SAMPLE RESOLUTION

SAMPLE RESOLUTION

TITLE: Protection and Preservation of Traditional & Customary Tribal Resources.

WHEREAS, the ___________________________________ is the recognized governing body, and public authority for the tribal community of _____________________________, and;

WHEREAS, Our sovereign federally recognized Tribal Nation has a duty to protect and promote the rights of our sovereign Tribal Members; and

WHEREAS, Since time immemorial our Tribal Government has successfully utilized and managed our traditional and customary natural resources to keep and maintain safe healthy communities; and

WHEREAS, Our Sovereign Federally Recognized Tribal Nation has never relinquished jurisdiction over our lands, air, water, sacred landscapes, territories, peoples or traditional, customary cultural resources ; and

WHEREAS, other organizations and entities have harmfully attempted to exercise dominion over our traditional Tribal resources without the authority of our Tribal Government; and

WHEREAS, one of the basic foundations for our sacred customary and traditional life ways of hunting, fishing , gathering, harvesting and trading require the taking of sacred animals to be balanced with the needs of our Tribal Community; and

WHEREAS, policy or legislation that hinders our Tribe from exercising customary and traditional life ways causes irreparable harm that causes permanent damages to our community; and

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, We call upon the United States Federal government to take action to fulfill the trust obligations and duty to honor the government-to-government consultation relationship with federally recognized tribes by taking immediate action to fund our Tribe to manage, regulate, and enforce tribal jurisdiction over our traditional and customary resources.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this resolution shall be the policy of ________________________________________

### End Sample Resolution