Tribal Government
RSSTribal Government in Alaska is the network of federally recognized tribal councils and traditional governments across the state. It covers sovereignty disputes, tribal-state compacts and child welfare jurisdiction under the Indian Child Welfare Act, alongside BIA recognition and funding.
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Numbers are stories in the last 30 days.
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Week of Jun 8
House panel hears bill to move tribal regulatory authority to Interior
A House panel heard testimony on moving a 25-year-dormant federal authority for tribal business development from Commerce to Interior, where it could finally function for Alaska's 229 tribes.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago2 min read
Begich bill would let the Indian Health Service fund rabies shots and spay/neuter in rural Alaska
Rural Alaska has rabid foxes biting dogs biting kids — and the IHS technically can't fund the shots. Begich's bill would change that.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago2 min read
Week of May 25
BLM Alaska to repatriate Native remains and cultural items under three federal notices
BLM is going to give some stuff back that they probably shouldn't have.
by Maggie AlaskaNews5mo ago1 min read
Week of May 18
Fitch upgrades Tanana Chiefs Conference bond rating to AA-
Fitch upgraded Tanana Chiefs Conference bond rating to AA-, lowering borrowing costs for healthcare and infrastructure. • Karen Sitton named new CFO after 30-year finance career. • TCC opposes federal land transfer in Dalton Utility Corridor, citing threats to ancestral hunting grounds. • Morris Thompson Center hiring youth ages 14 to 21 for summer jobs.
by Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 5mo ago2 min read
Anchorage health facility secures federal approval for land transfer to expand services
Senate approved 3.37 acre land transfer to Southcentral Foundation to expand mental health services for Alaska Native people. • Committee advanced eight tribal land bills nationwide for housing and wildfire management. • Administration proposed major cuts to tribal services including 32 percent reduction to Indian Education bureau.
by Maggie AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Week of Apr 27
House panel hears bill to extend confidentiality to tribal victim advocates
House Bill 384 would grant tribal victim advocates the same legal confidentiality protections currently held by nonprofit and military counselors.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago4 min read
House panel advances tribal victim advocate confidentiality bill
House committee unanimously advanced a bill adding two words to Alaska law to give tribal domestic violence advocates the same confidentiality protections as other victim service providers.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago2 min read
House Judiciary advances bill extending confidentiality to tribal advocates
The House Judiciary Committee advanced a bill to grant tribal victim advocates the same legal confidentiality protections as other state programs.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min read
More from Tribal Government
Alaska's tribal school compact bill navigates sovereignty and public education law
Senate Bill 66 would authorize up to five Alaska tribes to operate public schools under compact agreements, with a seven-year pilot costing $19.2 million in the first year.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min read
About Tribal Government
Tribal government in Alaska takes in the federally recognized tribes and their councils, traditional councils and regional tribal organizations. Among them are the Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes, Tanana Chiefs Conference, the Sitka Tribe of Alaska and village councils such as the Curyung Tribal Council.
Tribes and tribal organizations run public safety, health, housing, addiction treatment and elder programs for their members, and some take over buildings or services from local governments. Their legal standing raises recurring questions about sovereign immunity, jurisdiction under the Indian Child Welfare Act and which federal funding Alaska tribes can reach. State bills on matters such as confidentiality for tribal victim advocates and tribal demands for co-management of salmon also recur.
Tribal governments work alongside Alaska Native corporations, the Bureau of Indian Affairs and other federal agencies, and state and municipal governments. Regional organizations such as Tanana Chiefs Conference also hire, borrow and plan on behalf of their member villages.