How will you facilitate inter-governmental relationships with Alaska’s 229 sovereign tribes?
Governor
Bill Walker
Nonpartisan candidate for Governor
Alaska Native people and Tribal governments have been responsible stewards of our state since time immemorial, yet the relationship between state and Tribal leaders has been adversarial for too much of our history. Problems that could be resolved around a coffee table have instead ended up in a courtroom.
During my first term, I improved the relationship by building a foundation of mutual respect and trust. I issued a formal apology on behalf of the state of Alaska for historical injustices inflicted upon First Peoples, such as the forced erasure of Native languages and the traumatic experiences many experienced at state-run boarding schools. I created the 11-member Governor’s Tribal Advisory Council so Tribal leaders would have direct access to the governor, lieutenant governor and commissioners (all of whom received cultural sensitivity training) before policy decisions were made so everyone could provide input. We also designated a person in each department as a liaison to work directly with Tribes. Finally, I entered into a compacting agreement between Tribes and the state to create a partnership and improve outcomes in child welfare cases — a historic step in the direction of recognizing Tribes as government-to-government peers.
In our next term, Heidi and I will work to identify additional opportunities for compacting agreements. As an example, in some locations, Tribes are the local government and may hold the key to improving educational and public safety outcomes.
Charlie Pierce
Republican candidate for Governor
I respect the tribes’ will and ability to be sovereign and to govern their affairs. My administration will seek out regional liaisons to report directly to the state governor. Alaska is wonderfully diverse, and all our people need to be heard.
Les Gara
Democratic candidate for Governor
Tribal compacting works, and I have supported it. As a legislator I helped this by saying family members should be consulted before a child is placed in a strange foster home, and tribal entities know the good relative placements in a child’s community. We have contracted with tribes to help identify healthy relative placements.
We should adopt an effective version of the federal tribal consultation practice of public notice and involvement on projects that affect tribal lands and members.
Mike Dunleavy
Republican candidate for Governor
It was an honor to sign HB 123 earlier this year, recognizing Alaska’s Tribes for their role in our state in the past, present and future. We currently have relations with Alaska’s Tribes through the Child Welfare Compact, and I signed SB 34 this year that will allow for State-Tribal compact schools. As someone who lived in rural Alaska for nearly two decades, where I met my wife from Noorvik and raised our three daughters, I have the utmost respect for our Tribes and their sovereignty. During the pandemic, my administration collaborated with our Tribes and communities to ensure there was no repeat of the devastation seen in 1918. Working together, we protected our most vulnerable by maximizing local governance under the state constitution. Any governor must have a good working relationship with our Tribes, and I will continue to work with them to achieve the best outcomes for all Alaskans.