Alaska tribes to help fashion consultation plan

Published on November 30th, 2009

By ALEX DEMARBAN

Alaska Natives can help spell out how the U.S. Department of the Interior will consult with tribes on Wednesday, Dec. 2, at the Anchorage Hilton's Aleutian Room.

The all-day meeting with Interior officials launches the federal department's outreach effort in response to President Barack Obama's recently issued memorandum that agencies must consult with tribes when developing policies that affect them.

Obama signed the memorandum on Nov. 5 before representatives of most of the nation's 564 federally recognized tribes. He gave agencies 90 days to develop a consultation plan, and said it must be fashioned with input from tribes.

After the Anchorage meeting, Interior officials will hold similar "consultations on the consultation plan" around the nation, said Pat Pourchot, Interior's special assistant on Alaska affairs.

Wednesday's meeting starts at 8 a.m., breaks for a one-hour lunch at noon, and ends at 4 p.m.

Pourchot said the department already consults with tribes but could communicate better.

He used an example. What if a proposed policy affects the entire Yukon River stretching across Alaska?

Should every tribe along the river be contacted? How should they be contacted, considering some may not have e-mail access or leaders at certain times? Or should prominent villages and/or regional organizations be selected to represent geographic areas?

Wednesday's meeting will help address some of those questions, he said.

By the way, the Interior department originally reported that the meeting would be held at the Egan Civic and Convention Center. Later, they announced it would be held at the Hilton.