HB 78-INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DAY  8:46:51 AM CO-CHAIR FANSLER announced that the final order of business would be HOUSE BILL NO. 78, "An Act establishing the second Monday of October of each year as Indigenous Peoples Day." 8:48:03 AM REPRESENTATIVE WESTLAKE, as prime sponsor, presented HB 78. He stated that HB 78 would establish the second Monday of October, every year, as Indigenous People's Day. He said this is the same day on which Columbus Day is observed. He said, "While it's not recognized by the State of Alaska as an official holiday, it is a federal holiday." He emphasized that the intent of HB 78 is not to "tear down or destroy Columbus Day in any way, fashion, or form," but is meant as a "unification and celebration of us as Native peoples." He stated, "On a day that recognizes some of the first Europeans of the Americas, we also can be recognizing that we have always lived here." Representative Westlake continued as follows: I don't think that anyone would argue against the significant cultural influence indigenous peoples have had, especially here in Alaska. There are more ... federally recognized tribes [in Alaska] than [in] the entire Lower 48 combined. That's us. So, HB 78 does not create a new state holiday: it creates a day of recognition, a day of honor. Placing it on the same day as Columbus Day recognizes the intermingling of cultures that make Alaska such a great and vibrant state. It honors Alaska's rich cultural history. REPRESENTATIVE WESTLAKE concluded that HB 78 would provide a day of celebration of all the cultures in Alaska - especially the indigenous peoples. He thanked committee members for considering the bill and offered to answer questions. 8:50:20 AM REPRESENTATIVE RAUSCHER asked why the day is being proposed to occur on Columbus Day. REPRESENTATIVE WESTLAKE answered, "It's a day when we were supposedly discovered; we never knew we were lost; and it's a great day - it really is." He said it is a time when Western culture and "our culture" met for the first time, and he opined that "it's an appropriate day." He said, "We can celebrate it from either side; it's all about multiculturalism, getting along as people on the same land, and it just seems appropriate." 8:51:26 AM CO-CHAIR FANSLER offered his understanding that the state has had celebrations of indigenous people before, and those celebrations also occurred on the second Monday of October. 8:51:47 AM ELIZABETH REXFORD, Staff, Representative Dean Westlake, Alaska State Legislature, on behalf of Representative Westlake, prime sponsor of HB 78, confirmed that for the last two years, Governor Bill Walker has signed a proclamation designating the second Monday of October as Indigenous People's Day [on an annual basis]. She indicated Mayor Ethan Burkowitz of the City of Anchorage had done the same in Anchorage in 2015. She said there have been requests to make this day of recognition a permanent one for Alaska. 8:52:41 AM REPRESENTATIVE TALERICO expressed appreciation for the discussions he has had with the bill sponsor. He offered his understanding that contrary to some comments contained in letters received in response to HB 78, the intent of the bill sponsor is not to "eliminate Columbus Day." He said Representative Westlake has made it clear to him that his intent is to add to the day. Representative Talerico said he appreciates the bill sponsor's "multi-culture approach to the celebration of that day." He asked Representative Westlake to respond. 8:53:43 AM REPRESENTATIVE WESTLAKE relayed that in his community of Kotzebue, he had researched the phrase "good morning" to find out how many languages are spoken there. He said there are 17 indigenous languages. He indicated that languages spoken in Kotzebue include Norwegian and [Kinyarwanda]. He opined that such diversity above the Arctic Circle is "wonderful" and "makes us all so much better." 8:54:31 AM CO-CHAIR FANSLER opened public testimony on HB 78. 8:55:15 AM LINDSEY LAYLAND testified in support of HB 78. She characterized the first line of the second paragraph of the sponsor statement [included in the committee packet] as "spot on." It read as follows [original punctuation provided]: Indigenous people are an integral part of the spiritual, cultural, linguistic, scientific and historical fabric of the State of Alaska and the Americas at large. MS. LAYLAND said she has seen and heard arguments against this proposed recognition by those claiming that it would be exclusive to all non-indigenous people - a claim Ms. Layland said she thinks is absurd. She said the status quo is Columbus Day, which celebrates and recognizes "a single, white male whose actions have led to widespread genocide" and who was not actually the first European to "reach the Americas in discovery." MS. LAYLAND said the proposed bill offers an opportunity to celebrate all the women, men, and children, who are the original inhabitants of Alaska and whose culture is vital in the founding of the state. She opined that it is important to those who would oppose such a bill to look across party lines, even to Alaska's state leaders at the federal level where Ms. Layland offered her understanding that Senator Lisa Murkowski proudly wears her kuspuk in public and professional settings. She posited that this is a nonpartisan issue that "reveals qualities of discrimination and racism in those that might oppose it." 8:57:30 AM ALANNAH HURLEY testified in support of HB 78. She indicated concurrence with the statements made by the previous testifier. She relayed that she was "born and raised Yupik in this region." She said she thinks the bill is about recognizing history that is not taught in mainstream school curriculum. She stated her belief that there is no way to move forward and heal some of the racial divides in Alaska and the nation, without recognizing the injustices of the past. She said she thinks that across the nation, people are choosing to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day, because "we're talking about somebody from an indigenous perspective who was one of first perpetrators of genocide in this country - someone who's been compared to Hitler." She questioned the message that children are being taught be celebrating [Columbus Day]. She concluded as follows: This is really a movement across the nation to recognize real history and to celebrate the first people of this nation. And as the state that has the most tribes across the country, I think it would be amazing and make a great statement about ... how Alaska values its indigenous people. 9:00:23 AM JONATHAN WOOD testified in support of HB 78. He said Alaska's population is nearly 15 percent American Indian and Alaska Native - by far the highest of any state in the U.S. He stated, "Just like an intricately woven Chilkat blanket, Alaska's various indigenous cultures are intricately woven throughout the history of this great state and territory prior to our statehood." He said unfortunately history is also filled with much cruelty and ugliness. Mr. Wood opined it is important to officially recognize and draw attention to the terrible losses suffered by the Native American people and their culture through disease, warfare, massacre, and forced assimilation. He stated that by designating a specific day to promote Native American culture and history, [Alaskans] can celebrate the rich traditions and continue the healing process for Alaska Natives. He opined that with the focus on this healing element, people will become better global citizens, with "an awareness of the continued struggle and experiences of other peoples and groups throughout the rest of the world." 9:02:25 AM CO-CHAIR FANSLER, after ascertaining that there was no one else who wished to testify, closed public testimony on HB 78. 9:02:59 AM REPRESENTATIVE DRUMMOND noted that many letters of support reference House Bill 275, which was a bill she sponsored in the Twenty-Ninth Alaska State Legislature that passed the House, but not the Senate. She stated support of HB 78. She queried whether the House Community and Regional Affairs Standing Committee was the only committee of referral. CO-CHAIR FANSLER offered his understanding that is correct. 9:03:50 AM The committee took an at-ease from 9:04 a.m. to 9:06 a.m. 9:05:44 AM REPRESENTATIVE TALERICO reiterated that he does not see the [sponsor's] intent as being to remove a federal holiday and replace it with a new one. He expressed appreciation for the sponsor's intent to be inclusive and for the enjoyable aspects of Alaska Native culture. He acknowledged that there were atrocities and injustices that had happened, but said he thinks the intent of HB 78 is to move forward and try and avoid those things in the future - not just for particular groups of people, but for everyone. 9:07:46 AM CO-CHAIR FANSLER expressed appreciation for the comments from Representative Talerico that "hit the nail on the head." He said he supports HB 78 and considers his co-sponsorship of it a great honor and source of pride. He said as a Representative from a district that is a majority Alaska Native, he thinks "this is the least we can do to recognize all the amazing contributions ... that we've received from indigenous people from around the world." 9:09:06 AM CO-CHAIR PARISH moved to report HB 78 out of committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes. There being no objection, HB 78 was reported out of the House Community and Regional Affairs Standing Committee.