Juneau’s three state legislators spoke at the Native Issues Forum on Thursday.
Representative Justin Parish, a first-time legislator, introduced himself in Tlingit and acknowledged his own Native heritage. His paternal grandmother is a member of the Dog Salmon clan. The introduction garnered applause from the audience.
Parish was joined by Rep. Sam Kito III and Sen. Dennis Egan. All three are Democrats. They spoke about their respective policy priorities, as well as the state’s budget crisis.
A question from Mique’l Dangeli in the audience prompted discussion about relations between Alaska and British Columbia. Dangeli, who teaches Alaska Native Studies at the University of Alaska Southeast, questioned the transboundary agreement signed in October. She expressed concern over the lasting environmental damage caused by Imperial Metals’ Mount Polley Mine tailings dam failure in 2014. The mine is still in operation.
“How is it that you come into an agreement with the Province of British Columbia when they haven’t cleaned up the disasters, the continuous spills within their own province? How is it that our relationship here in Alaska is going to be different with the B.C. government?” she asked.
Sen. Egan responded.
“The trans-boundary agreement is a first step. I agree about Mt. Polley… It’s a major issue with us. It’s a major issue with the Canadians. What I hope happens, and the lieutenant governor is being very forceful on this, is that our boundary agreements escalate to the federal level. So we get the U.S. State Department involved and also their counterpart in Ottowa, to make this a real issue,” Egan said.
Egan said he is worried about further progress if Canada’s Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs, Carolyn Bennett, retires.
The Native Issues Forum is sponsored by the Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska.
