Typically, when a contaminated site is discovered it’s up to the landowner — or the person responsible for making the mess — to clean it up. But there are dozens of sites where this process has broken down.
"Bureau of Indian Affairs"
For some Alaska villages, climate change means they may have to move
In Western Alaska, accelerating erosion is forcing villages like Quinhagak to consider moving.
Through language, a Yup’ik teacher passes on a way of life
As a child, Alice Fitka was punished for speaking her Yup’ik language in school. Since then, she’s spent decades teaching it in the Western Alaska village of Tuntutuliak.
Shutdown puts strain on some Alaska Native tribes and tribal organizations
Some Alaska Native tribes and tribal organizations are dipping into reserves in order to pay for services that the federal government usually covers.
Former Skagway tribal employee sentenced for embezzling $300,000 from tribe
Delia Commander, 64, of Oregon pleaded guilty on one count of embezzlement and must pay almost the entire sum of $297,731 in restitution to the council, according to the office of Alaska’s District Attorney.
Tribal leaders call land-use bill step in right direction
Tribal leaders backed a House bill Wednesday that would give tribes the ability to control more of their land, instead of having to get federal approval for virtually any use. The American Indian Empowerment Act would let tribes shift federally controlled trust land to “restricted fee land,” a move that could save millions of dollars that tribes now spend on “burdensome regulation,” while restoring a level of tribal sovereignty.
Trump taps Alaskan for Indian Affairs post at Interior
If confirmed, Tara Sweeney would be the first Alaskan to serve in the position. Her nomination has Alaska’s U.S. senators literally cheering.
Village of Newtok finds rebirth at Mertarvik
Over the last month and a half, a decade-long project to move the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta village of Newtok is finally beginning to take shape. The new village site held a ribbon in Mertarvik, which means “a place for water.”
BIA extends comment period for Central Council trust application
The feds have extended the comment period over Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska’s application to put downtown parcels into trust. The City and Borough of Juneau had asked for more time to review proposal which could exempt the tribal organization from its jurisdiction.
Keeping its promise, Interior Dept. gives Ahtna region more say in moose, caribou hunt
In its final days, the Obama administration is forging ahead with a promise to include Alaska Native tribes in the management of fish and wildlife on federal land. Deputy Interior Secretary Michael Connor was in Anchorage today to announce a pilot project giving Native communities in the Ahtna region greater say in managing the subsistence…