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AITC Calls on the Federal Government, State of Alaska and major corporations to provide much needed and immediate relief

Fri, 05/16/2008 - 18:36 — Steve

An article today, May 16, 2008, in the Anchorage Daily News (http://www.adn.com/politics/story/407816.html) illustrates the dire straights in which many native families find themselves. Fuel and heating oil prices are putting not only economic strains upon the villages and communities but cultural and familial ones, as well.

The Alaska Inter-Tribal Council, on behalf of Alaskan tribes, seeks to find remedy for these solutions through partnerships with CITGO and Citizens Energy Corporation by providing 100 gallons of heating oil to each native family in hundreds of villages, towns and communities in Alaska. According to the prices set in the ADN article, this translates into approximately a $700 donation to those most often in need of such aid: elders, families struggling to make ends meet on one or no income and those who depend on modern fuels to find basic food in order to survive. This gift from both CITGO and Citizens Energy Corporation is highly appreciated; however, it is not enough.

AITC calls on the State of Alaska, the Federal Government and major developers in Alaska to help provide immediate remedies to this situation. Only one company, CITGO, has voluntarily and actively sought solutions to our problems. Many large national and multinational corporations profit from Alaska's abundant resources and yet have not offered to alleviate the situation in any form. Many companies posted record profits:

While this is only a quick list, easily found by searching the Internet, it illustrates that major companies are earning record profits from resources harvested, in part, from Alaska. However, this profiteering is not limited specifically to large, multinational or national corporations, sadly, it is also happening with our own companies:

According to the Alaska Journal of Commerce on the Red Dog Mine, it shares 4.5% of its earnings with NANA. While this may be enough for NANA, it is certainly not adequate in providing any sort of immediate or long-term relief for the people in the region. And this is just but one example of profit-sharing/earning programs among Alaska's regions that have little effect on the lives of the people around these projects.

As far as the State of Alaska is concerned, the Permanent Fund has over $30-billion in the primary fund and over $2-billion in its budget reserve fund. AITC commends Governor Palin in proposing a solution to this desperate situation. The Governor has proposed to give $100 dollars a month to every family to ameliorate the energy situation. While this may be adequate in large, urban centers, village residents often have five times that amount, per month, just in heating oil costs.

Clearly, everybody is profiting from Alaska but rural, Native Alaskans.

AITC would like to thank CITGO for providing the funds for the heating oil program and Citizens Energy Corporation for partnering with CITGO to deliver this much needed relief at a time when it is required most in order for people to just live.

The U.S. federal government and the State of Alaska must recognize the peoples' needs in rural Alaska. Another ADN article, written by Tom Kizzia on May 14, 2008 (http://www.adn.com/rural/story/405344.html), illustrates that natives are leaving villages in record numbers. AITC staff has spoken with family, friends and village members at length and can testify that the spiraling costs of basic necessities needed to live are the primary factor in the decision to move to the more urban areas of Alaska. AITC calls upon both the federal and state governments to provide immediate need and relief to the people most affected by high energy prices. Governor Sarah Palin's plan to provide $100 dollars a month to every family in Alaska is a step in the right direction (ADN article http://www.adn.com/politics/story/407821.html), but, again, for those outside the large, urban centers, it is not enough.