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[article provided by LH. Thanks!]

http://www.adn.com/stories/T00021851.html
Friday, February 18, 2000

227 tribes pick delegates for talks

By LIZ RUSKIN
Daily News reporter

Alaska tribal leaders on Thursday chose more than 40 delegates to represent
the tribes in forging a new relationship with the state.

It was, several said, a new dawn for Alaska Natives, who are taking Gov.
Tony Knowles up on his October offer to establish a government-to-government
relationship with the 227 federally recognized tribes.

"I didn't ever think I'd live long enough to see this day," said Lee
Stephan, from the Native Village of Eklutna, who was one of the delegates
selected at the end of the two-day meeting in Anchorage.

Knowles appointed a 12-member negotiating team that includes six state
commissioners and Attorney General Bruce Botelho to meet with a tribal team.
Knowles envisioned a 12-member tribal team as well.

But the tribes, after meeting in regional caucuses Thursday, selected
members for a team of about 45. The exact number wasn't clear because some
regions hadn't decided how many delegates they needed. The roster isn't firm
either, since the leaders who attended the meeting, organized by the Alaska
Inter-Tribal Council, said the selections would have to be taken back to the
tribal organizations for approval.

Knowles spokesman Bob King said he didn't see a problem with the size of the
team, beyond the demands on furniture.

"It's their prerogative to pick the team they want to," King said. "With a
crowd like that, it may be difficult to see that everybody has a seat at the
table. We may have to bring in bleachers."

What issues will be on the table is still undecided, but at the meeting in
4th Avenue Theatre, tribal leaders spoke often of giving tribes control over
state and federal funds aimed at solving some of the pressing problems in
the villages, from substance abuse to educational needs to inadequate
airports.

"I think we need to forge ahead because I think there's a lot of opportunity
to enhance the services that are provided," said Arnold Brower Jr., a
delegate from the Arctic Slope.

Many of the day's discussions were about a basic quandary: How can 227
tribes, each committed to self-determination, choose representatives to
argue their issues without creating a team of 227 people?

About 30 people from Interior communities wrestled with that question during
a regional caucus. Some argued for sending six delegates to the team, each
representing one of the area's subregions, which each contain several
tribes. It wasn't an easy sell.

"You can have any number you want, but Arctic Village and Venetie would like
to have a seat at the table," said Gideon James, a leader in the joint
tribal government that serves the two villages.

In the end, the Interior decided on six representatives, with Ernest Erick
of Venetie representing the Yukon Flats area.

When the regions presented their findings to the whole group, several items
won general agreement.

* Meetings with the state's team should take place in villages.

* The tribes don't want to "negotiate" with the state team. They aren't
giving anything up. As one delegate described it, they are working on a new
way to shake hands with the state.

* The state should cover the costs of the meetings.

* The talks should be open to the tribes, and team members should report
back to the tribes often.

At the end of the day, former Tanana Chiefs Conference president Will Mayo,
an eloquent speaker who has been working as an adviser to Knowles on tribal
relations, summed up. He told the audience he was filled with pride.

"Somebody in the past has tried to push our tribes in the mud," to cover
them up, hoping they'd never emerge, said Mayo, a longtime champion of
tribal sovereignty.

"It seemed like everything we had was handed over to some board of directors
somewhere," he said.

This, he said, is different.

"I submit to you, there are people all across our Native country that have
been praying for this for a long time," he said.

God heard those prayers and changed the heart of the government, he said. "I
think He puts thoughts in the hearts of leaders and turns them the way he
wants to," Mayo said.

He said he would report back to the governor and work for an outcome that is
best for the tribes.

"I'm the governor's adviser, but I'm your man," he said.

---
Reporter Liz Ruskin can be reached at lruskin@adn.com.
 

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