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
Stanton O. Katchatag
(On record at 1:30 p.m.)
COMMISSIONER TOWARAK:
We're back here at the Nome chambers with the Alaska Natives
Commission hearing September 21. It's now
1:30. Beginning our testimony this afternoon is Stanton Katchatag.
Stan, if you could, just give us your name and then your affiliation.
We will sit and listen.
MR. KATCHATAG: Hold on just a second.
Thank you.
COMMISSIONER TOWARAK: Sure. (Pause.) I don't know
if you're going to say anything, or. . .
UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER:
I don't have anything --
COMMISSIONER TOWARAK: Okay.
UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER:
-- to say, but I could --
COMMISSIONER TOWARAK: Okay.
UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER:
- - you know, say something.
COMMISSIONER TOWARAK: Okay. This
morning we heard from 13 people, and it was good to hear from
a cross-section
of the community,
especially the XYZ Center, which we're fortunate
to be right next door to, so Stanton?
MR. KATCHATAG:
Thank you very much, Sam. Mr. Chairman and members of the Alaska
Natives Commission, special
guests, visitors,
spectators, and everyone else. My name is
Stan Katchatag of Unalakleet, Alaska,
which I feel is one city are Nome's very
close neighbors in this region, which make me feel qualified
to participate
in
this hearing.
I have been involved in various organizations,
in local, regional, and statewide levels that has been
striving to promote and
to improve the standard of living in the
same categories that this
Commission is now seeking to focus on as
they undertake to perform the purpose of this task, which
is
long overdue; but, by all means, necessary and still
in demand.
Health, education, economics, governance, and social
and cultural matters are, indeed, the core and central demands
relevant to all urban and rural societies. Therefore,
as one of many identified Native leaders, I express my wholehearted
support and blessings as you join our endeavors to establish
meaningful and effective services to our people in our environment.
The health of our future will be the result of
the mechanism of tomorrow, so we must find ways to stay healthy
physically,
politically, and spiritually.
The education of our generation
will rely on how well we use them. We use and prosper in performing
our responsibilities
today in this important field, rapidly-changing situations
for survival
on all walks of life. The achievement in education is like
a toolbox and skills of any trade. They must be utilized
to perform
their purpose. The baseline of economy changes no matter
where a person, family, or group chooses to live, along with
the
changes of time and challenge.
Example, when I was growing
up, subsistence -- hunting and trapping, and trading -- were
the basic economy. The commercializing
of
these resources are affecting most people in our region
in adverse conditions. I strongly believe change affecting economy
should
first find alternative to make the demands affecting the
economy.
And the same thing applies in governance. Any
governing system has people behind who relies to perform in
their favor and
their lifestyle. And to me this is a reasonable government,
because
there is no government without the people behind it.
And not only are the people behind, but they are the structure.
So,
to have a strong and affective government, people must
be committed to live for and even die for their government,
or the government
will not stand. I have seen this happen with my own political
eyes, and I'm sure you have. That's social and cultural
matters
are tied in and are the bonds and framework which holds
any and
all governments together.
Finally, in closing, IRA and
Traditional Councils are sovereign not only in nature, but
grandparents of all
after-born
governments, rather recognized or not. We may at times
seem ancient, but
we are struggling to keep up with the Joneses for the
sake of our
country and its adopted people and our resources. We
are not anti-government. We simply ask fair share in
government-to-government
relationship with all governments.
Thank you very much,
and God bless you all.
(Tape changed to Tape #5.)
COMMISSIONER TOWARAK:
I would just ask, Stanton, what form of government do you recommend
as being the
best for your
people?
MR. KATCHATAG: Really, I did not give
this subject you asked that much thought; but, on the other
hand, when
I speak of
government, I realize that there are different
forms of governments that
are organized and working for the demands of
the people, and for the needs of each community.
I
realize personally
that
the municipality or the city form of government
within the small
communities is also a matter of demand. This
is my personal objective, so to speak. The
thing that
I
want to see
in, each and every
community is for these and other organizations
who wish Lo prosper to work together. In my
thinking, the IRA
or Traditional
form
of government can be used to meet demands that
are
not qualified to the city governments. And
there are widespread
resources
or things available to each community that
you cannot legally obtain
through the IRA governments, and the city governments
can take care of those. By that, I think I
mean the revenue-sharing and all those state-affecting
programs.
Does that answer
your
question?
COMMISSIONER ELLIOTT: Thank you very
much.
COMMISSIONER TOWARAK: I think you're
one of the few that talked on the subject of
governance.
We're constantly
trying to figure
out the tribal responsibilities and the
federal government's role in protecting the tribal
authority
that we have
all -- even recognizing it. So thanks for
your testimony on
the need
for
something like the IRA councils.
I know
in the education recommendations that we had, we're looking
at the tribal
authorities
to
provide
for moneys
that would take
care of some educational needs that we
have, mainly the 13th grade and preschool.
If we
were to depend
on the
federal government for funding, that
was our recognized way in
which
we could
pass the money down to the local area,
and then the IRAs would work
jointly with the schools to provide preschool
and 13th-grade education, so they are
in need of some
-- and they
are capable of taking on some responsibilities.
MR. KATCHATAG: Thank you very much, Sam. Speaking
of education, I have another
thing. Might --
I don't have
any document
in relation to this thing, but I do
have a (indiscernible). There
was a proposal
of Native language -- I cannot get
it in terms of how the thing was; but it's
to
promote the
Native language.
I must
first
admit that although I can in fluently
speak my own
tongue, there are
so many, younger people especially,
who cannot speak this tongue. And the thing
that bothers
me most is
that, according
to qualifications
that are in demand for those responsible
for teaching our children, are -- does
have a danger
or a weakness
there,
because the
thing that is one of the demands in
obtaining or teaching children in the Native language,
and I
believe this
may be or may not
be a statewide matter. Maybe they are
better off in some areas; but in our
area, this
can lead to
what
I would
call slang language.
By that, I mean the qualified people
cannot speak the Native tongue fluently
as they
should. On
the other
hand, those
who that can speak fluently does not
have the degrees to meet the
teaching qualifications that are in
each school district system.
(Pause.)
COMMISSIONER TOWARAK: Yep, we have
what they call alterative certification
for
them, and
that just
became a reality
this year, so now I guess that's
something that you're alluding to then.
Okay,thank you, Stanton.
MR. KATCHATAG:
Thank you very much. If I' d known that people would be
so --
feel like
this, I'd
a prepared
a longer statement.
I sure appreciate that you have
given us this
privilege to present our views
to you; and I am looking forward,
and I
am sure all
of the other IRA and Traditional
Councils within our region are
looking forward
to working jointly
with
your efforts
in promoting
our way of life throughout the
system. Thank you very much.
COMMISSIONER TOWARAK: Thank you
Stanton.
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