New ballot measure would require Alaska to formally recognize Native tribes

Three Alaska Native leaders have proposed a ballot measure that would require the state of Alaska to formally recognize Native tribes within its boundaries.

The measure is now under legal analysis by the Alaska Division of Elections and Lt. Gov. Kevin Meyer. If the measure is certified by the state, backers will have until the start of the 2022 legislative session to gather 36,140 signatures, the amount needed to place it on the ballot next fall.

The measure is identical to House Bill 123, a piece of legislation from Rep. Tiffany Zulkosky, D-Bethel, that passed the state House earlier this year. According to a legal analysis, it “will not have any legal impact on the relationship between the state and tribes.”

‘Wáahlaal Gidáak Barbara Blake of Juneau, one of the measure’s sponsors, said backers believe the measure is worthwhile, even if it is mostly ceremonial.

Read more: https://www.adn.com/politics/2021/08/13/new-ballot-measure-would-require-alaska-to-formally-recognize-native-tribes/
(Anchorage Daily News)