“The basis of the Alaska Federation of Natives is our people,” said the statewide AFN’s CEO and President Julie Kitka, Chugach Eskimo after a quarterly meeting of board that was held the 15th of May. The topic of her remarks was the theme of this year’s annual AFN convention”Our Ways of Life.
It could also be a reaction to the situation AFN is with a shrinking membership. AFN is a representative and advocate to influence the policy of the 158 federally recognized tribes nine regional organizations, as well as 10 tribal and regional nonprofit consortiums which contract and form a compact for the administration of state and federal programs. .
The National Congress of American Indians is a national tribal-based organization for tribal policy located in Washington, D.C and is akin to AFN in that it is trying to represent a variety of tribes that have a broad variety of backgrounds and interests and still maintain the membership.
What is the reason for members to leave? What is it that keeps them together?
Two major tribal organizations in the region have resigned from AFN in the last month: Southeast Alaska’s tribes’ consortium Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska as well as the Interior region’s non-profit Tanana Chiefs Conference. The move comes following three non-profit Alaska Native regional corporations dropped out over the last few years.
Tanana Chiefs stated, “Over the last couple of years, more than 40 resolutions were approved by the entire board of AFN which advocate the subsistence lifestyle However, no concrete decision has been taken regarding these instructions.” Tlingit and Haida stated that it is in their best interests to speak directly for its communities and their people and has created the capacity.
It was reported that the Arctic Slope Regional Corp. has withdrawn its membership after delegate from AFN members at this year’s AFN convention decided to declare an “climate crisis,” in opposition to the Arctic corporation’s objection. Doyon, Limited, the regional corporation that covers Interior Alaska, had been advocating for improvements to the AFN’s system for resolving conflicts before it quit in 2022. In 2022, The Aleut Corp. resigned last year because of the fishing.
The issue of fisheries was discussed at the AFN’s 2022 convention October. Tanana Chiefs and delegated of the Southwest Aleutian Islands region got into dispute over how to manage an area within North Pacific waters. Tanana Chiefs believes if fishing in Area M (a management designation) were reduced and more salmon were to reach to the Yukon or Kuskokwim rivers, which are used by subsistence fishermen. The Aleutian delegations said that the closure of Area M would only hurt them, but would not benefit other fisheries.
Both sides of the debate was about meals on the tables.
The convention decided in favor of AFN and recommended to the authorities that the fisheries in Area M be slashed, the Aleutian members took a stand to turn their backs toward the chairperson of the convention as well as to the crowd.
There are two parties in the dispute, The Aleut Corporation and Tanana Chiefs Conference, have left AFN.
The AFN’s first president Emil Notti, who is Koyukon Athabascan and Koyukon Athabascan, has said that AFN was not the right party to be in the debate. The best approach to resolve the issue, “would be to call all the parties together, hold an all-states meeting or conference and discuss the options available, but come up with a common solution.”
“Both sides are now mad. (Resigning) is nothing more than short-sightedness on behalf of these organisations,” he said.
Notti said that AFN members who quit AFN will experience regret and be disappointed by the diminished influence. He recalled a meeting that was organized in the name of AFN that was which was held at Washington, D.C., in the last few months. “They had about five or six generals in attendance. I believe that they were able to have four Cabinet officials. They also had John Podesta (White House deputy chief of staff) who has the ear of President Obama. They also had an official from the White House budget director. There were also other powerful participants at the conference.”
“(The Alaska Federation of Natives) has pulled it off,” Notti said, which he claimed smaller organizations could not accomplish. “Tlingit and Haida on their own couldn’t do it. Tanana Chiefs couldn’t do it. There are no regional corporations that have the ability to coordinate similar to that. That’s the reason why they must remain unison to be able to influence the policies.”
“Our ancestral ancestors recognized the necessity of the formation of a united front. AFN is a gift from your ancestral ancestors. Be solid,” Notti said in an announcement. AFN was established in the year 1966 to defend land claims by tribes. The claims movement resulted in the adoption in 1971 the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971, which remitted more than $1 billion in ownership of an area of nearly 44 million acres non-profit corporations that were created under the new law.
The tribal leader and long-time activist Mike Williams, who is Yup’ik, is in favor of the tribal withdrawal. He has said that for years AFN hasn’t been a firm supporter to the tribal priorities including the sovereignty and subsistence of tribal members. Williams is the chief of the Akiak Native Community, and NCAI vice president of the region for Alaska.
In particular, Williams has advocated that AFN are in favor of transferring Alaska Native corporate lands to trust status. This would protect the land from takings and enhance self-governing. “These are our land These are the resources we are living with and are suffering as a result of our inaction,” Williams said.
Notti said AFN strives to advance the interests of tribal groups on sovereignty and subsistence but is limited in the way it can negotiate with the state and federal agencies and the state legislature and Congress to take action on, along with other issues.
The National Congress of American Indians was formed in 1944 to influence policies and to advocate for its tribal members.
As with AFN, NCAI relies on membership dues to pay certain of its operational costs. NCAI is the longest-running, largest as well as the most comprehensive American Indian and Alaska Native association in the nation. Out of the five74 tribes that are federally recognised 40% comprise Alaska Native.
W. Ron Allen, S’Klallam Tribe, is chairman and CEO of the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe located in the western part of Washington state. He served as NCAI president from 1995 to 1999. He was also a member of the board as the first vice-president and secretary and treasurer, for a total of 26 years. The NCAI’s membership is dropping to around 150, from the norm of 200-300, however it changes for a variety of reasons.
The NCAI’s bylaws prohibit the group from deciding sides in disputes between tribes. In the event of the tribe’s decision to withdraw due to NCAI actions and the board will arrange for a meeting with its tribe members, Allen said.
“We only encourage and acknowledge and respect their positions. If a tribe is in one position, however it’s which is so significant in their eyes that they believe that can’t, with good reason, aren’t able to remain part of an organization designed to be united We’re disappointed however, we’re not discouraged.” Allen said.
He reminds the tribes “a singular voice is just like the single twig which can easily break. However, if we join as a group of twigs, we aren’t broken.”
According to him the single tribes cannot succeed on their own. “The the political structure that is surrounded by you regardless of where you’re located where you are, whether located in Alaska or elsewhere in Indian country The system is just too large. It’s just too complex. It’s complicated.” Allen said.
“It’s an intricate chess game that is complicated because the tribes, or the tribal leadership, is engaged in the local levels and in the level of state and in the region, and at the federal level, and even at an international level. It’s difficult for the leaders of today to comprehend the scope of the game they’re playing, and aren’t aware the need to collaborate,” he said.
“No no matter how talented you are, and no matter how much energy you’ve got there are too many bases to cover and you’ll must cover them all.” Allen concluded, “you need to make some mistakes before you can see that this (going by yourself) won’t work.”
On its own, AFN said it “will continue to strengthen and advance the cultural, political economic, social and political representation of Alaska Natives. Board of Directors is optimistic about a full membership in the near future.”
AFN has announced that the annual convention of the organization will be held from October 19-21 2023, in Anchorage, Alaska. The mid-year NCAI conference will be held the 4th-8th of June in 2023 at Prior Lake, Minnesota
The Alaska Federation of Natives did not respond to a request for feedback to be added to their statement. It was reported that the National Congress of American Indians did not have any comments on this article.
The story first was published in Indian Country Today and is published here with permission.
