Alaska Inter-Tribal Council : Advocating for Alaska Tribal Governments

Greetings Honorable Tribal Leaders & Councils,

As you have been informed, Alaska Inter-Tribal Council Chairman Mike Williams, has arranged for a consultation session between Alaska Tribes, AI-TC, AFN, & the ANCSA Corporations.

Since 1934, October 12th has been recognized as Columbus Day. Some states, including South Dakota and Hawaii have ceased honoring Columbus Day and have created holidays celebrating the First Nations, and Indigenous Peoples. For example, our Indigenous Brothers in Venezuela have changed from celebrating Columbus Day to celebrating Indigenous Peoples Resistance Day.

Three Kasaan Tribal Members, Jeff Sheakley Jr., Walter Young, & Mike Peele, were detained, harassed, and illegally cited while exercising their legally protected Indigenous rights on traditional fishing grounds. Our brothers acted with great tact and vocalized in advocacy of our legal rights. These attacks on Tribal Sovereignty were perpetuated by an Alaska State Trooper Dane Gunderson.

COMMENT DEADLINE FOR THE 5 YEAR PROGRAM FOR OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF OIL AND GAS DEVELOPMENT 2010 – 2015

AITC participated with National Tribal Environmental Council in a listening session with the White House tribal liaison Jodi Gillette and Council on Environmental Quality staff and representatives from the Environmental Protection Agency EPA, and National Oceanic and Aviation Administration NOAA to advocate for tribal ocean and coastal policy priorities for the coast of Alaska. AITC testified at the formal listening session that was conducted in Anchorage.

Senator Mark Begich and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan appeared on Alaska Public Radio's Talk of Alaska call in program Wednesday August 12th. Throughout the program Senator Begich and Secretary Donovan fielded numerous questions from AITC staff members and Indigenous Peoples from across the state. The program is currently available for download, and can be found at this link here.

The Alaska Inter-Tribal Council would like to remind everyone of the upcoming public forum, August 12th in Bethel. Senator Mark Begich will be in attendance along with Tom Vilsack the Secretary of Agriculture, Arne Duncan the Secretary of Education, Steven Chu of the Department of Energy and Shaun Donova the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. Staff members of the Department of the Interior will also be present. The meeting will be taking place at the Yupiit Piciryarait Cultural Center in Bethel from 9 - 10:30 a.m..

The Alaska Inter Tribal Council recently wrote a letter to Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski asking for an Amendment to the Magnuson - Stevens Act that would give Alaska Tribes four voting seats on the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council. The Letter is posted below:

The Alaska Inter-Tribal Council has been working under orders from the Tribes to preserve our traditional subsistence culture, and indigenous way of life. During a meeting of Tribal Leadership in Anchorage, it was agreed upon to make changes to current federal law in order to protect our subsistence culture. A resolution was proposed as a result of collaboration among present Tribal Leaders, that would re-assert Tribal sovereignty and give Tribes the power to protect their subsistence culture.

Alaska Inter-Tribal Council is happy to announce that Larry Hartig, Commissioner of the State of Alaska's Department of Conservation, has responded to our letter voicing our concerns for the potential clean up of the Red Devil and Salt Chuck Mines, especially their listing on the super fund national priorities list.