HomeMy WebLinkAboutRes2007-039
Sponsored by: Mayor Shafer
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CITY OF SEWARD, ALASKA
RESOLUTION 2007-039
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SEWARD,
ALASKA, SUPPORTING THE QUTEKCAK NATIVE TRIBE FEDERAL
RECOGNITION EFFORTS
WHEREAS, the Qutekcak Native Tribe Council is the democratically elected governing
body of the Alaska Native Community in Seward, Alaska; and
WHEREAS, the Qutekcak Native Tribe's administrative offices are located in Seward
and the majority of its membership resides within the Seward area; and
WHEREAS, the Alaska Native Community has played a vital role in Seward's history
including Seward's earliest homesteader Mary Forgal Lowell, a well known Alaskan Native
residing in this area previous to 1902, the establishment of the Jesse Lee Home in 1925 after the
relocation of the orphanage for Alaskan Native children from Vnalaska, Alaska and the
establishment of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bayview School in 1926; and
WHEREAS, the Indian Reorganization Act provides for federal recognition of
previously unrecognized groups of Alaska Natives "having a common bond of occupation, or
association, or residence within a well-defined neighborhood, community, or rural district" (25
.... V.S.C. S 473a); and
WHEREAS, the Qutekcak Native Tribe would qualify as an Indian tribe under this or
any other legal description; and
WHEREAS, the Qutekcak Native Tribe is recognized as an Alaska Native tribe by
Chugachmiut, (regional social service corporation servicing Chugach region tribes), Chugach
Alaska Corporation, Chugach Regional Resources Commission and the North Pacific Rim
Housing Authority and holds a seat on all these boards of directors and is routinely treated as an
Alaska Native Tribe; and
WHEREAS, the Qutekcak Native Tribe and City of Seward have collaborated on a
number of projects, including the Seward Community Library, Special Alaska Native/American
Indian section, the All-American City award and the Shellfish Hatchery, which have contributed
to the long standing partnership between the Tribe and the City of Seward; and
WHEREAS, federal recognition would entitle the Qutekcak Native Tribe to significant
privileges as an independent entity and access to special programs of the Bureau of Indian
Affairs, Indian Health Service (mS) and the Institute of Library and Museum Services that are
made available only to recognized tribes and their members as well as to funds that are set aside
for tribes within certain federal programs; and
....
WHEREAS, the inaction of the federal government on Qutekcak Native Tribe's repeated
requests for federal recognition have prevented the Tribe from fully realizing efforts to promote
the health and well-being oftheir tribal members and to protect their tribal heritage.
CITY OF SEWARD, ALASKA
RESOLUTION 2007-039
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NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE
CITY OF SEWARD, ALASKA that:
Section 1. The City Council of the City of Seward fully supports federal recognition of
the Qutekcak Native Tribe.
Section 2. The City Council of the City of Seward urges that Alaska's elected Senators
and Representative serving in the United States Congress introduce and build support for
legislation to recognize the Qutekcak Native Tribe and to appropriately use their good offices to
encourage the Bureau of Indian Affairs to place the Tribe on the list of Indian Entities
Recognized and Eligible to Receive Services from the United States.
Section 3. This resolution takes place immediately upon its adoption.
PASSED AND APPROVED by the City Council of the city of Seward, Alaska, this 23rd day of
April, 2007.
THE CITY OF SEWARD, ALASKA
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AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
ABSTAIN:
Dunham, Valdatta, Thomas, Bardarson, Amberg, Shafer
None
Schafer
None
ATTEST:
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(City Seal)
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Memorandum
Mayor Shafer and Seward City Council
To:
Qutekcak Native Tribe Council
From:
9/14/2007
Date:
Support of Federal Recognition for the Qutekcak Native Tribe
Re:
The Qutekcak Native Tribe (QNT) would like to request the support of the City Council of the City
of Seward for our efforts to be acknowledged as a Federally Recognized tribe. The QNT Council is
the democratically elected governing body of the Alaska Native community in Seward.
The Alaska Native community has played a vital role in Seward’s history including the purchase of
land from Mary Forgal Lowell in 1903 for what ultimately would become the city of Seward. The
Jesse Lee Home established in 1925 after the relocation from Unalaska supported Alaskan Native
children orphaned by the epidemics of the era and the establishment of the Bureau of Indian Affair’s
Bayview School in 1926 for the Alaska Native children residing in the community.
QNT is eligible as an Indian Tribe under the Indian Reorganization Act which provides for federal
recognition of previously unrecognized groups of Alaska Natives “having a common bond of
occupation, or association, or residence within a well-defined neighborhood, community, or rural
district”. (25 U.S.C. 473a)
Chguachmiut (a regional social service corporation servicing Chugach region tribes), Chugach
Alaska Corporation, Chugach Regional Resources Commission and the North Pacific Rim Housing
Authority all recognize QNT as a tribe. Council members participate on each of these Boards as a
Board of Director. QNT is routinely identified and treated as an Alaska Native Tribe.
The City of Seward and QNT have collaborated on several different projects over the years including
the Seward Community Library, Special Alaska Native/American Indian section, the All-American
City award and the Shellfish Hatchery.
With federal recognition, QNT would be allowed significant privileges and access to Bureau of
Indian Affairs, Indian Health Service and the Institute of Museum and Library Services; programs
that are made available only to recognized tribes and their members.
QNT requests the City Council of the City of Seward, Alaska support our federal recognition and
urges the Alaska’s elected Senators and Representative in the U.S. Congress introduce and build
support for legislation to recognize QNT to be placed on the Bureau of Indian Affairs list of Indian
Entities Recognized and Eligible to Receive Services from the United States.
Thank you for your consideration.
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