03/30/2001 01:10 PM House RES

                    ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE                                                                                  
               HOUSE RESOURCES STANDING COMMITTEE                                                                             
                         March 30, 2001                                                                                         
                           1:10 p.m.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
COMMITTEE CALENDAR                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
OVERVIEW: INDIAN LAW                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
TAPES                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
01-26, SIDE A                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CALL TO ORDER                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE   BEVERLY  MASEK,   Co-Chair,  called   the  House                                                               
Resources Standing Committee to order at 1:10 p.m.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
PRESENT                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Committee  members present  were  Representatives Masek,  Scalzi,                                                               
Kerttula, Fate, and Chenault.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
SUMMARY OF INFORMATION                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
BARBARA RITCHIE, Deputy Attorney  General, Civil Division, Office                                                               
of the Attorney  General, Department of Law,  reviewed a timeline                                                               
of the history of Alaska's Indian law and tribal status.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
ELIZABETH  BARRY, Assistant  Attorney General,  Natural Resources                                                               
Section,   Civil  Division   (Anchorage),   Department  of   Law,                                                               
testifying via  teleconference, explained Metlakatla  and Annette                                                               
Island Indian country issues to the committee.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
MS.  RITCHIE explained  that  there  is not  much  Alaska law  on                                                               
Indian  Country,  because  we  don't   have  reservations.    She                                                               
clarified  that we  should  be able  to  decide tribal  authority                                                               
without litigation.   She cited  John G. Baker's  case, regarding                                                               
custody  matters involving  two parents  of different  tribes and                                                               
the comity doctrine as it  relates to what jurisdiction the tribe                                                               
would have.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
DALE  BONDURANT,  representing  the Alaska  Constitutional  Legal                                                               
Defense   Conservation  Fund,   testifying  via   teleconference,                                                               
mentioned ANCSA [Alaska Native Claims  Settlement Act].  He said,                                                               
"I  think its  most  important declaration  was  that our  nation                                                               
intended to  see that  all Alaska Natives  will be  recognized as                                                               
equal  citizens of  the U.S."   He  said he  recognizes only  the                                                               
human  race.   Mr. Bondurant  stated  that he  was involved  with                                                               
ANCSA and  wants us  all to  be equal Americans  in the  state of                                                               
Alaska.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR MASEK asked what would  happen to the Commonwealth North                                                               
Urban-Rural Unity report.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
MS. RITCHIE replied  that the agreement would be  signed April 7,                                                               
and stated that she sits on the State Tribal Relations Team.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR MASEK inquired as to  whether this task force was funded                                                               
through the governor's budget.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
MS. RITCHIE  replied, "We pay  travel ourselves."   She specified                                                               
that that meant out of her specific budget.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR MASEK requested a copy of expenses for each meeting.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHRYSTAL  SMITH,  Special  Assistant,   Office  of  the  Attorney                                                               
General, Department of Law, explained  that each department takes                                                               
care of  its own travel  expenses and  that the numbers  would be                                                               
difficult to  put together.  She  said she could get  the numbers                                                               
from each  department, but that  it would take  a few days.   She                                                               
further  explained that  there is  a recommendation  for a  state                                                               
tribal forum and  an oversight office with  a committee appointed                                                               
to that.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR MASEK  stated that  she wants reports  on the  money the                                                               
state has  spent on this made  available, in order to  be able to                                                               
determine if "we" are mishandling  federal money.  She stated her                                                               
wish to  see the numbers  and to take  time to review  the report                                                               
handed out today.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
ANNOUNCEMENTS                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
There were no announcements.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
COMMITTEE ACTION                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
The committee took no action.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
ADJOURNMENT                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR MASEK  adjourned the House Resources  Standing Committee                                                               
meeting at 2:20 p.m.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
NOTE:   The meeting was  recorded and handwritten log  notes were                                                               
taken.  A  copy of the tape(s)  and log notes may  be obtained by                                                               
contacting the  House Records  Office at  State Capitol,  Room 3,                                                               
Juneau,  Alaska  99801  (mailing address),  (907)  465-2214,  and                                                               
after  adjournment of  the second  session  of the  Twenty-Second                                                               
Alaska  State Legislature  this  information may  be obtained  by                                                               
contacting the Legislative Reference Library at (907) 465-3808.