Alaska Inter-Tribal Council : Advocating for Alaska Tribal Governments

Over the next two weeks ONDCP plans to hold a series of consultation calls with tribes from across the country to develop a tribal consultation and coordination policy implementing Executive Order 13175.

AI-TC membership have passed a resolution in 2005-09 outlining the position taken by Tribes.

Click here to review AI-TC Resolution 2005-09

Attached Below is the Letter from Director Kerlikowske

The following resolutions have been passed and submitted to Secretary Salazar to support Tribal control of customary and traditional Tribal resources.

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.

The Honorable Ken Salazar,
Secretary of the Interior
1849 C Street, NW
Washington, DC 20240

RE: Subsistence Management Review.

Dear Mr. Secretary,

The Alaska Inter-Tribal Council, formally requests that the Sovereign Federally Recognized Tribes of Alaska be granted an extended period to provide written comments regarding the upcoming changes to federal regulations articulating subsistence management. Changes to federal regulations regarding subsistence have a direct impact on the living cultures and life ways of all Indigenous Peoples inhabiting our great sacred land. Tribal governments require additional time to prepare and deliver comments. An extension for comments from Federally Recognized Tribes needs to be acted upon to allow additional time for government-to-government consultation to occur with each Tribe ensuring the requirement of fully informed consent is adequately met. The potential impacts created through the implementation of changes to subsistence policies will forever impact the life ways of all Alaska's Indigenous Peoples.

Indigenous Activists March on US Embassy in Copenhagen Urging Obama to “Stop the US Energy Industry’s War on Native Peoples and Lands”

Shortly before President Obama received his Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, a coalition of North American indigenous groups marched to the US embassy in Copenhagen calling on Obama to stop what they described as the war on native peoples and lands waged by the US energy industry. Speakers at the protest included Faith Gemmill from Arctic Village, Alaska and Clayton Thomas-Muller of the Canadian-based Indigenous Tar Sands Campaign.

The 18th annual AI-TC convention was held on November 30th at the Egan Convention Center, & December 1st at the Downtown Hilton Hotel.


AI-TC member Tribes, have elected the following Leadership To Serve:

Greetings Honorable Tribal Leaders & Councils,

EPA Region 10 Tribal Program is drafting practices and procedures for government-to-government consultation. The EPA is requesting input from Tribal Governments for new Tribal consultation procedures. AI-TC volunteers have studied the “draft procedures”, & identified multiple areas that significantly violate Tribes legal right to government to government consultation.

AI-TC will be holding the Annual Convention on November 30th and December 1st. The meeting will be held at the Egan Convention Center in Anchorage Alaska.

More Information To Follow As It Becomes Available.

WHEN
Friday, October 30, 2009,
10 am - 12 noon

WHERE
University of Alaska Anchorage
Integrated Science Building Room 120
[Reception to follow in the Atrium]

Bernardo Alvarez, Venezuela’s ambassador to the U.S., will travel to Alaska on October 28-30, 2009 to strengthen relations with the state’s indigenous tribes and promote cultural, commercial and academic links between the U.S. and Venezuela.

AI-TC News Team attended a presentation held by the Bioneers at the Wendy Williamson Auditorium in Anchorage Alaska. The link below is to the 22 minute video that is incredible and difficult to describe in simple text.

This video is a spectacular presentation regarding the impacts of discrimination by Media against Indigenous Tribal Communities. The Tribal Community of Point Hope has suffered greatly as a result of the biased media response to the Traditional Harvest of Caribou.

AI-TC staff have seen first-hand the effects of pollution and bio-accumulation of hazardous toxins. Many hunters have described the sadness of leaving behind an animal that is unfit for consumption.

Anyone who does not believe that the people of Point Hope have an inalienable right to selectively harvest food for their families should be forced to experience true hunger and the desperation that it causes.