How will you facilitate inter-governmental relationships with Alaska’s 229 sovereign tribes?
U.S. Representative
Mary Peltola
Democratic candidate for U.S. Representative
I helped bring together over 118 tribes from Western Alaska with a unified voice working to bring back abundant salmon returns in our home rivers. It was my honor to rebuild the Bush Caucus, working across party lines to represent the needs of rural Alaskans. I intend to utilize this experience and deploy the same approach.
Sarah Palin
Republican candidate for U.S. Representative
Now that the state of Alaska has recognized tribes along with the federal government, the relationships and cooperation will be an ongoing factor. This is important, and it has a personal and familial impact on my loved ones and me, thus allowing my healthy perspective on the issue. I will strive to have tribal input along with local input on federal dollars spent, and regulations put in place that affect our 229 tribes. True cooperation and participation by all is paramount to successful processes we need in order to guarantee fairness and equality. The Alaskan spirit of caring and cooperation is my foundation and I’ll put that to good use for every Alaskan.
Chris Bye
Libertarian candidate for U.S. Representative
Sovereignty. Webster defines this word as freedom from external control or controlling influence. I would encourage the Tribes to exert sovereignty including responsible sustainable development of natural resources. Further encouraging the Tribal leadership and corporations solve tribal issues internally with minimal federal input. Reliance upon handouts from the federal government undermines Tribal sovereignty’s internal resiliency/self-sufficiency and the mere fact that with the federal dollar comes unintended consequences from D.C. bureaucrats and special interests. It is important to recognize the 229 tribes are still Alaskans entitled to the same representation as any other Alaskan. A place to start maximizing the sovereignty and resources of the United States would be improving the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Task Force and the Operation Lady Justice Task Force with improved lines of communication and routine public hearings on the systems and procedures the involved departments are using. Another good angle is fishery management. Here a mix of rules predicated on the Magnuson-Stevens Act and NOAA (NPFMC) provide for some coastal tribes but do little for upriver communities. This must be addressed.
Nick Begich
Republican candidate for U.S. Representative
As congressman for all Alaska, it will be my responsibility to ensure that all Alaskans, including those members of Alaska’s sovereign tribes, are well represented in Congress. This means advocating for our rights under the statehood compact, ANCSA, ANILCA, Magnuson-Stevens and other legislation of importance to Alaska. The people of Alaska have a unique and valuable heritage and status within the nation, and as the nation’s largest, most remote and most resource-rich state, I will work to ensure that we have all the rights available for self-governance and economic independence.