BETHEL, Alaska (AP) - The Alaska Federation of Natives is plotting strategy on how to work with President Donald Trump’s administration to advance Alaska Native priorities, KYUK reported (https://bit.ly/2pxqf2q ) Tuesday.
Julie Kitka, the federation’s president, said a key priority is passing a bill to allot land to Alaska Native military veterans and working with U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue on a task force focusing on rural parts of the U.S.
“We’re going to see whether or not there’s opportunity to get some of our issues on the agenda with that task force,” she said.
The federation’s board will discuss issues for indigenous people during a meeting with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who travels to the state capital of Fairbanks this week.
Federation members will also travel to Washington to meet with members of the Trump administration and Alaska’s congressional delegation.
Kitka hopes to address climate change after Trump revoked an executive order by former President Barack Obama that gave Alaska Natives a voice in federal management of Bering Sea marine resources.
“If you think about what you read about this administration, they don’t like the terminology climate change,” Kitka said. “I think all our communications going forward should be on extreme weather.”
Please read our comment policy before commenting.