AFN Sheffield

That's thick. Thank you for the truth. Give me a question, Sir. Go around, go over... One before today does Subway until... Look at, but what.

I think I'm sure they're still together in a side of how often it's bigger. I don't want to sign a mask. Hmm. Action. Report. You Official right? For future. I'll like. A.F.N. or Native community in general.

Many problems, some anticipated 1971 and some not, continue to get in the way of implementing the intent and spirit of this landmark law. However, one underlying principle that went into writing the law and remains true today is this. The 44 million acres of land granted to native Alaskans as a settlement of original aboriginal claims is more than a statement about the past. It's a foundation for the future and I know that your vision for the future is clouded by the impending deadline of 1991. And I believe I all speak for all Alaskans when I express the hope that your vision is clear and steady, that you act now to confront the questions that must be answered before 1991.

As governor, I stand ready to assist you the best I can under the laws of our land. Some of those laws require change, I'll consider those changes on a case-by-case basis. If you need help in Washington, I'll lend a hand where I can and when I'm asked. And as Bill Sheffield, let me express this personal viewpoint. I realize the value of homegrown private businesses in this state. And before I became governor, I own one that enjoyed a degree of success. With change coming to Alaska every day, including more and more outside investors, I believe it's imperative that our locally owned corporations survive if we are to preserve a measure of our independence in unique spirit. That goes for any private corporation, native and non-native. But we won't survive unless we cope with change and try to make the changes we see coming fit our vision for the future while maintaining respect for the past. So that's the challenge ahead in 1991 and the years beyond.

By coincidence, perhaps 1991 is an important date for another reason. By that time, the economic development project that helped bring the Claims Act to pass will be 14 years old. I'm referring, of course, to the Trans-Alaska Pipeline and the oil fields of Prudovei. The best information we have says that 1991, production from the largest known oil field in North America, will be in sharp decline. Because that oil field happens to be owned by all the residents of Alaska, 1991 is a very important year to all Alaskans. And it is of special concern to me as governor of this state. We've already had a sample of what the next decade could be like in Alaska if no new oil fields are in production when Prudovei runs dry. The drop we've seen in a world oil crisis is sharply reduced our state revenues, fortunate to look for ways to economize and cut the rate at which we spin.

Reducing the size of government isn't easy and it certainly isn't popular, but it's required if we are going to pay the bills after Prudovei production ceases or is at least vastly reduced. That's also why I want to build up the permanent fund. So in the future we can use the interest money it earns to pay for vital programs and public improvements. If we can do that, we'll have a good chance of avoiding the imposition of drastic tax increases or individual Alaskans and corporations, including native corporations. Clearly if we are to accomplish that, we must have minimum growth of state government throughout the rest of this decade. That wouldn't be easy under the best of circumstances and we face additional problems now because the federal government is reducing and in some cases eliminating outright services it is traditionally provided. In some areas especially education, the state is moving to assume the cost of federal programs.

The Monetschum School and the Bureau of Indian Affairs Day Schools are the main examples here. Federal health programs in Alaska also are being cut back and the state now is reviewing just what our policy should be in providing assistance in this important area. And the absence of that overall policy right now, the state has provided one-time funding for several rural health programs this year, including by tenor at medical care, community health aid training, and additional emergency services. To keep myself up to date on rural needs, I am meeting each quarter of the AFN Human Resources Board. We met again just this week, in fact, and based on that discussion, I have decided to appoint a mini cabinet to focus on rural issues. I hope to announce next week what the specific tasks of the mini cabinet will be, but I can report today that I have already asked each commissioner to review all rural programs under his or her control.

I want to know what kind of services we are providing from erosion control to job training and what kind of job we are doing. One job I think the state will do well concerns a three-year effort to eradicate hepatitis B in Alaska. This was one of the first issues confronting me when I was sworn into office, and I'm determined to see that through this preventative treatment program, hepatitis B does not endanger our people any longer. Beyond education and health care, the federal government also is pulling out entirely in some areas. Nowhere is that fact felt more deeply than in the Pribiloff Islands. Through the construction of boat harbors, boat harbor facilities, the state is now helping the communities of St. George and St. Paul move toward economic independence in the efficient industry. That's the kind of infrastructure development I want to promote during my tenure as governor. As I believe the investment of public dollars and projects such as these is necessary,

if we are ever to expand our economy away from government employment and the uncertainties of oil production and pricing, and in the case of these two island communities, it's my hope this will help foster industry that is truly sustaining in one that will put an end to many decades of mistreatment at the hands of the federal government. Before I close, I want to mention two other subjects that I know of interest to you. The first one is subsistence, and I'm pleased to report that the subsistence task force I appointed several months ago has held an organizational meeting and plans to meet again in Anchorage on October the 26th. And by the way, despite what you may have read in an associated press account of that meeting, I don't agree that I'm to blame for the delay in convening the task force first get together. First, it took until May to put the task force together because, frankly, most people we contacted were reluctant to tackle the issue.

And second, we also had a difficult time getting the members together during the summer and early fall because of their prior commitments, including commitments of two hunting and fishing trips. At any rate, they are together and working now. I've made it clear from the beginning that this task force was not appointed to debate whether or not the state of Alaska should have a subsistence law. The voters from both rural and urban areas combined in an overwhelming vote last November to answer that question with a resounding yes. There is a need to examine how the state is implementing the law, however, and while I personally believe most of the urban opposition to subsistence that we saw last year was a result of misinformation or misunderstanding, we nonetheless should review the way we're carrying out the law. I have asked the task force to take testimony from all interested parties to determine whether we're doing things in an equitable manner and to make recommendations to me

if the members find room for improvement. I also told the task force members to take whatever time they need because I believe it is important that we do the best possible job we can in trying to put this divisive issue to rest. Individual members winning majority support for their particular recommendations is not important to me, but it is critically important to me that each member finishes his work knowing that the task force had ample time for its mission and that all viewpoints were heard and considered. Finally, regarding sovereignty, I can report that we've had about a dozen responses to our June 18th letter seeking input on the sovereignty issue from native organizations around the state. As we expected, the responses varied widely and we already are finding a wide range of positions on the issue. We are waiting for the responses and in the meantime, I have asked the Department of

Community and Regional Affairs to join the effort to develop a state policy on sovereignty. It seems logical to me to involve this important state agency since Commissioner Lewis and his staff have the expertise and the responsibility to make contact with rural communities. I must say, however, that these sovereignty issues will not be decided by the governor and his cabinet because that responsibility lies primarily with the federal government. You should not take that statement to mean that we want to duck the issue, however, because resolution of the sovereignty equation is a vital importance to the state and we want to work closely with the leadership of your organizations to find the answer. We'll be working together on a broad range of issues and we'll be presented with a broad range of positions as we go forward. I know we'll never achieve unanimity on sovereignty or on most statewide issues, for that matter, but I also know that the only way to achieve any progress at all is by maintaining

an open dialogue. So I'd like to end up today by encouraging everyone with an interest in the sovereignty issue to keep talking with me and keep talking with each other. That's the only way we can arrive at a common understanding of what the problems are and that's the critical first step toward finding the solutions. Thank you so much. Governor Sheffield, we'd like to present this momento to you and it reads presented to Governor Bill Sheffield in appreciation for his efforts on behalf of Alaska Natives in the state during the past year, but let me also add that while the governor now wasn't candidate, he supported subsistence, which was our major issue in the election last year, and all

of his subsequent actions since then indicates that continued support. Thank you very much, Governor. The next item on the agenda is the president's report. Thank you very much, Willie. distinguished Alaska Natives, which is all of you and your friends. It's a personal joy to be with you today, and I deeply appreciate the invitation and the opportunity.

It's like coming back after a long, long time to see what's happened to something that you worked very hard on and cared very much about, but it went in a separate way and to see your faces again, 1991 is now, 1991 is every year. The benefits sought in the settlement of the claims were like freedom. They require eternal vigilance, never waiting, always watching, analyzing, and working.

The act was never anything but an opportunity, and that's true with every human and legislative act. The act was what you do with it, what you make out of it. That's all it ever was and all it ever will be, and what you make out of it will be determined not by chronological epochs like 1991, but by your character. Something you can get by on heart alone, the character is the key, character is knowing

who you are, what you want, what you believe, and acting on it with fidelity. Hearts big down where I come from. We care so much about hearts, we put them in banks, that's where we put everything we really care about, there's a lawyer I represent a doctor who does heart surgery, he's got a heart bank, this is a little grisly not like the bear, but G-R-I-S-O-Y, so don't listen if you don't want to, and he called me not too long ago, he's very worried that he had a patient who looked like was probably going to sue him, because the patient was making a very unreasonable demand. The patient required a new heart, a little surgery, got to open up the chest, pull out

the old and plug a new one in, and the bank was a little low that day, but it had two marvelous hearts and one other one. The first heart that this doctor offered was a heart, a young nurse, a beautiful young woman who worked among the urban poor, night and day, exhausting herself, compassionately in their care, and she was walking back home through the dark streets one night, got mugged and died, her heart was now available, young, strong, compassionate, so much for urban living. The second heart, so that again would not involve the commission or any representative of the

patient would not be able to be able to be able to be able to be able to be able to not be able to be able to use that as an individual, can be able to be able to be able But it is a legal plan.

I think there are anything, there's no procedures that they don't understand about your job. Well, I think our people are here in the Bay have a pretty good relationship with the villages and they go out and hold millions of various villages and I think I have a pretty good contact with them. I think they get their point across most of the time. We do have some problem with reporting that this one had anything to do with commercial aspect and the subsistence issue. Getting the correct information right in and reports back into us so we can determine use and resource.