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Alaska Senate takes up legislation to formally recognize Tribes

KNBA | By Tripp J Crouse
Published January 19, 2022 at 9:59 AM AKST
The Alaska State Capitol is located on Fourth Street in downtown Juneau, pictured here on Feb. 7, 2017. A potential 2020 ballot question would ask voters to require the Alaska Legislature to hold its meetings in Anchorage. (Photo by Skip Gray/360 North)
Skip Gray
/
360 North
The Alaska State Capitol is located on Fourth Street in downtown Juneau, pictured here on Feb. 7, 2017.

A measure to formally recognize Tribes in Alaska was taken up by the state Senate (January 18) and referred to Senate Affairs Committee.

The measure HB 123 would only recognize the 229 Tribes already recognized by the federal government.

Recognition would facilitate government-to-government relations between Tribes and the state.

In May, the Alaska House voted (34-4, 1 abstention, May 19, 2021), in favor of the measure.

The four “No “votes were from Republican representatives (Eastman, Kurka, McCabe, and McCarty) from the upper Southcentral corridor.

Previous versions of the bill have died in the state Legislature.

A separate and independent effort collected enough signatures to place a ballot initiative up for a vote at the general election.
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Tripp J Crouse
Originally from the Midwest, Tripp Crouse (Ojibwe, a descendent of Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, pronouns: they/them) has 15-plus years in print, web and radio journalism. Tripp first moved to Alaska in 2016 to work with KTOO Public Media in Juneau. And later moved to Anchorage in 2018 to work with KNBA and Koahnic Broadcast Corporation. Tripp currently works for Spruce Root in Juneau, Alaska. Tripp also served as chair of the Station Advisory Committee for Native Public Media.
See stories by Tripp J Crouse
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