Adventures in Alaska
Hello from the Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council (YRITWC) in Anchorage!
The days are getting shorter North of 60 but the adventures continue. The end of June and much of July saw me travelling all over America’s largest (and I argue, most beautiful) State and experiencing all it has to offer with a group of incredible folks – from a dog musher and his lead dog, Sugar, to canvassers working on the Pebble Mine campaign and interns working with the Renewable Energy Alaska Project and the Alaska Center for the Environment. Solstice had us climbing Flattop Mountain (the most hiked mountain in Alaska) to celebrate the longest day of the year. Then it was off to Hope for a weekend camping trip before I left for Fairbanks. I spent two days water sampling with Maggie, Will (the YRITWC’s science department) and Stephanie (fellow YRITWC intern). We sampled the Yukon River (if you’re ever up the Dalton Highway, stop at Hot Spot for a great milkshake!), Hess Creek, the Tanana and Chena Rivers. After a quick nap (that’s about all you can grab in the land of the Midnight Sun) it was off to the arctic to visit Venetie. I met two very special young girls there – Malia and Justine – who love to paint and ‘sparkle’. We did arts and crafts for the afternoon before walking down to the Chandalar River. Then it was time to leave and head back for a quick respite in Anchorage.
You never sit for long in Alaska, so within the week I found myself driving down the George Parks Highway to backcountry backpack in Denali National Park with my friend Amy and her friend Jenny. Our unit (which are like zipcodes within the park) was home to wolves, caribou (the first obstacle we encountered – aside from the bird-sized mosquitos) and moose. After a night sleeping on a bluff with a great view of McKinley from the tent flap, it was back to Anchorage and the YRITWC office. After that, we all prepared for a Healing Journey from Dawson, Yukon Territory to Eagle, Alaska (and hopefully a charter fishing trip with my roommate for Halibut!)
In the interim, I will be continuing my work on the status of Indian Country in Alaska. It has been argued that either a fiduciary relationship never existed between Alaska Natives and the Federal government or, alternatively, that the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) of 1971 extinguished the relationship. This is in sharp contrast to the canons of construction, American case law, and legislation which indicate that such a relationship existed and continues to exist because ANCSA was not explicit in regards to extinguishment. A recent decision, Akiachak, affirmed the Secretary of Interior’s authority to take land into trust for Alaska Natives. This decision has far reaching implications that are still evolving but could mean that land taken into trust will qualify as Indian Country. Indian Country is integral to Aboriginal sovereignty, health, and safety in Alaska.
Alaska, as well as the opportunity to work on such important and pressing issues, has changed my life in so many respects. I am truly grateful for the opportunity to spend my summer working with people dedicated to protecting Alaska, the integrity of its Peoples, and its environment. Their commitment and perseverance has inspired me and really gives me hope for the future. As long as these wonderful people are on the ground working, great things can be accomplished. I am glad, and humbled, to be a part of that work. I will be sad to leave this place at the end of August and all the friends I’ve made along the way but I know that they’ll always be calling me back to Alaska.