Vol. 7 No.7
SEPTEMBER 1996
Shoonaq' Pichem Shtoon Pugoot We, the Tribe of Kodiak, do things our way !
Tribal Council Receives Budget Cuts in 1996
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By: Margaret Roberts, Presidem
Nineteen N inety-six has been one of the most diffic ult years that we have seen in the history of the tribal council. We began the year operating on a shoestring budget. This funding squeeze contin ues through the present. As we are all aware the Pres ident of the Un ited States and the Congress were not able to agree on the 1996 Budget. Twenty-six contin uing resolutions were used from October to April allowing only fu nding for a minimum of services for Alaska Nati ve and American Indian programs. The Federal government even shutdown their operations for two weeks, and when they finally went back to work, they operated with a skeleton crew. Well you may be wondering ... what did that have to do with the tribal counc il? It meant that we had limited operating fu nds. We had to operate and cover our administrative overhead costs, with program services just barely limping along. The resulting budget sh01tfall necessitated that KTC reduce workers to continue to keep the door open, not knowing when they might be compensated, or even if they wou ld be paid. In April the tribal council passed a reorganization plan which downsized the staff from six to four
pos1t1ons. The transition was difficult, and necessary owing to the budget lim itations. Our higher education program was cut by 14 percent, adu lt vocational tra in ing received cuts of 16 percent, direct employment cuts amounted to 18 percent administration was cut by 25 percent, tribal operations received cuts of 12 percent, and social service fun ding was cut by 27 percent. We hope 1997 is a brighter year, in the meantime, the rema in ing staff at the tribal counci l wi ll continue to ensure that our programs and services provide and assist our tri bal members to lead healthy and producti ve li ves.
A Little Historv: "' Origins of Alaska's Natives by: Alaslw Native Joumey s
No one kn ows exactly when people t路i rst fo und the land that would
be called Alaska. Some an th ropo logists believe that people migrated from Asia to North America as long as 40,000 years ago. Others argue it was as recent as 15,000 years ago. Whenever, the consensus is that they came from Asia by way of a northern land bridge that once connected Siberia and A Iaska. That land bridge, now recalled as Beringia, was the fi rst gateway to A Iaska. But these first visitors were hard ly 路'tourists'路 in tent on exploring new worlds. Rather, they were sim ply pursuing the ir subsistence way of life as they followed great herds of grazing mammals across the grassy tundras and gentle steppes of Beringia. They came sporadi ca lly thro ugh many millen nia ... in waves of differen t ethn ic backgrounds .. .generations of people and animals .. .hunters and hunted. As the Ice Age drew to an end and the seas claimed the land, these people moved to higher and drier places - the land that, as the continents dr iFted apart, would become A Iaska. Some groups settled in the Arctic. Others traversed the mountain passes (O rigin of AK Natives Cont. Pg.6)
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KTC ENROLLMENT INFORMATION Constitution Preamble of the Shoonaq ' Tribe of Kodiak We, the members of the Shoonaq' Tribe of Kodiak, in order to establi sh a more perfect tribal government, to preserve and exercise the tribe 's inherent rights and powers, to conserve and develop tribal lands and resources pursuant to tribal law and custom and fede ral law, to promote our communi ty's social, economic, spiritual and political progress and to establish justice, make for ourselves this Constitution. Kod iak Tribal Council Mission Statement This Corporation is organized exclusively for religious. charitable. scientific. literary, or ed ucationa l purposes wi thin the meaning of Section 50 19c (3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The mission of this tribal organization is to promote pride and self-determination on the pan of the sovereign and indigenous peoples of the Kodiak area in their cultural and heritage and trad itions: to preserve and promote their language. customs. lo lklon: and arts: to promote the educational, physical. economic and social well-being of the Alaska Native individua l. fa mi ly and community: to prevent and overcome racial prej udice and its inequities: and to restore effective sc l l~ govc rnm c nt. remind ing those who govern and those who arc governed or their mu tual and joint responsibi lities.
WHAT ENROLLING AT KTC CAN MEAN FOR YOU Long before the Europeans lirst came to our shores. our people had long governed themselves. All peoples have always had some form or governmen t that was
considered the law o r the land. We. the Native Peoph: of Kodiak Island. are no different. Our chiefs ruled and had authority over and individual village. Each person· s survival was based on cooperating with and understanding each other, and the chiefs' main role was detcnnined by this understanding of the traditions of our people. of the subsistence nature of our lifestyle. of our culture and heritage. and of our beliefs of the people. .This was a form of unwritten government which was in place unti l the Russians came. This form of government is once again in place with the Kodiak Tribal Council, but this time it is being recorded on paper. In the 1930's. a law was passed by the U.S. Congress which was called the Indian Reorgan ization Act (IRA). and Kodiak at that time re-established its lorm of Native govern ment. headed by Fred Sargent. When World War II came many important issues were put on the back burner. and then with the statehood J\ ct the roles of Native governments became unclear. What has become clear is that no organizations have come forward to address the soc ial and cultural heritage issues of our Alaska Native people. With Tribal Governments re-organizing. fee l we have been a part Of the growing concern of our people to preserve our traditional culture heritage which has always addressed social concerns.
IVC
The Kodiak Tribal Council is dedicated to these issues. Reorgan ized in March 1987. the Council has been estab lishing our membership rolls. which will include any Alaska Native descendant of Kodiak. no matter where they now res ide, no matter what the blood quantum (the usual 1/4 blood quantum is not a requ irement) as long as they can provide documen tatio n or being a descendant from Kod iak. There were many Natives ll'hO were overlooked in the Alaska Native Claim Sclllcmcnt Act (ANCSA): children born arter 197 1 (Who have been given the name "aftcr-borns''). and many others who did not enroll by the required date. You have not been forgotten. and the Kodiak
SEPTEMBER 1996
Tri ba l Cou ncil would like to hear ll·om you. Although membership in the Kod iak Tribal Cou neilwill not provide di vidcnd checks. w..: arc addressi ng the cultural and social issues mentioned earl ier. l lcrc is a list or some issues KTC is working on for you:
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l lealt h & Education Benefits
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Family Em ichmcnt
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Indian Ch ild Wellitrc
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Employment
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Cu lturul llcritugc Preservation
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J\rt i l~tc t &
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Subsistence Issues
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Native Arts & Crans
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Com mun ity Development
Anti quity Preservation
Thcrc arc al so new eligibility requirements lo r TR IBAL members to retain the Indian l lcalth S..:rvicc bcnclits. Those of you who live within the State or Alaska may already be receivi ng health beneli ts through the Alaska Nat ive Medi cal Center in Anchorage or through non-pro lit health care providers (such as the Kod iak Area Nat ive Association in the Kod iuk region). Those of us that ut ili ze the Indi an I kalth Service bcnclits real ize the importance or keeping this much needed mcd ieal pri vil ege. Cost ly heal th and medica I ex pcnscs can devastate a liunili cs income lor years. If yo u or your liun ily members came from Kodiak. it is very important that you he cnroll cd as soon as poss ible with the KOD IAK TRII3A L COUNC IL. !Jnl ikc ANCSA (Alaska Nut ivc Claims Settlement Act) enrollment , which In dian lleallh S~.:rv i cc docs not recognize as a Tribal Mem bership Roll. prov iding proof that you arc enro lled to the Kodiak Tri bal Council will ensure that you will sti ll rece ive the hea lt h services thai arc prov ided by the Indian llcalth Services.
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KTC at your service By: Keike KahLunoku So you' re a member of the Kodiak T ribal Co uncil. We ll, you' re probab ly wondering what kind of services we have to offer. Let me rest assure you that KTC gives it's members benefits that yo u deserve. The fo llowing li st is a description of goals and objectives that KTC and the individual departments has to offer in general and individually: Kodiak Tr路ibal Council Goals Geneml: Gainfederal acknowledgment/or Shoonaq' Natives as a Tribe, thereby publicly securing its governmental Status, with the Kodiak Tribal Council as its elected governing body. General: Produce a comprehensive Tribal Economic Development Plan that will be a guide to establishing a self-sufficient form ofgovernment and a means ofproviding long-term economic stability fo r Tribal members. Education: Provide higher education & vocational supportive services to Alaskan
Natives or to students who are enrolled in a tribe who reside in Kodiak, Port Lions, Old Harbor, and Akhiok and continue to promote a broader participation o.lNative people in thesefields; thereby encouraging more people to obtain and education which will al!oiV then to become employed on a permanent basis. Em ployment: Provide assistance to those who meet the requirements ofthe employment program regulations who voluntarily apply and quulifj;.for such ser vices to enable them to become gainjitlly employed and reduce the number o.l unemployed Alaska Native/ Native American adults residing within the Kodiak area by joining the socioeconomic mainstream o.lKodiak. Language: Develop curricular materials in the Sugtgstun Language. (/the Sugtg_stun Language is to survive as a modern languaRe, it must be employed in all possible communications media -print, video, and computer sofiware. Social Services: Provide support and assistance for Kodiak Tribal Council members who have exhausted, been denied, or are ineligible .fhr such assistance fi路om at her
SEPTEMBER 1996
federal, state and local service support agencies and empower and encourage healthy l(festyles and se(/st!!Jiciency of tribal council members. C ultural/Economic: Develop a cultural heritage program for tribal members to link the pas/ and build on those linkages in creating strong decision-making and educational programs, ensuring I he coalescence o.l Elders' wisdom and youthful drive. Tribal Operations: Maintain tribal enrollment, provide general assistance ro the Kodiak Tribal Council stqft: and ensure pro_ficient o.ffice management. Finance: Maintain the financial integrity o.fthe Kodiak Tribal Council.
lf any services listed can help better your life, you are more than welcome to stop by and take full advantage of these benefits!
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SEPTEMBER 1996
Alutiiq Dancer Update The Kodiak Alutiiq Dancers greatly, appreciate a donation waived from Koniag, i nc. The donation will be used to assist the dancers in making and repairing regalia, and will assist with travel costs for sending the dancers to Anchorage to pe1jorm in Quyanna Alaska during AFN October 17-19, 1996. The Dancers challenge the other Native Corporations to match Koniags generous donation. Thanks Quy anna Koniag Board members! !!
/(odiak Tribal Council Announcement Your Tribal Co uncil is Looking for more than a few good Dancers. We are lookingfor a Tribe ofDancers to carry the message ofthe Shoonaq 路 to the world. Sign up and gel involved. Preserving our Culture Heritage and the values that have maintained our cull ure for 6, 000 years is in your hands. Come give some (~fyour lime and talent to the Kodiak TribaL Council. Come sing and dance with us. !fyou would like tojointhe Kodiak Alutiiq Dancers calf Margaret Roberts or Kathy Webber at the Trihaf Council (907) -186-4449.
Indian Reorganization Update: By: Margaret Roberts. President Alth ough sometimes it seems as if the Department of the Interior is moving m snails pace, we have seen some movement lately with our request to call our IRA Election, giving the tribe federal recog nition . .lust recentl y we suppl ied the Department with ge nealogy information which they will cross reference with th eir files. This random sampli ng may speed up our req uest. We ha ve wri tten letters and made telephone ca ll s requ esti ng that they make th is a high priority, to call our IRA e lection befo re the nex t nat io nal election in November. Our biggest fear is that if the current adm inistration with in the Department of the Interi or changes under a new admin istration, that our IRA election may never be called. Th is is the long awa ited tri bal recognition that we have been worki ng on for many years. (Reo r ga niza tion Co nt. PG .6)
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PROGRAM SERVICES DEPARTMENT By: Thomas H. Goldston, Director, KTCPSD The Tribal Coun ci ls Education and Social Services Department were combined to become the KTC PROGRAM SERVIC ES DEPARTMENT (KTCPSD) on April, I 1996. The decision to create the combined department came as a result of analysis of the initial and continuing im pact of last years Federal Budget Impasse between Congress and the President and the continuing trend of reduction in fun ding for Tri bal organi zations across the State and the Nation. Fortunately KTC's service de livery capabilities have not been severely reduced. The new department, though responsible for an increase service delivery caseload, has been able to ensure that KTC members and other service eligible Alaska Nati ves and American Ind ians living in Kod iak receive in formation and assistance consistent \>vith BIA service objective requirements. The KTCPSD service delivery objectives include: I. Administration and oversight of the KTC BlA General Ass istance Program. 2. Indian Chi ld Welfare Advocacy Services. 3. Assistance/counse ling service needs assessment and referral. 4. Admi nistration of the BIA Higher Education, Adu It Vocational Training, and Direct Employment services. 5. Coordination of Child Protective
Services through the State of A Iaska Division of Family and Youth Services. 6. Community Outreach, service deli very needs determination , and service deli very coordination with other agencies. 7. Emerge ncy Assista nce Grants and Loans. 8. Assistance with payment for parenting classes for eligible members. These and other services are available to eligible KTC members, Other Alaska Natives and American India ns. The General Assistance, Emergency Assistance, and Parenting Class Assistance funds requi re verification of at least one-quarter blood quantum and verifiable Tribal Enrollment. Higher Education, Adult Vocational Traini ng, Direct Employment, and other support services require that the app licant be able to prove Alaska Nati ve and/or American Indian Ancestry. If you are interested in learn ing more about these services give a call to the Council at 486-4449 and set up an appointment to talk with the appropriate staff member. Owing to the workload of the Department making an appointment is recommended. Drop ins are we lcome although you may hit a busy time and have to wait fo r a wh ile to talk with the Department Director. Enrollment of vour childre n is important: If you have children or grandch ildren that you know are not enro lled members of a Tribe get them enrolled. Many services and benefits may be delayed if yo u cannot immediately verify their enroll ment or degree or
SEPTEMBER 1996
blood quantum . Genera l Assistance Grant: In add ition to the requirement of veri tication of one quarter blood quantum, applicants fo r General Assistance must by able to show proof of status as a head of household, (Re nt receipt in you r name, util ity bills. etc.) Veritication of continuous work searc h, participation in community service (at least ten hours per week) ir unemployed. Other requirements and or restrictions may apply. Higher Education and Adult Vocationa l Trainin2 Scholnrships and Grants: The priority dead line for app lyi ng for a scholarship or grant for the Spring Semester is November 15, 1996. If you are a continuing student you do not have to reapp ly if you have al ready been awarded to scholarship or grant for the fall term. f unds are lim ited and we anticipate up to a thirteen percent ( 13%) reduction in funds for the Tri bal Counci l for the fiscal year beginning October I, 1996. The number of students applying for assistance has increased. Apply earl y.
1(0DJA f( TRI BA L COUNCIL STA FF
Margare/ Roberls. Presidenl Thomas Colds/on, Program Direclor Social Services! EducaLion Virginia Ahslon. Direclor Tribal Opera/ions Kwhy Webber, SecretGiy! Receptionisl
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NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF MEMBERSHIP : SATURDAY, OCT. 5th, 1996 10:00 A.M. TO THE MEM BERS O F TH E S HOO NAQ' T RIB E OF KO DI AK (KODIAK TRI BA L COUNC IL) The Annual meeting of the Membership of the Shoonaq ' Tri be of Kodiak (Kodiak Tri bal Council) will be called to order at the Kodiak Senior Center, dow nstairs; at 302 Erskine Avenue, Kodi ak, Alaska on, at I0:00 a. m. for the fo llowing purposes: Saturday, October 05, 1996. I. To elect three (3) persons to
the Coun cil for three (3) year terms ending in 1999. 2. To co nduct such other business as may pr operly come befo re th e membershi p meeting or a ny adj o urnment thereo f. Only members who have been enro lled to the Tribe who are over the are of eighteen ( 18) and have resided in Kod iak fo r at least one ( I) year, are entitled to notece of and to vote at the meeting. Sincerely, Shoonaq ' T ri be of Kodial< (Kodiak Tribal Coun cil) Pat Heitma n Secreta ry/Treasurcr *Please ma il yo ur pi"Oxy in to co unt towards a Qu orum
CAN DIDAT ES FOR OFI'ICE Anyone interested in runni ng fo r a Council seat who meets the followi ng cri teria, may submit a letter of intent to run to Kod iak Tribal Coun cil , Box 1974, Kodi ak, A Iaska 996 15 I. Enrolled to Kodia k Tribal
Coun cil. 2. Resided in Kodi a l< for one ( I) yea r. 3. At least 18 years old. KO DI AK TRIBAL CO UNC IL BOA RD OF DIR ECTORS Lawrence Anderson, Acting Chai111erson Pat /Ieitman. Secreuu:vf li路esurer Mark Olsen, .\/ember '!11eresa Carlson, Member John /?eft. Member flank Eaton, ,\/ember
(O rigin of AK Natives Cont.) others migrated through Alaska. contin uing on to distant lands perhaps as far as South Ame rica! Those who made A Iaska their permanent home make up th e state's fou r major anthropological g roups: Eskimos, Aleuts, Athabascans, and Northwest Coast Indians. While al l fou r groups shared certain basic sim ilarities - all hunted, fi shed and gathered food - they developed distincti ve cultures and sets of ski lls.
(Reorganization Cont.) We are hopefu l that we will be hearing from them soon. The Tribal Council urges the membershi p to support our efforts or Tribal recogn itio n. Sometime in the future, the Departm ent of the Interi or
SEPTEMBER 1996
Bureau of Indian Affairs will mail an ol"licial voting ballot to the mem bership to vote yes or no on reorgan izing under the Ind ian Reorgan ization Act. The Tribal CounciI indeed encou rages the members to vote yes. This will give the Tribal Council the same status as other f'ederal ly recogn ized IRA triba l govern ments.
RECI PE CO RNER
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