The Hawaii-Alaska Connection: The Arctic Refuge; The Last Frontier

[LiviaOlivia]

from febuary
The Hawaii Island Journal
The Arctic Refuge;
The Last Frontier

The Akaka Bill for Native Hawaiian sovereignty could reach the Senate floor this year - at the cost of oil drilling in the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge.

by Jack Kelly

~snip~
The Hawai'i Connection

As members of the Senate's Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska and Daniel Inouye of Hawai'i have long partnered to bring millions of dollars of military expansion funds and other federal moneys to their states.

~snip~

Senator Akaka's push to implement the "Native Hawaiian Recognition Bill," now known as the Akaka/Stevens Bill, has similarly called on the Hawai'i delegation's close ties to Alaska.

The Akaka/Stevens bill would begin the process for Native Hawaiians to be recognized by the U.S. government as an indigenous people. It would establish the beginnings of a framework for Native Hawaiian governance. That government would then be empowered to negotiate with the United States and the State of Hawai'i over the disposition of Native Hawaiian assets. But some Native Hawaiians fear that the Akaka Bill will lead to a Hawaiian model reminiscent of Alaska's native corporations. Established in 1971 as means of settling Native Alaskan land claims, the corporations manage huge tracts of "native" land for profit - sometimes to the detriment of subsistence villages and often to the profit of oil companies and of politicians, including Stevens.

Among other allegations, Neubauer and Cooper note that Stevens has a very close relationship with Arctic Slope Regional Corp., the Inupiat "owned" corporation the manages the trust obligations given to it by the 1971 Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA). Arctic Slope is the sole tenant of a building owned by Stevens, paying $6 million a year in rent on a twenty-year lease. Arctic Slope stands to gain immensely if exploration is allowed in the refuge. "Arctic Slope is no ordinary tenant," claim Neubauer and Cooper. "A $1-billion-a-year business, it is the largest Alaskan-owned company in the state. More important, the company - along with 12 other regional Native corporations - was created through legislation the senator took the lead in drafting. And it has prospered through his continuing efforts in the Senate."

~snip~

http://hawaiiislandjournal.com/2005/02a05b.html

Good read.

[mike_c]

1. simply confirms my belief that GREED is at the heart of most...

...politics in fascist corporate Amerika.

[mahina]

2. Inouye MUST feel the anger for this.

When H. Trask called him a one armed bandit I heard outrage. Where's the outrage now?
I'm calling his office and will add his response to the stack of letters I have from him. He won reelection in a landslide so feels untouchable. Touching!!

[KamaAina]

3. Excellent find! I've been trying to explain this to DU all week.

For some reason you guys keep expecting our Democratic Senators to behave like, you know, Democrats. </sarcasm>

Note that Akaka mentioned the Inupiat village of Kaktovik in his apology, uh, I mean "reasoning" today. He somehow failed to mention its connection to Arctic Slope Regional Corp. and its cozy relationship with Stevens (R-Satan).

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x3284920

The Hawai'i Island Journal, from the "Big Island" of Hawai'i, by the way, is a far better indie paper than our toothless Honolulu "Weakly".

[Capn Sunshine]

4. Follow the money

it's always the money.....

[Carolab]

8. Exactly. Cui bono? Always ask. n/t

[katinmn]

5. scratch my back and I'll scratch yours

fuck everyone else

[JTHC]

6. This is bunk

All the native regional corporations are solely owned and managed by the natives themselves. Every native is a shareholder of such a corporation and the shares can't be sold or given to non-natives. They vote on matters, elect leaders, and get dividends, but there's nothing evil about it.

The corporations were established in the 70s when the natives got a huge settlement from the US gov't (due to the fact that almost all their land was taken from them either by the Russians or the Americans). Instead of passing out the money to individuals, they set up the corporations as trustees and every native became a shareholder.

To the extent Arctic Slope RC has a "close relationship" with Ted Stevens, so does every regional corporation and native leader. Everyone in Alaskan politics has close ties--it's a small state in terms of population.

As for native Hawaiians getting a settlement similar to what the Alaskan natives got--good for them. Their land was stolen too (and given to white agro-business corporations). They should get a chunk of cash and some land back and should be able to do what they wish without some guy in a suit in Washington DC telling them what's best.

[LiviaOlivia]

9. Can you provide any links to back your claims?

I see no proof acquitting Stevens of what I believe him to be; an evil, thieving, old fuck.

[struggle4progress]

7. kick