ALASKA NATIVES COMMISSION
JOINT FEDERAL-STATE COMMISSION
ON
POLICIES AND PROGRAMS AFFECTING
ALASKA NATIVES
4000 Old Seward Highway, Suite 100
Anchorage,
Alaska 99503
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Witness List | Exhibit
List
| PDF Version
ALASKA NATIVES COMMISSION
HEARING
Nome, ALASKA
SEPTEMBER 21, 1992
Job Kokchuruk
COMMISSIONER TOWARAK: Next to testify will be Mr.
Joe Kokochuruk.
MR. KOKOCHURUK: I am happy to be before the Commissioners
that I find are familiar with our problems in our area. What
a joy
to be before you folks, and ones that come to testify, and I'm
glad that the governments decide to get a fresh idea, according
to the statement I read in the paper. I'm glad you ought -- you're
looking for the - - what doesn't work in our problems up here,
and I thank you that you know the problems in our area.
According
to the Natives, Fish and Game Board and so forth were not in
agreement with the way we fish up here. It's -- I believe
it's -- it would work down Lower 48 -- one time they used to
say, and now it's 49, I think.
Up here, it's very uncertain when
the weather is problem, when the opening time to subsist, or
so forth. And many people lose
out when there's opening for subsisting in ocean. They used to
go by the weather -- according to the weather, and then they
used to hunt or fish according to how much they need for the
winter. That we can't follow no more, because we have regulations
that are imposed upon us. And then also we have weather and also
that tide (indiscernible) is a problem.
Then solutions to that
problem you're looking for, I believe if you would recognize
our beliefs that were passed down from
way back, that is, never abuse no fish or no game that we subsist.
That is, today I always notice when there's some fish laying
on top of the ground or so forth, which the -- our young people
throw aside, or the ones that happen to die possibly by sports
fishermen that just like to play with our fish. That's a no,
no, according to our beliefs. We can't play with no game. That
should be changed. What they catch, they should bring home, or
give to the elders or to people in need. That should -- you folks
should make a rule on that. I believe that’s why the fish
are getting less and less, because we're abusing them.
Then I've
been asked to speak on the -- regarding our problems here in
this city. We have young people problem, and now I understand
that they'd like to do without the receiving center for young
people here in our city. As you know, this area has no roads
accessible to -- like in the states. We all use airplane. The
villages are not connected up, and so it's quite a problem when
there's a problem child, or young ma -- one of -- some of our
young people get into trouble. Therefore, if this should close,
it will play havoc on the -- our people up here if they should
close that down. That's the only secure place where young people
can be received. That much I'd like to talk on that one.
Then
many of you know the airports in Lower 48, clear to Fairbanks
and Anchorage, it's always nice. When you land there, you go
right into the toilets. Even though you fly only one hour sometimes,
I always notice many, many passengers always go right to the
toilets. Not so with our little villages. Up here some villages
have no willows, no trees. When you land, sometimes when the
pilot say he got to wait for somebody from the tower to corns
or some freight that has to be put on, here possibly you have
eaten something that you never eat in the village, and you're
going to go; and I went through a lot of times:
"Where can
I go? There's no willows. There's no place to go."
I wish when
they make airports, anyone who contracts to build an airport
should think:
"Where can we put a man and woman where they
can ease themselves?"
It's a problem. Like in White Mountain. I often
land there. Our -- it's right -- I'm right in the hill, and
it's a problem. And
then when we go berry picking in the highway. It's good when
we go toward a lot of the willows; but evidently this area
doesn't have too many willows where we can go ease ourselves.
So when
I drive, I always make sure the elders have a chance to ease
themselves. I take it just -- I take some little reason to
stop and -- I think to check something or look around. Lo and
behold,
elders would go into the willows. I know I -- it worked. So
we don't have nothing down (indiscernible) area. You can see
long
ways where we go berry picking or where we go fishing. Right
in Bonanza would be a proper place if road builders would make
a place where you can ease yourself. It would be good for our
tourists. I wonder what our tourists think. I believe the area
must have the mouth, no other outlet (laughing) when they come
among us. I think it would be good for our tourists even, if
we set so much -- so many places where somebody can go ease.
How the problem is the doors. I always notice,
They should be made of two-inch planks, because I always notice
that up
here
there are -- they're windy, and they generally swing back
and forth when somebody (indiscernible) decide to get out fast
and go somewhere. I would suggest to put heavy doors and strong
hinges on those
places,
so that they wouldn't be like just a thin plywood, where
they swing back and torch and break up in no time.
So those
are the three concerns I have. There's a lot of them, of course;
but I like to have those presented before
you. I
hope you can -- the state and the federal government would
do something
about that: make our airports like airports in Fairbanks
and Anchorage. Let's make it so that a tourist also would
enjoy
those places. Thank you very much.
COMMISSIONER TOWARAK:
Thanks, Job.
COMMISSIONER ELLIOTT: Job, sir, just for the record,
what village are you from or place?
MR. KOKOCHURUK: I'm from
White Mountain, but residing in Nome at this time.
COMMISSIONER ELLIOTT: Thank you, sir.
MR. KOKOCHURUK: Any questions?
COMMISSIONER TOWARAK:
I remember Job when I was a little boy, 'cause my dad, Clarence,
used to deal with
you a little bit
way back then. So you -- he's been a resident
of this area for a
long time. Job, I like your suggestions on
the airports, and it's at an opportune time, because right now
a lot of our contracts
are being awarded to those airports, and there's
no reason why we shouldn't have a little commode.
I was
at Search and Rescue up in Kotzebue, and they had one real
nice commode there, and that made
it lots of
difference in how
we do things up there, and it really helps.
Regarding the Fish and Game issues with regard
to subsistence, that is going to be taken
real close
look at, and it's
already been mentioned at Commission meetings,
and the Fish and Game
conflict with the subsistence or of the
conflict of sub -- the Fish and Game regulations with
subsistence is
one of
the bigger
items we hope to tackle in this Commission.
MR. KOKOCHURUK: When I stand before Fish and Game,
this is what they are. I believe
that
worked for
thousands of years.
When
I present them, this is the way we do
it long ago. So
I wish they would get interested in our
culture.
COMMISSIONER TOWARAK: Right.
MR. KOKOCHURUK: They've
-- governments are worried about our culture -- preserving
our
culture.
That's part of
our culture,
how we handle our fish, so --
COMMISSIONER TOWARAK: The perfect example is with a caribou or sheep.
When a
first sportsman
goes
and hunts
for sheep
and caribou,
they like to come back with the
horns. Us, we like to come back with the
meat, and the
skin,
and leave
everything
else. So I
know what you mean. We'll work
on that.
MR. KOKOCHURUK: Make sure those
hunters bring back the meat for
poor people
or elders.
COMMISSIONER TOWARAK:
Okay, thank you.
COMMISSIONER ELLIOTT: Job, when
I left the airport in Anchorage
this
morning,
there
were some hunters
going
out, I think
to Seattle, and they had
racks and racks of moose. And I wondered
what they
did with the meat. I'd liked
to have
--
MR. KOKOCHURUK: You should
impose that real strongly
to the tourists
or hunters.
That's
-- that will
deplete our
game
if we just play
with the animal. That should
be a rule. That's our culture.
That
--
from way
back. And people
don't
know what's depleting
our
area. I think that's where
our problem is.
COMMISSIONER TOWARAK: Thank you, Job.
MR. KOKOCHURUK: Okay.
REPORTER: Job, may I have
your notes? Is that
possible?
MR. KOKOCHURUK: I don't
have notes.
REPORTER: Oh, okay, that's fine. (Laughter.)
Thank
you.
COMMISSIONER TOWARAK: Thank
you, Job.
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