Union Calendar No. 457

104TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. R. 3973

[Report No. 104–838]

A BILL

To provide for a study of the recommendations of

and Programs Affecting Alaska Natives.the Joint Federal-State Commission on Policies

SEPTEMBER 25, 1996

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Commitordered to be printed tee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and
IB

Union Calendar No. 457

104TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. R. 3973

[Report No. 104–838]

To provide for a study of the recommendations of the Joint Federal-State

Commission on Policies and Programs Affecting Alaska Natives.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

AUGUST 2, 1996

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska introduced the following bill; which was referred to the

Committee on Resources

September 25, 1996

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole

House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed

[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic]

[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on August 2, 1996]

A BILL

To provide for a study of the recommendations of the Joint

Federal-State Commission on Policies and Programs Affecting Alaska Natives.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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1 SECTION 1. CONGRESSIONAL FINDINGS AND DECLARATION

2 OF POLICY.

3 The Congress finds and declares the following:

4 (1) The Joint Federal-State Commission on Poli5 cies and Programs Affecting Alaska Natives (hereafter

6 in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Alaska Natives Com7 mission’’) was established by Public Law 101–379 (42

8 U.S.C. 2991a note) following the publication in 1989

9 of the ‘‘Report on the Status of Alaska Natives: A Call

10 for Action’’ by the Alaska Federation of Natives and

11 after extensive congressional hearings which focused

12 on the need for the first comprehensive assessment of

13 the social, cultural, and economic condition of Alas14 ka’s 86,000 Natives since the enactment of the Alaska

15 Native Claims Settlement Act, Public Law 92–203.

16 (2) The 14 member Alaska Natives Commission

17 held 15 regional hearings throughout Alaska between

18 July 1992 and October 1993, and 2 statewide hear19 ings in Anchorage coinciding with the Conventions of

20 1992 and 1993 of the Alaska Federation of Natives.

21 In May 1994, the Alaska Natives Commission issued

22 its 3 volume, 440 page report. As required by Public

23 Law 101–379, the report was formally conveyed to the

24 Congress, the President of the United States, and the

25 Governor of Alaska.
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1 (3) The Alaska Natives Commission found that

2 many Alaska Native individuals, families, and com3 munities were experiencing a social, cultural, and

4 economic crisis marked by rampant unemployment,

5 lack of economic opportunity, alcohol abuse, depres6 sion, and morbidity and mortality rates that have

7 been described by health care professionals as ‘‘stag8 gering’’.

9 (4) The Alaska Natives Commission found that

10 due to the high rate of unemployment and lack of eco11 nomic opportunities for Alaska Natives, government

12 programs for the poor have become the foundation of

13 many village economies. Displacing traditional Alas14 ka Native social safety nets, these well-meaning pro15 grams have undermined the healthy interdependence

16 and self-sufficiency of Native tribes and families and

17 have put Native tribes and families at risk of becom18 ing permanent dependencies of Government.

19 (5) Despite these seemingly insurmountable prob20 lems, the Alaska Natives Commission found that Alas21 ka Natives, building on the Alaska Native Claims Set22 tlement Act, had begun a unique process of critical

23 self-examination which, if supported by the United

24 States Congress through innovative legislation, and

25 effective public administration at all levels including
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1 traditional Native governance, could provide the basis

2 for an Alaska Native social, cultural, economic, and

3 spiritual renewal.

4 (6) The Alaska Natives Commission recognized

5 that the key to the future well-being of Alaska Natives

6 lay in—

7 (A) the systematic resumption of respon8 sibility by Alaska Natives for the well-being of

9 their members,

10 (B) the strengthening of their economies,

11 (C) the strengthening, operation, and con12 trol of their systems of governance, social serv13 ices, education, health care, and law enforcement,

14 and

15 (D) exercising rights they have from their

16 special relationship with the Federal Government

17 and as citizens of the United States and Alaska.

18 (7) The Alaska Natives Commission recognized

19 that the following 3 basic principles must be respected

20 in addressing the myriad of problems facing Alaska

21 Natives:

22 (A) Self-reliance.

23 (B) Self-determination.

24 (C) Integrity of Native cultures.
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1 (8) There is a need to address the problems con2 fronting Alaska Natives. This should be done rapidly,

3 with certainty, and in conformity with the real eco4 nomic, social, and cultural needs of Alaska Natives.

5 (9) Congress retains and has exercised its con6 stitutional authority over Native affairs in Alaska

7 subsequent to the Treaty of Cession and does so now

8 through this Act.

9 SEC. 2. ALASKA NATIVE IMPLEMENTATION STUDY.

10 (a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds and declares

11 that—

12 (1) the Alaska Natives Commission adopted cer13 tain recommendations raising important policy ques14 tions which are unresolved in Alaska and which re15 quire further study and review before Congress consid16 ers legislation to implement solutions to address these

17 recommendations; and

18 (2) the Alaska Federation of Natives is the rep19 resentative body of statewide Alaska Native interests

20 best suited to further investigate and report to Con21 gress with proposals to implement the recommenda22 tions of the Alaska Natives Commission.

23 (b) GRANT.—The Secretary of Health and Human

24 Services shall make a grant to the Alaska Federation of Na25 tives to conduct the study and submit the report required
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1 by this section. Such grant may only be made if the Alaska

2 Federation of Natives agrees to abide by the requirements

3 of this section.

4 (c) STUDY.—Pursuant to subsection (b), the Alaska

5 Federation of Natives shall—

6 (1) examine the recommendations of the Alaska

7 Natives Commission;

8 (2) examine initiatives in the United States,

9 Canada, and elsewhere for successful ways that issues

10 similar to the issues addressed by the Alaska Natives

11 Commission have been addressed;

12 (3) conduct hearings within the Alaska Native

13 community on further ways in which the Commis14 sion’s recommendations might be implemented; and

15 (4) recommend enactment of specific provisions

16 of law and other actions the Congress should take to

17 implement such recommendations.

18 (d) CONSIDERATION OF LOCAL CONTROL.—In develop19 ing its recommendations pursuant to subsection (c)(4), the

20 Alaska Federation of Natives shall give specific attention

21 to the ways in which the recommendations may be achieved

22 at the local level with maximum local control of the imple23 mentation of the recommendations.

24 (e) REPORT.—Not later than 12 months after the date

25 on which the grant is made under subsection (b), the Alaska
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1 Federation of Natives shall submit a report on the study

2 conducted under this section, together with the recommenda3 tions developed pursuant to subsection (c)(4), to the Presi4 dent and the Congress and to the Governor and legislature

5 of the State of Alaska. In addition, the Alaska Federation

6 of Natives shall make the report available to Alaska Native

7 villages and organizations and to the general public.

8 (f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is

9 authorized to be appropriated $350,000 for the grant under

10 subsection (b).

11 (g) ADDITIONAL STATE FUNDING.—The Congress en12 courages the State of Alaska to provide the additional fund13 ing necessary for the completion of the study under this sec14 tion.