I, Steve Cowper, Governor of the State of Alaska, under the authority granted by Article III of the Alaska constitution and by Alaska Statute 44.17.060, hereby establish the Policy of the State of Alaska on Existence of Tribes in Alaska. In order to clarify the State's position and to insure that Alaskan Natives receive the recognition to which they are entitled, the State adopts the following policy on recognition of tribes in Alaska.
Tribes exist in Alaska .
We contend that many Native Alaskan groups could qualify for tribal recognition under federal law, although some would not. The State realizes that the existing federal tribal acknowledgment process is complex and time-consuming, and in many instances is not well suited for use by Alaskan Native tribes. We think that it would be unfair and overly legalistic for the state to treat as tribes only those Native groups that have actually gone through the detailed and complicated federal recognition process. The State believes that it should treat as a tribe any Alaskan Native group that could qualify, even if it has not actually gone through the formal process. The State will treat as a tribe any Alaskan Native group that meets the common sense of the word.