Alaska Natives

by The Associated Press Sunday, January 31, 2010 JUNEAU, Alaska -- Representatives for Tlingit and Haida Natives have filed a lawsuit against the state to gain control of child support matters. The Central Council Tlingit & Haida filed suit in Juneau Superior Court last month. Named are the state, Department of Revenue Commissioner Patrick Galvin and John Mallonee, director of the state Child Support Services Division. The council wants the state to recognize its tribal court and administrative orders regarding child support that it says are granted under federal law. State officials have declined to comment on the pending lawsuit.

by Channel 2 News staff Tuesday, May 11, 2010 ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Hundreds of Alaska Native artifacts are back in Alaska after years at the Smithsonian Institute. Tuesday, the Anchorage Museum offered a sneak peek at 600 objects made by Alaska Natives. The items are on loan for seven years from the Smithsonian. The exhibit is part of the new Smithsonian Arctic Studies Center. The exhibit also has several interactive features where visitors can learn about Native cultures through touch screens and 3D images.

Alaska Native issues were front and center at a U.S. Senate candidates’ forum in Anchorage Thursday. A crowd of more than 300 people packed into the ChangePoint Church in South Anchorage to hear from Joe Miller, Lisa Murkowski and Scott McAdams. From education to jobs to health, Alaska Natives feel the impact of federal policies in their daily lives -- perhaps more so than anyone else in Alaska. In political campaigns, many of these issues take a back seat -- but not at Thursday’s forum.

by Rhonda McBride Tuesday, June 22, 2010 ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Anchorage has drawn owners of minority businesses from around the country for two days of meetings. Their mission is to learn how to manage government contracts, to create jobs and opportunity.  In recent years, Alaska Native corporations have become major players in government contracting.   Alaska's economic landscape has some features that make it unique and Native corporations are among them.

The Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium says it's the first time this type of data is brought together all in one place. "Healthy Native Families: Preventing Violence at All Ages" highlights how domestic and sexual violence affects Alaska Natives in all stages of life. The bulletin aims to provide hope but also highlight the higher numbers of abuse among Alaska native people compared to Alaska non-natives. 46% of Alaska native women report being hit, slapped or physically hurt by their partner, which is double the percent of Alaskan non-native people.

Democrat Senator Mark Begich held a Saturday town hall meeting in Anchorage discussing issues affecting Alaska Natives. The town hall was open to the public and about a hundred people showed up for the event at the Southcentral Foundation in the U-Med district. During the question and answer session, subsistence was a major topic, along with climate change, and the rising cost of food in rural Alaska. Funding for education, including language education for Alaska Native Children, and health care for Alaska Natives were also among the issues that were discussed.

Several hundred Alaska Natives could receive an average of $1,800 each from a multi-billion-dollar federal settlement over individual Indian trust accounts. The settlement, the largest class-action award against the government in history, acknowledges federal mismanagement of the accounts. Contact Ashton Goodell at agoodell@ktuu.com

by Channel 2 News staff Sunday, February 21, 2010 ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Alaska's rate of fetal alcohol syndrome has dropped by about one-third, according to new data released by officials with the state's Division of Behavioral Health. The findings cover children born between 1996 and 2002, and diagnosed by 2008. During that short span the FAS rate declined steadily, from about 20 children for every 10,000 births to 13.5. Officials attribute the drop to a decrease in FAS rates among Alaska Natives.

by The Associated Press Sunday, May 9, 2010 JUNEAU, Alaska -- The University of Alaska Southeast held commencement exercises Sunday, awarding 300 degrees. Sixty-two of those degrees were awarded to Alaska Natives, up from 38 last year. Mark Hamilton, who is retiring next month as president of the University of Alaska system after 12 years, was expected to make an address. Annual enrollment at UAS is about 6,400 students, two-thirds of which are in Juneau. The university has campuses in Sitka and Ketchikan.

by The Associated Press Friday, June 11, 2010 ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- A joint commission is recommending lifting the ban on harvesting polar bears for traditional and cultural purposes in Russia. The U.S.-Russia Polar Bear Commission met this week in Anchorage to determine the potential for a coordinated and sustainable subsistence harvest of polar bears by Native peoples of Alaska and Chukotka in Russia. The commission determined that the harvest should be limited to up to 58 polar bears a year, with no more than 19 being females.

The Alaska Native Heritage Center had plenty of reasons to celebrate Sunday with the beginning of its summer season. This year marks the 14th birthday for ANHC and friends and family gathered at the Muldoon location on Mother's Day. Different groups performed throughout the day, including special musical guest, Pamyua. Yaari Kingeekuk introduced the Cultures of Alaska and shared some history about her name. Crow Creek Pipes and Drums performed a guest set at ANHC.

Budget woes may force the Alaska Native Justice Center to close its doors, just as the non-profit is set to celebrate 20 years of helping Alaskans navigate the justice system and that could leave a huge void in a very vulnerable population. 3,000 inmates are released from prison in Anchorage every year, which is one of the key groups, the Alaska Native Justice Center targets. However, if the center goes away, then its support for inmates do too, which officials say is setting them up for failure.

It's an attempt to preserve Alaska's traditional languages by sparking renewed interest. A two-day language summit took place on Friday and Saturday at the Alaskan Native Heritage Center in Anchorage. The Alaska Native Language council was formed through legislation last year to preserve the languages at a time when so many elders are passing on.   People from all parts of Alaska attended to work on a plan to spread awareness and set goals on better teaching methods.

Widespread budget cuts from the federal sequester are beginning to have real consequences in Alaska. The sequester requires trimming the budget for several federal agencies by around 5 percent. It also means the same level of cuts for many federal programs. Rural Alaska relies on federal dollars for many of the programs that help to fund everything from education to fuel and health services. The Bristol Bay Native Association, which represents 31 tribes, says it anticipates job losses and a reduction in services.

Three pieces of legislation filed in the Alaska House of Representatives could shape the future of economic development in Alaska. House Bill 78 deals with primacy, the federal government's ability to allow the state of Alaska to enforce certain aspects of the Clean Water Act. House Bill 77 would allow the Department of Environmental Conservation to delegate wetlands permits, a task currently performed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers....

Every year, Alaska hunters eagerly await not only the hunting season, but also the rules and regulations that apply to the taking of wolves, coyotes and bears. Earlier this week, the National Park Service made its annual proposals focusing on three main changes -- which officials think are necessary to preserve the health of specific animal populations. The Park Service has proposed prohibiting the hunting of wolves and coyotes between May 1 and Aug. 9, as well as the hunting of brown bears at bait stations.

Senator Daniel Inouye, of Hawaii, and longtime friend of the late Sen. Ted Stevens died Monday at the age of 88 after respiratory complications, according to his office . Sen. Inouye, D-HI, was a World War II veteran and served in the Senate since 1962 for nine consecutive terms - the second longest serving Senator in U.S. history. Inouye and Stevens shared a history in the Senate with Inouye even testifying as character witness for Stevens during the corruption probe in 2008 and was one of the many dignitaries who attended Stevens' funeral in 2010.

One of the U.S. Navy's newest ships, the USS Anchorage, will be commissioned May 4 at the Port of Anchorage -- but some of its senior officers are visiting town this week, discussing the new ship's Alaska influences. The ship's symbol includes moose antlers, an anchor from the Municipality of Anchorage's logo and an image of Royal Navy Capt. James Cook's vessel, the HMS Resolution. The Anchorage's captain, Cmdr. Brian Quin, says the ship's Latin motto -- "Nil Fato Relinquemos" -- translates to "We Leave Nothing to Chance," and was inspired by a visit to the Alaska Native Heritage Center.

Democrat Senator Mark Begich held a Saturday town hall meeting in Anchorage discussing issues affecting Alaska Natives. The town hall was open to the public and about a hundred people showed up for the event at the Southcentral Foundation in the U-Med district. During the question and answer session, subsistence was a major topic, along with climate change, and the rising cost of food in rural Alaska. Funding for education, including language education for Alaska Native Children, and health care for Alaska Natives were also among the issues that were discussed.

Walt Monegan is currently President of the Alaska Native Justice Center, with a long history in Alaska law enforcement.  Monegan is of Yup'ik, Tlingit and Irish Heritage.   Among some of the other high profile roles Monegan has played in public service:  Public Safety Commissioner and Anchorage Police Chief,  with 33 years of service in the Anchorage Police Department.