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Considering it is the largest state in the U.S. and home of 229 federally recognized tribes, Alaska has a government system that can be confusing.
A panel discussed the respective roles of such entities as Alaska Native corporations and regional nonprofits and how they work with tribes during the 2022 Alaska Federation of Natives convention on Oct. 21. It gave them a chance to each describe what their organization does for the people they serve.
The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act transferred title to 44 million acres of land and nearly $1 billion to for-profit Native corporations to make profits and issue dividends to shareholders. Alaska has 12 regional corporations and some 200 village corporations. Shares were issued to Alaska Natives alive when the act was signed on Dec. 18, 1971. Shares can be inherited or gifted, and some corporations have issued shares to younger generations.
Tribes have inherent sovereign rights and responsibilities under the U.S. Constitution. This has been upheld by a large body of law, court rulings and regulations. As a result, tribes are eligible for federal funding, services and certain protections. Tribes in Alaska have those same rights even though most do not have a land base as do tribes in the lower 48 states.
Alaska also has regional non-profit organizations serving Alaska Natives with health and social and other services.
Dr. Pearl Kiyawn Brower, is president and Chief Executive Officer of Ukpeagvik Iñupiat Corporation, a village corporation with more than 2,900 shareholders. She said her corporation has come up with ways to benefit shareholders while also making a profit.
“We partner throughout our community in a lot of different ways in order to connect science to us as Indigenous and Inupiaq people,” Brower said. READ MORE. — Joaqlin Estus, ICT
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A former government official of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation accused of accepting bribes and kickbacks from a construction contractor pleaded guilty Tuesday to federal charges in North Dakota.
Randall Phelan, 58, of Mandaree, North Dakota, was an elected representative of the governing body of the Three Affiliated Tribes from the end of 2012 to the middle of 2020. Investigators said Phelan used his official position to help the contractor’s business by awarding contracts, fabricating bids and managing fraudulent invoices.
His trial had been scheduled to begin Tuesday.
Phelan and two others were originally charged with receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars from the bribery scheme that lasted for eight years on the oil-rich Fort Berthold Indian Reservation. The contractor has pleaded guilty to bribery and has been cooperating with prosecutors. Prosecutors said the business received more than $17 million over the past decade for construction work on the reservation.
Phelan pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds, honest services wire fraud and bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Sentencing is set for Feb. 22.
Michael Hoffman, an attorney for Phelan, did not immediately respond to an email request seeking comment. — Associated Press
The Phoenix Indian Center now has more than a half million dollars to advance its mission of improving the health and wellbeing of Native people.
In a news release, the social services provider said it had raised the money to put towards its programs and services during its annual fundraising – the Silver and Turquoise Ball – event last week. The event, which celebrated the Indian Center’s 75th anniversary, included a dinner of Indigenous foods and auctions of more than 200 Indigenous experiences, art, jewelry and other items.
Gila River Indian Community Governor Stephen Roe Lewis was honored as this year’s Leon Grant Spirit of the Community award for his leadership on important issues and for his advocacy for causes important to Indigenous communities throughout Arizona.
“This year’s event with the theme ‘Celebrating Our History, Honoring the People’ was especially meaningful in this 75th anniversary year for the Phoenix Indian Center,” said Jolyana Begay Kroupa, CEO of Phoenix Indian Center in the release. “The support that we have and the success of this event ensures that our organization can continue to provide essential services and programming, and make a difference in the lives of the urban American Indian population.”
When it was founded in 1947, the Phoenix Indian Center, was the first social service agency in the United States geared toward improving the health and well-being of Native people. The center serves more than 10,000 people a year by providing intensive job preparedness, prevention services, cultural enrichment, youth programming and community engagement, according to the news release. — Chris Aadland, ICT and Underscore News
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MISSOULA, Montana — Entering the final stretch before Election Day, candidates are giving their final pitches to potential voters, looking to secure votes to help get them into office.
Tuesday night at the University of Montana, Western Native Voice hosted a debate for candidates in Montana’s 1st Congressional District focused on issues facing Native communities in the state.
After the latest census, Montana gained a congressional seat and the 1st Congressional District has also been called the “western congressional district.” There are two tribes within the boundaries, the Blackfeet Nation and the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes.
Only two of the three candidates — Democrat Monica Tranel and Libertarian John Lamb — showed up for the debate. Republican Ryan Zinke did not respond to the participation invitation by the date of the debate, according to Western Native Voice.
Issues covered included missing and murdered Indigenous people, healthcare, voting access, energy and more.
In her opening statement, Tranel thanked Lamb for showing up to the debate, noting that they have participated in one in every county in the district. Less than 10 people attended the event in person but it was also live-streamed.
“We think that it’s our obligation to show up and meet you and answer your questions,” Tranel said. “We’ve done that because democracy depends on participation, this is representative democracy.” READ MORE. — Kolby KickingWoman, ICT
The National Congress of American Indians is set to host its annual conference starting Sunday in Sacramento.
NCAI’s 79th Annual Convention and Marketplace will give attendees, like tribal leaders, NCAI members, Native youth and others involved in Indian Country affairs a chance to learn about issues affecting tribal nations and Indigenous people and discuss strategies for protecting and advancing tribal sovereignty. It will also include a marketplace for attendees and the general public to buy goods, like artwork, from Native business owners or learn about job opportunities.
The event will also be the organization’s first annual yearly gathering since internal personnel disputes led to its then-CEO being fired by NCAI’s governing board and the former filing a lawsuit against the tribal advocacy group alleging its leaders retaliated against him and that it violated Washington D.C. race-based employment laws.
The event, which will take place at Sacramento’s SAFE Credit Union Convention Center, will conclude on Friday Nov. 4.
The annual conference will also include the conclusion of a nearly 1,800-mile, month-long run that started in Oklahoma that NCAI co-hosted to raise awareness about tribal sovereignty.
For more information about the conference, CLICK HERE. — Chris Aadland, ICT and Underscore News
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What’s trending on social media:
Other top stories:
- Global Indigenous: Groups demand end to Chinese gold mining in African wildlife reserve, the Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation plans an urgent-care center in Saskatoon and an Indigenous broadcaster has been selected for the first time ever for the Men’s Softball World Cup.
- Condor recovery: Three-decade-long condor repopulation effort along Patagonia’s Atlantic coast threatened by wind farms.
- Key endorsements: Alaska’s largest Indigenous organization endorsed two lawmakers seen by the members as champions of Native issues.
What we’re reading:
- New legislative district in northern Minnesota gives Natives more influence in elections.
- The developer of a proposed lithium mine in Nevada opposed by some area tribes, Indigenous people and groups signs benefits and cooperation agreement with tribal leaders near the mine site.
- Montana Historical Society to repatriate the mount of cherished white bison, Big Medicine, to the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes.
We want your tips, but we also want your feedback. What should we be covering that we’re not? What are we getting wrong? Please let us know. dalton@ictnews.org.