Based on conversations with lawmakers, HB 123 doesn’t seem to be a priority for the Senate this year, Blake said. But whether it’s through legislative action or a vote of the people was largely irrelevant, she said, as having the state government formally recognize the sovereignty of tribal governments was necessary and long overdue.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
The initiative has considerable support from Alaska Native organizations throughout the state, according to Blake, and the positive turnout for the ballot initiative showed considerable public support for the proposal. Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska President Richard Chalyee Éesh Peterson is Alaskans for Better Government’s chairperson.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
The state already works with tribal governments in several areas including tribal compacting for education, public safety and public health, Blake said, and some state departments already recognize tribes’ sovereignty in those areas. But the state has often pushed back against tribal sovereignty in litigation which campaigners said wastes time and money in legal disputes that have almost always ended in favor of tribal governments.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
[Officials to consider ‘Zoom bombing’ ordinance after disruptions<\/a>]<\/ins><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t “The unique relationship that tribes have is vested in federal jurisdiction,” said state Rep. Tiffany Zulkosky, D-Bethel, who sponsored HB 123. “The state of Alaska has sued Alaska tribes to challenge their role (as sovereign governments), because of that we have a history of judicial findings.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t Both the initiative and HB 123 have significant bipartisan support, Zulkosky said, noting the bill had Democratic, independent and Republican co-sponsors and passed in the House with 35 out of 40 votes. The initiative has been endorsed by the Alaska Federation of Natives, the Sealaska Corporation and CCTHITA. Blake said no groups have yet formed to formally oppose the initiative.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t But this year was likely to be a contentious election, Blake said, with the governor up for reelection and new voting districts changing the political landscape. One of the challenges facing the initiative is combating misinformation about what tribal sovereignty means, Blake said.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t “There’s a backward fear that once tribes take over there’s only going to be tribal members that are working in those facilities,” Blake said. “We have a statewide tribal health care system that has a clinic in almost every community, they don’t just see tribal citizens.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t Campaigners pointed to the state’s relationship with tribal health organizations as examples of where the two governments have worked together for years for the mutual benefit of the state as a whole. In addition to being a lawmaker, Zulkosky works for the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t “(The state) took a lot of credit for the progress of COVID-19 response,” Zulkosky said, noting tribal governments had spent their own federal dollars on testing and vaccines. “The teams on the ground that were doing that work were Alaska’s tribal health system.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t Zulkosky and other supporters of the initiative have said the initiative wouldn’t significantly change the relationship between tribal governments and the state, but simply codify the unique relationship between the two entities. In the past, the state has pushed back against tribal sovereignty on the grounds doing so would be giving unconstitutional preference to a racial group. But that was a misinterpretation of the law, Blake said, as tribal governments are sovereign political entities.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t “The political relationship we have and the racial relationship we have are completely different,” Blake said. When we’re talking about tribal rights, we’re talking about a political relationship.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t Signatures for a ballot initiative to have the state of Alaska recognize 229 federally recognized tribal governments were submitted to Division of Elections offices in Anchorage Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2022. The campaign was able to collect 56,230 signatures - well over the minimum requirement - meaning Alaskan voters will likely see the initiative on the November ballot. (Courtesy photo \/ Alaskans for Better Government)<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t Many disputes over land use are already overseen by federal entities, Zulkosky said, and noted that the Alaska Oil and Gas Association stated in a letter that the organization has no opposition to the current text of HB 123.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t “Nothing in this legislation appears to relinquish the State of Alaska’s authority over particular lands, peoples, or activities, create any additional burdens on the State or private industry, or impact the rights of Alaska Natives as set forth in the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act or under other applicable law,” AOGA President and CEO Kara Moriarty said in a March 26, letter<\/a> to Zulkosky’s office.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t The initiative gathered more than 56,000 signatures since October when the campaign <\/a>began<\/a>, the group said in a news release, well above the 36,140 needed to qualify for the ballot. Alaskans for Better Government also announced the creation of a steering committee of Alaska Native leaders to help the campaign move forward.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t![\"Signatures](\"https:\/\/www.juneauempire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/27802674_web1_TribalRecognition-JUE-220113-extra_1-scaled.jpg\")
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