“Our presentation was very important because the political map of Alaska Natives, and Alaska in general, has been shaped by the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act and is very different from that understood by Native American leaders in the Lower 48…[which] has led to many misunderstandings in D.C. This meeting allowed us to educate lawmakers on who we are and how we work which will, in turn, benefit us all,” said Debby Edwardson, Chair of the Board of Trustees for Iḷisaġvik College. More often than not, there is a misconception about how Alaska Natives are organized and represented. Different from the typical Lower 48 model of indigenous representation, Alaska does not have reservations (except for Metlakatla) nor the Tribe as the central entity that administers the delivery of services such as health care, public safety, education, land management and economic development. The passage of ANCSA created Alaska Native corporations, like ASRC, but it also created the need for other entities.
“the political map of Alaska Natives, and Alaska in general, has been shaped by the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act and is very different from that understood by Native American leaders in the Lower 48…” – Debby Edwardson, Chair of the Board of Trustees for Iḷisaġvik College We have the North Slope Borough (NSB), our region’s Home Rule municipal government. In 1972, the Iñupiat people of the North Slope formed the borough to ensure our communities would benefit from oil and gas development on our ancestral homelands. It is believed to be the first time Native Americans took control of their destiny through the use of a municipal government. The NSB exercises its powers of taxation, property assessment, education, and planning and zoning services.
Uqalugaaŋich
More than 90% of property tax receipts come from taxes levied on oil and gas infrastructure, which has enabled the NSB to invest in public infrastructure and utilities, support education, and provide police, fire, emergency and other services. Elsewhere in rural Alaska these services are provided by the state or federal government.
Left to right: Bridget Anderson (ASRC), Martha Monnin (ASNA) and Rex A. Rock Sr. (ASRC).
We were also represented by Arctic Slope Native Association, an Alaska Native-owned, non-profit health and social services organization that serves the villages of the North Slope. ASNA manages the Samuel Simmonds Memorial Hospital in Utqiaġvik – the only Level IV Trauma Center in the region – and also administers social services programs in Indian child welfare, medical travel, funeral assistance, assisted living and preventative behavioral health. “ASNA was originally formed by Edward ‘Etok’ Edwardsen, Samuel Simmonds and others in 1965 to protect the lands of the North Slope region, beginning the process that led to the passage of ANCSA,” shares ASNA President and CEO Martha Monnin. After the passage of ANCSA, ASNA was deactivated. In 1991, however, the borough and ASRC provided grants to reactivate ASNA in order to pursue goals of selfdetermination for health and social services programs. This is just one of many examples of how our network of entities have worked together for a common goal. Through these partnerships, ASNA is able to provide critical health care services to our people. Additionally, our region is home to the only federally recognized tribal college in Alaska – Iḷisaġvik College. Iḷisaġvik College was formed under the authority of the NSB, and authorized by ICAS, in recognition of the importance of education to the sustained self-determination and local control for its people. Continued on page 6
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