Dearest Friends,
We did it.
After more than a year of grueling preparation, the Supreme Court completed its deliberation in the Yellen v. Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation case, finding that Alaska Native Corporations meet the legal definition of “Indian tribes” under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (ISDA or ISDEAA), confirming ANC eligibility for the Coronavirus Relief Fund tribal set-aside within Title V of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES) Act. The 6-3 decision in our favor solidifies ANC status under various other programs, it is nothing new, but serves as a re-confirmation of our Indian entity status.
For the last 15 months, we have struggled and argued for our due rights as Indigenous peoples and citizens of the United States. As horrifying as it was to consider the broad-scale implications that may have resulted from our loss before the Court, it was often equally paralyzing to realize the small, human tragedies that flickered around us. To know that even as we are members of a country categorized by a kind of utopian wealth, there remain villages in Alaska lacking even rudimentary sewer systems. Knowing that for over a year, our grandmothers hid indoors as they returned to nightmares of influenza’s reaping. The human cost our community paid was a high one.
Though grateful for the victory, our triumph feels bittersweet. Nothing can replace the lives lost or erase the suffering that was endured throughout this pandemic. We know that the most vulnerable of us were the ones most affected. We know, too, that our brothers and sisters in the Lower 48 must bear their own burdens. They are not our enemy, just as we have never been theirs. Yielding to resentment can only poison us at a time when we must—as a people—savor our victories from the same table.
As an organization, ANVCA was founded to work on behalf of Alaska Native Villages and Corporations. We are uniquely and keenly aware of how our system of self-determination differs from the reservation system common to the Lower 48. We know how, year over year, we must repeat over and over again the ways in which ANCs ensure that medicines are distributed, the law is administered, and impossible opportunities are delivered to some of the nation’s most distant corners. This attempt to bar ANCs from accessing federal relief funding was an effort to gouge our differences into a still deeper and wider chasm—to create an uncrossable divide.
Yet, we know better. Yes, we are different. We are a minority within a minority, but we are not an island. We are business leaders, storytellers, teachers, lawyers, healers, and everything in between. We say our ‘brothers and sisters in the lower 48’ because we know that even two branches grown by the same tree cannot bend the same. We remain committed to leveraging our differences while we work in partnership with all Native organizations to better remedy the damage wrought by COVID-19 in our communities and to advocate for the shared priorities of Indigenous people across the nation. We know that working in unity as indigenous people despite our differences is our only hope to continue to broaden opportunities for us all.
We will never forget our gratitude for those many individuals and organizations who stood beside us as we argued on behalf of Native rights. Thank you, a thousand times and more. May we all breathe a little easier.
Tsin'aen (Chin'an/Thank You),
Hallie Bissett
ANVCA Executive Director
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That Lawsuit was Expensive....
So please pay your dues!
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Aleut
Alvin Osterback vividly remembers the day Aleut Corp officially formed. As the first vice president, Alvin knew the importance of that day as well as the excitement and challenges still to come.
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Yellen v. Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation Legal Fees
ANVCA and ANCSA Regional Association (ARA) are still collecting funds toward our legal expenses the recent Yellen v. Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation.
Legal fees were over $2.5 million and should be divided amongst members who benefited (this includes ALL 176 village corporations).
If you are a member, and have not yet contributed to the legal fees for the Supreme Court Case, suggested contribution amounts based on your annual revenues are listed below.
100 percent of these monies will be put toward paying legal fees
Send checks to
Alaska Native Village Corporation Association
745 W. 4th Avenue
Suite 302
Anchorage, AK 99501
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Claiming your CAREs Act Assistance
If your ANC is listed below, US Treasury does NOT have enough information to process your payment please reach our to US Treasury at Tribal.Consult@treasury.gov ASAP and provide them with the needed information.
if you need further assistance or have questions please call or write to ANVCA Executive Director
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Afognak Native Corporation
Akiachak Limited
Alakanuk Native Corporation
Aleknagik Natives Limited
Anton Larsen, Inc.
Arviq Incorporated
Askinuk Corporation
Atxam Corporation
Ayakulik, Inc
Baan o yeel kon Corporation
BAY VIEW INCORPORATED
Bean Ridge Corporation
Beaver Kwit' chin Corp
Becharof Corproration
Belkofski Corporation
Bells Flats Natives
Bering Straits Native Corporation
Bethel Native Corporation
Brevig Mission Native Corporation
Bristol Bay Native Corporation
Chalkyitsik Native Corporation
Chaluka Corporation
Chefarnrmute Incorporated
Chevak Company Corporation
CHIGNIK RIVER LIMITED
Chinuruk, Incorporated
Chitina Native Corporation
Chuloonawick Corporation
Cook Inlet Region, Inc.
Council Native Corporation
Cully Corporation
Danzhit Hanlaii, Corporation
Deloy Ges Incorporated (Ingalik Incorporated)
Deloycheet Incorporated
Dineega Corporation
Dinyea Corporation
Eklutna, Incorporated
Elim Native Corporation
Emmonak Corporation
Far West Inc & Subsidiaries
Golovin Native Corporation
Gwitchyaa Zhee Corporation
Hee Yea Lingde Corporation
Huna Totem Corporation
Hungwitchin Corporation
Igiugig Native Corporation
Inalik Native Corporation
Isanotski Corporation
Kasigluk, Inc.
Kijik Corporation
King Cove Corporation
King Island Native Corporation
Klukwan Incorporated
Knikatnu, Inc.
Kokarmuit Corporation
Koliganek Natives Limited
Kotlik Yupik Corporation
Kugkaktlik Limited
Kukulget Incorporated
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Kuukpik Corporation
Lime Village Company
Litnik, Inc
Manokotak Natives, Ltd.
NANA REGIONAL CORPORATION, INC.
Napakiak Corporation
Napaskiak, Incorporated
Natives of Kodiak, Inc
Nelson Lagoon Corporation
Nerklikmute Native Corporation
Newtok Native Corporation
NIMA Corporation
Nunakauiak Yupik Corporation
Nunapitchuk Limited
Ohog Incorporated (Ohogamiut/Ohagamiut)
Old Harbor Native Corporation
Ounalashka Corporation
Paug-Vik Incorporated Limited
Pilot Station Inc
Pitka's Point Native Corporation
Qanirtuuq, Inc.
Qemirtalek Coast Corporation
Qinarmiut Corporation
Russian Mission Native Corporation
Saguyak, Inc
Salamatof Native Association, Inc.
Sanak Corporation
Sealaska Corporation
Seth-de-ya-ah Corporation
Shuyak Inc
Solomon Native Corporation
St. George Tanaq Corporation
St. Michael Native Corporation
Stebbins Native Corporation
Swan Lake Corporation
Tanadgusix Corporation
Teller Native Corporation
Tetlin Native Corporation
The Aleut Corporation
The Eyak Corporation
The Port Graham Corporation
Tihteet' Aii, Inc.
Tikigaq Corporation and Wholly owned Subsidiaries
Toghotthele Corp
Togiak Natives Limited
Tozitna Limited
Tulkisarmute Incorporated
Tununrmiut Rinit Corporation
Twin Hills Native Corporation
Ukpeagvik Inupiat Corporation
Unga Corporation
Uyak Natives Inc.
Wales Native Corporation
White Mountain Native Corporation
Yak-Tat Kwaan, Inc.
Zho-Tse, Incorporated
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In preparation for making these payments to ANCs, Treasury is reaching out to the points of contact registered in the Coronavirus Relief Fund portal as of June 2020 to ensure that Treasury has the correct information for the ANC.
Here are the steps that we are requesting you take, as soon as possible to prepare for receiving payment:
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Please reply to this email with the following information:
- Authorized Representative – The individual who can legally bind the entity.
i. Name
ii. E-mail
iii. Phone number
- Designated Point of Contact (If different than the Authorized Representative)
i. Name
ii. E-mail
iii. Phone Number
- The ANC’s DUNS number if the ANC has one.
- Please prepare for Treasury’s request for payment information by doing the following:
- Assemble your bank account information.
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If an entity does not have a valid DUNS number, please visit https://hyperlink.services.treasury.gov/agency.do?origin=https://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/ or call 1-866-705-5711 to begin the registration process.
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Ensure the entity has an active SAM registration. SAM is the official government-wide database to register with in order to do business with the U.S. government. All Federal financial assistance recipients must register on SAM.gov and renew their SAM registration annually to maintain an active status to be eligible to receive Federal financial assistance. There is no charge to register or maintain your entity SAM registration.
- If an entity does not have an active SAM registration, please visit, SAM.gov to begin the entity registration or renewal process. Please note that SAM registration can take up to three weeks; delay in registering in SAM could impact timely payment of funds.
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Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC)
The CMMC is a recently created certification that is required for any contractor working with the Department of Defense, or as a sub-contractor for anyone in the Defense Supply Chain. This certification covers five maturity levels, and includes 171 different controls, mostly drawn from NIST 800-171. Pursuing this certificate will require a lot of effort and investment, but is well worth it from both a security and credibility perspective. All training and certification is managed by the CMMC Accreditation Body, following the guidance set forth by the Federal Government.
The controls included by CMMC cover policies, procedures, operations, and more. When reviewing the controls and associated categories, it is clear that CMMC covers a large swathe of cybersecurity components necessary to build a strong cybersecurity program. One interesting requirement for CMMC is that the controls must be shown to be “part of the culture” of the organization. Essentially, this means that controls must be in place and evidence must be present showing their execution prior to auditing. If sufficient evidence isn’t available showing the controls are a fundamental part of an organization’s operations, they may be deemed insufficient.
Each control requires two pieces of evidence (such as a staff interview, or policy) that is collected and reviewed by the outside auditors for completeness. Preparing these pieces before-hand is one way to save time (and money) when undergoing an audit. This means, if you pursue CMMC level 5, you would need at least 342 pieces of evidence (two per each 171 control). It’s important to note that key stakeholders within the organization are consulted prior to approaching the audit to make sure all evidence is collected, up to date, and accurate to current operations.
If you want to learn more about the CMMC, along with tips about preparing for your audit, please make sure to attend the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification Explained presentation on at the ANVCA Annual Business Conference on August 26th .
All the best,
Zachary Curley CIPP/US, CISM
Senior Security Consultant
Cybersecurity Consulting
AT&T Business
Los Angeles, California
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Ahtna
There are eight unique villages within the Ahtna, Incorporated region. Each village is unique but connected by the values & traditions of Ahtna people and culture. Learn more about the villages using this interactive map:
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Upcoming Events and Opportunities |
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JULY 15: Webinar: Do Your Policies and Communications Meet Your Goals? Event starts at 10 a.m. Alaska time and is hosted by Wilson Albers. Register here.
JULY 20: Webinar: Use HUBZone Certification to Get Preference in Federal Contracting. Event begins at 12:30 p.m. Alaska time and is hosted by the SBA and the Alaska PTAC. Register here.
JULY 20: Webinar: GSA Multiple Award Schedule Consolidation - The Facts You Need to Know. Event begins at 9:00 a.m. Alaska time and is hosted by the Alaska PTAC. Register here.
JULY 22: Webinar: Advanced Teaming Strategies to Accelerate Small Business Government Revenue - Update 2021. Event begins at 9:00 a.m. Alaska time and is hosted by the Alaska PTAC. Register here.
JULY 22: Webinar: Understanding Tax Credits. Event runs from 9-10 a.m. Alaska time and is hosted by the SBA. Register here.
JULY 27: Webinar: Understanding the Domestic Preference Statutes: The Buy American Act and Trade Agreements Act. Event begins at 9:00 a.m. Alaska time and is hosted by the Alaska PTAC. Register here.
JULY 30: Guidelines and usage of CARES Act funding
JULY 28: Webinar: DIBBS Masterclass - System Overview, Searching For Opportunities, and How To Bid On An Opportunity. Event begins at 9:00 a.m. Alaska time and is hosted by the Alaska PTAC. Register here.
JULY 29: Webinar: Accounting System Checklist for DCAA Compliance SF1408 - 2021 Update. Event begins at 9:00 a.m. Alaska time and is hosted by the Alaska PTAC. Register here.
AUGUST 6: Deadline to submit application for ANVCA's Board of Directors. Interested applicants should submit their letter of interest and resume to Hallie Bissett at hbissett@anvca.biz by noon. Applicants must be a President, Board Chair, or CEO of a current full ANVCA member organization.
AUGUST 18: Online Meeting: Starting a Business. Event runs from 9:00-11:00 a.m. Alaska time and is hosted by the Alaska SBDC. Register here.
AUGUST 26-27: Event: ANVCA Annual Business Conference at Anchorage Hilton Hotel. Check out our amazing line up of Speakers and the agenda .
SEPTEMBER 15: Online Meeting: Introduction to QuickBooks Online. Event runs from 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Alaska time and is hosted by the Alaska SBDC. Register here.
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This Fall: Benchmark Survey Just for Alaska Native Organizations |
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This fall, ANVCA will be partnering with Wilson Albers to bring you a total rewards benchmarking survey just for Alaska Native organizations. While existing industry surveys give good insights into total rewards (benefits and compensation), they do not differentiate between Alaska Native organizations and other companies.
The survey will provide:
- Insight into comparative data on what other Alaska Native organizations are doing
- Ability to view your benefits and compensation costs across the organization for a holistic view of spending
- Review new strategies based on the data
- Stay up-to-date on the latest trends and solutions to control total rewards costs for other Alaska Native organizations
We are excited to bring this to our members! Look for more information about our survey and how you can participate in our next newsletter as well as at our meeting in late August.
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JUNE 22: Department of the Interior Secretary Deb Haaland announces a Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative intended to thoroughly review the troubled legacy of federal boarding school policies. Referencing the impact of inter-generational trauma, Secretary Haaland discussed her hopes that the Initiative's publicity will help survivors and their families recover, and include more Native representation when deciding the government's role in sharing uncovered histories, protecting burial sites, and respecting affected families and communities. Read more here. On June 25th, Congressman Young released a statement in response to Secretary Haaland's new initiative, which may be read here.
JUNE 22: Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy today announced the reestablishment of the Denali Commission Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC), and has named eight appointees to the board. With an expected increase of incoming federal roads and highway funds, the governor has prioritized rural infrastructure needs. The Governor's appointees include four members representing remote villages and communities, and four members representing various Alaska Native nonprofits, tribal governments, and regional corporations. Read more here.
JUNE 23: Congressman Young announced his co-sponsorship of the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act (AHCIA), joining a growing bipartisan coalition in Congress that supports strengthening an incentive program that has created millions of homes for low-income households in Alaska and across the nation. Read more here.
JUNE 24: Senator Murkowski adds her support to a bi-partisan infrastructure framework. Alaska currently ranks among the states most in need of critical infrastructure improvements. Read more here.
JUNE 24: Senator Murkowski and Representative Young add their support to the bi-partisan, bi-cameral bill, Advancing FASD Research, Services, and Prevention Act of 2021 (FASD Respect Act). Read more here.
JUNE 24: Governor Dunleavy today announced funding distribution totaling $3 million to the Alaska Federation of Natives (AFN) and Tanana Chiefs Conference utilizing federal CARES Act funds to assist with COVID-19 related costs. Read more here.
JUNE 24: Senator Sullivan and other lawmakers introduce the Arctic Security Initiative Act of 2021, legislation requiring the Department of Defense (DOD) to conduct a security assessment of the Arctic region and establish an Arctic Security Initiative (ASI) with a five-year plan to fully resource the DOD and individual service-specific strategies for the Arctic that have been released over the past several years. U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) would lead the independent assessment in coordination with U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) and U.S. European Command (USEUCOM). Read more here.
JUNE 25: Governor Dunleavy announces appointees to the Broadband Task Force, naming ANVCA's Hallie Bissett as Chair and Representative of Alaska Natives. Read more here.
JUNE 25: After a prolonged legal battle, the U.S. Supreme Court announces its decision to affirm “what the Federal Government has maintained for almost half a century: ANCs are Indian tribes under ISDA.” The Court's decision marks a long-overdue approval for the release of COVID-19 emergency relief funds to ANCs on behalf of shareholders and establishes an important legal precedent for protecting ANC shareholder's rights to qualify for federal social assistance programs, among a number of other benefits. Read the Court's opinion here.
JUNE 26: Senator Murkowski, Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs (SCIA), discusses important infrastructure development in Native communities with key tribal leaders and stakeholders during a SCIA roundtable on “Concrete Solutions: Building a Successful Foundation for Native Communities’ Infrastructure Development.” Read more here.
JUNE 28: Senators Maria Cantwell and Lisa Murkowski introduced Senate Bill 2306, the Maintaining and Enhancing Hydroelectric and River Restoration Act of 2021, that would create new federal tax incentives to encourage safety, environmental, and grid resiliency upgrades for hydropower dams. This will help ensure that existing hydroelectric facilities are able to continue to provide emissions-free, affordable electricity to millions of Pacific Northwest ratepayers. The bill would also create a new tax incentive to support removal of obsolete dam obstructions that harm the health of our river ecosystems, pose safety hazards, block fish passage, and inhibit economic development. Read more here.
JUNE 28: Indian Country Today publishes an Op-Ed by ANVCA's Hallie Bissett and ARA's Kim Reitmeier discussing the results of the Yellen v. Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation case, explaining the structural design of ANCs and their responsibilities, reaffirming why ANCs qualify as Federally recognized tribes, and finally calling for unity across the greater Native community. Read the full article here.
JULY 1: Governor Dunleavy's office releases the FY22 state spending plan, which includes $215 million in reductions from the budget proposed by the state legislature. Read the full story here.
JULY 2: Murkowski, Sullivan, and Young announce that the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has awarded over $20 million to the Robert Curtis Memorial Airport in Noorvik, and the Togiak Airport in Togiak Village. This funding was made available under the FAA’s Airport Improvement Program (AIP), which allocates funding for airports to make capital improvements, enhance public safety, and restore aging or debilitated infrastructure. Read more here.
JULY 2: Senators Sullivan and Murkowski join cohort announcing the introduction of their Rural and Frontier Telehealth Expansion Act. The bipartisan legislation would increase Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) funding for telehealth services in frontier states, or states with limited access to broadband if those states cover telehealth services under Medicaid. Read more here.
JULY 6: Governor Dunleavy's office announces that the $24 million in unobligated CARES Act funding will be deposited into the Alaska Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund. The Fund, currently reporting a $280 million balance, fell by 40% since the beginning of Alaska's COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns in March of 2020. Read more here.
JULY 7: Governor Dunleavy's office announces his selected appointees for several state boards and commissions. Read more here.
JULY 7: Governor Dunleavy announces that the State of Alaska is suing the U.S. Department of the Interior for illegally and unjustifiably extending decades-long restrictions on nearly 28 million acres of federal land in Alaska. The State argues that the action by Secretary Haaland blocks State land selections and Alaska Native Vietnam Veteran allotments. Read the full story here.
JULY 7: Governor Dunleavy today announced the appointment of Jennifer Stuart Henderson to the Alaska Supreme Court. Judge Henderson was selected from a group of individuals nominated by the Alaska Judicial Council to fill the seat of retiring Chief Justice Joel Bolger. Judge Henderson has been an Alaska resident for 18 years, and has practiced law for 18 years. She graduated from Yale Law School in 2001 and is currently a superior court judge in Anchorage.
JULY 8: Governor Dunleavy's office issues a public statement in support of the Alaska State Legislature’s Comprehensive Fiscal Policy Working Group for holding its first meeting and taking seriously the need to resolve the political issue that has become the use of the Permanent Fund’s earnings. Read the full story here.
July 8: Representatives Young and Pramila Jayapal (D-WA-07) led fellow lawmakers today in introducing bipartisan legislation to require that federally recognized Indian Tribes are fully consulted before the sale or transfer of federal property that would impact their members. The ARCHIVES Act amends the Federal Assets Sale Transfer Act (FASTA) to add a requirement that properties cannot be sold or transferred if the sale would harm access to agency services — such as archives or records — by a federally recognized Tribe. This bicameral bill would effectively prevent any future effort to sell the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) facility in Seattle. Read more here.
JULY 9: Senator Murkowski joined state leaders and community members in Ketchikan today to welcome the first large cruise ship to Alaska since the 2019 season. Royal Caribbean’s Serenade of the Seas arrived to the Ketchikan port this morning to serve as the state’s test cruise—with volunteer passengers—to demonstrate to the CDC the implementation of COVID-19 mitigation protocols. Following today’s simulated voyage, 78 sailings are currently scheduled to take place in Alaska for the remainder of the 2021 season. Read more here.
JULY 9: Governor Dunleavy announces Brett Huber as Senior Policy Advisor for the Governor's Statehood Defense Initiative. The initiative aims to counter the Biden administration's efforts to introduce new regulations on Alaska's lands and waters, efforts that the initiative classifies as excessive and an imposition. Mr. Huber has three decades’ worth of experience in public policy with a focus on state and federal issues. He has served as Chief of Staff to a number Alaska State Senate leaders and as a key advisor to leaders in the Alaska Legislature on land, fish, and wildlife issues. Read the full story here.
JULY 12: Inuk leader and former ambassador Mary Simon has been chosen as the next governor general — the first Indigenous person ever to be appointed to the role. During a news conference across the river from Parliament Hill this morning, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that the Queen has accepted his recommendation to appoint Simon — a past president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, the national Inuit organization — as the 30th governor general. Read more here.
JULY 13: Senator Sullivan joins cohort to introduce the Federal Permitting Reform and Jobs Act, a bill to improve the federal permitting process for some of the largest infrastructure projects and build on efforts to update this process in 2015. Read more here.
JULY 13: Congressman Young announces that the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded over $5 million in funding to help Alaska Native communities pursuing projects that will reduce energy costs and increase energy security and resiliency. These Alaskan grant recipients were among the first to receive awards from the DOE Office of Indian Energy this year. Selected projects will power homes and communities, make buildings more energy-efficient, and assist in installing microgrids for essential services and resiliency. Read more here.
JULY 14: Representatives Young and Annie Kuster (NH-02) introduced H.R. 4375, the bipartisan Twenty-First Century Dams Act. This bill makes a $25.8 billion investment in enhancing the safety, grid resilience benefits, and power generating capacity of America’s existing dams while also providing historic funding to remove dams that are no longer necessary. Read more here.
JULY 14: Senator Murkowski joins U.S. Secretary of the Department of Energy (DOE), Jennifer Granholm, to announce funding from the DOE Office of Indian Energy (OIE) to support thirteen American Indian and Alaska Native communities to deploy energy technology. This includes $5,269,376 which will be distributed among seven tribes in Alaska. The funding will help maximize deployment and implementation of energy technology, including projects to lower the cost of energy, make buildings more efficient, and ensure greater energy resilience. Read more here.
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Alaska Tribes Win $223 Million in Pro-Rata ARPA Funds for Consortia Employees |
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The narrative below was provided by the Alaska Federation of Natives (AFN) and has been lightly edited for clarity.
Background
President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) into law on March 11. The Act provided nearly $2 trillion in economic stimulus to assist the nation with COVID-19 recovery efforts and included a tribal set-aside totaling almost $32.5 billion. Pursuant to Section 9901 of ARPA, $19 billion of the funds earmarked for Alaska Native and American Indian tribal governments would be distributed 'in a manner determined by the Secretary of Treasury.'
The Treasury released its plan to disperse the $19 billion on May 10, advising 65% of the funds ($12.35 billion) would be allocated based on tribal enrollment data, while the remaining 35% ($6.65 billion) would be allocated based on tribal employment data. The enrollment allocation had already been determined based on previously submitted self-certifications by tribes. The method for distributing the employment allocation had not yet been determined. However, Treasury announced it intended to disperse the remaining $6.65 billion on a pro-rata basis using data from the Internal Revenue Service 941 form filed by each of the 574 federally recognized tribal governments in 2019.
Under the current framework, the employment allocation method announced by Treasury would have had a substantial disparate impact on Alaska tribes. On May 17, AFN met with Treasury officials to argue that our tribes should be allowed to use the Form 941 filings from their affiliated Regional Native Non-Profit Health Entities, Regional Native Non-Profit Organizations, and the Statewide Tribal Non-Profit Health Consortium to more accurately capture the employment figures generated by Alaska tribal groups.
Outcome
Because many Alaska tribes organize their business portfolios by splitting their operations into various consortia, core employment teams most often represent a deceptively low number of employees. Because of this, the Treasury was prepared to zero out the employment allocation for most Alaska tribes, meaning they wouldn't have shared in hardly any of the $6.65 billion that was earmarked for tribes based on their respective employment data.
Thanks to the AFN's intervention, every tribe will now receive a minimum $1 million employment allocation. This primarily benefits Alaska. The Treasury found the 'articulation of the arguments' in our white paper and the 'identification of the different types of consortia' in Alaska 'extremely helpful.'
The $1 million minimum for employee data was achieved by reducing the top tribes by 3%.
The Treasury opted not to impute consortia data like we suggested because: (1) consortia data from the Lower 48s would've been factored in, diluting the share; and (2) it was too complicated. However, if this data would’ve been used, all tribes would’ve received a minimum of about $800,000. Treasury increased it to $1 million for ease of administration.
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Legislative Budget and Infrastructure Update from Strategies360 |
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Appropriations
The House continues to move all 12 bills through committee. Seven of those bills are likely to be wrapped into a minibus which will be considered on the House floor during the week of July 21. The seven bills are Ag, E&W, FSGG, Interior, Labor-H, MILCON/VA and THUD.
Five other bills (CJ, Defense, Homeland, Leg Branch and SFOPS) do not currently have the votes to pass the House floor. However, they do have the votes to pass committee, leading to speculation that the bills will skip the trip to the House floor.
The August recess is scheduled to start in another two weeks and will run until September 21. The August recess will run long because the Jewish holidays fall just so that there are two additional weeks of recess after Labor Day. When Congress comes back during the week of September 21, the House will consider the NDAA on the floor during September 22–23 and then move to consider a continuing resolution. This means that the House floor is scheduled through the end of September with none of the five unfinished appropriations bills scheduled. (Worth noting: the House can consider an appropriations bill in a day. The bottleneck is the process of whipping the bill to ensure it has the votes for final passage. There is not time to whip even one of the bills, much less five of them).
The Senate is expected to mark up its appropriations bills during September and October. The Senate does not seem to have plans to consider many of these bills on the Senate floor. The word is that the House is likely to take appropriations bills that have passed the House or Committee and conference those bills with the Senate’s committee-passed versions. So, for the five bills that cannot pass the House, expect to see them simply skip the House floor.
Worth noting: the defense appropriations bill cannot pass with 218 Democrats in the House despite carrying a ton of very progressive riders, including a $15 minimum wage for defense contractors. Democrats are already quietly talking about a $20 billion increase to the DOD budget at the end of the year to appease Republicans who are necessary to final passage of a conference agreement. It is far too early to add funds to the bill, but that seems to be the direction things are going and there is discussion of such an end-game. One moderate Democrat said to me that “there’s no pressure for the defense budget to go down, but there’s a ton for it to go up so you can tell where the votes are here.” That said, I do not think there will be extra money for DHS, and Democrats intend to continue punishing that agency for its zero-tolerance policy during the Trump Administration years.
Infrastructure
Congress is expected to consider a $1.2 trillion/8-year infrastructure package. Details will be released soon. The Senate is then expected to consider a reconciliation package which would pave the way for a second infrastructure package worth $3.5 trillion over 8 years. It is very murky if the votes exist to pass these reconciliation instructions. In particular, Manchin has been vocal about his concerns related to climate provisions (fossil fuels/coal provisions) as well as the overall price tag.
The first package appears to have very tentative bipartisan support. The plan is to simply give both chambers a vote on the second package while pushing for the first bill to get signed into law. A lot of things are working against a second package becoming law: the overall price tag; the fact that Republicans will all vote against it; and the fact that ~40 liberals in the House are demanding provisions in the package which simply cannot be included in reconciliation (provisions include $15 minimum wage, immigration reform, and other items). These 40 liberals are said to oppose a reconciliation package without provisions added for immigration and a $15 minimum wage, even though it would violate Senate rules to include any of these provisions in a reconciliation bill.
It is unclear if Republicans in the Senate will withdraw support for the $1.2 trillion plan to protest the $3.5 trillion plan. For now, Senators of both parties want to demonstrate that the Senate can work.
Debt Ceiling
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has not given a specific date for when the debt ceiling needs to be raised, but she has remarked that it should be raised before the end of August.
Worth Noting: there is a lot of discussion about several unrelated matters. Moderates are pushing really hard for drug pricing provisions to go into an infrastructure bill. There is huge concern about inflation within the White House. This comes up constantly at White House press briefings. The issue is clearly on the radar screens of the press and the public. There are also huge concerns about Cuba protests. There are lots of questions about what the Administration is doing, which for now seems to be nothing.
Earmark requests in the House were heavily concentrated on the THUD and E&W bills. Over 80% of requests went into those two bills, so most requests in TTHUD and E&W wound up either rejected or funded at very low levels.
The Presidential Personnel Office (PPO) has been extremely slow in announcing nominations. However, staff over there bristle at the idea that things are going badly. The response is that “none of the nominees have blown up in the White House's face.” This is technically true, but they are moving really slow.
Liberals seem intent on attaching a $15 minimum wage provision to any moving vehicle possible. This includes NDAA and DOD Appropriations. In the House, the recently released DOD Approps bill mandates a $15 minimum wage with anyone doing business with DOD.
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Calista
The Calista Corporation includes 56 villages spread out along the Bering Sea coast, two of Alaska’s mightiest rivers, and encompasses 57,000 square miles.
Learn more about the history, cultures, and communities of the Calista Corporation region:
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Legislative Budget and Infrastructure Update from Michael Best Strategies
Budget and appropriations update: Last week the House Appropriations Committee completed their introductions and markups of all 12 FY 2022 draft funding bills. On the week of July 26, the full House will advance a seven-bill minibus package with the Interior-Environment bill plus Agriculture-FDA, Energy and Water, Financial Services-General Government, , Labor-HHS-Education, Military Construction-VA, and Transportation-HUD. According to House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD), the House may also advance some others that week. The House Democrats had originally aimed to pass all 12 funding bills by the August recess.
Infrastructure update: The Senate is racing to complete two vehicles to enact infrastructure priorities:
Human infrastructure: Senate Democratic leaders last week agreed on a $3.5 trillion topline spending limit for a forthcoming budget resolution that will serve as the vehicle for budget reconciliation and a "human infrastructure" proposal. However, key details still need to be finalized. A Senate Democratic summary of the agreement obtained by MBS did not describe any Native American or Alaska Native-focused goals, but also was purposefully vague. Further, MBS anticipates that a forthcoming budget resolution will include reconciliation instructions and a spending limit, but will likely instruct the committees of jurisdiction (in this case, Senate Indian Affairs and House Natural Resources) to fill in the details.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has directed his party to strike an agreement on BOTH the BIF and a budget resolution for the "human" infrastructure plan by this coming Wednesday, the 21st. MBS anticipates this timeline may slide: moderate Democrats, citing the vagueness of the human plan announced last week, have threatened to withhold their support until they get more information. Likewise, the BIF cannot pass without bipartisan support from Republicans, so the GOP may hold their support until they extract demands from the majority.
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Bristol Bay Native Corporation embodies the bold, cooperative spirit of their Yup’ik, Alutiiq, and Dena’ina ancestors who united to form a thriving network of traders over the course of thousands of years.
Learn more about BBNC’s values and goals:
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June: Our Community in Review |
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JUNE 6: Indian Country Today discusses the recent discovery of 215 unmarked graves for children at the Kamloops Indian Residential School in British Columbia, Canada. In the U.S., the sites of many Native boarding schools are also home to child cemeteries, and it is estimated that up to 6,000 Native children died while at these schools, in large part due to abuse, starvation, poor conditions, and other ills. The public outcry over the Kamloops burial site is a painful reminder of both terrible history and its unfair silencing. Read more about this story here.
JUNE 21: Sealaska unveils its new logo and branding. Their new logomark was designed by Sealaska shareholder David R. Boxley, and draws its inspiration from a salmon egg, representing perpetuating life cycles. Check out their new branding on their company website!
JULY 6: As government contracts continue to grow bigger and bigger, initiatives designed to streamline procurement and save the government money are instead shutting out small businesses from competing, resulting in more awards falling into the hands of fewer and larger firms. A report from the Women’s Chamber of Commerce found that the federal acquisition process category management has led to a drop in the number of small business vendors participating in government contracting. Since 2017, small businesses showed a 24% fall. Women-owned suppliers dropped more than 22%, while veteran-owned suppliers dipped more than 17%. Read the full report here.
JULY 8: An art project designed to commemorate and celebrate the Dena'ina language names for locations throughout Anchorage launches in Chanshtnu Muldoon Park and at Westchester Lagoon. The project was coordinated between the Native Village of Eklutna and the Anchorage Parks Foundation, with initial project funding provided by Rasmuson Foundation. The exhibit's early pieces are part-sculpture, part-guidepost, and were developed by artist Melissa Shaginoff and linguist Joel Isaak. To see a photo of the Chester Creek (Chanshtnu) monument and read more about this project, see here.
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Thank you to our Moose Sponsors!
The moose is a critical Partner to ANVCA. We rely on large corporate partners for viability the organization. This level of Partnership is designed for committed Partners who value their relationships with Alaska Native Village Corporations or looking to build new relationships. Building moose level Partnerships will allow ANVCA to expand services and projects for the long term economic benefit of Alaska Native Village Corporations.
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Thank you to our Salmon Sponsors
The salmon is the Partner we depend on annually at ANCVA. This Partnership level designed for mid to large size Partners who can commit financially to ensure that ANVCA has the resources to maintain and improve services to Members and Partners. Salmon level Partnerships allow the organization to thrive.
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Thank you to our Caribou Sponsors!
The caribou is a key player in the sustainability of ANVCA. These Partners include mid-size and local businesses or organizations who treasure contacts within ANVCA. Caribou level Partners are vital to projects and programming for Members and Partners.
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Thank you to our Denali Village Corp Members! |
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This level of membership is suggested for Alaska Native Village Corporations whose annual revenues exceed $50 million and/or those that highly support the value of the organization for the opportunities, education and advocacy it provides to Village Corporations. |
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To view our full list of sponsor organizations or learn more about becoming a sponsor please visit our ANVCA sponsor page.
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Newsletter developed by WALSH|SHEPPARD
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