Legislature(2021 - 2022)DAVIS 106

03/11/2021 08:00 AM House TRIBAL AFFAIRS

Note: the audio and video recordings are distinct records and are obtained from different sources. As such there may be key differences between the two. The audio recordings are captured by our records offices as the official record of the meeting and will have more accurate timestamps. Use the icons to switch between them.

Download Mp3. <- Right click and save file as

Audio Topic
08:00:45 AM Start
08:01:23 AM HB10
08:17:00 AM Adjourn
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+= HB 10 FUNTER BAY MARINE PARK: UNANGAN CEMETERY TELECONFERENCED
Moved HB 10 Out of Committee
-- Invited & Public Testimony --
+ Bills Previously Heard/Scheduled TELECONFERENCED
                    ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE                                                                                  
           HOUSE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON TRIBAL AFFAIRS                                                                          
                         March 11, 2021                                                                                         
                           8:00 a.m.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS PRESENT                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Representative Tiffany Zulkosky, Chair                                                                                          
Representative Dan Ortiz                                                                                                        
Representative Zack Fields                                                                                                      
Representative Mike Cronk                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS ABSENT                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Representative Geran Tarr                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
COMMITTEE CALENDAR                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
HOUSE BILL NO. 10                                                                                                               
"An Act relating to the Funter  Bay marine park unit of the state                                                               
park system; relating to protection  of the social and historical                                                               
significance  of  the Unangax  cemetery  located  in Funter  Bay;                                                               
providing  for  the amendment  of  the  management plan  for  the                                                               
Funter  Bay marine  park  unit; and  providing  for an  effective                                                               
date."                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     - MOVED HB 10 OUT OF COMMITTEE                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
BILL: HB  10                                                                                                                  
SHORT TITLE: FUNTER BAY MARINE PARK: UNANGAN CEMETERY                                                                           
SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) HANNAN                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
02/18/21       (H)       PREFILE RELEASED 1/8/21                                                                                
02/18/21       (H)       READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS                                                                        
02/18/21       (H)       RES, FIN                                                                                               
02/24/21       (H)       TRB REPLACES FIN REFERRAL                                                                              
02/24/21       (H)       BILL REPRINTED                                                                                         
03/01/21       (H)       RES AT 1:00 PM BARNES 124                                                                              
03/01/21       (H)       -- MEETING CANCELED --                                                                                 
03/03/21       (H)       RES REFERRAL MOVED TO AFTER TRB                                                                        
03/03/21       (H)       BILL REPRINTED                                                                                         
03/09/21       (H)       TRB AT 8:00 AM DAVIS 106                                                                               
03/09/21       (H)       Heard & Held                                                                                           
03/09/21       (H)       MINUTE(TRB)                                                                                            
03/11/21       (H)       TRB AT 8:00 AM DAVIS 106                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
WITNESS REGISTER                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
MARTIN STEPETIN                                                                                                                 
Friends of Admiralty Island                                                                                                     
Juneau, Alaska                                                                                                                  
POSITION  STATEMENT:    Provided   public  testimony  during  the                                                             
hearing of HB 10.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
JOEL BENNETT                                                                                                                    
Friends of Admiralty Island                                                                                                     
Juneau, Alaska                                                                                                                  
POSITION  STATEMENT:    Provided   public  testimony  during  the                                                             
hearing of HB 10.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
PRESTON KROES                                                                                                                   
Alaska State Parks                                                                                                              
Juneau, Alaska                                                                                                                  
POSITION STATEMENT:  Answered questions  during the hearing of HB
10.                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
ACTION NARRATIVE                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
8:00:45 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  TIFFANY ZULKOSKY  called  the House  Special Committee  on                                                             
Tribal Affairs  meeting to  order at  8:00 a.m.   Representatives                                                               
Fields, Ortiz,  Cronk and  Zulkosky were present  at the  call to                                                               
order.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
         HB 10-FUNTER BAY MARINE PARK: UNANGAN CEMETERY                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
8:01:23 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR ZULKOSKY  announced that the  only order of  business would                                                               
be HOUSE BILL  NO. 10, "An Act relating to  the Funter Bay marine                                                               
park unit  of the  state park system;  relating to  protection of                                                               
the social  and historical significance  of the  Unangax cemetery                                                               
located  in  Funter  Bay;  providing for  the  amendment  of  the                                                               
management  plan  for  the  Funter  Bay  marine  park  unit;  and                                                               
providing for an effective date."                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
8:01:42 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  HANNAN clarified  current acreage  of Funter  Bay                                                               
Marine Park,  which was 450  acres, with  a water tidal  table of                                                               
730 acres,  for a total of  1180 acres.   If HB 10 were  to pass,                                                               
251 land acres  would be added, creating 1431 total  acres in the                                                               
new  park.   Maps were  included in  members' packets  to reflect                                                               
this, she added.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
8:02:55 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR ZULKOSKY opened public testimony on HB 10.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
8:03:17 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MARTIN STEPETIN,  Friends of Admiralty  Island, spoke  in support                                                               
of  HB 10.    Shared  personal history  as  grandparents were  in                                                               
Funter Bay Aleut  Internment site in 1942.  Mr.  Stepetin said of                                                               
all the camps, Funter Bay was  the deadliest, as about 10% of its                                                               
population died, mostly  the very young and very old.   He shared                                                               
HB  10 was  very  important to  his family  as  it protected  his                                                               
family's  resting  place.    Solely because  of  actions  by  the                                                               
federal  government,  but actions  to  protect  it lay  with  the                                                               
state.  There  were currently 50 people buried in  Funter Bay, he                                                               
shared,  and the  sacred  ground should  be left  in  peace.   In                                                               
Killisnoo  Island there  were 17  people  buried, he  said.   The                                                               
biggest difference was  Killisnoo was private land  and may never                                                               
be  able  to  be  protected,  he  shared.    Funter  Bay  can  be                                                               
protected, he said.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
8:09:30 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR ZULKOSKY  drew members'  attention to  a letter  of support                                                               
for HB 10 from Alaska Native Sisterhood.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
8:10:01 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
JOEL BENNETT,  Friends of Admiralty  Island, spoke in  support of                                                               
HB 10.   An adjacent landowner  to the internment site  at Funter                                                               
Bay, Mr.  Bennett said he wanted  to protect the rich  history of                                                               
Admiralty Island, especially that of  its Native inhabitants.  He                                                               
said for  over 20  years members  have monitored  and safeguarded                                                               
the cemetery and  its surroundings.  Friends  of Admiralty Island                                                               
has  also hosted  a  healing ceremony  which  included a  Russian                                                               
Orthodox blessing and  raised a 12-foot healing cross.   He added                                                               
there was no commercial interest in the land.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
8:14:15 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR ZULKOSKY closed public testimony on HB 10.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
8:14:32 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE CRONK asked whether the transfer would affect                                                                    
hunting or fishing subsistence.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
8:15:02 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
PRESTON KROES, Alaska State Parks, replied no, Alaska Department                                                                
of Fish & Game regulations in the area would remain in effect.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
8:15:30 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE ORTIZ moved to report  HB 10 out of committee with                                                               
individual  recommendations and  the  accompanying fiscal  notes.                                                               
There being  no objection, HB  10 was  reported out of  the House                                                               
Special Committee on Tribal Affairs.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
8:15:58 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The committee took an at-ease from 8:15 a.m. to 8:17 a.m.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
8:17:00 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
ADJOURNMENT                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
There being no further business before the committee, the House                                                                 
Special Committee on Tribal Affairs meeting was adjourned at                                                                    
8:17 a.m.                                                                                                                       

Document Name Date/Time Subjects
ANS Camp 70 letter of support.pdf HTRB 3/11/2021 8:00:00 AM
HB 10 Land Status and Boundaries Map of Admiralty Island-Funter Bay 3.9.2021.pdf HRES 3/26/2021 1:00:00 PM
HTRB 3/11/2021 8:00:00 AM
HB 10