00                          HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 5                                                                         
01 Establishing a House Special Committee on Tribal Affairs.                                                               
02 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES:                                                                         
03       WHEREAS Alaska Native people have over 10,000 years of documented history on                                    
04 land now recognized as part of the state; and                                                                           
05       WHEREAS Alaska Native people are members of federally recognized tribes that                                    
06 maintain a unique political relationship with the federal government; and                                               
07       WHEREAS the state is home to 229 federally recognized tribes, nearly half of the                                
08 573 federally recognized tribes in the nation; and                                                                      
09       WHEREAS Alaska Native tribal nations prioritize the health, welfare, and well-being                             
10 of their members as does any other sovereign state; and                                                                 
11       WHEREAS Alaska Native resources, languages, and culture have significantly                                      
12 contributed and continue to contribute to the history, identity, and policies of the state; and                         
13 WHEREAS Alaska Native tribes benefit from a social and legal relationship and a                                       
14 trust relationship with the federal government that helps to shape policy while also bringing                           
15 millions of dollars in revenue to the state, creating thousands of jobs and infusing significant                        
16 renewable resources into the economy; and                                                                               
01       WHEREAS the House of Representatives recognizes the contribution made by and                                    
02 sovereignty of Alaska Native tribes and recognizes the unique relationship the state enjoys                             
03 with Alaska Native tribes;                                                                                              
04       BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives that a House Special Committee                                   
05 on Tribal Affairs is established to advance strategic partnerships with tribes that seek to                             
06 advance and strengthen tribal communities, a vision shared by the state; and be it                                      
07       FURTHER RESOLVED that the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall                                         
08 determine the number of representatives to be members of the committee, appoint the                                     
09 members, and designate a member or members to chair the committee; and be it                                            
10 FURTHER RESOLVED that the House Special Committee on Tribal Affairs may                                               
11 meet during and between sessions of the Thirty-First Alaska State Legislature and is                                    
12 terminated on the convening of the First Regular Session of the Thirty-Second Alaska State                              
13 Legislature.