Palin's Record on Alaska Native & Tribal Issues

[Joanne98]

After struggling over this one, I'm going to go ahead and just post it, and let you make up your own minds.

Sarah Palin's Record on Alaska Native and Tribal Issues

This document has been floating around, and is factually true. But the other fact is, our governor is very good at staying off the record on important Alaska Native issues. Or any Alaska Native issues, really. I refer you to my earlier posts (below or to the right) to view where her lack of attention has gotten us, as Alaskans and Alaska Native people.

This document asserts that:

1. Palin has attacked Native subsistence fishing
2. Palin has attacked Native subsistence hunting
3. Palin has attacked Alaska Native tribal sovereignty
4. Palin has attacked Alaska Native languages

This is not new, but I think "Palin's administration" or "Palin, through her staff" is the most accurate wording. Palin has released only a "supportive" letter to Alaska Native people during her campaign for governor, and other than that has remained publicly silent on Alaska Native issues.

The Alaska Native languages attack, for instance, was actually on an issue I've covered here before - the Yup'ik language ballot. In this instance, "Bethel and the State of Alaska" fought against providing Yup'ik voting materials to the highly Yup'ik area of Bethel. The Lt. Governor, Sean Parnell, is listed as one of the defendants, but not Palin directly. She's done this many, many times before (most notably in the Troopergate investigation,) - letting her people take care of the highly controversial issues, while she visibly takes on highly popular issues (gas pipeline, $1,200 checks to all Alaskans.)

For those of you who do not know Alaska, Alaska Native people make up nearly 20% of the population. To say something publicly against solid Alaska Native issues would be devastating to a campaign - and we vote to the tune of 90% in some boroughs.

Again, the facts of this document are true, I'm just a bit cautious about saying "Palin believes this" about anything that she will come in and say "Oh, but that was my staff, not me" on. Which she has done. Frequently.

Alaska Real: "Sarah Palin's Record on Alaska Native and Tribal Issues"
http://forums.somd.com/politics/155948-palin-s-record-alaska-native-tribal-issues.html

[LisaM]

1. Doesn't her husband have a Native American background?

that he uses to get his fishing license? I'm sure I read that recently.

[Bobbieo]

2. He is purportedly 1/16h Yup'ic and an enrolled tribal member.