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

         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.