Posted on 10/16/2005 6:30:28 PM PDT by akdonn
Last of two parts
In 1967, I took on the Alaska Federation of Natives full time. The organization had only $9 in its bank account. I had a young family. I got behind three months on both house and car payments. One week we subsisted on one pot of beans.
Those who formed AFN took time off from work and paid their own way: travel, hotel rooms and meals. None of them were ever really recognized for the price they paid. Harvey Samuelson once told me he had spent $20,000 to $30,000 (a lot more money in value at that time) attending AFN meetings.
From the beginning, we insisted on being a part of the decision-making regarding aboriginal land title at the national level. The reservation system had a track record of 200 years of failure. We considered the corporation model. Alaska was going to grow, and we wanted to grow with it. We didn't want the Bureau of Indian Affairs making our mistakes and our decisions. As owner of the land, we could make any kind of a deal with a willing buyer.
Originally, we asked for 2 percent in perpetuity of any underground resources. But we didn't have the political muscle or financial base to get what we asked, and we lost a lot.
(Excerpt) Read more at adn.com ...
A 94 year old german that homesteaded his place in 42, once told me crooked white lawyers and native leaders really hit the corporations hard.
As long as the villages don't permit the corps to completely swindle decision making authority from them; they'll do fine over the long term. I have complete faith that most natives won't part with the land when push comes to shove. Track record over last 100 years has taught them well enough.
"A 94 year old german that homesteaded his place in 42, once told me crooked white lawyers and native leaders really hit the corporations hard."
Hey, ANSCA was a feeding frenzy for "crooked white lawyers and native leaders" but now it is the law of the land. The Native corporations will be run by the people the shareholders elect. I think it is better than what the government (BLM) has ever been willing to do.
I believe the claims were settled to make it possible to construct the Trans-Alaska pipeline and develop the North slope. High oil prices were the spark, but the give and take politics got the job done. The GOP got development and the Donks got booty for the Natives. The royalties are a 50/50 split(with the Feds.)so everybody wins that lives in the state.
The politics now are horrible because the Dems. don't want anything except to appear to "save the environment."
An horrible deal for Alaskans.
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