Alaska Gov. Dunleavy signs tribal-recognition bill, a ‘first step toward healing’

Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy on Thursday, July 29 signed legislation that requires the State of Alaska to formally recognize its 229 federally recognized Native tribes.

Though the bill does not significantly change the relationship between the state and the sovereign tribal governments within its borders, Rep. Tiffany Zulkosky, D-Bethel, said the measure is an “important first step toward healing and recognizing our past.”

The State of Alaska has historically opposed tribes’ efforts to exert sovereignty, denying their existence, Zulkosky said.

But in recent years, the state has begun relying on tribes to provide a variety of services, including public safety and education, in rural Alaska.

“How can the state talk about expanding relationships with tribes when it has never taken the most fundamental, basic step by recognizing them in our legal code?” Zulkosky said.

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