Five native Alaska communities would receive settlements under Murkowski bill

U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski on Nov. 19 offered legislation that would recognize five southeastern Alaska native communities and the settlement of certain claims under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA).

The communities were not included in the ANCSA, which divided 44 million acres of land among more than 200 regional, village and urban corporations to resolve land claims throughout Alaska when it became law in 1971, according to the text of the bill.

“The culture and heritage of Alaska Native peoples is intricately tied to the land on which they live. The unique regions they have inhabited for centuries are directly connected to their identity,” said Sen. Murkowski, who sponsored the bill. “Unfortunately, five communities were not afforded the same benefits under ANCSA — access to land — that were granted to others throughout the southeast.”

The Unrecognized Southeast Alaska Native Communities Recognition and Compensation Act, S. 3269, would permit the native communities of Haines, Ketchikan, Wrangell, Petersburg, and Tenakee to form an Alaska Native Urban Corporation and receive 23,040 acres, or one township, of federal land under the ANCSA. 

“For years, Alaska native residents in five southeast communities have been denied the land and opportunities afforded by the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, a historic injustice that Congress has a duty to rectify,” said U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK), who cosponsored the bill. “As we approach the 50th anniversary of the passage of ANCSA, I am hopeful my colleagues will recognize the federal laws and circumstances that uniquely impact Alaska and join Senator Murkowski and me in quickly advancing our legislation for the benefit of our constituents.”

S. 3269 is the companion bill to the same-named H.R. 3231, which U.S. Rep. Don Young (R-AK) introduced in May in the U.S. House of Representatives.

If enacted, the bill would identify specific parcels of land that would be conveyed to the new urban corporations, which are depicted on official maps produced by the U.S. Forest Service, according to information provided by the lawmakers, and would include provisions to protect existing rights-of-way and many current land uses. The bill also seeks to ensure that reasonable public access continues, the information says.

“It is past time the federal government makes good on its promises to each of the communities that were left out of this significant agreement,” Sen. Murkowski said. “I’m proud to work with Senator Sullivan, Congressman Young, and local stakeholders to correct this decades-long wrongdoing and provide equity to these landless communities.”

The bill is supported by Randy Williams, tribal administrator of the Tribal Council of Ketchikan Indian Community.