II
104TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 3973
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
SEPTEMBER 26, 1996
Received
AN ACT
To provide for a study of the recommendations of the Joint
Federal-State Commission on Policies and Programs Af-
fecting Alaska Natives.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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SECTION 1. CONGRESSIONAL FINDINGS AND DECLARA-
TION OF POLICY.
The Congress finds and declares the following:
(1) The Joint Federal-State Commission on
Policies and Programs Affecting Alaska Natives
(hereafter in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Alaska Na-
tives Commission’’) was established by Public Law
101–379 (42 U.S.C. 2991a note) following the publi-
cation in 1989 of the ‘‘Report on the Status of Alas-
ka Natives: A Call for Action’’ by the Alaska Fed-
eration of Natives and after extensive congressional
hearings which focused on the need for the first
comprehensive assessment of the social, cultural, and
economic condition of Alaska’s 86,000 Natives since
the enactment of the Alaska Native Claims Settle-
ment Act, Public Law 92–203.
(2) The 14 member Alaska Natives Commission
held 15 regional hearings throughout Alaska be-
tween July 1992 and October 1993, and 2 statewide
hearings in Anchorage coinciding with the Conven-
tions of 1992 and 1993 of the Alaska Federation of
Natives. In May 1994, the Alaska Natives Commis-
sion issued its 3 volume, 440 page report. As re-
quired by Public Law 101–379, the report was for-
mally conveyed to the Congress, the President of the
United States, and the Governor of Alaska.
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(3) The Alaska Natives Commission found that
many Alaska Native individuals, families, and com-
munities were experiencing a social, cultural, and
economic crisis marked by rampant unemployment,
lack of economic opportunity, alcohol abuse, depres-
sion, and morbidity and mortality rates that have
been described by health care professionals as ‘‘stag-
gering’’.
(4) The Alaska Natives Commission found that
due to the high rate of unemployment and lack of
economic opportunities for Alaska Natives, govern-
ment programs for the poor have become the foun-
dation of many village economies. Displacing tradi-
tional Alaska Native social safety nets, these well-
meaning programs have undermined the healthy
interdependence and self-sufficiency of Native tribes
and families and have put Native tribes and families
at risk of becoming permanent dependencies of Gov-
ernment.
(5) Despite these seemingly insurmountable
problems, the Alaska Natives Commission found
that Alaska Natives, building on the Alaska Native
Claims Settlement Act, had begun a unique process
of critical self-examination which, if supported by
the United States Congress through innovative legis-
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lation, and effective public administration at all lev-
els including traditional Native governance, could
provide the basis for an Alaska Native social, cul-
tural, economic, and spiritual renewal.
(6) The Alaska Natives Commission recognized
that the key to the future well-being of Alaska Na-
tives lay in—
(A) the systematic resumption of respon-
sibility by Alaska Natives for the well-being of
their members,
(B) the strengthening of their economies,
(C) the strengthening, operation, and con-
trol of their systems of governance, social serv-
ices, education, health care, and law enforce-
ment, and
(D) exercising rights they have from their
special relationship with the Federal Govern-
ment and as citizens of the United States and
Alaska.
(7) The Alaska Natives Commission recognized
that the following 3 basic principles must be re-
spected in addressing the myriad of problems facing
Alaska Natives:
(A) Self-reliance.
(B) Self-determination.
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(C) Integrity of Native cultures.
(8) There is a need to address the problems
confronting Alaska Natives. This should be done
rapidly, with certainty, and in conformity with the
real economic, social, and cultural needs of Alaska
Natives.
(9) Congress retains and has exercised its con-
stitutional authority over Native affairs in Alaska
subsequent to the Treaty of Cession and does so now
through this Act.
SEC. 2. ALASKA NATIVE IMPLEMENTATION STUDY.
(a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds and declares
that—
(1) the Alaska Natives Commission adopted
certain recommendations raising important policy
questions which are unresolved in Alaska and which
require further study and review before Congress
considers legislation to implement solutions to ad-
dress these recommendations; and
(2) the Alaska Federation of Natives is the rep-
resentative body of statewide Alaska Native interests
best suited to further investigate and report to Con-
gress with proposals to implement the recommenda-
tions of the Alaska Natives Commission.
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(b) GRANT.—The Secretary of Health and Human
Services shall make a grant to the Alaska Federation of
Natives to conduct the study and submit the report re-
quired by this section. Such grant may only be made if
the Alaska Federation of Natives agrees to abide by the
requirements of this section.
(c) STUDY.—Pursuant to subsection (b), the Alaska
Federation of Natives shall—
(1) examine the recommendations of the Alaska
Natives Commission;
(2) examine initiatives in the United States,
Canada, and elsewhere for successful ways that is-
sues similar to the issues addressed by the Alaska
Natives Commission have been addressed;
(3) conduct hearings within the Alaska Native
community on further ways in which the Commis-
sion’s recommendations might be implemented; and
(4) recommend enactment of specific provisions
of law and other actions the Congress should take
to implement such recommendations.
(d) CONSIDERATION OF LOCAL CONTROL.—In devel-
oping its recommendations pursuant to subsection (c)(4),
the Alaska Federation of Natives shall give specific atten-
tion to the ways in which the recommendations may be