A federal judge has blocked Native regional and village corporations in Alaska from receiving part of $8 billion (dollars) in Tribal allocation in the CARES Act.
The judge issued the Monday, April 27, temporary injunction against Alaska Native corporations in a lawsuit over coronavirus relief funding.
The lawsuit names the Secretary of Treasury as the defendant. The Treasury is the agency responsible for allocating the funds after consultation with Tribes and the Department of Interior.
The Tribal funding has led to contention from Tribes and Native organizations in the Lower 48. They say for-profit Alaska Native corporations should not be eligible to receive funding.
Alaska Native Village Corporation Association and the ANCSA Regional Association filed an amicus brief in favor of the Treasury.
That brief states that the understanding of Indian law that applies to Alaska Native people and Alaska Native corporations is being “directly attacked by plaintiffs in this case.”
Three Tribes in Alaska are included as plaintiffs in the lawsuit. Akiak Native Community, Asa’cararmiut Tribe and Aleut Community of St. Paul Island filed the lawsuit on behalf of three other Tribes in Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation v. Mnuchin.
